first week into my second transfer! (week 13)

Hola everyone! so this past week was pretty great! 

winters coming here in Argentina and its already starting to get a little chilly! its super windy here! but i love it! ill be outside in a short sleeve while Elder donahoo has on two jackets and thinks im just crazy! but being from arizona i love the cold when i get it! 

this past week was just great! we had the opportunity to attend stake conference on saturday and sunday! what a great experience that was! but quick story. before we went, our mission president relayed a message to all the missionaries who would be attending that they needed to bring an investigator if they wanted to attend..  so we woke up saturday morning knowing we HAD to find someone before the meeting later in the afternoon.. so we went out to work.. and for alot of the morning and into the evening none of our investigators could come.. they all had work, or other plans sadly.. but at about 4:30 we were walking in the far back corner of my area, wayyy back in the super poor houses, just looking for a "miracle person!" and we contacted this house that barely had a door on it.. (super poor) but when we walked up a woman was standing in the door way, and we began to contact her.. soon to find out her name was maryanna, and maryanna was just GOLDEN! she loved everything we said, and was willing to go to stake conference with us! so we finished and quickly called any member possible that was willing to take her, because her house was too far from the building. long story short, we found a member and we were able to take her.. she LOVED stake conference, and wants to get baptized.. so we are going to do all we can to help her get to that point! but i testify, that the lord puts people in our lives who want, and need the blessings of the gospel, sometimes we just have to look long and hard!

its was such a cool experience to attend stake conference, and during the meeting i was blessed through the spirit to understand alot of what the speakers said! it is such a blessing! i felt like out of no where spanish was just becoming clear, but i know that the gift of tongues through the spirit made it possible for me to understand the talks because i needed to hear and understand the talks! oh how i enjoyed them!

im grateful for all that i have and for my testimony, my companion elder donahoo, and for the wonderful people here in bahia! i testify that they are truly wonderful, and in this work of salvation we all have a piece to play! 

i love you all! cuidense! (take care!)

Elder Driggs

Walking in "el centro" this morning in Bahia Blanca...Elder Driggs, Elder Donahoo, Elder Borwn and Elder Romero

Elder Donahoo with a family....she makes bags for a store, 24 cents each bag
 

Elder Donahoo and Elder Driggs...conference, then this member came in and put a super nice tv in! we were all american:)

they sure love their ice cream toppings

My second transfer is Here!! (week 12)

hola everybody!

To jump right into this past week it was filled with lots and lots of rain, some new foods, changes in my area, transfers happened, and my FIRST BAPTISM! 

so last week it rained, and when it rains in argentina it pours! but that only means that the flood gates of baptism are opening up! ha it started raining last wensday and didnt stop until about late friday.. it was such a great experience to proselyte in the rain! rain or shine, the work of missionaries will move on!

so i had the very special experience to eat with me, elder donahoo, elder canez, and elder swanson on friday with some members, and we had an "asado" which here is a large barbecue, usually with lots of different cuts of meats, like chicken, sausage, pork, and some cow somewhere in there.. this particular asado had sausage, and ribs from a pig, and then it had a different meat known as "morsilla" or "blood sausage" and its made from only the blood and fat of a pig. lets just say i had the opportunity to eat this meat both cold and cooked at this lunch and nearly threw up both times.. what an experience it was though, becuase after this family bought three kilos (roughly a gallon) of ice cream, and us four missionaries and this couple managed to eat all the ice cream.. (lets just say we dont let food go to waste here.) 

i have the opportunity to serve another transfer with elder donahoo this time around!!! what a happy experience it is serving alongside a man soo dedicated and with soo much excitement to preach this gospel! although the other two missionaries are both getting transfered out.. sadly. although now me and elder donahoo have the whole house to ourselves! exciting! 

so i had my FIRST BAPTISM this last saturday! what a sweet experience that was! i baptized a woman named susanna! susanna is an investigator of two sisters in our district, and i baptized her because she wanted me to, because she would be my first baptism! now, susanna is a very sweet and very silly person, who would love teasing elder donahoo and i every time we came to teach her! but the  day i baptized her, i had soo many feelings of being nervous and not sure if i was quite worthy enough to do it.. but as we sat down before the baptism i testify that a pray of faith brings the reassurance of the spirit to all with doubts in the heart.. after i baptized susanna not only did i know that she was perfectly clean of all sins, but the most sweet and special feelings touched my heart witnessing that this work is true, i felt the power of the priesthood work through me into susanna! at that moment my desire and my personal flame for missionary work grew soo much! this next transfer with elder donahoo will be one of happiness and increased desire to help find those who seek the happiness and blessing of this gospel!

i testify as a servant of jesus christ in this gospel of service that it is true, and i have seen people change and desire to come unto christ! the atonement is real, and is here for us! i sure do love my calling and will continue to work in the faith! i send prayers and love to all of you! 

