One beautiful afternoon in this land of "eternal summer," Luis Lopez of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, and his cousins were fixing a car by the sidewalk. As they worked, they looked up to see two missionaries who were passing by. The missionaries stopped and asked if they could help. A friendly conversation followed. After his cousins had left, Luis agreed to have the missionaries teach the lessons to him and his wife, Wanda.
During the lessons, the missionaries mentioned baptism. The Lopez family became nervous and that very evening decided against baptism. However, the missionaries continued to visit the Lopez family, and the family was soon baptized, becoming members of the Mayaguez 2nd Ward, Mayaguez Puerto Rico Stake.After they were baptized, Brother and Sister Lopez learned about the need for temple ordinances. They were given a picture of the Salt Lake Temple to motivate them to work toward becoming an eternal family.
The Lopezes accepted the picture and the challenge. But the challenge was a difficult one because both worked in a local factory where their combined wages did not provide for much savings. So they began to work in the evenings and save all the money that they could. As they looked at the picture of the Salt Lake Temple, they wanted to go to that temple. Eventually they saved enough for air fare. But their plans to see the temple changed when a former missionary offered them a place to stay in Los Angeles, Calif.
The Lopez family, including their daughter Chini, 4, traveled to Los Angeles in July 1997 where they received their temple blessings. After that spiritually significant event, the Lopez family still wanted to see the Salt Lake Temple. So their friends drove them from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City, a 12-hour trip.
They were able to see their pictured temple, a very satisfying moment even though the sacred edifice was temporarily closed for refurbishment. Their trip became doubly enjoyable because they arrived during the celebration of the Pioneer Sesquicentennial. Attending the Spectacular, they saw President Gordon B. Hinckley and a number of General Authorities in person, a rare treat for a family living so far from Salt Lake City.
They returned to Puerto Rico feeling extremely blessed for their desire to visit the Salt Lake Temple. -- Blanca Rivera
Drawing by Alex Nabaum.