"I just wanted to write about how much I love missionary work!!!! Oh how I LOVE IT!!!
At my job the past couple of days I have had the opportunity for some great missionary work. One of our newer resident's (Irma) husband comes to see her every day. He misses her, and the change of her being at the nursing home has been hard on him. They moved here with their daughter and son-in-law from California, but he and his wife are originally from Argentina. Anyway. So whenever I work I get to see him. We have become good buddies :) He's a way cute little old man! He's about 72 and his wife is 70, so they've been married a long time. Irma mostly spouts off in Spanish because she's starting to forget her English, so it's nice when he is there so he can help translate for us.
Whenever I take my dinner break I go and sit by them cuz they're usually chillin out in the dining room at a table. Ruben (Irma's husband) absolutely adores me! He says he always looks forward to the times when I work, and he dreads when I have to go off to college because he will really miss me, and the help I give to his wife etc, etc. He says I'm the best! He is such a funny guy.
So, it started yesterday. We got talking religion. Somehow I knew he wasn't LDS and later found out he is Catholic--well kinda cuz he's not active in that religion anymore. But we got talking and I told him about the plan of salvation and that families can be together forever, I explained the purposed of baptism. I told him about patriarchal blessings and the temple. I also explained a little about temple work. He asked questions here and there and I did my very best to answer as correct as possible. (Oh and btw his daughter who lives here is LDS and they've given him a Spanish and English BOM and he tried reading it years ago, but said it was really hard for him to understand and concentrate....) but yeah. We got talking about many different church related things. He seemed interested. And tonight was even more awesome! I brought my regular set of scriptures and also my mini BOM to work with me and I also found some scripture verses before work and on my dinner break we talked more and I had him read some of the scriptures I found. He seems really interested and said he thinks what it says is true. So that's a good start! He promised me he would read the BOM (at least try starting again) and he even took home my little BOM set to borrow until when I work Sunday! (The reason he took mine is because last night he looked for his, but realised he left them in Cali) I am going to start working on marking another BOM for him tonight to get to him by Monday. I'm hoping if I mark and write some things in different places that it'll be easier for him to understand and concentrate.
Whenever I take my dinner break I go and sit by them cuz they're usually chillin out in the dining room at a table. Ruben (Irma's husband) absolutely adores me! He says he always looks forward to the times when I work, and he dreads when I have to go off to college because he will really miss me, and the help I give to his wife etc, etc. He says I'm the best! He is such a funny guy.
So, it started yesterday. We got talking religion. Somehow I knew he wasn't LDS and later found out he is Catholic--well kinda cuz he's not active in that religion anymore. But we got talking and I told him about the plan of salvation and that families can be together forever, I explained the purposed of baptism. I told him about patriarchal blessings and the temple. I also explained a little about temple work. He asked questions here and there and I did my very best to answer as correct as possible. (Oh and btw his daughter who lives here is LDS and they've given him a Spanish and English BOM and he tried reading it years ago, but said it was really hard for him to understand and concentrate....) but yeah. We got talking about many different church related things. He seemed interested. And tonight was even more awesome! I brought my regular set of scriptures and also my mini BOM to work with me and I also found some scripture verses before work and on my dinner break we talked more and I had him read some of the scriptures I found. He seems really interested and said he thinks what it says is true. So that's a good start! He promised me he would read the BOM (at least try starting again) and he even took home my little BOM set to borrow until when I work Sunday! (The reason he took mine is because last night he looked for his, but realised he left them in Cali) I am going to start working on marking another BOM for him tonight to get to him by Monday. I'm hoping if I mark and write some things in different places that it'll be easier for him to understand and concentrate.
I got emotional partway through our conversation.... he said it was all just hard for him lately with his wife being gone and that he couldn't hardly ever eat from being upset. He just was having a hard time understanding WHY all of this was happening to him. I told him about Joseph Smith, and the scripture found in D&C about how all of our challenges are for our good. The Lord has a purpose for everything. Then I got emotional.... I told him maybe, just maybe the reason his wife was like this and in the nursing home, is so he'd get the chance to meet me. Maybe the Lord wanted him to hear the gospel again from me because I could get to him and teach it to him in a way his family hadn't been able to.. Later after we talked he thanked me, and sweetly said "I think you're my angel." Then he gave me a big hug. It was so neat!
