From the Smiths

June 7, 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

Sometimes in life you have an experience you may have thought would never happened to you in your life time. Such was the case for us last Friday evening. In December of 1961, Elder Jerald Curtis and I knocked on the door of Brother and Sister Ezekiel Sanchez in Coatzacoalcos, Mexico. I had been a missionary for just over a month and could hardly speak a word of Spanish. My good companion did most of the talking and teaching. However, for some reason I never forgot the visits we made the Sanchez home and the way we were welcomed. In April of 1961 Elder Curtis finished his mission and returned home and I was transferred to my second assignment in Mexico City. In June of 1961 Brother and Sister Sanchez were baptized in the Gulf of Mexico by Elder John Klein and became members of the Church.

While visiting Coatzacoalcos last Friday evening, we ask our hosts, Brother and Sister Cárdenas if they were aware of the Sanchez family and they agreed to take us for a visit. Pictured about after 48 years are Brother and Sister Sanchez along with Elaine and I in the living room of their home where Elder Curtis and I taught them the gospel. They have served in many capacities in the church, have raised eight children; they have 24 grandchildren and 5 great grand children. Their family have been stalwart members of the church and given great service over the years. Brother Sanchez served five years as a Branch President before a Stake was formed in Coatzacoalcos. They attend the temple in Tuxtla Gutierrez on monthly ward temple trips (3 hour bus ride), and continue to give service to others. Two of their son’s are serving in Bishoprics, one son was killed several years ago in a terrible automobile accident.

Here is what I want to communicate to all of you. There is no greater feeling in your heart and soul than to return to a place and time with people you have loved for years and to find them well, a little older than I remember, and know they have remained faithful and true to what they were taught by two “gringo” missionaries many years ago. Frankly, there are no descriptive adjectives to express the feelings of the heart on such an occasion. Perhaps the smile on my face will be somewhat reflective.

Brother Sanchez is now 83 years old, his wife in her late seventies. She told me her age and I kidded her about being 55 years old. Back in the apartment in Mexico City (we are in Cuernavaca today) I have a picture of this family taken those many years ago. I will post it to the blog and make it part of next week’s email so you can make the comparison. WOW! Now that is a true “Journal Entry,”

While in Coatzacoalcos we also inquired about the Notario Family and the Pineda family. Both have remnants of their families in town, but because of the late hour and our need to depart early in the morning we decided to call on them the next time we pass through Coatzacoalcos. Now on to the rest of the week’s experiences