Joy

I love Facebook.  Yes I spend too much time on it, but I have also come to see big advantages to it as well.  Ecuador does not have a reliable mail service.  But many of my mission people have joined Facebook and we've tried to keep as close as we can several countries and 12 years away.  Just the other day, my friend request was accepted by the sweet little boy in white in this picture.  His name is Kelvin and he turned 9 just a few days after him and his mom were baptized.  While in Santa Elena, his mom was one of my closest friends.  We saw them daily.  Even when we didn't have an appointment to teach Carmen or Kelvin, we were there to teach Mayi... their sister in law... or pick up Willy, the Ward mission leader. (Also Carmen's brother).While her husband never has been baptized, her other three boys have as they've gotten older.  Kelvin has had a little extra time on his hands this week.  He just got back from serving his two year mission to Peru for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  He said that he's also helping his younger brother prepare to be a missionary starting next year. 

I cannot tell you the joy I've felt all day.  There is happy and there is pure joy.  I haven't felt this pure joy since I found out that I was pregnant for the first time and that I would indeed get to be a mom.  As we messaged back and forth on Facebook, I had several thoughts.  One was that this power house family is the reason that these two converts have stayed strong in the church.  Another was from D&C 18....

10 Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;

15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, ho great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

I had never wanted to be a missionary.  Especially not a proselyting one... and I would do it all again... bear the rejection, learn the language, watch people that you taught fall away... even if it meant that just one would stay.  And that just one is never just one.  This 9 year old child just served a mission. Did he bear testimony to another 9 year old child?  Are that 9 year old child's 3 younger brothers going to be missionaries because of his example?  Will he have children that grow strong in the testimony of their Savior?  I didn't know 12 years ago what would happen.  I thought I knew what it was to be happy.  But, I would be a proselyting missionary all over again for just that one.  And I will work every day of my life to feel this pure joy at the day that our Savior comes again.