The Back Door

Today was our last in the Lomas Ward (congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) and I had to write a bit about our experience here in Mexico. We have been through a lot during our assignment here, it hasn’t been easy. In my blog entry entitled “Adventures” I said that:

“We believe in the adage, ‘Home is where the Air Force sends you.’ … We have been richly blessed to have our religion in every country. Even in Egypt we found comfort in a congregation of saints.”

I know that the Air Force is the agency we work for and the decisions of where to send us have come through them but I also have always believed that we have had a higher purpose for the places we have traveled. In each place we have lived I have felt the guidance of our Father in Heaven over our assignment.
Mexico was no different. I knew we were meant to come to Mexico, but this time I also questioned why we were sent here. You see my husband has suffered tremendously from Acute Mountain Sickness. Doctors could find no cure and the only relief he felt was when we descended to lower altitudes. To be reassigned would have meant retirement and we just didn’t feel that was the answer. Each time we thought we found “The Answer” time would prove that it wasn’t yet to be.
Prayers were offered blessings were received yet we did not have the blessing of physical relief. My personal answer came through a priesthood blessing received. To learn to depend upon the Lord, that is why. I have since felt guided and protected even to my husband’s very life. Each Sunday I would be inspired to see more and more Our Father’s hand in my life, the calling (a church assignment) to teach Seminary every weekday waking at 4 or 5 in the morning to teach high school students from the Old Testament strengthened me on a daily basis, finding my passion for quilting rewarded with success and publishing my very first design and having it appear on the cover of the magazine, and my testimony grew each and every day.
Today emotions were close to the surface as we knew we would be saying goodbye. My daughter said to me during our sacrament (congregational worship) meeting, “Just as long as they don’t sing God Be with You Till We Meet Again, I’ll be okay.” Well we sang a closing hymn almost as hard to sing your last day meeting in your home ward with old friends. We sang, I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go.
Verse 3 hit me hard, even harder in Spanish where the translation seemed to speak directly to me.
Here are the words in English:

It may not be on the mountain height
Or over the stormy sea,
It may not be at the battle’s front
My Lord will have need of me.
But if, by a still, small voice he calls
To paths that I do not know,
I’ll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine:
I’ll go where you want me to go.
Perhaps today there are loving words
Which Jesus would have me speak;
There may be now in the paths of sin
Some wand’rer whom I should seek.
O Savior, if thou wilt be my guide,
Tho dark and rugged the way,
My voice shall echo the message sweet:
I’ll say what you want me to say.
There’s surely somewhere a lowly place
In earth’s harvest fields so wide
Where I may labor through life’s short day
For Jesus, the Crucified.
So trusting my all to thy tender care,
And knowing thou lovest me,
I’ll do thy will with a heart sincere:
I’ll be what you want me to be.

Penned by the poetess Mary Brown, this hymn has been our family’s marching song. When the Air Force sends us we know it is by Our Father’s will. We have felt moved in the very hollow of God’s hand to the places we have been. In Spanish the third verse, fifth and sixth lines read “Y siempre confiando en Su bondad, Sus dones recibiré,” loosely translated “And always trusting His benevolence, His aid I will receive.” These words reminded me once again that I have been blessed beyond measure by being here in Mexico.
I loved being here in Mexico; except for the traffic it has been wonderful. I have not enjoyed our stay to the fullest because of the altitude but I a truly grateful for the experience. I will miss my dear friends of the Lomas Ward. I will miss my sweet sisters in Relief Society. I will miss my Seminary students beyond words to express.
So Goodbye Mexico and God be with you till we meet again.