So I just got back from the Bogota Temple like an hour ago, back here to the apartment. We decided to go for p-day. We decided to delay our fast a little bit so that we could go fasting to the Temple. So we did. And the reason for that was for Viviana and Juan Gabriel who are still progressing in that we have seen miracles with them. But ya, I will tell you about that a little later on.
So this week has all kinda been a blur. I don’t know where it all went, but I guess I will read you what I have from my journal: 27 June 2018. Last night was very special. We contacted a referral that we received from the Zone Leaders and set an appointment with them for that very day. We got there and met Arturo, a shorter man, bald on top and round in the middle. Also, his Venezuelan girlfriend, who is a member, but hadn’t attended since coming to Colombia about 7 months ago. We went in, got to know them more, and started the lesson. We learned that Jocelin, the Venezuelan, was looking for the church but she hadn’t been able to locate one close. That’s when Arturo happened upon Elder Robinson, the same Elder I worked with In Bucaramanga, and Elder Olivera while they were contacting. They then passed the reference to us and so forth. I asked Arturo, “what is your interest as far as religion?” he responded to me that he didn’t understand why so many churches. He said that they taught that a sinner goes to hell and a saint to heaven but then what? That was a great question. We taught about the restoration and he was very attentive. Then afterwards we invited him to pray. Then he said with some emotion: “Elders, many times I feel my prayers don’t get heard. I feel like I am talking to a wall.” I saw tears in his eyes in that moment. I thought for a moment then remembered something that Hermano Villalobos in the CCM showed us, he showed us something one time that I wanted to try. I found myself saying: “Arturo, if you want to know, get on your knees and ask God: ‘God, are you there? Can you hear me?’” he agreed, and we then got on our knees. Arturo offered a short, but beautiful, heartfelt prayer. He said: “God, are you here with us tonight?” We then stayed on our knees in silence. He began to cry. We stayed for 5 minutes in silence. He then told us that he felt a peace and a tranquility and a tingling feeling on his back. He said that he had only felt it once before in his life when he took his dying wife to a Christian church and when he prayed out of desperation for her. We all felt the spirit. What a beautiful experience.
1st of July, 2018. Wow it’s now July. Crazy to think that I go home next month. But then again, I have still got 2 months to go. So I am going to settle in here and really put the pedal to the metal. I saw pictures from Hermano Laquiero, a member in our area, of President and Sister Laney getting home to their family in the airport. It still doesn’t feel real to me. I love and respect them so much. I often think of the time that I was on exchanges with Elder Picuasi some 8 months ago and we were taking Elder Reyes to the mission house, for he had some problems and was going to go home that next day. President invited all 3 of us in for Ice Cream from Crepes and Waffles (Not cheap) and Hermana Laney’s famous brownies. I will never forget the feeling of love that I felt that night. The love that they have for every missionary. Really, I felt the love of the Savior. We now have Presidente Valladares from Honduras.
That concludes my journal entries from this week. So as you heard, President Laney has finished about a week ago, I got a picture with President and Sister Laney, they finished their mission the 30th of June. The day after, I saw pictures of them in the airport, I was talking to Sister Laney the other day at a multi-zone conference and I asked her how she felt. You have to get to know Sister Laney, she is really funny. But she is very much a lover of her own culture. It was kind of hard for her to come to another culture. But she told me with tears in her eyes, and I never thought that this would happen, she told me “I am really gonna miss Colombia. You know we have lived here for a long time.” And I said “ya I know” and she said “Well, the bright side is that I have got 3 grandkids that I have never met and a son in law that I have hardly met” so she was looking forward to going and meeting them. Then I saw pictures with her with her new grandkids and President Laney hugging his family for the first time in who knows how long. Even though your family is allowed to come visit you when you are a mission president, it’s still… ooof…. It’d be really hard to go away for 3 years. But President and Sister Laney have truly made an impact on my life. They have been a great example, and as the apostle, Elder Stevenson, told us, that we should try to pattern our lives like President and Sister Laney have. President Laney is a powerful man that has the love of Christ, that has an incredible amount of charity and patience. That just resonates from him. I hope one day to be a man like President Laney. I think it goes for the same as what Mormon wrote about Captain Moroni. That is that if all men had been, were, and ever would be, like President Laney, then Satan wouldn’t have any power over the hearts of the children of men and the very powers of hell would be shaken forever. SO that was really sad to see them go. But as I looked at the picture of President Valladares and his wife from Honduras, originally we were supposed to get President Valim from Brazil but like 2 weeks before they came they switched it. President Valim is now going to Costa Rica, and President Valladares is coming here. I am going to have relatively short time with President Valladares but I really do feel the spirit when I saw their picture. We are praying for them. He is already here, I haven’t met him though. I hope to meet him soon. But it was kinda just a big chapter in my mission that closed. It’s hard for me to think of the mission without President Laney. But he is resting now for a little while and he deserves it. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear him getting a calling that’s elevated, that’s higher than a mission president. Maybe a 70 or Patriarch or something like that. He’s already been Stake President, Bishop, Young Mens President, but ya.
Well, today we went fasting to the temple, fasting for Juan Gabriel and Viviana as well as some other investigators, but mainly for them to receive revelation as to what we should do. We just kinda hit a wall with them. We have kinda felt frustrated with their marriage where it is so expensive. BUT… I told you guys about a miracle that happened the last week where we fasted and found, and God led us to a brother that would help them. NOW we went to the temple and me and my companion both received the inspiration that we should, as It says in Exodus, “stand still and the Lord Jehovah will fight your battles.” That’s the inspiration that we received. We actually called them that day and said “Hey, come to the temple and we will give you a tour, and then we will pay you to bring us back” because he drives Uber. So we would pay you the trip back. So they came and we walked around the temple, we got into reception and everything like that and they felt peace. Then when we got in the car, it turns out that Alejandro, this member that we found, sent them a message. He said Hey I was looking around for another legal office (here it’s called a notary or notaria) We found a notaria in a place called Fontibon that some friends of mine have more kids than you guys outside of their current relationship (which is what makes it so expensive) this family that had more kids outside of their relationship got married there for 300,000 pesos which is a big difference from the proposed 700,000 pesos that they want for the marriage of Viviana y Juan Gabriel. We were just ecstatic! So we might be able to get it chopped down to like 200,000 pesos which is roughly like 60 dollars. But we really felt humbled about that. The Lord just told us “look, sons, have patience.” It’s like what Joseph Smith said: “dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do everything within our power and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance to see the salvation of God, for his arm to be revealed.” We felt that in a powerful way. God does give us revelation. He does fight our battles. We must trust in him. I do trust in him. I have gotten to know him by these experiences, having to trust him.
Well, that’s about it for this week. I love you all, I hope you feel the Savior’s love this week. Chao!
-Elder Lewis
Meeting Elder Stevenson in Bucaramanga. Elder Lewis is on the back row, 8 in.
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