The Importance of An Example (and Dia de los Muertos)

This week I want to tell you about the story of Hermana Grace.

Hermana Grace is a member of our ward here and a counselor in Relief Society. She's incredible nice and always ready to help others grow closer to the Savior. 

This week, we had the opportunity to have lunch in her home. She has a son out on a mission so we began talking about him and his successes and struggles. We then were privileged to learn a little bit more about her. 

She has been a member all her life. She married her husband, who was extremely Catholic. For several years, 20 if my memory serves me right, she attended church alone with her two children in any circumstance. Her husband remained home, refusing to go with her. At one point, this included taking two young children and walking several miles in all types of weather without her husband to attend Sacrament Meeting. She always talked to her husband about the church and the doctrine and her children's activities within the church. He would always listen, but never commented or responded. He only listened. Refusing to change his beliefs. 

When her daughter was attending seminary, there were several instances in which they fought. She didn't want to go (as must teenagers pass through this point) but Hermana Grace was aware that her husband was watching and taking into account what was happening. Finally, she sat down with her daughter and told her that if one day she wanted her father to come to church with them, she needed to be aware of the example she was setting. From then on, it wasn't a problem. Hermana Grace took her daughter to seminary in all circumstances, in rain, snow, early mornings in the dark, even if it meant missing the start of her job. 

Soon after, her oldest son announced his desire  to serve a mission. He had always been a strong follower of the gospel. He never complained and never missed a day of church or seminary. Then, he started his papers. Little by little, he began to incorporate his father in this process. He would ask him to help him read his scriptures and to pray. His father always agreed. Soon, he began to offer to take his daughter to seminary, so that Hermana Grace could live a little easier. It quickly became something consistent. He took his daughter to seminary everyday. He never missed a day.

After their son left on his mission, Hermana Grace was talking with her husband. They were going to have the missionaries over for Family Home Evening. Every time before, he had run from the missionaries., Always excusing himself, leaving, and refusing to talk with them. During the previous FHE's, he would remove himself from the home or disappear upstairs. But this time, something changed. The steady example of his family began to soften his heart, especially with his own beloved son out in the mission field. This FHE, the family had the sister missionaries as well as the Elders in attendance. He agreed and expressed a quiet desire to stay and participate. 

Little by little, he began to accept the missionaries. He was taught the lessons and told the missionaries he believed every word. He wanted to be baptized. His only request was that no one tell his wife.

It was February 14th of 2018. Hna Grace returned home to a bouquet of flowers and chocolates and an envelope that instructed her not to open it until her husband arrived home that night. That night, they sat across from each other. She read the card. Her husband had written that he wanted to be her husband for eternity. He wanted to be the father of her children for eternity. He was going to be baptized that week. 

Hermana Grace began to cry. For so long she had quietly set an example, waiting for the day that he would accept the gospel and they could be sealed for eternity. He was baptized. Unfortunatley, his side of the family remains steadfast in their Catholic beliefs. He remains ever more steadfast in his. He has come to know the truth of this gospel for himself and shown the way by the eamples of his own immediate family. 

He is now our ward mission leader. Just 7 months after being baptized. He has told us that he has never felt more love for the missionaries than through this calling after having rejected them for so long. He executes his calling amazingly. 

The point of this story, if you haven't already guessed, is how important it is to recognize the example you are setting for those around you. Everyday you have to opportunity to change someones life, although it may not be immediate. I encourage you this week to look at the example you are setting and to make sure you are striving to do good to those around you. Me and my companion invite you to provide service to those that need it. With Thanksgiving coming up, there are plenty of ways in which you can do so ;)

As always, I love you all and i am so very grateful for your support and your examples to me. 

Have a stellar week :)

Some excerpts from Hermana Thompson's letter to us:

-For Halloween we went as Sister Missionaries at Temple Square. I thought it was pretty funny. Halloween was pretty boring and we didn't get any candy but we bought pinguinos. 

-We like to count how many jeeps pass by us. It is a lot. It makes me think I want one when I get back ;)

-I finished my first transfer! I'm still in the same area with the same comp but I knocked one off! I only have 12 more!

-Last p-day some guy gave us pot. jk! It wasn't pot but it was a tiny clay jar thingy for free so thats cool.

-Tuesday was an elders b-day in our district so we had help from our ward mission leader to throw him a little party during correlación. 

-We were walking and got caught in the rain and then hail so that was fun. Then we saw a double rainbow so, worth it. 

-We went to the frontera to renew my comps green card and I was legit thirty feet from the U.SA. That was sad. We also passed by the big  X. 

-Dia de los Muertos passed by and it was basically just like the movie Coco! There's a pretty big cemetery so afuera it was like a little fair. People selling food and flowers and all the good stuff. They buy food and then go into the cemetery and eat by the graves with their families. There are ofrendas everywhere with candles, flowers and fotos. There is music and parties everywhere. It's bien chidote. I loved it! Dia de los Muertos is not Halloween. It is a family holiday to remember and pray for deceased friends and family members. It was so cool to experience. 

-I heard a lot of American music that i actually like and listened to antes de la mision. Made me really miss it. 

Puessss.... thats about it. We had a lot of people reject us and our nuevos told us they don't believe in Joseph Smith so yeah that was fun. But we're workin hard.