Stories: Angel
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| When I was serving in Obera, I was only three months away from the end of the mission. I had just conducted a baptismal interview in San Javier for Elders Haws and Porcel. Everything went well and I returned to the bus terminal to catch the colectivo back to Obera.
The elders of this town had given me two pears to eat on the bus ride back to my area, so I left them to their work while I waited at the terminal with two pears. I ate one of them, then looked down at the other. There were not many people at the terminal, so I could hear some children on the other side of the terminal, asking for money.
I was reminded of all the times I had been approached during my time in Argentina by the poor, asking for a moneda. I remembered how I had felt turning them away.
I remembered a time in my first area, studying during the siesta - the topic was service that day and I recalled reading the passage in the New Testament, "Lord, when saw we thee a stranger, . "? After leaving the "pench" at three-thirty, we walked to an appointment and I was approached by a poor man, some would call just a borracho.
"Tenes una monedita?"
"No, no tengo nada", I said, and as I walked away, felt the coins in my pocket as the scripture I had studied moments before rehearsed itself to me, "Inasmuch as ye have done unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." I then felt as if someone had thrown a bucket of ice on my back. I promised myself to be more compassionate.
I remembered the warmth I had felt when I had helped somebody, and how I had been treated so warmly by those who had covenanted to follow Christ. I thought about how much it matters how we treat our brothers and sisters, especially those without the truth that we have. I wondered if sometimes - maybe - angels weren't sent to test us, just to see what we would do. I looked down at the second pear and wished I had someone to give it to.
Not three seconds later, I heard footsteps draw up behind me. I turned to see a little face of someone who looked hungry, and looked like he expected rejection. I was elated.
"Tenes una moneda, senor?"
"No tengo una moneda, pero esto toma."
"Gracias!," he said, and instead of running away like I expected, sat down next to me on the bench and devoured the pear. We talked for a while, and the colectivo heaved up to its spot in front of me.
"There's my bus," I said, standing to collect my things. Before I walked away, I turned and asked, "hey, what's your name, kid?"
His answer didn't hit me until I was on the colectivo, and it had pulled onto the ruta. When it did hit me, I promised my Heavenly Father I would be nicer to His children.
His name was Angel. |
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