Week 43 - August 28, 2016

Transfers came, I have a new comp he is filipino and he is almost as tall as me.

Still so many less actives that don't want to go to church

Its hard leading such a big area

It rains a lot of course.

We are planing to have a baptism sept. 10

So, yeah, things are going good here.

Investigators are good we are having baptism on the 10.

I asked what he wants for Christmas?

I don't want anything for Christmas, I just want some food maybe.

My comp has being here for 1 year and 5 months.

Are you eating well?

Yeah I eat rice every day and soimai 

no they doint really have that stuff the Philippines doesn't have as much resources

Are you having vegetables?

Yeah, I am good

 Do not be afraid to use your Priesthood to do the Lord’s work. Don’t underestimate the power you hold. I was just reading President Monson’s talk from the Priesthood Session last April, “A Sacred Trust”:

This precious gift of priesthood power brings with it not only solemn responsibilities but also special blessings for ourselves and for others. May we, in whatever place we may find ourselves, always be worthy to call upon its power, for we never know when our need and our opportunity to do so may come.

During World War II, a friend of mine was serving in the South Pacific when his plane was shot down over the ocean. He and the other crew members successfully parachuted from the burning plane, inflated their life rafts, and clung to those rafts for three days.

On the third day they spotted what they knew to be a rescue vessel. It passed them by. The next morning it passed them by again. They began to despair as they realized that this was the last day the rescue vessel would be in the area.

Then the Holy Spirit spoke to my friend: “You have the priesthood. Command the rescuers to pick you up.”

He did as prompted: “In the name of Jesus Christ and by the power of the priesthood, turn about and pick us up.”

Within a few minutes the vessel was beside them, helping them on deck. A faithful and worthy bearer of the priesthood, in his extremity, had exercised that priesthood, blessing his life and the lives of others.

May we determine, here and now, ever to be prepared for our time of need, our time of service, our time of blessing.

You have THAT power to make things happen in the Lord’s work, in accordance with His will. Stay close to Him, listen to the Spirit, and you will be inspired to use the Priesthood when appropriate. 

Again we love you, and hope you are doing well. Please tell us more about what you’re doing and how you are.

Love,

Dad

Hey i just watched that talk just barely. Well that is good that you are feeling better. Well we just are having the baptism on sept. 10. 

My area is really hard we have a lot of less actives who don't want to go to church they are so stubborn they have excuses after excuses and that is not fair, they are forgetting their baptismal covenants and they aren't listening to us. 

Yeah, also Duterte is planing on drawing from the UN but he really doesn't tolerate drugs. He wants to change the Phillipines. Also something interesting Duterte also has a Book of Mormon that a missionary gave him a while back and I think that missionary is a Mission President now and yeah they know each other.

Week 22 - March 30, 2016

This week we got a text message from one of our investigators and said that they don't want us teaching them anymore and the husband is a LA and the wife is an Investigator. 

So I felt like they are missing out in eternal salvation and they don't want to be saved. But sometimes this happens as a missionary we feel like the door was slammed shut and locked tight and that there is no one who wants the glory of God and as missionary it is our job to find the lost sheep and people have agency to choose but the choice is quite simple do you want eternal glory or captivity?

We have being teaching this housemaid for 3 weeks. she is working for an active member but she is being held back. Now she isn't really coming to church because her husband isn't familiar with our religion and doesn't really want her to attend until he does more research on our church. But the downfall is that he is always working and is never available for a lesson. But this week we finally taught him L1 and now he is interested and wants us to return again and that means that we can finally baptize him and his wife!!!!!!!! and he said he will come to church.

I still have my braces I wear them every day and night, I can buy some shoes or I can use the one from home.

 We don't need anything at the moment.   I wear a Large. 

We have 4 baptisms next month and I write in my journal every day.

Wow ,so the campaign is turning around thats good!! 

I heard about Belgium 5 days ago and Ben Oliphant and another person from PG High are serving there. 

Well the southern part of the Philippines has terrorists too and we have a lot of muslims in my area right now but they are mainly friendly. 

I think Belgium might be a little safer because they have a better economy. But so far here its being safe.

i might need bug spray an inhaler and taco seasoning.

Week 21 - March 20, 2016

So it was my Birthday this week one of the best presents for my birthday was my first baptism 1 day after my birthday and their name is the Tumangil family and we have 3 more upcoming baptisms.and also our total number of lessons this week is 33!!

Also I found out this week that you can kill rats with boiling hot water my kabahe(room mate) did it the other day and it worked. 

