Home Safely

One of my favorite movies is “Apollo Thirteen”. In that movie after Tom Hanks and his crew have landed safely, he sends a final broadcast to Houston telling them that they have landed and that help is at hand and then he signs off for the last time. As a viewer I always feel joy in that moment.

Our mission is now behind us. There are so many wonderful memories and friends. I am grateful beyond measure to my Father in Heaven for the experiences that He blessed us with and for the opportunities that he guided us to. My faith and testimony have grown immensely over the last 18 months. My love for my wife has grown. She is truly my eternal companion.

In our final week our ward, the Huehuecalco Ward, had a special family home evening for us. The bishop gave a talk in this meeting, thanking us for our service in his ward. He quoted this scripture:

Doctrine and Covenants 18:

15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

 16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!

Our joy is great.

Conclusions

Last night a wonderful thing occurred. In April of this year I wrote of a young teenager with strength that marveled me. She had lost her mother a few months before and her father was an alcoholic. Yet, when I went into her house it was beautiful, looking very much like a very well kept teenager’s bedroom. Xazmin is her name and though she was only seventeen years old, she was meeting her trials head on. You would never guess her strength at first knowing her. She is quite shy and timid in nature. Last night I baptized her into the Lord’s Church and today I was part of the circle that confirmed her. I told her as we parted today that she was an elect daughter of our Father-in-Heaven. Her father was there for baptism and for her confirmation. I told him what a blessed man he was to have such a daughter.

Last January I baptized a young man named Alain. Since that time, he has fallen into inactivity. I sent him a text this week, telling him that we were leaving and that we really wanted to see him. He came to Church to day. I was so happy to have him there. He asked me to give him a blessing tomorrow. I’m hoping that this will be time for renewal and rededication for him.

On Saturday, we turned the mission office over to the three elders that are taking our place. It was hard to leave a place in which we have had so many good memories and experiences. There were tears shed.

My experience here in Mexico has been far more wonderful than I would have ever imagined. I have loved so many people and felt their love. Above it all I have felt the love of my Heavenly Father as I spend my time serving his beloved children. He has blessed me with the assurance that it is all very true. This is His work and His glory to bring to pass the immortality of his children. It has been His presence through me and his Spirit that has so touched His children here and I have been deeply blessed to be a part of it. I love the young people that my wife and I have been called to serve with. What incredibly good men and women they are. And despite all of the troubles that discomfort our world my faith and hope are increased by all that I have experienced, known, and seen. Through Him there is great hope of everything ending well.

Our Next to the Last Week

I thought that I would share with you the busy week that we have just completed. On Monday after working at the office, we hosted our entire zone of more than twenty elders and sisters in a BBQ at our house. President and Sister Zapata and Doctor Ortiz and his family came too. We purchased a box of sixty hamburgers and not a single one remained. We love our missionaries, the Ortizs and the Zapatas so much. We are so blessed to be able to know them.

Tuesday we made an hour a half trip with two of the missionaries that are replacing us to Cuautla to show them the ropes down there. While there we had the chance to say goodbye (since this will be our last trip to Cuautla) to a few of our beloved missionaries.

Wednesday we took two families to the Mexico City Temple to do baptisms for the dead. This will be a beginning for both of them which will lead to their being sealed together as an eternal family in a year after the baptisms of the sisters. It was a very special and wonderful experience to share with them. I have no doubt they will return at the end of their year.

Thursday after work we went to Hermana Arenas house to have a delightful meal, this in preparation for my wife’s final visit to the dentist (Hermana Arenas is a dentist and very dear friend). After that we went to Chrise’s final piano class. My wife has taught and graduated many students in our time here. This was her last class and I think her best one. We felt so much love and gratitude from the students and their parents.

Friday, which is our day of rest, we went shopping in Amecameca. We found just about everything we were looking for and then had a splendid dinner at the Castle of the Deer (we didn’t eat venison).

Yesterday after work, we went to another wonderful dinner at Hermana Arenas’s house. After which we went to and equally wonderful baptism service. Elena, Hermana Areana’s daughter, had asked me to baptize her. We ended by going to Sara’s house in Ayapango. They were just about the first people that we taught when we arrived here in Mexico. Though they have yet to accept the Gospel, I have faith that they will. They are very dear friends and they invited us over to the birthday celebration of their granddaughter.

Perhaps you can see now why my wife and I feel so blessed here on our mission in Mexico. Check my wife's Facebook page for pictures.