Angels Among Us

What would you think if you received this text?

We got her out.   Locksmith came and did it for free cuz baby was inside.

As I was driving home from the store on Saturday, I did, indeed, get this text from Janelle.

I sent a text back: 

What? 

When I didn’t hear back, I called her cell phone and Dave explained the situation of why Janelle sent the text.  

Janelle wrote about what happened in her weekly letter to Lisa:

Me and Savannah washed Dad’s car on Saturday.  I put her in the front seat while I drove it back into the garage.  I gave her the keys while I got out of the car to walk around to get her out (cuz she LOVES keys, and she LOVES playing in the car).  In the three seconds I was out, she had pushed the button on the keychain that locks the car.  She was in there for about an hour.  She was having a ball the whole time.  Only cried for about three minutes towards the end, which means mom cried more than she did.  Dave and I tried getting her to push the right buttons the right way….Dave has broken into the car before, but it takes a lot of time, and helps if the window is down even a crack.  Nothing worked.  So we finally called a locksmith who came right out and opened it in like two seconds.  He did it for free cuz there was a baby in there.  We were very grateful. 

While I was at the store, Janelle called our house to talk out the situation with Scott.  Because I was at the store, I was oblivious to the drama that was taking place in Rexburg. (hence my confusion over the text)  Of course Scott was concerned and felt very powerless to help with the situation.  After some time of feeling anxious and helpless, he did the only thing he could do. He offered a heartfelt prayer.  He pleaded for an angel to come help get Savannah out. 

Scott’s prayer was indeed answered.  An angel, namely the locksmith, came and quickly remedied the situation. 

I know that God does hear our prayers. And I know that he sometimes sends angels to answer our prayers.  

This situation reminds me of a talk Elder Holland gave in conference in October 2008 entitled:  The Ministry of Angels

...I have spoken here of heavenly help, of angels dispatched to bless us in time of need. But when we speak of those who are instruments in the hand of God, we are reminded that not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of them we walk with and talk with—here, now, every day. Some of them reside in our own neighborhoods... Indeed heaven never seems closer than when we see the love of God manifested in the kindness and devotion of people so good and so pure that angelic is the only word that comes to mind....

...My beloved brothers and sisters, I testify of angels, both the heavenly and the mortal kind. In doing so I am testifying that God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face. “[N]or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man [or woman or child] upon the face thereof to be saved.” Moroni 7:36 On occasions, global or personal, we may feel we are distanced from God, shut out from heaven, lost, alone in dark and dreary places. .....the Father of us all is watching and assisting. And always there are those angels who come and go all around us.....

Oh, did I mention that up until Saturday Janelle and Dave only had one key to that car?  They are now the proud owners of two keys to their car.  

Have you ever wondered what it's be like to be a missionary?

I always enjoy reading Lisa's weekly email.   Her sister, Rachel, asked a few questions and here is Lisa's response to one of her questions:

Do you ever wake up in the morning and wonder how on earth you ended up in Argentina on a mission???? 

yeah, like all the time.  but not when i wake up in the morning.  it´s usually when i´m crossing the railroad tracks into a different barrio and there are a ton of horses just hangin' out, or when a drunk guy asks me if i am god (true story), or when it's pouring rain and i'm walking through the mud to an appointment, or when i just spent 45 minutes in some stranger's house speaking to them IN SPANISH about the restoration, or when i'm "showering" from a bucket because we have no water pressure again, or when we help make a billion empanadas from scratch.  it's kinda crazy to think back to how i got here.  definitely an inspired decision.

She also wrote a follow up on this story:  

i'm with some of the gobelli fan club.  we had a cita (appointment) with one of their mom's, but she wasn't home, so we sat on the sidewalk and taught the group of kids about the plan de salvación.  after we got home we discovered that we had a TON of bug bites on our legs (looks like flea bites?).  so worth it.... 

Two weeks later:

okay, and here´s the best story of the week:  remember my story about contacting a mom of someone in the gobelli fan club (see july 16 letter...her husband died 7 years ago and she just feels empty).  we pass by her house all the time and she's been avoiding us--havn't had a lesson yet.  we keep passing by because i felt like we were really guided to find her.  well, finally on thursday, we had a few free minutes so we pass by, expecting to get turned away again.  but she says, "well, like, what´s your message like?  do you know what happens after this life, or no?"  YES!  before her husband died, she told him that if were to die before she did, to come back and give her a sign that there is life after death.  she's been disappointed because after 7 years, there hasn't been any sign from him.  we spent quite a bit of time standing there in her polleria (chicken shop) testifying about the resurrection, the spirit world, kingdoms of glory, our purpose in life, etc.  after a bit, she said, "you know, i dreamed about you girls the other night.  and my husband was there too.  he was chewing me out for not listening to you.  he said i should."  and that was super cool, because then we could testify that the things we were teaching were true, that her husband was learning these same things and wanted her to know them too.  i am excited for our lesson with her tomorrow.

We love you, Lisa!  Keep up the good work!