Sacrifice and Commitment

Some of you have already heard this story, but some of you haven't. Since I want reading this blog to be an edifying, uplifting experience, I figure I need to include more entries like this. This comes from Elder Whitaker's last email (dated 16 July 2008). And for this post I added a follow up story from a few months later.

I would like to share with you today the conversion story of Carlos Benegas. Carlos is 54. When he was 8, he started smoking. When he was 13, he left home to start working for his own support. 

35 years later, he found himself sitting on some steps, mentally beaten and destroyed from his bad habits. He wanted to stop smoking and drinking, but he didn’t have the will-power. He needed someone or something to give him a little push. As he was sitting on the steps, two young women came by and said hello. They introduced themselves as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He was sitting on the church entrance. They asked if he would be interested in learning about the Gospel. He accepted the invitation, and the two Sisters went by his house. He accepted the commitments, and they continued visiting him. 

After 4 or 5 visits, the Sisters taught him about the Word of Wisdom. That was just the push he needed. After the lesson, he threw his cigarettes in the fire, and ran to the next city and back (about 15 miles). Since then, he hasn’t smoked one cigarette, and he hasn’t tasted one drop of alcohol. All of that happened before going to church once. 

One Sunday, he woke up early and it was raining. He didn’t have anything to do, so he decided to go to church. He enjoyed it, and kept going. 

A few weeks later, the Sisters came by looking very depressed. He asked what was wrong, and they told him that one of their investigators who was going to get baptized on April 5th didn’t want to hear any more about the Church. He said, “That’s okay. I’ll get baptized on April 5th.” And he did. 

Now Carlos is the Elder’s Quorum President, and he runs marathons. I guess people really can change…

Buenos Aries Temple

Dear to the World,

WOOHOO!!!

Let me think of a cool story to tell that can inspire and lift your lives.

...

Okay.  Here goes.

There is going to be a district temple trip this month, and there are three members who really want to go, but who don't have jobs:  Carlos Benegas, Cristian Kondaczkow, and Eliza Cáceres.

Rather than feeling bad about not being able to do anything, they decided to...DO SOMETHING!  Starting two Saturdays ago, they are going to sell empanadas (hot-pocket type food) for a fundraiser.  They originated the idea, put together all of the advertising and other stuff, and so far are having a great success.

Carlos, before starting this activity, said to me several times, "I will sell my house if I have to, but I am going to the temple this month!"

Making empanadas in bulk is a fairly demanding activity.  These members are sacrificing their entire Saturday morning for 4 weeks to be able to go to the temple and participate in those wonderful ordinances.

I know the Lord will bless them for their sacrifice.  The blessings they will receive will far outweigh whatever time they lose or whatever house they sell, for they will be able to spend quality time in the Lord's house.

I find it interesting that Jesus Christ, in his resurrected and perfected body, chose to retain the wound marks in His hands, feet and side.  With his power, those could have been made whole.  But he considered the marks of His great Sacrifice part of His great Life.

Carlos, Cristian and Eliza know nothing about sacrifice.  I know nothing about sacrifice.  Nobody can come close to knowing anything about sacrifice.

There is only One, in the history of histories, that has ever really offered a sacrifice.  And He chose to retain in His body the symbol of that Atoning Sacrifice.

We will never be able to comprehend what He went through, or how He did what He did.  But we can put forth our best effort to thank Him for it.

Let us be a little less worried about keeping ourselves free from pain and suffering.  I'm not saying that we need to sell our house or give up our Saturday mornings or die for the sins of the world.  We just need to do what the Lord wants us to do in place of what we want to do.

Nobody, not even God Himself, can ask more of us than our best.  Let us offer our best, because He offered His Best.

-Elder Whitaker

Sister Cáceres, Cristian Kondaczkow, and Carlos "Chuncho" Benegas with a batch of empanadas. 

If you want to try making your own empanadas, Brad taught us how after his mission. Read all about it here.