Elder Ty Driggs

Elder Donahoo and Elder Driggs and their District in the Ares section of town in Bahia Blanca

 I am adding the letter he sent just to me (his Mom)....such a great letter and still makes me cry to read the amazing things he is experiencing!

dear mom,

the past week i made a huge change in my attitude because its very easy to be upset, to be frustrated, to feel sad and down on yourself and many other negative emotions in the mission, but i wanted to throw all of that away! because i know my savior thinks the world of me, and loves me no matter what i think of myself and sees me as a son of god. and thats who i am! so i wanted to be happy!

last week it rained ALOT! elder donahoo has said that in winter it rains like crazy! and i think its starting to move in that direction! it rained lightly on wensday and ALL thursday was just non stop rain! the streets were nothing but rain, it literally looked like a river! and me and elder donahoo went through it! haha it was the craziest thing ever! but i was soo happy! a teacher in the mtc told my district " you can enjoy your mission and laugh when it may be miserable, or you can complain about how hard things are." me and elder donahoo chose to laugh and enjoy the experience! 

last week i had the SUPER special experience to baptize susanna. she was an investigator of hermanas in our district, and she is a very energetic and super silly older woman. before i baptized her when we took pictures before in our baptismal clothes she held my hand.. (haha not allowed, but what are you gonna do!) and then afterwards she came up and gave me a huge hug.. and missionaries arent allowed to hug people of the opposite gender, but i just awkwardly hugged her back! she had good intentions, and you cant not hug someone you baptized. but it changed everything in how i thought after that experience! it sky rocketed my spiritual flame and increased my desire ten fold!

i love you mom, i pray for you daily, and think about you more than you will ever know! because i have soo much gratitude and am soo grateful for all that you did to help prepare me for this mission. mom i love you! i hope you have an amazing week! tell the family i love them!

love, 

Elder Ty Driggs

the week away from Elder Donahoo! (week 11)

hey everyone! so wow! another weeek has already flown by! soo fast!

ill explain the name now.. so last week i went on splits with another elder in our zone for 3 days.. i got to spend monday home, but on tuesday right after district meeting, i went with another elder  named elder searcy and he lives with the zone leaders.. it was a CRAZY three days.. these elders were very different than what i was used too.. i got there, and they were completely normal.. but after about an hour they were just super crazy! the only thing i can compare them to is 3 crazy college room mates! great men, just a little crazy! and i spent 3 days with them! haha super interesting, and then i came back on thursday, and spent that with elder donahoo, but we got a call that night that i had to do " tramites" which is pretty much my clearance to live in argentina... and so i left and spent the night with the ap elders.. super fun, and theyve got a huge house with about two million beds! haha super fun! then i spent all day on friday doing tramites, but i got to see elder way!!! i hadnt seen him for weeks! it was soo nice! and two of the hermanas from my mtc district were there too! it was a little reunion! but after i went home, and it was nice to be home!

this past week was a little rough because the success here isnt always great in argentina and this past week was hard finding people to bring to church, and finding people to teach.. me and elder donahoo invited 3 or 4 of our good investigators who we really care about and are trying hard on to come to church, and they just dont see the importance of attending church.. its sad.. but were going to keep trying!

 yesterday me and elder donahoo attended a baptism for some sisters in our district, and a woman i met at conference last week named susanna who i found out im baptizing was there. it was soo great to see susanna because she has such an excitement and desire to get baptized, and last night we just totally pumped her up with even more excitement to get baptized! 

after the baptism, we visited another one of the sisters investigators named lucas. weve known lucas for a couple weeks, and he wanted us to stop by to give him another blessing to help him stop smoking! and elder donahoo told me i was going to give the blessing beforehand.. and i DID!!! i gave a whole blessing in spanish! it was the coolest thing, and sooo spiritual! we asked him to get baptized this saturday with susanna, and he agreed so if he can stop smoking by this saturday then ill baptize susanna and elder donahoo will baptize lucas! 

argentina is soo beautiful the people are great, and the work here is real! this will be my last week in this transfer! im sad to leave elder donahoo, but its gonna be great! i have a testimony that the lord will help all of us because he has a plan of happiness for all of us!

i love all of you and pray for you! 

with love,

Elder Ty Driggs

Elder Driggs, Elder Swanson and Elder Canez! that was last monday! we were in a taxi.. driving home from a place called makro.. its like the costco of argentina!

The work in Argentina! (week 10)

sooo another FANTASTIC week!

Wow! was that General Conference just great or what! i feel sooo spiritually fed and full of inspired words from our beloved prophets and apostles! i completely sustain and know that all the men who spoke to us this past weekend are men of god! called to recieve revelation directly from heaven to give down to us for our benefit. indeed, i loved conference! but conference was a little weird here.. because argentina is 4 hours ahead.. the morning session didnt start till 1 in the afternoon.. but i still wrote morning session!! ha and then priesthood didnt start till 9 at night!! so crazy! but we watched it the following morning! in SPANISH!! oh that was the craziest thing! i understood about 1 in every 10 words.. soo im not feeling too bad! they just talk faster than i can comprehend! but im getting better! last week i had an experience with elder donahoo (my companion) where the words just came out naturally in spanish.. its as if though i was talking in english! so i know the lord is helping me and making it possible for me to learn and speak spanish! 

during the break between conference we just stayed at the church building where we were watching, and as we walked around talking to all the members who came.. the sisters had brought an investigator who has committed to be baptized.. and she wanted me to baptize her! it was the coolest thing. as i talked to her i could feel her desire and her love for this gospel! ( the people of argentina are just the BEST!) i love this great work! and i know its real with all my hear! i have been called here by a prophet of god, and he wants ME to preach the gospel of jesus christ to all that will hear.. that is my great calling and im proud to serve in the lords army! 

i sure hope all of you are doing well! argentina is starting too cool down.. its alot like arizona though.. its hot during the day and the mornings and evenings are very windy and chilly! but ive got great winter clothes that im busting out very soon to keep my spirit warm! 

i sure do love all you guys and will keep you in my prayers! 

Elder Driggs

Elder Donahoo with the mission leader who baptized Nora

Elder Driggs and Elder Donahoo and a set of Hermanas with a family they are teaching