Week 58 - Plan of Salvation

Zone BBQ

I had a handful of mixed feelings on Sunday when talking to a sister in my ward named Monica.

BACKSTORY ON MONICA: She is from Ecuador and is an angel of a woman. She was married to this hunky Ecuadorian guy, but he went off to war and died. Now, she is here in Italy and has an 8 year-old daughter with an Italian man who is older (my eyes are telling me there is a 30 year age gap). They are waiting to be married as soon as both of their divorce papers go through. Currently, Monica works as a caretaker to this crippled woman named Gilda who is in a wheelchair and speaks almost inaudibly. I say " almost" inaudibly because Monica can surprisingly decipher what she says, but to our ears it sounds a lot like a two year old's goo-goo talk.

Okay, back to my Sunday conversation with Monica. I started out the conversation with, "Hey Monica! How did your driving test go?!"

BACKSTORY ON MONICA'S DRIVING TEST: She has been super worried about her driving exam and always tells us how much she's been studying for it. Earlier last week, the night before her exam, we had gone to Gilda's house while she was working and I had given her a blessing of comfort.

Back to our conversation. Monica told me that her exam went terrible! She said that she failed it by a long shot. I didn't even know how to react considering I remembered saying in the blessing I gave her that the exam would go well because of her diligent studying. I felt really bad for her and also a little awkward. But, what she told me next turned my emotions around. She said that right after we left on the night we gave her the blessing, Gilda stood up and walked (for the first time in 10 years)! Gilda exclaimed that she had been giving extra strength from God from our visit.

Last night, we went back over to Gilda's house (with the accompaniment of Monica) and taught her the Plan of Salvation. There was a point with the spirit FLOODED the room. Anziano Thompson mentioned what a blessing it was to have the opportunity to come to earth and receive a body which prompted Gilda to ask an inspired question. She looked at us hunched over in her wheelchair and asked "why?" Anziano Thompson proceeded to bare testimony about how Satan's followers want what we have, but they'll never be able to it because they didn't follow God's plan. It was a really cool moment.

I still am not completely sure why I blessed Monica that her test would go well when it didn't... But, there is no doubt real power in the priesthood! Gilda walked!


I'm a Pachuco - Anziano Hoopes has been calling me a pachuco because I roll up myshort sleeves ... apparently there's an old cigarette ad where aguy had his shirt rolled up with a cigarette box and the term becamereally popular! So, yeah!				!