"Belia" -Email 09/09/213

This week we spent a lot of time with a member named Belia. Yes, she makes the best food this side of the veil, but that wasn't the reason why we hung out with her this week (although I did enjoy that part of it). Belia is a humble member from Guatemala who lives in the basement of a house. She cooks like a fiend, for hundreds of people without breaking a sweat, on a regular basis, she wears the tallest heels known to mankind, and still only comes up to my belly button, and she has a firm and unshakeable testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and acting in faith.

Belia came out with us on team ups this week. It was amazing to me how she was able to show love to members, make them laugh, and still help them to try to be better through her words and actions. We passed by the home of a man who decided to stop coming to church because he needed to work, and all she says, with a big smile on her face and her deep dimple creasing as she laughed, was, "We've come to kill you- are you ready to die today, Hermano?" He chuckled as this 5'0" Guatemalteca held his stare with a smile on her face, and gave her a big hug. We chatted and invited him again to take Sunday and come to church. It was a pleasant visit, and when we were done, Belia said, "He will be thinking about that question all day long now, "Am I ready to die?" She loved him enough to help him see part of the reason we are here, and it's not all about work and money in life.

Then we got to serve Belia. She has a tiny little room where her youngest son sleeps. However, he has been in Guatemala for 6 weeks and was returning home last Saturday, and throughout the course of the summer, his room had become a black hole. It was piled floor to ceiling with clothes and things. We spent a couple of hours helping her fold and sort clothes as she chatted happily about her first grandbaby-girl who will be born this week and then went on to speak about the specific blessings of the temple she has seen in her life. She attends once a week, even though she has to pay a lot in order to travel to Manhattan, and if she doesn't attend then she takes that time and goes out with us. I have seen her tear up about the fact that though they live in such a tiny, poor place, she knows that the Lord blesses them, because they always have enough food, and plenty to share. She is generous with what she has. This week, she gifted my companion and I each a set of facial cleansers from Mary Kay- and she did it out of love (and maybe concern for how many zits we have??) :).

I guess I learned this week from Belia how to be a genuinely humble, happy, Christlike person. It all seems to do with gratitude and giving.

I love the work.

Love
Hermana Millward

Belia, out on team up with us, talking about how badly she needed her shoes repaired (she was laughing so hard at how beat up her sneaker-high-heels were)

Sister Orton and I with our brand newly washed faces, product of Belia's love!