Mom's Missionary Miracle

Mom’s Missionary Miracle

So I'm going to try and tell you about a fun miracle I experienced this past week or so. Here goes:
I Love Valentines Day! I love all holidays and try to make them special for my family, but I especially love Valentines Day!! Ever since I have known that Jace was going to be in the MTC over the holiday I have been trying to figure out how to get him a package to make his day special. I have asked other parents of missionaries who are serving in Chile, and what they had to say did not leave me optimistic that I was going to be able to get a package there in time or even at all. I didn't care about the cost, but I did care that he actually would receive it. So I wasn't going to be content until I found a way to achieve my goal.

So Rich Guevara, had a trip planned to go and work on the temple in Concepcion. I asked him when he was leaving and he said Monday, January 29. I also asked if there would be any way that I might be able to send a package with him to get to Jace. He said that he couldn't check it in his luggage because he would only have a brief layover at the airport in Santiago and his bags would be automatically loaded onto the plane to Concepcion.

I decided to research and find out if there might be a courier service or some type of postal delivery inside the airport. I very quickly realized that the language barrier was going to be an issue. So......I called my friend Corey Peisley (who went to Chile on his mission years ago and speaks spanish) to see if he might be able to look online and find out for me. He got to me awhile later and said he couldn't find anything like that available at the airport. I then proceeded to ask if they might have like an Uber or something like it that might be able to meet Rich outside at the curb and then deliver the package. He said that he didn't feel good about handing over a package to a stranger without a way to track it. So back to drawing board.

What to do? I was starting to feel a little dejected, but not defeated. So I decided to ask Corey a really big question. "Do you happen to know anyone from when you served your mission that you keep in touch with that might live near the airport and could possibly help me get a package from the airport to Jace at the MTC?" I knew I was asking for a lot, but I had to at least try. He said there was one lady who he had kept in contact with and that had actually come to Utah for General Conference and visited with him. He said he would try to get in touch with her on facebook and then get back with me. So I anxiously waited for his reply.

The next day, I believe it was, he let me know that he was not able to reach her on facebook. Apparently she was not on there anymore. He told me that he would continue to try and locate her and would again get back with me. So more waiting.

The next text I received said that he had gotten in touch with her (Claudia). He'd stated that I was not going to believe what he had found out. What could it be? I was reading frantically. Claudia's son actually works at the airport. What? Are you kidding me right now? I couldn't actually believe what I had just read. My jaw was dropped open and I just sat there stunned. I think I read it a couple of times before I replied. I couldn't text I had to call him. This was truly an answer to my prayers. I chatted with him and it was decided that he would find out from Rich exactly what time he would arrive in Santiago at the airport and then find out if Claudia's son might be working at that time and be able to meet up with him and get the package.

I felt so happy, anxious, and blessed. I have truly amazing friends. It was not a small thing I was asking them to do. And I kind of felt a like a pain in the neck. They didn't make me feel like that at all. They acted like they were totally eager to help me in my quest.

Corey sent me another message that started out with the words "you're not going to believe this". What now? Could there really be more? He said that Claudia has another son also. Guess where this son works? Yep, you got it, the MTC. I think I got tears in my eyes. This was truly a miracle. This was not just a coincidence. This was a personal tender mercy to a mom that really needed her son to feel a little love from home for Valentines (even though it would be a little early). WOW! Even now as I am writing it I can't believe it.

My plan was in full force, I called Rich and made sure he was okay with carrying the package on the airplane with him. He reminded me that whatever I sent was going to have to go through security. I got online and read about what items would be allowed on the plane. Food and treats would be okay as long as they were in the original packaging and were not liquid of any kind. It also stated that items could not be in a sealed box of any kind because they would need to be able to see all the items and unpack it if necessary. So off to the store I went. I had a day and a half to get it all ready.

I went to several stores buying up anything and everything that Jace loves that he can't get in Chile: Caramel M&M's, Twix, Snickers, Kit Kats, Buncha Crunch, Tootsie Rolls, Twizzlers, Skittles, DOTS, Fish Crackers, Munchies, Pringles, Honey Nut Cheerios, Granola bars, Gushers, (yes I went a little crazy). Who knows when I'll successfully get him treats again? He'll have treats for quite awhile now anyway.

I bought a black tote bag to put all the stuff in. I didn't want Rich to have to carry anything too embarrassing through the airport. I tried to put all the stuff in the bag and it wouldn't fit. So I ended up putting it in a bag with pink, red, and purple hearts all over it. It was a Valentine, right? I unboxed the bulky things to help everything fit better. I even put some of the stuff in little baggies with hearts on them. I meticulously packed everything so it fit perfectly. I pushed cards down on the sides of the bag. Now it was ready to go.

I called Rich and let him know it was all ready. He came and got it and made sure it was going to be easy enough to carry. It passed the test. He did ask me to write a list of what was in the bag in case they asked him he would know. I did, and we placed it on the top of the items and then covered it all with bubble wrap. ALL DONE!

The next afternoon I got a text from Rich. He said that they had dumped the whole bag out at security to make sure what it really was. Apparently it wasn't going to be packed so nicely anymore. I didn't even care, I was just thrilled that it wa all going to get to my son. I apologized to Rich for the inconvenience. He said it wasn't a big deal and that it was actually quite funny watching them examine the contents for a possible "bomb".

The next time I heard from him was the next morning at 5am our time. He said that the package had been delivered. I couldn't wait to hear how the exchange happened and how the two of them were able to communicate with one another. Later on that night Corey texted to let me know Claudia had the package at her home and that she was just waiting for her son to take it to the MTC the following day (Wednesday). I was all excited to hear Jace's reaction in his email that day. He didn't say anything about it and so I wondered how come. I heard again from Corey that day and he said that the boys were given free time away from the MTC and while they were gone the MTC President went in to Jace's room and put it on his bed so it would be there when he got back. Now I'm dying to hear from him and see what he says. I didn't mention it to him because I wanted it to be a surprise.

So that's my miracle story. Can you even believe it? I still can't. I feel so blessed. I know that it doesn't seem like that big of a deal to everyone else, but to me it was literally a miracle that all those little things just fell into place perfectly. I have had sooooo many tender mercies in my life lately. I KNOW that Heavenly Father loves me and cares about the things that matter to me.

Rich holding the bag