Best Friends Leave Trujillo!

One of the blessings of serving a mission is meeting new people and 

gaining some new best friends.

James and Whitney Fenn have been here building the temple, 

and now that we have the temple completed, 

it was time for them to return to the U.S.A.

They are a special part of our lives here, our adopted family, 

Dinner the night before they left, Good Friends breaking a little bread
together.

and their legacy will live on and on here in Trujillo.

Fenn's, thanks for sharing your

Trujillo experience with us,

with our missionaries, 

with our family. 

 The Fenn's with Bishop Palma and his family.  This was right before going to the airport.

 In line at the airport, no turning back now!

The day of the Trujillo Temple Dedication.

A day of joy for the Fenn's who spent every day for the last 4 years overseeing the construction.

The Fenn's are some of the most loving and giving people we have met.

They always see needs in others lives and share.

They lived the Trujillo dream, leaving good friends from work, from the Church, 

from their neighborhood. 

They are a great example of Christ-like love.

They will be missed by all. 

Not by Coincidence- Elder Oyarzo

I have never believed in coincidences.  I believe that there is a great plan, and our Heavenly Father, lets us help in that plan.  When we listen to the Spirit and act upon those promptings, the Lord can place us where He wants us to be.  So we can do what He would like us to do to, and thus accomplish His work.

I know that we lived together as brothers and sisters with our Heavenly Father before this earth life

, and that some of us made promises to do great things together.  One of those things is coming together across the miles to bring others to Christ.  Here is one of those stories.

 On the left is Elder Oyarzo. He was 11 years old when he was playing out in front of his home in Chillan Chile.  Two North American Missionaries came by and spoke with him.  Elder Oyarzo wanted to learn English, so these two missionaries would come by, and practice English with him.

 Missionaries come and go, and after 6 years, different missionaries knocked on the door of his family.  They were invited in, because the Oyarzo family remembered the kind missionaries who had helped their son learn a little English.

(in fact Elder Oyarzo is gifted in languages and now speaks English and Portuguese, and Spanish)

The family joined the Church and are wonderful members of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Now another 11 years have passed and Elder Oyarzo was called to the Trujillo Peru Mission.

Elder Oyarzo was with his companion, Elder Jorquera on Tuesday, in Sister Marler's office and the two Chileans were sharing with her the location of their homes.

Sister Marler mentioned that her son-in-law served in the Concepcion Chile Mission, Elder Oyarzo's home mission, she mentioned his name, Scott Jackson.

Elder Oyarzo lit up, Elder Oyarzo loved the missionaries who taught him English, and even remembered their names, Elder Jackson and Elder Bemis.

Sister Marler sent off an email to Scott, asking if he had served in Chillan Nuble with an Elder Bemis, he sent back these two pictures.  

Elder Bemis and Elder Jackson in Chillan Nuble, Chile.

There are not too many times when the veil is thin enough to recognize someone from the pre-existence (that time before we came to earth and lived with Heavenly Father).

But when they come, they are sacred, special and a gift from our Heavenly Father, 

that binds our hearts one to another. 

I can't help but wonder, what was the relationship between Elder Jackson and Elder Bemis, Elder Oyarzo and his family, and President and Sister Marler before we came to earth.  

How close were we, and were our friendships bound us?

…and most importantly, what do we have yet to do together?