Tender Mercies and Miracles

There are a number of reasons why I don't believe in coincidences. 

This weekend is one of them. 

I went back to california to visit my mission (again), but this time for one specific reason. One of my recent converts, Arely Cuevas, was going to recieve her endowments. I wanted to be there by her side and support her in making additional convenants with the Lord. I remember when I was endowed and how incredible it felt to have two of my missionaries there. One of them, Elder Lynn, had just returned home from his mission and took the fourteen hour drive from Canada to be there with me. I wanted to be that support for Arely. So, with about five days' notice, I threw together a plan to get down to California. 

Little did I know that there were more reasons why I needed to be there.

I arrived in California early Saturday morning, about 7:30am. I stopped by to see one of my recent converts, Martina Mora. We chatted for a bit and she took me to the church building in San Bernardino, where Fletcher Riches and I decided to meet. We had planned on going to Rialto to visit Karina and her husband and then take some of the elders out to lunch. We were running late and couldn't meet with Karina but it was so great to be back in that area and see some familiar sights and spend some time with the elders.

After a little time in Rialto I tagged along with Fletcher as he and one of his recent converts ran some errands. I found out that Fletcher was going to a baptism that day in Fontana and he told me that the person being baptized was Fernando Estrada. I taught him my very first transfer! I remember how, after every lesson with him, my companion and I would get in the car and talk about how he was going to be a stake president one day. I thought he had disappeared and stopped meeting with the missionaries, so hearing that he was going to be baptized was such happy news to me!

Fletcher and Maggie dropped me off at the Peterson's house so that I could go with them to the endowment session for Arely. We get to the temple, change, and I'm sitting in the endowment room. As I'm looking around, I notice a lot of members from other areas I served in and it just made me so happy! At first I thought it was strange that so many people that I knew were in this one endowment session, then I realized that there are limited Spanish endowment sessions in the Redlands temple. 

Before long I realized why they were all there. 

After Arely came into the endowment room, Hermana Aguilar from Rialto came in with her mom, who is 98 years old. She was receiving her own endowment! I just happened to be sitting next to Hermana Gonzales from Fontana (who is her daughter) and when she came in, Hermana Gonzales started to cry. It was such a cool experience. Then I see Hermana and Hermano Paredes from Redlands come into the endowment room. They were both recieving their endowments as well! so I got to be there as four wonderful people that I knew and worked with, made covenants with the Lord and progressed in their eternal salvation.

As we were in the Celestial Room of the temple, I remember looking around and seeing such familiar faces and being so so happy. Then one of the temple workers came up to me and asked "Are you here for the sealing?" I asked him what sealing he was talking about. He told me that the couple that had just been endowed (the Paredes) were now going to be sealed as a family. He invited us to go into the sealing room if we'd like to witness it. So we made our way to the sealing room! As I was sitting there, watching this faithful family be sealed for time and all eternity, I was reminded that the Lord is mindful of each and every one of us, always. I am so grateful for the ability I had to be there and to witness that family become eternal. 

Later we went to dinner at Sizzler and I went with Arely and Gustavo back to their house to spend the night. I also got to see Jose and talk to him for a little bit. He's changed a lot since we were teaching him and I could see how a lack of the gospel has affected him and his life.

The next day was Sunday and I had the blessing to be able to attend Rialto 4th and Fontana. Fletcher offered to come pick me up in Highland but I had already asked the Larios family to give me a ride. I am so grateful to have so many people willing to do me such big favors! So after the sacrament in Rialto, Fletcher and I headed to Fontana. I didn't think anyone would remember me because I served there over two and a half years ago! But my heart was so happy to see familiar faces and see how excited they were that I was there. California and the people there really have stolen my heart. I even got to exchange phone numbers with a few people in the Sierra ward because they wanted me to let them know the next time I visit California. However, one of the best parts of going to church in Fontana was being able to see Fernando Estrada be confirmed a member of the Church and receive the Holy Ghost. The blessings of my mission just keep coming! I've been home for over a year, I never thought I'd see an investigator from my first area get baptized. I am so happy for him and his family, and so grateful for the "payday" I had as President Van Cott would put it.

I know that I was supposed to go to California this weekend. I went for the purpose of seeing one convert be endowed and ended up seeing four people be endowed, a sealing and a confirmation. It brought me so much happiness to be able to be there to witness and support such amazing progression in the gospel for people I care so much about.
I am so grateful for a Heavenly Father that loves us so much that He makes it possible for us to experience such happiness. He cares about the smallest things in our lives and will always bless us as we're trying our best and following His commandments.

There are no coincidences, only tender mercies and miracles.