Blog del viernes, 20 de septiembre, 2013—Glade’s Post

Since we work in the temple mornings this week, I did my” Angel Moroni  Rush” exercise this evening.  It was dark and a light rain was falling.  A temple excursion arrived today on two buses from a city four hours to the north near Guatemala called La Lima.

As usual, whole families come on these excursions.  The youth are doing baptisms or mingling outside taking pictures, parents are in sessions, kids under 12 years old are playing outside on the temple grounds, in the parking lot, and on the sidewalks and street leading up to the temple.  Babies and toddlers are in the hands of a parent outside while the other parent is in the session.  All are dressed in their “Sunday best.”  It’s really a delightful atmosphere!  The natives are all very friendly and I’ve really enjoyed talking to them on my “excursions”.

This evening two seven-year old boys were following me as I exercised, [think Forrest Gump], up and down the hill.  I talked to them as we walked.  After a few minutes of Spanish conversation, one of them asked where I was from and, upon hearing the USA, said, “Oh, then you speak English. So do I.”  From that moment on, he only spoke to me in English, for practice, which was quite good.  I asked him a lot of questions and he asked me questions way beyond his years.

His father speaks a “little” English but not his mother. They put him in a school to learn English “four years ago” so he could “speak English for his mission and maybe be called to the USA.”  [Every aspect of family life and preparation for the future has a gospel focus for this people!]  He asked if there are more people in Canada or the USA who speak English.  [He knew some French was spoken in Canada.]  He asked me my favorite place in Tegucigalpa. Upon hearing, “the temple”, he replied, very seriously, “Mine too, because that is the house of Our Lord, Jesus Christ.” This was the inspiring nature of our conversation for about fifteen minutes.

I was disappointed when our conversation ended.  After walking a mile with him, up and down the temple hill, we met his mother coming out of the temple.  She beamed brightly when I praised his English.  They went into the apartment building where they stay and where we live.  I’ll probably see them again tomorrow. 

We are blessed to know and love this faithful people, the Lord’s blessing upon them for that faith, and their gratitude for the missionaries who first brought them the Gospel sixty years ago.  My testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel has grown as we serve a people who “have little of what means little in the eternal realm and have a lot of what means a lot” as they work to provide the saving ordinances for their ancestors.  Love you all, Dad [and Mom]