It's a Miracle!

Jul. 26-Jul. 31, 2018; Jan. 15, 2019

We were dressed in our pajamas, about to climb into bed, when the phone rang. The voice on the line sounded excited. “It’s a miracle. It’s really a miracle.”

“Who is this?“ I asked.

“This is Elder Monteiro. Devis’s father has given Devis permission to get baptized. It’s a miracle.”

To us, it seemed like a miracle too. Since we first started attending the branch, Sister Harris had “hit it off” with the young boys. They loved to swarm around her at church, anxious to quiz her on English pronunciation and show off their newly discovered English vocabulary. One of those boys was 11-year-old Devis.

We loved the young men in our branch.

Although his parents were not members of the Church, and had refused permission for him to get baptized, every Sunday Devis was faithfully at church. Many times we would go to his house to pick him up in our car so he didn’t have to walk to the church alone. At Christmas time when all the other children had costumes for the nativity, Sister Harris had made Devis a wise man costume so he would fit in. (Burger King crowns can come in handy!)

Devis DelAguila and his brother, Bryon

Elder Monteiro continued, “Devis wants to get baptized this Saturday, and he wants you to baptize him before you go home. There’s just one problem.”

“What is it?” I asked.

Elder Monteiro hesitated, “Well, his parents don’t want to spend the money to drive or take a bus 40 miles to the nearest baptismal font, so Devis says he will get baptized in the river. The path to the river is a long hike down through the thick jungle. It’s steep and rocky. We don’t think you and Sister Harris can make it.”

I said, “If Devis wants me to baptize him this Saturday in the river, one way or another, even if we have to be carried, we will make it!“

Sister Harris agreed.

We had thought our work in Guatemala was done. We had cleaned out all of our supplies, and said goodbye to our friends at the dental clinic. The next two days, Friday and Saturday, we had planned to pack our suitcases; on Sunday we would visit our branch for the last time and bid farewell to our friends there. Then on Monday morning we would board the plane to fly home. It had been a wonderful mission, but now we were done. Or so we thought. Instead, we were now making plans to drive on Saturday the 1 1/2 hour trip from Guatemala City to the mountainous town of Pueblo Nuevo Vinas for one of the highlights of our mission. We would have a baptism; a baptism in a river; a baptism of Devis.

We arrived in town at 9 o’clock on Saturday morning. A small group, including our branch president, his wife and two daughters, the Missionaries, Devis, his family, and a few friends from the branch, had gathered at the edge of town and were waiting for us.

A few men, including President Monterroso, carried large machetes. We thought at first they carried machetes for hacking the way through the undergrowth of jungle plants that grew along the path. We were later to learn that they carried the machetes for protection from possible banditos hiding in the brush.

The path down to the river started out looking more like a garbage dump than a scenic trail. Trash was strewn across the ground. But it was relatively flat and easy to traverse.

Passing over a collapsed barb wire fence, we soon began a downward descent through the dense jungle. There were several spots that Sister Harris and I needed assistance winding our way down steep, rocky outcroppings.

Everyone cheerfully helped. Devis’s mother and President Monterroso’s daughter, Ana Lucia, were particularly attentive to Sister Harris.

We stumbled on for about an hour. It was beautiful, but eerily quiet. Finally, over a small ravine we could hear the gentle sound of flowing water. 

As we came over the hill, we could see a surprisingly small stream which had been dammed up into a pool near the trail. There was sufficient water to perform the baptism. We gathered, had a prayer and two excellent talks, and took a bunch of family photos. 

Devis's family and the missionaries, Elder Monteiro and Elder Fletcher.

Then, dressed in white, Devis and I stood together in the deepest portion of the pool, and I baptized Devis a member of Christ’s true Church. In that peaceful setting, the Spirit of the Holy Ghost was so strong. I am sure that Devis’s parents and family members could feel the Spirit too.

The baptism now complete, we knew we had to face the difficult hike back up the mountainside. As others visited, Sister Harris and I volunteered to go on ahead. We knew we were definitely the slowest hikers. If we started first, the others would quickly catch up.

“Don’t you dare!” President Monterroso warned. “Unless you want to get your throats slit by banditos. When we go, we all go together.”

We listened to President Monterroso‘s advice and climbed back up the mountainside in the safe company of the others (and their machetes).

A Latter-day Saint children’s hymn has the familiar words, “for some must push, and some must pull, as we go marching up the hill.“ Those words had new meaning to us. Our branch friends, some in front, some behind, pushed and pulled the two senior Missionaries all the way back up the hill. It almost killed us, but we made it. Back at the top, tired but happy, we sat and reflected on the joyous experiences of the day. Only two days left in the mission field. We felt truly blessed.

Three days later, we boarded our plane to fly home, and received a text message from Devis. Basically, translating from Spanish, it said: “I love you so much. I will miss you. Thank you for all the things you have done for me. I will always be grateful. . . .Oh, and you too Brother Harris.

Devis”

No need to wonder who had the biggest impact on Devis’s life.

We've been home from our mission for six months now, and as we think back on Devis’s baptism, we remember a photograph taken of Devis sitting on a large stone at the edge of the baptismal pool. Ripples flowed out in all directions around him.

Since his baptism, Davis has been an example of faithful attendance at his church meetings. We understand from letters received from members of the branch, that Devis’s mother and sister are now attending Sacrament meeting with him. His cousin has begun to attend meetings also. Devis will eventually be an influence for good in hundreds of lives of family members in generations to follow.