Small Acts Make All the Difference

 Greetings from Beautiful Le Seu d'Urgell,

Sunset from our front porch.

Every Sunday is filled with many branch responsibilities leaving Hermana Fowers to draft our blog.  Today I find myself with a minute so I decided it was my turn.

We continue to have small miracles happen in our little branch.  Today we had a single middle age Spanish man walk in off the street and attend sacrament meeting.  This has never happened before and only happened because Hermana Fowers made a large laminated sign and posted it on the church door inviting all to come, and one man did come. The missionaries have a lesson scheduled with him tomorrow.   We had 27 in our meetings today, with three “menos-activos” and two investigators.  We held branch council for the first time in years. Also, we will have a baptism in 2 weeks for Ramon (we mentioned last week), who has been investigating the church for 7 years. He bore his testimony to announce he was preparing himself for baptism. He has a 9-year-old daughter who is already baptized and Ramon wants to provide her with a positive example of obedience.  If Ramon continues on this path he could be a future branch leader.

Speaking of which, yesterday I took the 4 youth to in our Branch VilFranca (near Barcelona) for a multi-stake youth Olympic activity.  It was like herding cats but a lot of fun.  They opened up the last event for everyone, the 1500 meter run.  About 25 of us lined up youth and leaders. I was double the age of anyone else.  I ran in my long pants and shirt not having brought my workout clothes, and just having drunk two cartons of chocolate milk.  I finished 4^th…… (from the last) however, my Andorran Branch youth cheered for me and that was all I wanted to accomplish anyway.

Hermana Fowers taught seminary for the first time today in Spanish, with the missionaries help.  It was a real stretch for her, but she worked hard to prepare and with the help of the spirit, and a lot of visual aids she was able to teach our youth. Again, another program that has never functioned in this branch. 

We have implemented a rescue program in all of the communities that are in our ward boundaries La Seu, Andorra and Puigcerda looking for His lost sheep.  We try to travel to the outlying cities at least once every week. While in Puigcerda this week we participated in a powerful lesson with Jessica, a single mother from Peru, with two daughters.  The spirit was profound as they taught the Doctrine of Christ.  

Rescue Mapping each of our Members in our Branch Villages

Puigcerda touches the border with France so on our way home we took a 1-kilometer detour and drove a little way into France.  There is no real border crossing, because they are part of the EU, as we crossed a river bridge every sign was written in French.

Entering France

Ancient Church just inside the French border.

FRANCE

 I would like to relate an amazing story that demonstrates out of small things comes great accomplishments.  This is especially sweet because it is about my parents who both are now passed. In June of 1971, I was a missionary in Cerro, a little community attached to Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay.  Sonia Moriera was a 21 year-old member who had submitted her papers to serve a mission some 6 months previously.  The paperwork was stalled in Salt Lake because she had no money.  Three months later, I returned home and asked my parents if they would be willing to pay for Sonia’s mission.  They said that they had been so blessed in the last 24 months during my mission and gladly would commit the money necessary for her mission.   Sonia was called to serve in the Cali Columbia mission.  We stayed in contact during her very successful mission but afterwards lost contact.  I often wondered what happened to her.  Well, two days ago I found a contact request on my facebook messenger from Sonia.  It is now 45 years later, she is 68 and living in Lima Peru working for the church area office.  These are her words(translated):” Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve a mission, my gratitude is eternal….I am very grateful that your parents chose to support me among many others.  My mission opened my spiritual eyes to understand our Heavenly Fathers plan.  Without that knowledge I do know where I would be now.” 

One and a half years after Sonia completed her mission, a fellow missionary proposed and they were sealed in the Lima Peru temple.  They made there home in Peru where they had 6 daughters, (no sons) and 7 grandchildren.  All her children are active and leaders in their respective wards.  Her husband was a valiant servant to the Lord till the end.  He served as a bishop,a stake president for 10 years, a regional representative in Peru, a mission president in Columbia, and counselor in the MTC in Lima.  Sonia is eternally grateful to my Mom and Dad for providing her the opportunity to meet and later marry such a fine man.  He died three years ago after a long battle with cancer and she is comforted that they are sealed eternally. Small things sometimes make a great difference.  It has taken me 45 years to finally see the results of a small act of charity.

 

Sonja Moriera when I met her in 1971 (2nd from left)

On our preparation day this week, we took the Elders on another adventure to explore the ancient mountain communities that dot the Pyrenees.  We drove through a National Park, which borders Andorra.  We had another amazing afternoon exploring old churches, wandering our way through the cobble stone streets, drinking from the artesian wells that bubble up from the ground and even exploring an old grist mill up a narrow canyon.

Asnurri Church built in 1038

Bell Tower

View of the tiny village of Asnurri from above.

Elder beside the river pools.

Exploring an old plaza in the mountain top city of Civis.

Leaves are starting to turn, snow is dusting the Pyrannese Mountains behind us.  I could take several postcard worthy pictures from my front porch. Fog dusts the hillsides as I jog along the riverbanks in the mornings. Just wish I had my kids jogging with me.  

Elder Fowers

Morning mist on Hermana's morning walk.

 I feel the mantel of responsibility for nurturing all the members of this little branch.  I have started with teaching basic church leadership and establishing essential programs.  Today in our meetings I felt a strong spirit of support and felt the Lord is leading and helping us in small ways. It is joyful work and I know it will be for their salvation and mine.

Mucho Amor,

Elder and HerMama Fowers