Matters of Eternity

Matters According to Plan 7.30.2018

What a wonderful week we have had! We just returned from a 2-hour visit with our new friend Hugo and his mother (97) and brother Celestino. We had great conversations and promised to teach him the Plan of Salvation later in the week. Hugo is such a good man who has talked to young missionaries before. He has faith in God, prays regularly, is reading the Book of Mormon, and knows that any success or happiness he has had in life has come from God. Jim told him that he is needed as a leader in the soon-to-be Laredo Stake. Hugo said, “But I am not educated.” Jim explained that if the Lord calls a 14-year-old boy with three years of formal education to translate the Book of Mormon and restore His church to the earth, He can use any of us to help bring forth His kingdom. Hugo is really impressed with the young missionaries who work so hard and devote themselves to the Gospel, so I reminded him that it is the power of God, not 18 and 19 year-olds, who are teaching and converting people.  I even sang “We’ll Bring the World His Truth” for him! When we told Hugo that we would teach him the Plan of Salvation next time, he said, “Good! I really need that. I wanted to ask, but I didn’t want to be rude.”

We also went to lunch today with the senior couple who is serving in  Zapata, the Shaws. We love them! We are speaking in their branch in September. They are from Taylorsville, Utah. He was an elementary teacher in Granite and Jordan Districts. She is a cousin to Kris Parry, one of my friends from elementary through high school. Kris passed away from breast cancer about 13 years ago. We used to sing together, and she was in the Tabernacle Choir.

Yesterday we went to three different sacrament meetings. I had the opportunity to play the organ again in  Rama (Branch) #1. I also taught singing time and sharing time in Primary. I taught two piano lessons, and we had YSA FHE. We helped teach the Restoration to Alma (a 60-something nurse) with some elders during the week and hoped she would come to church again, but she did not show up in 4th branch. I wrote her a note, inviting her to watch President Nelson’s conference talk on Revelation. She is looking for a charismatic personality to know which church to go to. We tried to tell her that she needs to ask God herself and get her answer from Him. The elders may be ready to give up on her and move on.

On Thursday we taught our second Institute lesson on chastity. We love these young people! So many of them will be leaving for BYUI and other colleges. Two brothers are going into the Air Force. One young woman is moving this week to San Antonio, then on to New Jersey. We will miss them all! A few are planning on missions. Seminary starts on August 15—every morning at 6:00!

We are trying to accelerate our Spanish learning! It makes my brain tired to listen to Spanish sacrament meetings and family home evenings. I bought a Spanish Himnos book—so we can learn the hymns. I’m trying to write and pray in Spanish and study grammar and vocabulary every day, besides doing several lessons in Duolingo.

We attended our first temple session in Spanish on Saturday. It was supposed to be an English session, but they did not have enough headsets for those who needed Spanish! So, I used a headset, even though I know the endowment. I love the San Antonio Temple. We were able to take two sets of sister missionaries and one other sister (Maria Gonzales—no English) in our car. Maria was sealed to her husband, who is dead. Another couple from our District was sealed and we got to attend that sealing, too. Our friends, the Orozcos, received their endowments after many years of waiting. Until last week when he got his legal papers, they could not get through the checkpoint. Hermana Orozco got her paperwork last month. It was very sweet and touching!

I went into the baptistry to watch our young people perform and proxy baptisms for family names that they had found. It was such a spiritual experience! I had never seen the priests do the baptisms for the dead, nor had I seen young people taking part in baptisms for their family names that they had researched themselves. One of our recently-returned missionaries was also watching, and I noticed that the young man being baptized had the same last name that she did. When he finished I asked her if it was her brother. Wiping away a tear she said, “Yes, he was doing the work for our grandfathers, so it was very special.” One of our YSAs, Ingrid, was there with the names of her grandparents. She was ecstatic. Ingrid is the one we are teaching temple prep, so she can get her endowment ASAP. She plans to leave on a mission when she graduates from Texas A&M in College Station this December. Saturday was an amazing experience in SanAntonio! We drove past the Alamo so that the Sisters could just see it for the first time.

How glorious is the Plan of Salvation! How blessed we are by our loving Heavenly Father to have temples that can unite us in families for eternity! As the first anniversary of my sister’s death passed yesterday, it punctuated the great promises and blessings of the temple! For Eternity—just think of that!