Miracle Story

The time I spent in the Ramona ward in Hemet has been full of miracles and happiness as I have served the Lord. I was able to spend my first 3 transfers and my last 3 transfers in Hemet, which has really helped me come closer to converts, companions, and other members as we helped each other along the covenant path.

In my first week of the mission with Elder Royce, we met Raquel Rios and Rosa Rodriguez. Raquel is in her late 80's and Rosa is in her 70's and they are two amazing sisters. As we started teaching them both, the Spirit was always present in the lessons and it was easily our favorite part of the week whenever we could teach them. Raquel progressed rapidly as she attended church every Sunday, read through the entire Book of Mormon, and ultimately, gained a testimony of the Restoration. It wasn't long before she entered the waters of baptism on February 18th, 2018 and made her first covenant in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We worked hard to help Rosa get baptized, but her back and forth travel between Corona and Hemet in order to battle her cancer made it hard for her to be baptized at that time. Throughout the next year, she experienced a general lack of support from her family, but the ward members and missionaries really become her greatest support as she pressed forward. Elder McInnes and Abraham gave me one of the greatest and unexpected phone calls whenever they told me that Rosa was ready to be baptized. I was overjoyed as I was able to go back and baptize Rosa on April 27th, 2019.

In June of 2019, I was assigned to serve in Hemet again and the first thing on my mind was getting these recent converts to the temple. By the beginning of July, we had found over a dozen family names for Raquel and Rosa to take to the temple. On July 6th, we went to the Redlands Temple to perform baptisms and confirmations on behalf of their beloved ancestors.

Around that same time, Elder Abraham and I were teaching a golden investigator named Jose Padilla. Jose was dating a member of a ward and ever since we started teaching him, he had his eyes set on the temple and having an eternal family. We were lucky enough to really just guide him along the covenant path and within a few months, he was baptized, confirmed, received the Aaronic Priesthood, and prepared family names to take to the temple. On October 4th, we were able to have the incredible experience of being baptized by Jose and baptizing him on behalf of many ancestors. He is now preparing to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and further temple ordinances.

When I only had 2 transfers left, I received a training call and became companions with Elder Crichfield. We have seen many miracles together as converts have been baptized and more people have prepared to go to the temple. We were able to get temple prep classes started up in our ward, so that Raquel and other members could prepare for their endowment. As Raquel approaches 90 years of age, I know for a fact that the Lord has given her much physical and spiritual strength in order to be able to receive these blessings at this point in her life. On October 12th, she entered into the temple and was endowed. It truly was a miracle to see Raquel, now "thrice in white," in the temple just 10 days before I go home.

These people and my mission mean everything to me. I know the Savior's Atonement has changed my life and the lives of many others. I have felt true joy serving in the California Riverside Mission. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.