Invisibility and Other Phenomena

Today (Sunday, February 1, 2015) marks our two-year anniversary at the MTC.  It hardly seems possible that we have been here since the first Sunday of February 2013. During these two years’ time we witnessed the phenomenon of the “Tsunami of Sisters” and also had the unique experience of serving on the “West Campus” for 14 months beginning in July 2013 (the West Campus was subsequently closed in the Autumn of 2014). During the second half of this four-year-long assignment, I suspect that we shall witness other marvelous developments.

Today at Mission Conference, Sister Bertasso, wife of President Bertasso (First Counselor in the new MTC Presidency), told us about two “invisible missionaries” on their mission in Brazil. The two missionaries, who had agreed that they would be exactly obedient during their mission, had one day gone to the post office after doing all of the things they were supposed to have done that morning:  exercising, praying, studying, cleaning their apartment, doing their laundry, etc. While they were waiting in three very long lines at the post office, masked gunmen came into the post office and proceeded to rough-up the people and rob all the people of any money or valuables that they might have on them. At some point during the robbery, one gunman asked the other gunman if they had gotten everyone’s stuff. He received an affirmative answer and so they left. The two missionaries were astonished because the robbers had not so much as touched them, nor had they taken their money. It was as if the gunmen could not see the missionaries. They concluded that because they had decided to be exactly obedient at all times, that the Lord had made them invisible to those who might otherwise have harmed them. I believe that this is a true example of the principle, “obedience brings blessings, and exact obedience brings miracles.”

Also during today's Mission Conference, President Burgess (MTC President) invited an Elder Ahmad to the microphone to tell a little of his history and share his testimony. The Elder was from Syria. He and his family had joined the Church while they were living in Romania. After returning to Syria, they were unable to attend Church because they were being watched. His father was in particular jeopardy. Somehow this young man and his little sister managed to escape to Lebanon where there is a Branch of the Church; their mother was able to join them a week later. (I’m not sure what became of his father.) How utterly remarkable it is to have a missionary from Syria at the MTC!  The implications make my jaw drop. ~PLH