TRUE JOY

One of the best parts of being a missionary was not only being able to share the gospel, but to be part of a team of such fantastic people doing it with you. I loved the missionaries in my zones! We worked hard, and we played hard, and we took advantage of the time that we had as missionaries.When I got back from my mission I kept in touch with a lot of the missionaries I served with, and thanks to Facebook I've been able to reconnect with those who live pretty far away. A few months back I reconnected to an elder from Uruguay named Gustavo Garcia. He was hilarious! He was ridiculously tall, and always positive, and sometimes a bit of a clown. I loved his outlook on life and as missionaries we became fast friends.
Several weeks ago we were online at the same time and we ended up talking about the gospel. We were talking about how Alma felt when he saw his brothers, and he knew that they were still strong in the gospel. We discussed how we felt that same joy when we reconnected to people and knew that they were still faithful in their beliefs, and specifically each other.

Last night I went online to see if Gustavo was there, and decided to send him a message. When I saw his page I was shocked to see that the week after we had spoken, he passed away. The sudden impact of it left me heartbroken, but I think the majority of the tears last night were tears of joy....and of understanding....and of gratitude that he DID stay strong in the gospel and knew the truthfulness of it.

I am so grateful I am for the plan of salvation, and for the blessings it brings. I am thankful that when I see him again, if I do my part, I will be able to feel that same joy that was felt so long ago by those other missionaries. How I love little Elder Garcia and oh, how I LOVE the gospel!!!!