Oh, the People You'll Meet! ~ Part 2

 Continuing on for just a bit more~ (I didn't realize I could run out of space on this format.)

 We just have to express more appreciation for all of their kindnesses. They have driven us to the temple, and to the grocery store, have taken us out to eat and have given us extra food from their cupboards, since one of them is ending her mission in 2 weeks. Their good works are never ending. They emulate the Savior in word and deed.

After our last Go Forth Luncheon, they sent us home with a platter-full of leftovers. We knew we had to share the wealth so we went door to door to share our platter with the Shramms, the Neffs, the Minarchics~going to Czech Republic (anyone we found home, really). We then thought, "Let's go visit the poor young Spanish Elders, they will surely appreciate some cheese squares and ham". We caught them at dinnertime and they were sitting down to steaks! Hah! It definitely shattered the illusion of the so-called starving spartan missionary life! They are so darling though, I wish I had a picture of these friendly, hard-working elders that share our building. Maybe in future blogs.

Our last encounter once again shows how truly small our world is, especially in the fellowship of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We saw a young woman in the Joseph Smith Building. She looked suspiciously Indian so we just had to ask. Yes, we were correct! Sowmya is a returned missionary from the Bengaluru Mission, now attending Ensign College here in Salt Lake City. Not only that, she is from Hyderabad and knows our ward friend Vijay very well. What a lovely coinkidink to meet her!

This picture is a bit fuzzy but her inner beauty simply radiates! She was so friendly and happy, we are already loving the people of India and look for them everywhere we go; on Temple Square, at Christmas concerts, at Indian restaurants. Our mission has hardly begun but the Lord is richly blessing us with connections daily that enrich our lives. We're glad we could share some of them with you, the reader. 

Our testimonies of the gathering of Israel on both sides of the veil has increased significantly. We feel it written on our hearts! Our Heavenly Parents love each one of their individual children who has ever lived on this earth and because of that love will give the opportunity to each one to be taught the saving doctrine of their son Jesus Christ, either in this life or in the Spirit World. They will have the agency to accept Christ's gospel, choose to be baptized or accept the proxy baptism done for them in holy temples, and then they may choose to accept the proxy marriage and family sealing ordinances that bind married couples and families together eternally if they want to live in family units, rather than a lone existence for eternity.  And so His church goes to great expense and efforts to preach the gospel to all the world, and to find every soul in genealogical research and link them together in family trees so they can be together forever. What a merciful plan! And that is why we send out missionaries, why we build temples in every nation, and why we have the largest free family history libraries in the world, and index every record that has ever been kept to find every soul who has ever lived. It blows the mind! Only the Lord could orchestrate the magnitude and scope of His work and glory. Gathering those who will believe in the saving power of Jesus Christ and accept His saving ordinances is no small task but it's what we've been charged to do, to build His kingdom before He comes again and so we and many others engage in this work at their own time and expense. But the blessings are so worth every sacrifice because the worth of every soul is great! We are told in the scriptures,

" and if it so be that ye should labor all your days... and bring save it be but one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father".

We believe this with all our hearts and we are already feeling the promised joy as we went and did temple work today for Thoraldus de Strivelin from Scotland and Mrs. Anna Zipfel from Germany from our ancestral lines. It's the greatest work ever to be involved in! We bear our testimonies that this work is true and it is a testimony to the love God has for each of His children!! No other church on the face of the earth goes to these global lengths to reach every person. It's because the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is His restored gospel on the earth. We proclaim it boldly!!

Next week, we hope to share the beautiful power point presentation that Sister Miller made for us that touched our hearts so deeply. We want you to feel the joy too! 

Namascaramu!

Elder & Sister Dunlap