Saturday, I had the opportunity to see someone who changed my life, for the first time in over 10 years. "Elder" Zaldaña served in the Massachusetts Boston Mission 10-12 years ago. He was in the Nashua 2nd ward for 8 months, and is someone our family will never, ever forget. To make a long story short, he and his companion, the then Elder Snyder, were the ones who were there the day Steven, my father, and I were baptized. That was September 10, 2000. Elder Zaldaña confirmed me a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
A little over a year later, on December 1, 2001, we were reunited with our beloved Elders, only this time it was at the Boston Massachusetts Temple, and our family was being sealed for time and all eternity. This is a subject I could go on about for hours, but will save it for another post. :)
Since that day, I have seen Steve Snyder many times, but I never saw Elder Zaldaña again...until this last weekend. I had some business to take care of in Los Angeles, so I made the trek down there for a few days with a friend of mine. I remembered that Elder Zaldaña and his family live there, so I called them up and told them I'd be there, and we decided to get together.
It was a wonderful day!!!! We reminisced about our missions, about his time in Nashua, about people we both know, about life and what has happened in the last 10 years. I met his wife, Kathi, and their son, Nikolas, and his parents and sisters. I can't express the joy I felt in seeing this special person again.
We really don't know what kind of difference we make in other people's lives. There's never any way to measure who makes more of a difference...because all the missionaries who were involved in my family's conversion say that WE made a difference in THEIR lives...and honestly, that's how I feel about people from my time on the mission. But from a convert's perspective, I can say that there is an eternal bond between the missionary and his/her convert. That bond is pure, Christlike love. Just think, if those Elders throughout the years hadn't given 2 years of their lives to the Lord's work, I don't know how or where my life would be right now. I can't imagine it without the gospel in it, and I will be forever grateful for Elder Zaldaña, Elder Snyder, Elder Brooks, and all the others who helped change my family forever. The Lord is so good!!!!!!!!!
A little over a year later, on December 1, 2001, we were reunited with our beloved Elders, only this time it was at the Boston Massachusetts Temple, and our family was being sealed for time and all eternity. This is a subject I could go on about for hours, but will save it for another post. :)
Since that day, I have seen Steve Snyder many times, but I never saw Elder Zaldaña again...until this last weekend. I had some business to take care of in Los Angeles, so I made the trek down there for a few days with a friend of mine. I remembered that Elder Zaldaña and his family live there, so I called them up and told them I'd be there, and we decided to get together.
It was a wonderful day!!!! We reminisced about our missions, about his time in Nashua, about people we both know, about life and what has happened in the last 10 years. I met his wife, Kathi, and their son, Nikolas, and his parents and sisters. I can't express the joy I felt in seeing this special person again.
We really don't know what kind of difference we make in other people's lives. There's never any way to measure who makes more of a difference...because all the missionaries who were involved in my family's conversion say that WE made a difference in THEIR lives...and honestly, that's how I feel about people from my time on the mission. But from a convert's perspective, I can say that there is an eternal bond between the missionary and his/her convert. That bond is pure, Christlike love. Just think, if those Elders throughout the years hadn't given 2 years of their lives to the Lord's work, I don't know how or where my life would be right now. I can't imagine it without the gospel in it, and I will be forever grateful for Elder Zaldaña, Elder Snyder, Elder Brooks, and all the others who helped change my family forever. The Lord is so good!!!!!!!!!
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