Elder Lorenzo L.

August 28, 2016

This week we say good bye to one of the best missionaries we have known, Elder Lorenzo L.   He joined our mission within weeks of our arrival.  We have loved him since we first met him.  He is held in the highest esteem by every missionary in this mission.  He is a natural at teaching and his love of people can be easily felt.

Elder Lorenzo L. is from Chile.  He came on his mission just shy of his 24^th birthday.   He is a certified mid-wife.  He had received a scholarship for this training and the scholarship could not be deferred.   He chose to finish his schooling and then serve a mission.  Because of his outstanding performance in school, he was offered a scholarship for a postgraduate degree studying in Europe following graduation.  However, his goal was to fulfill a mission for the church and so he turned this opportunity down.

While attending medical school, he fell in love with another medical student.  She is still the love of his life, but together they decided that he should serve the Lord for two years before they married. She stayed behind practicing her profession.  The wedding is planned for November.

Elder Lorenzo L.’s parents will arrive next Friday morning.  We will be there with Elder L. to greet them.  There will be many tears of joy which will help mask some of the tears that Keith and I will be crying.  Our tears will include a few of sorrow as we bid farewell to an extremely fine man.

  

What a privilege we have had in Mexico.

Elder Daniel A.

August 28, 2016

Elder Daniel A. came to us from Tijuana.  We laughed when we first saw his picture on the application.  How did this Nordic name come to be attached to someone who was obviously a Mexican?  After he arrived, we found he had been raised by an American stepfather and hence the name.  He was also fluent in both English and Spanish.

Elder Anderson is a temporary missionary.  His mission call is to Logan Utah.  However, his Visa into the United States was delayed and so he joined our mission while waiting for his Visa.  He is a fine young man and easily fit into Mexico City.

Elder Anderson did not know his biological father.  Another man had filled that position for him.  However, just two weeks ago he received an email from a cousin.  He had not heard from this cousin for 8 years, but in this email she told him how she had recently run into his biological father, right here in Mexico City.  She shared an address and an email of his father.  Elder Anderson became excited and nervously sent an email telling his biological father that he was currently in Mexico City and that he was serving a mission for the church.  Within a week his Father found him in a local church.  Elder Anderson said there was little doubt it was his father – they resembled each other in every way except for age.  His biological father brought along 2 half siblings, and shared information about 2 other half sisters living in Spain.  It was a special and healing reunion for Elder Anderson.

Our Heavenly Father knows us all so personally.  He knows of our needs and our desires.  I have total faith that Heavenly Father made it possible for these two to meet.  And now, after being in our mission for 16 weeks and the arrival of both a Visa and a Father, Elder Anderson flies to Utah on Monday.

The final chapter

August 22, 2016

I think I can write the final chapter of my “leg” experience.  It has taken me awhile to get to this point.  Each time I took 2 steps forward, I often found that I had to step at least one step back.  However, after this past weekend, I think I have moved into the safety zone.

I had necessary plastic surgery just 4 weeks ago on the hole in my leg.  When I was so sick last May, the doctors had to remove the infection in my leg in order to heal me.  The hole that remained was at least the size of an American quarter.  It healed for several months before it looked like another surgery would be necessary.  It had healed enough that I was praying that the surgeon would look at it and cancel the surgery – let it continue to heal on its own.  That was wishful hoping.

During the first plastic surgery they found that the destruction of the cells went clear to the bone and so that surgery increased the “hole” by 2 ½ times.  Later that week they placed the skin graft taken from the other side of my leg.

I came home in a wheel chair which is difficult in a 3 story house with varying levels on each floor.  I crawled up our spiraling staircases too many times and the dozen cement stairs that lead into the house were even more challenging.  My daughter Laura came to give me help.  From wheelchair I moved to a cane.  And now the cane is resting against the wall.

However, even just 10 days ago, the healing was not going well.  Last Saturday I finally turned a corner and that corner brought new hope.  This will heal after all.

Emotionally at times I hung onto the knot at the end of my rope.  I pleaded with my Heavenly Father and I cried too many times into my pillow.  I now know that I have been blessed and soon this will just be a difficult memory.  The prayers of many others have helped immensely.  Very soon the exercise bicycle will not sit quietly in the corner!