What Love Looks Like

 

This week I found out that I'm going to stay in Kansas City, Missouri! I'm super excited to stay and help out our friends here! We've been super blessed to be able to meet some really cool people. 

This last Saturday one of the Elder's friends got baptized which was super cool, but what made it cooler is that three of our friends came and got to see a baptism. One of whom, is an eight year old girl, who is the most confidant and bold people I've met. We'd only met once before this point, but it was the cutest thing that she just came right up to me and sat right next to me and my other friend. She and another kid in the ward got to know our other friend's nephew to the point where he wanted to come to church even if his uncle didn't, and even if they were playing during the talks. But It was a really good opportunity for one of other friends because he got a ride with one of the guy's getting baptized. And than they got along well enough that our friend asked him for another ride on Sunday, without us having to prompt him. (Which is an incredible miracle, because getting people rides to church has become one of the bane's of my existence, because it is a problem every single week) The baptism was an absolute success and the spirit was really prominent. 

That same day we found out that a couple of our friends were thinking about moving. 

Back in Guatemala, Jennifer's family learned about the church were baptized. They went to the temple together and are all faithful members. She married her husband who isn't a member and he started taking the lessons. But during this time the were making the very difficult decision to leaver their home and go to America to provide for their family. 

To get here they walked and rode the bus, and had to pass through some of the most dangerous areas of Mexico. They were separated for about a month along the way, before meeting back together again earlier this year in Kansas City. But really that is hardly the beginning of their story. They sacrified being with their family, their home, their country, their people, and their language. 

And they did all of this to give everything back to their family. And yet along the way they made friends and found new family.

We had the best lessons with them. I remember the first lesson we had with them and I was blown away by the spirit I felt just by being with them. This all being said her husband still required a bit of convincing to progress in his conversion. Not a ton, but still, Jennifer was a really important influence. One day we were supposed to have a lesson, and while Jennifer and her husband were there, her husband stayed downstairs working on something. So instead we had just talked with Jennifer and her prayers were always the best, but this time, she prayed specifically for Abel and that he would have the desire to be baptized. And while I don't remember the words she said, the spirit testified of just how strong her desire is to help her husband.

It also helped that they were from Guatemala, which has slowly become one of my favorite southern america countries due to how many Guatemalans I taught in Sedalia. And they would tell us all about Guatemala and showed us the queztl (i'm not sure how it's spelled)

But than none of them could find work in Kansas City.  

And so after two months, they were offered a job in Denver. So they had another big decision to make. So that Friday before the baptism, we fasted with them that they would know what to do and where to go. 

And something about that conversation touched my heart in a way I didn't expect and honestly that whole situation did. Jennifer has so much faith. She has been the biggest supporter of her husband getting baptized. She would give everything for her family. 

This is part 1, and I'll get part 2 next week

Alma 13:23