When I was serving in Belgrano 2, San Pedro, there was a little outlying town called La Esparanza, where a member family lived called the Morenos, which consisted of three pretty, young women, two of whom had had a child as teenagers. Their mom and dad weren't members, but very supportive of missionaries coming over to visit and teach. Elder Draney and I made a very pointed effort to focus on the mom, Griselda, and not the daughters (who were about our age), and she eventually was baptized as well. As I understand it, Elder Lehman was the missionary that started this and baptized the daughters. Monica, the oldest, had a son, Mauro, who turned 8 while I was there, and he asked me to baptize him, which I was very happy to do, of course. Daniela had a daughter, Nadia, and Paula was 16.
Monica ended up marrying Eric Steffan, who served a few years after I did. I don't know their story very well, but they moved to Utah, and have since had two kids, Sophia and Bella. Mauro went to the states with them, but went back to Argentina where he fit in a little better. Daniela has since married somebody, but as far as I know isn't going to church. Paula married a missionary as well, and currently lives in Washington. (When I spoke to her yesterday, she told me that she had just had a miscarriage, but I didn't know that until then.) Griselda isn't going to church.
This is what I knew going into yesterday. A few months ago, Monica texted me (got my number from Draney) and invited me to plan on coming to Mauro's sealing. I didn't even know he was in the states, let alone temple worthy. After discussing it with Julianne, I decided (and was very encouraged) to go.
I flew out earrrrrrrly from CR, and got to the temple by 10:30. The sealing was at 1:00. I went to all the possible visitor's centers, and then just sat in the waiting area for weddings in the temple. It was chaotic. The SLC Temple is closing soon enough that they are cramming the weddings in. I didn't realize that the room I was waiting in wasn't the "need to be reverent" room. It was just the waiting area. Mary Clark happened to be there, which was fun. I talked to her for a while and caught up a bit. She told me that I could show my recommend and go to the actual waiting chapel place and so I did. En route, I saw David Beck and his wife, which was also cool. We didn't talk long, but it was fun to see them.
So I got to the chapel area and just sat and waited. So many people came and went, and then finally I recognized Dave Lehman, so I chatted with him and his very kind wife. Monica and Paula showed up, and it was so fun to see them and try my best to understand them. I met Paula's husband, who I didn't know, and then we all went to the sealing room. There was almost nobody there from the Moreno side. Me, the Lehmans, Monica and her husband, Paula and her husband. On the other side of the room, there were about 10 young adults, and one older lady who seemed like the nicest person ever.
The witnesses were Gabi's dad, and a man I couldn't place, but assumed was their bishop or stake president.
The sealing was in spanish, and I'm thrilled to say I could understand it all. I had a thought that this was a very good use for the gift of tongues and interpretation of tongues. I hope I'm not being presumptuous to say this, but I don't want to seem ungrateful: I believe I experienced the latter. I understood everything, even though I think part of that ceremony was different than I remembered in English.
After the bride's side had congratulated them, we got up. I gave Gabi a hug, and then Mauro, and with huge tears in his eyes, he just said, "gracias por bautizarme" (Thank you for baptizing me). so many thoughts went through my head. I held it all in until I was alone and walking down the stairs to get my shoes on, but on those stairs I started to weep. I was so overwhelmed that 1. I had played a small part in his progress, 2. He remembered me at all, 3. He recognized the importance of that step well enough to be grateful for it, and 4. I had seen a fulfillment of some of my missionary work. I got to the bottom of the steps and a worker was pointing me where to go. He saw me and said, "wow, must have been a good sealing, huh?" and I said, "yes, it was a long time coming." I walked past the nice lady and the mystery witness man, and realized they were together, so I asked them who they were to Mauro. They told me they had been his mission president. That was the first I realized and understood that he had even been a missionary. They asked me who I was, and I just said, I baptized him on my mission.
The look on their face set me off on another round of bawling, which wasn't helpful. They told me how great a missionary he had been, and how wonderful that I could be there. I was really starting to understand that I had been given an enormous privilege in being invited and able to attend. I arrived at the shoe room, and just went off in a corner alone and cried and cried and cried. And that was enough. I went back out and spoke with the Johnsons now that I was in control of my self, and that was nice. I was totally right, she was the nicest lady ever, and he was probably the most wonderful mission president. The told me that seven of those young men on Gabi's side of the room were Mauro's companions or at least knew him well on his mission. I could have talked to them all day.
We all went outside and milled around waiting for them to come out. I chatted with Paula, Facetime with Griselda (I very deliberately told her how grateful I was to know her and her family, how proud I was of Mauro, and how much I loved her and her family), and then Sister Johnson pulled me over to meet all those missionaries and had me explain who I was, which was fun. They were all properly excited and glad to hear about it. I was present for the pictures, and just kept pulling a few people aside to take their pictures. I hugged a lot of people, spoke kind words and expressed way more love to people than I normally would have done, and just did my best to let Mauro and Moni know how pleased and honored and grateful I felt.
Then I left. I met up with Mike Peterson and we went to the BYU bookstore after I re-met all of his kids and saw Melissa again. It was not a very purposeful shopping experience, but it was ridiculously fun to just chat and catch up with Mike. What a spectacular person. And he's just one of the many I grew up with (although probably one of the brighter and better ones) who were also great.
I dropped him back off at his house and chatted with Melissa and him for a little bit, then drove back up to the reception. This was straight out of Argentina. Loud Cumbia music, tons of Cafe Rio food, an authentic argentinean cake curtesy of Monica, and then dancing. I elected to not dance, and just toted around Monica's little baby, Bella. She was like an Argentinean version of Moana, except not as interested in the sea. Mostly just interested in being held and staring peacefully at whoever was holding her.
Dave had brought an album of photos, and I saw those girls as I remembered them, teenagers with two teeny little kids, and a Mom who needed more light in her life. That was fun. I met Dave's kids, which was also fun, they are a great family.
I'm so glad I went. So grateful. I can't say enough how grateful. I am still processing how the small part Draney and I played back then has very much come full circle. Mauro is in the right way, his wife is strong and good, and Monica is doing well. I couldn't have just heard about that and had it be as meaningful or powerful.
