Service With Faith

March 2013

Service truly requires faith and obedience.  We know this and yet, it remains challenging when put into action.  
We were asked to visit and deliver a copy of the Book of Mormon with some literature of the Plan of Salvation and the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to someone in need of upliftment and a renewal of peace in their lives.  Of course at the onset of this request we were willing and excited to serve.
As information was relayed to us as to where this individual was that we were to visit; apprehension suddenly appeared in our minds.  We know we are called to be about the Lord's business to do just as had been asked of us, serve His children in all ways.  Why would we be leary of doing His work?  Where was our faith and obedience now?  This individual was in a detention center waiting to be sent to their country of origin because they were in this country illegally (and it was not the county that comes readily to mind).

No problem! We bolstered ourselves and pressed forward; we can do this.  Off we went to the detention center. Oblivious of procedures and regulations ---we approached the guard at the gate. "We are missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and we are here to fill a request for literature and to visit a detainee." The questions began and we had no answers to satisfy the guard.  "Come back Friday evening between 6 - 9 pm and you may visit the detainee because that is visiting time for this individual," said the guard.  Friday!!! We thought, that is four days away and we need to see this person before then.  We will go to the main immigration office; confident that they would rectify this situation and allow us access to this individual.  Upon entering the immigration office (2 steps) another security officer that operated the metal detection equipment said, " Do you have an appointment?"

Of course we did not have an appointment, we weren't even in the door, we wanted to ask a few simple questions and get on with out assignment!  "No ma'am," we answered politely.
"You cannot enter without an appointment." was her reply.
"How do we get one?" we asked while Elder Sturgis tried to tell her who we were and that she should let us in (in his military officer voice). I really wanted to join him in his desire to get in and get on with our mission!!

Alas, that was not to be!  She explained the procedure to get an appointment and sent us on our way.  Somewhere in our senior minds remain the thought that this was a government agency and they are unpredictable at best so we felt it in our best interest to avoid conflict. The procedure required that we go on line and make an appointment.  We had an appointment with missionaries coming to our apartment so we went home and began the process of making an appointment.
We felt guided once again as there was an appointment time available that same day at noon.  We had a 1:30 appointment already scheduled some distance away, but were confident that we could do both, especially when we realized the next available appointment was April 30th. We hurried to the appointment, got through security and waited, waited.  The young lady that assisted us informed us that this department had nothing to do with the detention center or their procedures and sent us on our way once again.

Back to the drawing board for us.  As we left the immigration office, we noticed a well dressed gentlemen getting into his car and walked on passed him; then the prompting came....talk to him! We turned around and talked to him about our dilemma.  He gave us his son's name and number and explained that he was an attorney and visited the detention center regularly, in fact, he would be visiting the very next day. AHHH-- a ray of hope!

We went on to our other appointment, still somewhat discouraged in our efforts to complete our assignment. Thoughts of reporting that we had tried but were not allowed to complete the task entered our thoughts and we even talked about ....giving up!

We repented of our thoughts and words and contacted the attorney with hopes and prayers that he would not charge us for the call! Left a message on his answering machine and continued with our other duties.He did call and explained the procedures a little better so we had knowledge of what we were doing.  With this knowledge, questions began arising in our minds about the assignment.  He said that juveniles were not detained at this facility and we had been told the person we were to visit was a juvenile. He was a kind and generous gentleman and he did find the individual we were looking for in the system but said this person was not a juvenile. We tried contacting our original source and were told that the information about the original request had been accidentally throw away.  A reprieve we thought, we can stop this because we had no clear information and the information we do have is incorrect. Once again, thoughts of abandoning the project crept in!!!
We had USO duties, scheduling 16 missionary apartment inspections, baking for missionary apartment inspections, and of course, study time and it was already Wednesday.  Where does time go!! The attorney said he would visit with the detainee and call us after his visit.  We did not receive anymore calls from him.  Well, we had tried many avenues without success.  We had fought the fight and lost.  We would accept our losses.
Yet, with each prayer, thoughts of this individual remained vivid!  What more could or should we do.  Once again to the website and read all of their regulations.  Wait, we can visit anytime with permission of the Chaplain at the facility!  There was even a phone number to call.  Thank you Heavenly Father for a ray of light.  We placed the call and waited and are still waiting for this call.....
All that was left, was to visit on Friday evening. We did just that.  This continued a trial of our faith because as we drove up to the guard,  he informed us that we were 6 minutes early and needed to exit and return in 6 minutes.  Obediently we left and waited outside the facility with many other people that seemed better acquainted with the procedures that we were. The time arrived and off we went to the guard.
"May I see your driver's license?" he asked.
"Why of course," as I looked through my wallet.  You guessed it!! No license!!! Where could it be?  He kindly informed us that we could  leave and park elsewhere and walk in and he would allow us entrance into the facility.  While we were waiting the first time, thoughts of what we were doing and where we were began to weaken our resolve to follow through!!  We'd done nothing wrong... this individual was suffering natural consequences and we believe in consequences.  We could leave and feel alright about it.
We are so grateful for the Lord and his love and never-ending patience with his children.  Especially us!
We drove out the second time and found as secure a location as possible and locked all our belongings in the car and prayed for protection. Feeling confident that we would be going through another security x-ray machine, we wanted to carry as little as possible.
Off we went to enter the facility.  Elder Sturgis reminding me that he would not do this for someone he knows and here we were doing for a total stranger!
WE WERE IN!!! Accepted into the system and then we began the 3 block walk to the detention facility escorted by a border patrol officer in a large golf cart capable of carrying 6 individuals but he was not allowed to give us a ride.  Talk about feeling like a criminal!!!
We arrived at the facility with the greeting of more paperwork to fill out and instructed that we could take NOTHING into the visiting area.  A locker was provided for our belongings at the cost of 25 cents.  Guess who brought no money with them!!! We explained our situation to the officer and they loaned us the money. Guess who was upset about our government requiring us to pay for the locker?  Fortunately the money was returned after we retrieved our belongings upon exiting the facility.
We turned in our paperwork and waited, waited, waited.  Reminding ourselves we were about the Lord's business.  By the way, we were not allowed to give the reading materials we had all along determined to deliver!
Then we were called to the visiting area and communicated with this individual through a thick glass by phone with an officer behind the individual, watching us.
Oh, the peace and joy we all felt knowing we were but a mere extension of the Lord's love for this individual. Confusion on their part because they did not know us. We shared what we knew and listened.  Tried to offer comfort.
We were helpless to assist in their situation but offered prayer, love and assurance that the Lord loved this person and was aware of their trial. How grateful we are for tender mercies. We truly had to walk by faith in His service.  We thanked him profusely that evening for the tremendous blessing we have to live in this promised land!!!!