Hey Everybody!
Have any of you ever started out one day with an idea of how it was going to go, and then it turned out completely different from how you originally wanted? That very thing happened to me today.
P Days always turn out to be one of the most hectic days on the mission for a number of different reasons. One is that we are always going to get groceries, or we are running to get something we forgot or trying to scrape up lunch. So Yesterday I decided that we were going to have a completely chill day and nothing was going to happen so that we could go back to the pension and take a break. And that's exactly what happened until we went out of the pension for just a little bit to buy some bread.
We rounded the corner of Pedro Duarte and see that the sky seemed a little dark, like it was going to rain. It seemed odd though, because it was actually pretty hot outside, and rain was not predicted for at least a few weeks. That's when we realized what it really was: smoke. A house about a block down had caught on fire and was belching dark billows of smoke into the summer heat. We at first walked with an interested gawking sort of a way. Then as we got closer and we realized how the fire had just started not two minutes ago, something happened in my mind. A switch, a light went on that changed my entire basis of thought. We all started running over towards the house. Without thinking about anything else, we barged into the house and started yelling to see if anyone was there. Luckily, the family had all gotten out and people had started to take things out. The Firefighters got there at about the same time as we did, but the only difference there was the water pressure. To understand that statement, I need to explain something about Chile. In Chile, being a firefighter is an honor, but it is voluntary, not paid. So they didnt kick us out or anything, they just let us help them hose down the burning building. We took out a lot of the possessions, and tried to salvage as much as we could, but we had to leave because the roof was going to come down from the weakness of the wood from the fire and the weight of the water. The last thing the lady (the owner) asked me to get for her was a frame of the last supper. I kind of had to run through a bunch of rubble and fire house blasts to get it, but in the end, I got her precious heirloom. We were one of the last people to leave out of the volunteers, and we left as inconspicuously as any dirty gringos with ties, plaques and backpacks could.
The last thing we did before we left was give her a book of mormon, promising her that all true peace and happiness resided within the pages of that book. I learned today the true value of integrity and how selfless service is the fullest kind of blessing that we can ever hope to receive. I am so grateful for the opportunity that I had to serve. I hope I can continue to serve until the very end of my mission, o sea, when I die.
Thanks for everything guys, you really are a great support for me!
Con Amor,
Elder Westover
No comments:
Post a Comment