Matters of Sacrifice & Devotion

Missionary Blog 8.27.18

It is a blessing to me to see God’s hand in small things. We could not bring everything with us, so I left my sewing machine at home. I thought I might buy a fancy new machine if I needed it in Texas. I was back and forth on the decision, as the sewing machine I wanted was thousands of dollars—and I would have to get it home at the end of two years. I settled on an inexpensive little Singer at WalMart that I can use to take in Jim’s pants and maybe put together some quilt blocks. Before I could even thread the hot-pink little wonder, one of our elders asked if I could possibly help him with a pair of pants he had split out. So, that was my first sewing project—though he had tried to sew them up with some kind of heavy (upholstery???) cream-colored thread on navy blue pants. . . It was a blessing that I could mend them for him!

What a blessing to be teaching the Doctrine & Covenants and the new Doctrinal Mastery lessons! This week in both seminary and institute we have had the opportunity of teaching “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” and specific history lessons that prompted the revelations in the D&C. We want our students to receive personal revelation and seek the answers to difficult questions and concerns. It is not easy for students to get to 6 AM seminary, five days a week, from all over spread-out Laredo, but our faithful core of students are amazing and engaged in learning spiritual principles and doctrines. It will be a great experience to read Saints and prepare our institute students for the Face-to-Face with Elder Quentin L. Cook as he answers questions about church history and doctrine on Sept. 9.

This morning some elders called and invited us to help teach Mario the Plan of Salvation. It was a spiritual experience! Mario is 30 and was born in Laredo. He works for his dad’s construction company, building the new 9th-grade campus just south of us. Ten years ago he met the missionaries, and they gave him a Book of Mormon and a New Testament. He never saw them again (you know how missionaries get moved around!). He is very excited to be learning the gospel, reading the Book of Mormon, and seeking truth. His wife lives in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, waiting for legal work to get her here. They have lost two babies, so you can guess that the Plan of Happiness gave him hope. He is willing to go to church Sunday in Nuevo Laredo and hopes his wife will go with him. He goes across the bridge to see her every weekend. We are going again next Monday for another lesson. We love being involved with some of the teaching with the elders and sisters!

Saturday was a beautiful experience at the San Antonio Temple as our dear friend (YSA) Ingrid received her endowment. We loved teaching her the temple-prep lessons and being touched by her testimony and enthusiasm for the Gospel. She is the only member in her family. Her heritage is Mexican and Swedish. She says she would hide when missionaries knocked on her family’s door at home and “shhhh” everybody. Then as a college student she was really ready to hear the missionaries one night when they knocked on doors at her dormitory. Their appointment had fallen through, and her door was the last one, third floor, in the building. She is an amazing missionary herself now, going out with the missionaries, doing family history, and sharing her testimony and support with new members. What a great example she is! She gave the FHE lesson last night to the young adults on the importance of the temple, and led an inspirational discussion (one of the young men investigators had never heard of the temple). It is a beautiful thing to watch them teach each other!

The young people here have to face some unbelievable challenges to accept the gospel and change their lives. Can you even imagine trying to break from a drug cartel who is threatening to kill your family if you try to leave their clutches? Can you imagine leaving all friends and family ties to embrace God’s commandments? Can you imagine withdrawal from drugs, tobacco, and alcohol while standing firm against the peer pressure that is ever-present? And yet, most of our new converts are young people—brave, diligent, brilliant young people who know two languages, do whatever it takes to get an education, overcome temptation, and devote their lives to Jesus Christ!

We are truly grateful for this experience. We know that God has called us here to Laredo. We know that every sacrifice is worth it because Heavenly Father loves His children and wants them to have the truth. He wants us all to come back to Him. This is His church. We are blessed to be instruments in His hands.