Twenty-five years and several pounds ago this month, I was serving as a missionary in Peru. I was transfered to a new assignment to labor in the city of Cusco, which as it turns out is real and not a fictional place from The Emperor's New Groove. In that area, my companion, Elder Quispe, and I taught and baptized brother and sister Ever and Kelly Cárdenas, whose mother was returning to activity in the Church after an absence.
Sunday, March 17, 1996, looked like this:
You may not recognize that skinny kid, but that was me. The Cuzco Ward was one of my favorite areas with one of my favorite companions, and it included many memorable experiences enjoyed with unforgettable people.
Fast-forward to just a few days ago when now-thirtysomething Kelly searched for and found me on Facebook. In her message, she said her own eight-year-old child (Kelly is now a mother of four) had been baptized that week, and it inspired her to find the missionary who baptized her all those years ago. She remains active in the Church and is trying to keep her family on the straight and narrow.
Talking to Kelly again after not knowing anything about her or her family for many years was a great blessing for me. It was a reminder that planting seeds, nurturing them, watching them grow, and seeing the fruits blossom are all part of the process.
I have, and will always have, a great love for the children of Lehi in Peru. My association with the Lamanites and seeing them "blossom as the rose" (D&C 49:24) keeps bringing dividends and great blessings as the years go by.
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