But one day, we were quite stressed out and ended up very far away from the house where we needed to be for lunch. We called a taxi and arrived half an hour late. And standing outside was the sweetest little grandpa I have ever seen in my entire life. He had one of those scottish hats on that covers your ears, and a blue scarf wrapped tight around his neck and thrown over his shoulders, and was bent over and waiting for us.
Sometimes it is really hard for people here when you are late to lunch, because right after is when they sleep the siesta... and if we make them late then sometimes they miss it! Especially the elderly. But he was so sweet, and he took us into his house where his sweet wife had set up the table. And as we talked, I came to find out that he is the stake patriarch. He has given over 1300 blessings to people over the past 30 years. And he is 91 years old!
And he began to talk about his love for God. And about how grateful and honored he was to have us in his home. And he said, "I now live Sunday after Sunday. And it is hard for me sometimes, because I recognize that I am no longer of this world. All I really want is to have the sweet children at church come up and hug me, as they always do." And I realized that I was bawling as he spoke! The spirit was so strong. You could see that he truly knows Jesus Christ. And loves Christ above all other things. He face looks as though he were a baby... so innocent and pure and so much love and trust. I imagine it is something like the Savior`s.
Another miracle. We went to visit a family of less actives that we have not met before. And when we got there, three teenagers out front began to make fun of us. They told us to go away and laughed at us and told us not to even try to knock on the door. But we did anyways, responding politely to everything they said.
No one left, even though they were obviously home. But from behind, three little girls came out of an apartment building. And began to talk to us. I could see the mother watering her plants on the balcony.. and we asked if we could share a message of Jesus Christ with them. All of the girls jumped up and down "Si, si si si!" they all yelled.
We went inside and they gave us two chairs. We were surrounded with 9 little faces staring back at us... the parents and 7 children. Many of the children are actually adopted into the family, because their mother just passed away and they don`t have any relation to their dad. And we began to share with them about Plan of Salvation.
The spìrit hit us all so strongly... the mother shared with us how she had grown up beaten and living in the streets. She enrolled herself in a type of orphanage when she was 8, and there learned about God. When she was 15 she was pregnant with her oldest child, and now they all live together in a home where she and her husband are working to provide for all of them. They sell "torta asada" and the children are all learning to work as well. It is a very humble and prepared family.
They all accepted baptism and we are going to see them tonight and see how they are coming along with their reading in the Book of Mormon!
I saw so many miracles this week and I am so happy. I love you all so much! Be happy and keep the commandments.
Hermana Eleanor Briggs
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