Banditos, Skinny Cows and an Answer to Prayer

We had no address for our newly assigned branch in Pueblo Nuevo Vinas (because buildings in that town had no addresses). Since we had no clue as to how to find the church house, we decided to take the 1 1/2 hour drive on Saturday to scout out the area before our first Sunday meeting. The drive was as frightening as it was beautiful. We saw waterfalls, deep canyons and erupting volcanoes.

Although scenic, the secluded mountain road seemed to us like a perfect hiding place for banditos, waiting to ambush two gringos in a shiny new car.

We occasionally passed through small villages of one-roomed tin huts where families gathered outside to cook and eat their meals.

In fields, skinny cows grazed, and noisy children played. Smiling faces helped calm our uneasy feelings.

At last, the pothole-rutted road smoothed, and bright red three-wheeled vehicles began to appear. These colorful taxis are called "tuk-tuks" down here.

When we saw the sign, "Pueblo Nuevo Vinas," we knew we had arrived - safe, sound and alive!

We had found our town, but where was our church building? We drove up and down the streets, searching for a steeple, for a sign or for any hint that a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint chapel existed in this pueblo of 15,000 people.

We pulled our car to the side of a narrow crowded road and said a quiet prayer, asking for Heavenly Father to help us find the right building.  Only minutes later, Jay stopped the car again.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm going to talk to that man right there," Jay answered. He pointed to a man who was standing just inside an open doorway.

I wondered why, of all the people in the streets, Jay had chosen this person.

Our church house
is found just behind
this steel gate.

In Spanish, Jay explained our situation and asked if this man knew the location of the Mormon church building.

"I do know where it is," the man responded. He then told us that, although he was not a Mormon, he owned the property on which the chapel was built. He even had the keys to the gate of the high wall which surrounded and obscured the church building.

"Can you tell us how to find that building?" Jay asked.

"It is difficult to explain how to find it, and you can't see the church house from the street," said the man, "but I would be happy to take you there." He climbed into the backseat of our Rav-4 and took us directly to his property. He even opened the gate so that we could see the place where we would spend the next eighteen months serving the people of Pueblo Nuevo Vinas. Of the thousands of people in Pueblo Nuevo Vinas, only two  men owned keys to the church property. Our Heavenly Father lead us directly to one of those men.

Our prayer had been answered, and we no longer feared the dangers of our journey.

Our church house

We have now made that round-trip drive three times. Each time we learn to love it more, and as far as we know, no bandito's lurk in the bushes - only...

skinny cows.