Treasures in Heaven

So we had a crazy hectic week this week.  I'd like to start by sharing a special event that transpired this week.

One morning we received a call from the North Platte elders informing us of a member who had been moving from Iowa, but whose van and trailer had gotten into a wreck and now they needed our help.  We quickly changed into service clothes and met the member, Bro. S., at the motel.  He told us that one of the tires blew on the U-Haul trailer while they were on the freeway and their minivan had been run into the ditch where they suffered some damage and two tires also blew.  He was thankful however that his family was safe.  Before the trip began he went to the temple and prayed that his family would be protected, and when the accident happened all four of his children were sleeping soundly in the back seat.  His whole family was safe from a potentially disastrous crash!.  We took him to Wal-Mart and got his tires fixed and then bid farewell as he headed to North Platte; however, later that day we received a call from him asking us for further help.  He had left his family in North Platte and had come back with a member and his trailer to pick up his possessions from the U-Haul.  We headed over and waited as he spoke with the owner of the towing company that had the trailer.  Unfortunately the company had decided to take advantage of him and was charging him $1,700 even though he didn’t have any insurance.  He was trying to get the price lowered but they wouldn’t budge and were being unkind to him in the process.  Bro. S is from South Korea so his English isn’t the greatest and they were using that against him. 

 Finally Bro. S conceded and they let us in to grab his belongings.  We opened up the trailer and started sorting through his limited possessions. A bunch of things were broken from the wreck but throughout it all Bro. S remained optimistic and thankful.  At one point we came across two framed photos, one of Jesus Christ and the other of the temple.  They hadn’t been wrapped in anything protective and yet, amongst the rubble, they had been untouched without the slightest scratch.  Bro. S was ecstatic about that.  We worked into the evening and finally got it all done.  Seeing Bro. S's humility and thankfulness reminded me of the scripture that says, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal; But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal.  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" 3 Nephi 13:19-21.

 

We had H and P’s baptism and everything went great.  The font was too small and shallow but Elder Vawdrey worked with it and was able to perform the ordinance.  We had a time to bear testimony during the service and V got up and bore a powerful testimony that brought some tears.  He confided in me afterwards that he hopes he can get approval for baptism soon for his sake, and also so that I might be there.

There’s still no snow here and we're loving it!  It feels like autumn and life couldn’t be better.  I don’t have much else to report and tons of things to do today so I better get going.

I love you all,

E' Harker