A small speed bump in the mission this past week...was that my backpack was stolen. Well that just about makes the Oak Cliff experience complete, but it has quite the story behind it. So we were taking the Dallas Area Rapid Transit train deeper into Dallas and we had our bikes with us so that we wouldn't get stuck waiting for the bus. Well once we finally got to our stop, I unloaded my bike off of the rack, and once I put it outside, I went to go and get my backpack, but the doors closed and the train just took off! After a couple seconds of shock and running after the train and realizing that there was no way it would stop...I called DART and had them send a sweep team in at the stop that was 3 minutes away. So they went in and found nothing. Welcome to Dallas. It didn't have much...just my scriptures, planner, a good amount of Pamplets and stuff...oh yeah...and my camera. The camera had about 8 gbs and 2 transfers worth of pictures so I was always frantically calling lost and found hoping and praying with a zeal that I don't know I've reached before. I was hoping that some good Christian person would have turned it in or something like that, but when I reached the lost and found they reported that they get all their items at the end of the week and that they'll be closed on Labor Day. So at least it kept me hopeful. I so badly needed my camera...it's so expensive and had pictures that I couldn't just go out and replace. Well after more praying and even fasting (believe it or not haha I needed that stuff!), we got a call on Friday from Hermano Ruiz, one of the Ward Missionaries. He said, "So Elder Rodriguez, did you loose your camera?" I just immediately looked up and gave a prayer of thanks and for the little miracle that we saw. So what happened was that Hermano Ruiz's Nephew found my bag on DART...and I guess to put it simply....he's not a good christian soul, and he started looking through it to see what was good. He found my camera, a tool set, and just some other random stuff that he took and then decided to make some money. Getting off at the next stop...as the story goes, he decided to make a little moo laa and sell my scriptures, backpack, and everything else. But when he got home, Hermano Ruiz said that he saw his nephew looking at pictures on a camera he knew he didn't own and asked him where he got it. When he replied that it was his, he saw the pictures of me and Elder Rodriguez...and now the Camera was returned back to me with all of the goods he had taken out. So, it was found by a good Christian soul and was turned in, and yes, to all of the atheists I've talked to out here in Texas (which aren't many), there is a God and he listens to us haha. Now I'm just praying that someday I'll get to hear someone bear their testimony that they decided to join the church when they bought a pair of beautiful scriptures that were marked with the best verses! It's going to be so awesome!
But this week has been absolutely amazing, so much success, and even though me and Elder Rodriguez have both felt a little sick, we can both testify the "When you are on the Lord's errand, you are entitled to the Lord's help." And he will most definitely give it to you at the times when you need it most. It truly is amazing about how he never forgets about you. Well I hope and pray that everything is going well with everyone and am especially excited to hear about Rachel's start at BYUI!!! Such great memories of my last few weeks back home and then starting my career at college! I know there's going to be some crazy stories somewhere in these next few weeks Rachie haha so to anyone that's going to BYUI, be sure to keep an eye out for her. I'm working up to be like Grandpa John and Papa and getting to the point where I have eyes everywhere and can hear everything haha. Love you all!
Elder Justin Wilson
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