I LOVE MY NEW AREA!! No to mention that its a really big area and that there are maramie mga tao dito sa(many people here) San Jose Del Monte perdo its okay na lang. 

I can deal with a roach infested apartment now and not even care because I am so busy focusing and loving my new area!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I love the people, I love the place its super clean and there are marami(many) mango and buko(coconut) trees and I am starting to understand people now,and also dito its really maganda(beautiful) it really helps having a Filipino companion. 

Love you Elder Frias!!! and also I am in the same area as Elder English and we play basketball together on p-day. 

And today was the first day i ate a Big Mac at Mcdonalds.

The word I learned this week is kapit bahay that means neighbor. 

Well ingat po kayo  

Week 20 - March 20, 2016

On March 30th I will be going to the Manila Temple and bring some stuff for Daniel to bring to you.
I love my new area its half providence half city my companion is funny and he is fillipino. His name is Elder Frias he is from Cavite.
   
(Answer to Dad's letter)

Wow that is something, Well at least you could get a lot of work done. Im good here I got transferred to San Jose Del Monte It's a really big area half providence half city there are 200 active members in our ward and some days we teach 7 lessons. We have 5 people with a baptismal date and one is coming up on March 19th. Its really handy to have a companion that speaks fluent Tagalog and im learning a lot already being around with him. At my apartment I am the only foreigner there, the rest are Filipino. But I am having a lot of fun in my area the people are good and its really beautiful here. 

How is it in America? How are you? Well I love you dad, take care.

I didn't get the package yet.

What does it mean to be a Providence?

It's like in america where like all the farm land like a land away from a city a really large area with land but now much of a city.

Do you have to walk? or do you have bike or cars?

Are there any dangerous animals?

No dangerous animals, nope we don't have any bikes or cars we just walk, take a tricycle or a jeepny

Early Birthday Celebration for Elder Driggs before leaving his first Area.  The Talagtag family gathered with the Mission leader of the ward and others members to celebrate!

Pictures from his New area San Jose Del Monte, new roommates and new apartment.

Week 19 - March 6, 2016

Last week we had 3 investigators said that all the churches are true. So, we taught them how we can gain eternal life through the gospel and that we can be cleansed from sin through the atonement and how God, Jesus, and the holy ghost are three separate beings. But because they can't distinguish them selves between which church is true they decide to go to their other church that they have being a member for all their life and in order for them to get baptized they have to come to church four Sundays in a row. 

So we are still trying our best for these people to come unto christ and I know that when we put 100% effort we will be blessed and some times it is  discouriging that these people are having a hard time gaining a testimony of our church. But through faith in Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon we can become humble and I know this church is true and that the atonement is true.

We traveled to a province area called Wawa, Montalban Rizal for our p-day and I only got back an hour ago so its later than when I usually email you.  There are rivers, bamboo, cattle, rice fields you should look it up its really pretty.

I live in the "Corinthians Villas", there are 4 missionaries living in  the apartment.

It is great to know that the P.G. Wrestling team took State again.  But the picture you sent was crooked can you send it again maybe later?

Yeah some times here in the Philippines I feel like I'm in Mexico or South America. Do they have bamboo in Mexico and South America?

Week 18 - February 29th, 2016

How are you guys?  How is your day?  What is going on in America?
I Already eating healthy, for breakfast I have oatmeal with canned fruit, lunch hotdogs with rice and ketchup, then dinner some times I have pizza or bread but some times we don't have time to eat dinner. We do have a freezer but I haven't read the recipes you sent yet.
I don't really drink juice, I usually cook breakfast and dinner then one of the Filipinos cook for all of us during lunch.

I don't have time to send pictures but I will give them to you next week.

I am getting along just fine with my companion.

This is a picture we got from the Talagtag family via Facebook. Elder Driggs and his companion Elder Leishman.  The Talagtag family are members from the ward where the Elders attend.

Week 17 - February 21st

This past week was a little bit slow, we spent a whole day walking and we got an average of two lessons. 

Nobody is coming to church. So we did a lot of walking under the hot humid weather. 

But President Nelson's  talk  was very spiritual and uplifting.  So the talk helped appreciate whose name I'm wearing every day. So I hope when I leave I can change spiritually and apply the principles that I have learned during my mission.  But it first starts by committing yourself in your heart that you want a change. 

When you love your companion, become 100% obedient and choose good. President Haney promised us that we for sure will experience change.

Elder Driggs sent these pictures from the Philippines