Anyway. It was a really neat experience, and I just wanted to share it with ya'll. I'm excited to find out how far he gets in reading when I next see him Sunday, and I am excited to give him another copy with my testimony in it! :) :)"
So that is the beginning of my missionary experience with Ruben. Actually, I just realized something neat; I just checked the date I wrote that post, and it's 2 years, to the day, from tomorrow (July 9, 2010).
You are probably wondering the reason why I decided to re-share this post with you. Well, over the 2 years I have known Ruben, we have become really close, my adopted Grandpa (as I like to call him). He knows, and loves, my whole family as well. Anyway, Ruben is kind of a bit stubborn in character a lot of the time. If he doesn't want to do something, he won't.
We still talk about church things frequently, and he asks questions. The biggest "battle" has been for the past 7-8 months I have been trying to occasionally invite him to come to church with me. He wouldn't come because he said he was scared and doesn't like not knowing what to expect. On a side note, about a couple months ago I think he started going to the MTC sometimes. He volunteered and was an investigator for the missionaries being trained. Since he's Argentine, he'd be able to help out by speaking Spanish with them. After going a couple times, he actually attended church with his daughter and their family, and it wasn't as bad as he thought, just like I kept telling him ;)
Well.....I guess what I'm trying to get at is, this past week when I got back from vacation HE TOLD ME HE DECIDED TO GET BAPTIZED!!!! The baptism will be held this upcoming Saturday, and I could not be more excited. I'm really hoping they'll approve my day-off request at work because I can't miss this. Plus, Ruben was telling me he needed and wanted me there, because without me he wouldn't be the same.
This whole experience has been a really neat one. It makes me excited to think that one day, whenever I'm able to be a full-time missionary for my Lord (as a calling), I will be having many experiences like this. I just loved watching Ruben's faith grow over the years, and seeing that he was ready even before he knew he was. I just had to patiently wait until his fear subsided and he allowed himself to realize what I think he's known for a long time.
I can't wait for Saturday!!
:) :) :) :) :)
So that is the beginning of my missionary experience with Ruben. Actually, I just realized something neat; I just checked the date I wrote that post, and it's 2 years, to the day, from tomorrow (July 9, 2010).
You are probably wondering the reason why I decided to re-share this post with you. Well, over the 2 years I have known Ruben, we have become really close, my adopted Grandpa (as I like to call him). He knows, and loves, my whole family as well. Anyway, Ruben is kind of a bit stubborn in character a lot of the time. If he doesn't want to do something, he won't.
We still talk about church things frequently, and he asks questions. The biggest "battle" has been for the past 7-8 months I have been trying to occasionally invite him to come to church with me. He wouldn't come because he said he was scared and doesn't like not knowing what to expect. On a side note, about a couple months ago I think he started going to the MTC sometimes. He volunteered and was an investigator for the missionaries being trained. Since he's Argentine, he'd be able to help out by speaking Spanish with them. After going a couple times, he actually attended church with his daughter and their family, and it wasn't as bad as he thought, just like I kept telling him ;)
Well.....I guess what I'm trying to get at is, this past week when I got back from vacation HE TOLD ME HE DECIDED TO GET BAPTIZED!!!! The baptism will be held this upcoming Saturday, and I could not be more excited. I'm really hoping they'll approve my day-off request at work because I can't miss this. Plus, Ruben was telling me he needed and wanted me there, because without me he wouldn't be the same.
This whole experience has been a really neat one. It makes me excited to think that one day, whenever I'm able to be a full-time missionary for my Lord (as a calling), I will be having many experiences like this. I just loved watching Ruben's faith grow over the years, and seeing that he was ready even before he knew he was. I just had to patiently wait until his fear subsided and he allowed himself to realize what I think he's known for a long time.
(Ruben and I the before I left for college)
:) :) :) :) :)
Kelsie, you are an amazing missionary. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteKelsie Mae - What a beautiful story with a happy beginning and ending.....but really only a new beginning :) thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteKelsie, this is so wonderful! I remember meeting Ruben when I came to play my flute there once. Such a sweet man and so loving of his dear wife. I'm proud of you for not being afraid to share your testimony. You're and inspiration to me. Love you girl! <3
ReplyDeleteJulie: Thank you :) I'm glad you enjoyed!
ReplyDeleteLoretta: It really is such a happy story! I cannot wait to see how much happier he will be on Saturday!
Jana: He remembers you, too! I remember him asking about you one time saying, "How is that one friend of yours that is really good at the flute?" I told him you were married now! But thanks for your kind words. I love and miss you! Can't wait to see you in August! What day do you come again and how long will you be here? We need to have a girls' night or something and catch up on life :)