A "golden" baptism

January 12, 2016

In 2012 the Chalco mission had not been created, so Ixtapaluca Stake was in the Mexico City Southeast mission.  Within six months, the Chalco mission was created and the Ixtapaluca Stake which included the San Buenaventura ward was transferred to the new mission.  Ixtapaluca remained in the Chalco mission until it was transferred back to our mission just days ago.

      

Elder Reyes first arrived in the Mexico City Southeast mission in the fall of 2012.  In February, 2013, he was assigned to the San Buenaventura ward in Ixtapaluca.  He was unaware of changes in both his life, and in his ward, that were about to happen.

Elder Reyes and his companion made contact with a good man.  They taught and loved this man, and he joined the church.  They hoped he would be “golden” – he would be someone to understand and love his new church.

During this time, Elder Reyes was getting sicker and sicker.  By April, after less than 3 months in the San Buenaventura ward, he was sent home to Guatemala.  The diagnosis was cancer and he was a sick young man.  Although it turned out not to be the “c” word, he still had a long recovery.

Elder Reyes recovered but wanted to finish his mission.  He re-joined us in June 2015.  In a miraculous turn of events, Ixtapaluca re-joined our mission just days ago.  With great excitement we assigned Elder Reyes to the San Buenaventura ward.  At his first Sunday visit, Elder Reyes and his “golden” baptism met and hugged.  His “golden” baptism is now the Bishop of the ward.