The Atonement is Real!!

Well we finished the week out alright, but the crazy thing happened on Sunday, so i am going to just skip to Sunday. We woke up and went to the chapel to have some meetings with the bishop, then went to sacrament meeting. Our recent convert blessed the sacrament for the first time and he only had to say it two times! one of the sister missionaries was speaking when the bishop waved down my companion to come up and talk to him. He went up and the bishop said that sister salgado a sister in the ward said that her husband was really bad and to send the missionaries right away if he could. I don´t know if i told you all or not but her husband had cancer and was told that he only had 3-9 months left to live. they said that about a month ago. anyway we were walking as fast as we could half running and when we could see their house we saw an ambulance outside. so we ran to there house and just walked in and one of their sons said what was going on. He said his dad was not breathing and that they had him hooked up to oxegyn. one of the parametics said he needed the stretcher and he needed to go to the hospital so we helped get the stretcher ready. then the other parametic said he is leaving us. we can´t take him now... So they took off the oxegyn and said to the family say what you want to him. Then they left. The family all said goodbye even though he could not respond at all and we did too. Then he died at 10:45 in the morning. We stayed with them the whole day after that. We helped dress him and put him in the cascet and take him to the chapel for the viewing and everything. We had a little devotional in the night and then all left for our houses. Then one Monday morning we opened the chapel at 8:30 because the family of Brother Salgado lives far away and couldn´t be there on time on Sunday... so we opened it for them, got them all situated, and then left for our district meetings and visits throughout the day. we passed by throughout the day to see how everyone was doing and then in the night we had a big devotional with all of the members and family. His and her families are not members. I sang a hymn with one of the sister missionaries in the middle and Sister Salgado started to cry... It was really special that we had so many members at church to support this family! Then on Tuesday morning we opened up the church again for all of them and one of her sons had made a slide show with pictures of him and music, and asked if we could have another little devotional before the hurse came. so of course we said yes and put together a little devotional. There were no other members they were all working. So I was asked to direct the meeting and give the closing prayer... the last prayer that was given before we went to the cemetary. I was so nervous, but i know that the spirit was with All of the family and spoke to each of them. We then went to the cemetary with the family and said goodbye for the last time to Brother Salgado. 

         He was a really funny guy. He said a lot of jokes that i didn´t get or understand so i just laughed with him anyways! He Felt terrible that he spent so much time in the hospital not helping provide for his family, so his last month he helped in everyway he could! It was really touching to hear his wife talk about how he demanded that he was going to buy his kids school clothes for this school year not his kids or his wife HIM. because he wanted to do it for his last time. Friday before he died he woke up and said to his wife that he wanted to go to the beach with her. So they went to the beach together and spent their second to last day at the beach and they had no idea it was about to end... I think that Heavenly Father was involved in all that happened SOOOO much he was so good to that family in their last week with him. 

       Family i ask that you can all pray for his family. He is in another place where he now has a great work to do, but his 5 children and wife are now without a spouse and a dad... They need all of the prayers they can get! please take time to give a little prayer to this Salgado Family!

    It was a week different than anyother, but i was strengthend by it and i know that the Atonement is real and Families live Forever!!!!

Love, Elder Ethan Groen