DON'T CRY BECAUSE IT IS OVER, SMILE BECAUSE IT HAPPENED!

    Let me share with you a tender mercy from our Heavenly Father.  We have both been so torn with the idea of having to leave this beautiful country, this temple, our friends and this life style.  It has been real hard, harder than we could have imagined.  As with the end of any calling, you always wonder if you accomplished all that you had been called to do and if your Father in Heaven is pleased with your service.

    One evening, I was especially worried that my Father was not very happy with me because I had been in El Salvador almost 21 months and I did not speak Spanish well.  I had not taken an hour a day to study and learn to speak right.  I had been too exhausted after 8 to 10 hours in the temple and had let the duties of "life" keep me from the hours of study.  But I felt like this was just an excuse and I was really down and discouraged.  This evening, I was assigned to go on a session as a patron and watch the obrera to see if she was totally trained or not.  I had trained this sister and she did an excellent job.  During the session, the spirit whispered into my mind:  You were not called to study and learn Spanish.  Your calling here was to teach, guide, train, love and help the obrera's in this temple.  Look at her, you have done this calling with all your heart, mind, and strength.  I immediately knew that my Father was indeed pleased with my service.  As the tears rolled down my cheeks, I thanked my Father in Heaven for this tender mercy.  I know that this mission has been a success, a testimony builder, and a precious blessing in my life.

 

     A couple of days later, I was feeling very sad about leaving these wonderful people.  As I was helping a new obrera, the thoughts came to my mind, the Gibbons, the Kitleys, and the Walls are gone.  Now we are leaving, who will be here to help the new obreras?  Then I saw dear Sister Clark visiting with and helping one of these dear new workers and again the spirit whispered to my mind.  "Your time is complete.  Your work is done.  The Clarks are here and more missionaries are on their way.  They will love and help and even more than this, the workers you have trained will now be able to train their brothers and sisters."  The peace that came into my soul was overwhelming and again the tears ran down my cheeks. 

 

     As hard as it is to say good-bye, I know without a doubt that it is time to leave.  Our work here is done and we must go forward with faith, knowing that our Father in Heaven is pleased with our service here and hopefully will have need of us again somewhere else in the near future.