He loves to surprise us!

Last Sunday while in sacrament meeting in Gaborone Botswana, Br. Jele was speaking about his wonderful grandmother.  She had been married 40 years and it is she who raised him.  She was so gentle and influential in his life, he decided he wanted to find a wife just like her.  He asked his grandmother one day "Grandmother, how can I find a wife who is like you?"  She said "It is a blessing to get one like me.  You must pray about it."

Br. Jele decided to "gird up your loins, fresh courage take" as he spent "four difficult lonely years" fasting and praying and looking for a wife who was like his grandmother.  The Lord told him to wait and be patient.  Br. Jele discovered the reason for the wait was because his wife was being prepared to receive the gospel and get baptized.  The most joyful day was being sealed to his beautiful wife in the temple for time and all eternity.  Now he was joyful again to be able to go to the temple and do the work for his grandmother, Elizabeth, who died a year ago and had never been baptized.

I was so excited to learn that this stake in Botswana would be in the Johannesburg Temple on Tuesday, which is our day to be ordinance workers.  I was quite sure I would not be able to recognize Br. Jele amidst all those African brothers, but I was thinking about him and of his grandmother who was waiting on the other side, as I was handed my assignments for the day.  My first assignment was inititories.

I have to say that I just know that God loves us so so much and He must be smiling and excited for the surprises he has in store for us from time to time.  He gave me one of those sweet surprises on Tuesday as a very sweet young sister came into my area of assignment.  I looked at her name and read "Jele".  I suddenly realized who I was with!  This was Br. Jele's wife and she was doing the work for grandmother Elizabeth!  As we proceeded, the joy of the grandmother filled up my heart and it was difficult to contain my emotions.

What are the odds that I would be blessed to participate with Sister Jele to do this work for grandmother Elizabeth.  I was able to chat with Sis. Jele about this afterwards.  What a sweet girl she is.  She was definitely worth the four year wait Br. Jele spoke of.  I'm still filled with happiness over Tuesday's experience in the Holy Temple with the Gaborone Stake.