Two Called To Serve: The Family and ABANCAY!

I walk out of our apartment and I begin to walk down the Street and there is a single mother attending to her store that barely brings enough money in to feed her kids. I keep walking as we head to our appointment at 11 in the morning. I pass by 2 little boys house that their mom became sick (single Mom) and left them in an orphanage for a time so she could receive treatment in Cusco. My heart just aches as I think of how do they do it every day without the love of their mother? In that momento I thank my Heavenly Father for my mom and dad that have always been there to support and love me.

A few blocks down a brother in our Ward is heading to work to help support his two kids, whose mother left with another man 3 months earlier. I keep walking and we pass by a members home who in Ward council we talked about because the couple were having many problems and the father was planning to leave permanently the next week. As I walk my companion begins to tell me how our recent convert we are teaching admitted to us that early in her marriage her husband abused her daily and now has fear of talking with any men over the age of 20. I then think of my last companion who suffered a lot because her father left her at the age of 8 with her mother and didn’t return till 7 years later. I just think… Heavenly Father WHY? Why all of this suffering? Why are there so many destroyed homes, relationships, and families? Oh I have had many moments in my misión where I will get back to our apartment and just start to tear up because of all I went through that day fighting Satan in his journey to ruin the lives of Gods children and make them miserable just as he is.

In the last general conference many talks were given on the family and marriage, as well as the last few issues of the Liahona are filled with tips, council and talks given about overcoming divorce, holding together the family, having a stronger marriage, and creating eternal families. Oh how I have found hope in Reading each talk, story, and council from our church leaders. There is so much sadness, so much heartache, but in the góspel of Jesus Christ we FIND happiness. True happiness. In a talk by Elder Bruce C. Hafen he said… “The joys of human love and family belonging give us hope, purpose, and a desire to live better. They make us long for the day when we will take the hands that have held ours together enter the Lords presence. There we will embrace our loved ones and stay with them always.”

Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity--- as it says in the Family Proclamation to the World.

I know that children don’t have to suffer, relationships between a husband and wife can be strong, and we can avoid divorce or even more get married in the first place (I feel like no one here in Peru gets married). But I KNOW by living the góspel and applying the principles that are taught, we find true happiness and we avoid all that Satan is trying to do to destroy the family.

Today I want to thank my parents, my mom and dad. They are incredible. They are not perfect, my family is not perfect but I know that they love their children, they teach the góspel, and they strive to “rear their children” to become better people through the góspel. I know that Satan has less power in MY life because the decisión both my parents have made to have the góspel in our home be married and sealed in the temple for eternity, and to continue moving forward. Thank you so much mom and dad. I will forever be grateful.

No matter your situation…. There is hope. I know that. I work with broken homes every day. I know that the góspel heals the home and lessens the power of Satan. Find ways to teach the góspel more, encourage your children to marry in the temple, express gratitude to those who are in your family right now… No family is perfect but I KNOW that all can find happiness through applying the góspel in your homes, and in your lives. I love this góspel and have so much hope for my future because I am a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Well, I hope you all have a great week and I am so grateful for all who support me here in the misión. It is a time I will never forget. Love you all!

Hermana Frame