Milagros Matter

Milagros Matter 7.4.18
Dear Friends and Family,
This blog is for those of you who want to keep track of us on our mission in Laredo, but especially for our children, grandchildren, brothers and sisters and their families, aunts and uncles and cousins. We hope you will gather your families every day and pray for us and the other missionaries all over the world. The people of Laredo are on-track to become a stake and could use your prayers, too! This is a tough, but interesting city. Like any border town, it has its challenges, and we believe that we were sent here to help strengthen the good people who are fighting to save their lives and the lives of people they love through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

"Milagros" means "miracles." If we didn't believe the Lord's hand was in our lives before we came here (and we did!), we would believe it now. On Monday we met and helped the lady from El Salvador. I told you about her last week, but forgot to explain what brought her across our path. A friend in California told her to find an LDS church and go there to wait until someone came to help her. The church was full of young missionaries who called us to come help her so she could get back across the border. I do not know the end of her story--maybe I never will, but I do know that she crossed our path for a reason (or we crossed hers). One missionary mini-miracle.

On Thursday we were setting up our institute class to teach the lesson on the Proclamation to the World on the Family. A man appeared in the classroom door, curious as to what we were doing there. We explained our purpose, and he seemed disappointed that the class was for young adults. We invited him to stay anyway, but he declined. He said he had had an encounter with some elders, but did not relate to them well. Thursday he had been riding his bicycle past the church, saw our car, and came in. Abel Sanchez is in his mid-sixties, and looks like he could be Jim's brother--fair and freckled, a special-ed teacher, and former HS track runner. They hit it off, exchanged numbers and addresses, and made a date to meet later this week. I don't believe in coincidences. I do believe in milagros!

On Friday we met with Bro. Salmond, our seminary & institute director for some inservice. Later he and Jim went to visit possible seminary students for this fall. They came to one address on the list and found instead a man in his mid-sixties (again!) who invited them in and showed them his Book of Mormon, given to him by some elders who never came back. Before the Elders he met with some Sister missionaries whom he described as "beautiful--not like pretty, but beautiful from the inside out." They talked for a while, and Hugo Arriaga asked Jim if WE would teach him. Jim challenged him to read the Book of Mormon. They looked at Mormon 10:4, and talked about how he can pray and find out if it is true. Hugo says he prays every day from his heart, not like his church teaches him to pray. He asked if we would teach him when he gets back from vacation in two weeks! Another little miracle.

Brother Salmond (who is also a stake president in McAllen) said, "I thought I came here today to find seminary students, but now I know I came to help you find this man." We are not called as proselyting missionaries, but the Lord knew that we were the people that Abel and Hugo needed to meet. Who knows but what they may be one of the reasons we are serving in Laredo! The mission president has given us permission to teach them.

We have been in Laredo for a month now. Our eyes and hearts have been opened to many things. On this Independence Day, we are grateful to live in this blessed country. We are grateful for our Founding Fathers, imperfect human beings who were touched by God's hand to institute the beginnings of this great nation. Like the founding Fathers, we also give thanks for Joseph Smith, an imperfect man but true prophet of God. The two are inseparably connected.

The gospel is true. Our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us and direct us. We love you all--you are the pieces of our lives. Thank you for your prayers. God bless America!