Have you ever prayed for an answer and then opened the scriptures to have them fall open to the exact verse that gives you the much-needed answer? Or have you ever simply been reading and have a scripture hit you with such force it was like it was whispered straight from heaven and written on your heart?
I can still picture like yesterday sitting on the old burgundy hand-me-down couch. It was early in the morning, before my first child was born. I was going in to be induced in a few hours and couldn’t sleep. I was so excited and nervous. We had tried for years to have this baby, and I had been told I would not be able to have children for quite awhile, until some infertility issues were taken care of. I had had exploratory surgery and found my ovaries were the size of a grapefruit instead of an almond, and they were full of cysts. I also had multiple miscarriages. After being discouraged, and feeling sorry for myself, I finally did something that would help. I started praying and going to the temple, I wanted a baby so badly! I knew in my heart I would have children from the promises given to me in my Patriarchal blessing. I also started doing research on infertility, and, as I was reading about a certain condition, I had the Spirit prompt me to have my doctor try testing my progesterone hormone levels. At first I was resisting this prompting, telling myself, “What did I know?”, but I did know that the Holy Ghost had told me this would help. So I got up my courage and asked my doctor. He said he “doubted this was the problem, but it wouldn’t hurt to just do the test.” My progesterone level was very low! I started taking a supplement, and then within 2 months l was expecting! He tested my levels again right away, and they were too low to sustain a pregnancy. With supplemental natural progesterone, I was able to finally carry the baby and not have a miscarriage like before. I then knew what I needed to do with each subsequent pregnancy.
So back to the morning of Karston’s birth… There I was trying to find a measure of comfort and peace before going to the hospital. I had spent months on that old couch. (At 24 weeks into my pregnancy, I started having pre-term labor and was put on bed rest.) So I opened my scriptures, and they fell open to Luke 1:13.
13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.
16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
When this sweet baby boy was born, I knew the type of child he would be, like John the Baptist in these scriptures. What a wonderful blessing he has been in my life!
Skip forward 18 years, and I am gathered with friends and family as this firstborn boy opens his mission call....Tegucigalpa Honduras! Wow, I am a little in shock. We all spend the night researching all we can about this country he will serve in for two years. My dad and I are especially excited because we love the ancient Mayan Culture, and I believe this is the area the Book of Mormon people lived.
Anyone who knows me would think that I would have really had a panic attack, as the next morning I hear my girls telling Karston they found out Honduras is the murder capital of the world, and that a woman is killed every 15 minutes. But because of the promises in Karston’s Patriarcal blessing, and the following scripture, I have been and continue to be at peace with him being in Guatemala and now Honduras for the two years of his mission.
74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemy might serve him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Just because we are doing the right thing does not mean everything will be easy. With 17 days until Karston was to fly to the Guatemala Missionary Training Center, he got sick, to the point that it hurt to swallow anything or have food in his stomach. Again, the Lord provided a way through wonderful people here on earth, for him to get the care he needed and be healed in this short period of time. I took him to the ER where the doctor had a daughter on a mission, and had also served a mission in South America. I was so relieved to have someone that understood our time frame and the challenges he would face getting care on his mission. Also, a wonderful nurse went out of her way to go talk to Dr Hamblin, who happened to be at the hospital doing scopes that day. He came and visited us in the ER, and he put us on his schedule to have a appointment in his office and a scope the next week. From what I understand it usually takes months for this to happen! In the ER the doctor was able to identify a bacteria that spirals into the stomach lining and is very hard to get rid of, which was causing the problems. He put Karston on 5 different medications. During the scope, to the doctor’s surprise, there were multiple ulcers at the opening of his stomach.The doctor let us know he had taken samples of his stomach and would not be able to have the results for 10 days to know if the bacteria was gone. If it was not gone in 10 days, his mission departure date would have to be extended . The 10 days would be only 2 days before he was to fly out. On Sunday, Karston had a Priesthood Blessing where he was promised he would heal. To my amazement I received the call from the doctor’s office 3 days after his procedure! His infection was gone, and he was cleared to go on his mission! The doctor felt confident that the Ulcers were caused by the Bacteria and would heal with the medication he continued to take.
Heavenly Father does keep promises and answers prayers. Sometimes it takes years of faith, and sometimes it is right away!
I know if we keep doing our best, listen to the Spirit, and follow Heavenly Father, He will help us through any trial we have. Don’t get discouraged when things don’t work out right away, just keep having faith! Everything we go through will help us grow and become the person we were meant to be. Most importantly, always be grateful and thankful for all our many blessings!
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