A VERY SPECIAL YOUNG MAN

Yesterday we spent the afternoon with a very special young man. He is a worker at the temple and does such a great job at the temple. He is very happy and full of energy and really does keep things going in his area. Well, he has a taxi and volunteered to take us to the old car museum and then dinner. So, we piled into his taxi and off we went. The car museum was so cool. I will put pictures in later. Then we went to dinner at a Chifa near us. As it came time to pay he insisted. He said he had gotten some money on his rentals and he felt rich and wanted to treat us because we were here serving and he just wanted to help us. Then he told of an experience he had recently. He is single and is having financial problems as many are we know, but he said he owed the bank some money and it was due at the end of July. He didn't have it and was counting on the holiday week to make enough so he could go pay some on the bill. Well, President Bowman asked him if he would work in the temple on one of the holidays. He thought that was the day he had planned on making enough money to pay some to the bank. Then he thought he needed to do as Father in Heaven wanted him to do. So, he told Pres. that he would do it. That was on the week before when he made this decision. Before the holiday came the bank called him and offered some options on his payment that made it possible for him to live and to pay off the debt too. He is feeling very blessed that Heavenly Father is taking care of him and he knows that this blessing came because he was willing to serve.

This is such an good example of the love these people have for our Father in Heaven and their willingness to sacrifice for the church. I have been thinking that maybe we in the states have too little opportunity to really give of ourselves, or we don't take the opportunity to do that. We are certainly not in the same position economically that these people are, but there are many times, I am sure, that we could go that extra distance to serve and gain the blessings from it. We know of people who work in the temple who have a very hard time getting the few cents for the bus together. When they are on strike we don't have many workers because they are afraid to leave their homes and they can't afford the taxi fare. Oh, the things we take for granted.

As we came out of the museum and the restaurant and got into the taxi yesterday, I just felt so blessed. I didn't have to walk and find a bus or taxi and wonder if I was really going to get home. It just felt so good. I don't think I would really enjoy having my own car here, but it would be nice sometimes.

Another blessing I have received since being here is that my blood pressure has gone down so much I have cut my meds. I have been having trouble with light-headedness and black-outs in my vision for about a month and finally we got to the doc and he says I am lucky I haven't fainted and hurt myself. I do know I have felt crappy, as my father used to say. Anyway, I haven't taken my meds for two nights now. We will see how today goes. The doc says it is because I have changed my activity level. We walk and walk here. I haven't really thought about it because that is just what you do, but I guess I am loosing weight and my body is happier with all this walking and climbing of stairs etc. So, I am very thanking for this blessing in my life.