Grandpa Brewerton was asking for my conversion story. Here it is.
Two Angels
Moving to the United States was one of the most exciting changes in my life; everything is so new and foreign. I was excited to learn the new language, and make new friends. I never expect things would happen the way they did, but everything happened for a reason. Now I know that some changes are good, and I am grateful for the life and spiritual experiences.
I remember it was May of 1997; the afternoon was beautiful in Southern California. All the leaves and flowers are blooming outside. We had been in the U.S. for about five months at this point, and life hasn’t been easy. It was such a hard adjustment, and the language barrier made it even harder.
My mother grew up as a Christian, so were my mother’s parents. I recall the stories my mother would tell me, about the her experiences at Mount Olive Camp in Taiwan. She had so much fun singing all the youth hymns, and learned much of our savior Jesus Christ. She wanted me to have the same experience, and get to know our savior. So, she would sing me songs about angels, and taught me how to pray.
When I was a small child, my mother would tell me to say my prayers every night, so I can one day become a sweet angel. I listened to her, and I would kneel by my bed and ask God for a pair of angel wings.
On this particular afternoon, my mother seemed exhausted. My father decided to leave us shortly after we moved to the US, so there is only my mother, my brother, and me. My mother called us in to the kitchen, and asked my brother and me to kneel down with her for a prayer. The kitchen had a 1970 mustard color linoleum floor, and we did what our mother asked us to do. I was 12, and Kevin was 5. We held hands as our mother commence her prayer.
I don’t remember the exact words, but I recalled that she asked God for two angels. Not just one angel, but we needed two angels to help us.
The next afternoon, someone knocked on our doors. My mom opened the door, and she gasped “Angels!” I was a little confused to why she said that, until I came to the door. Two very tall Caucasian guys wearing white shirts, with golden blond hair and blue eyes were standing in front of our house. The afternoon sunlight happened to hit their hair, and made them look like they had halos. They looked just like the angels in the movies! The only thing they did not have was the huge white wings on their backs.
These two guys introduced themselves as “Elders” from The Church of Jesus Christ of Letter-day Saints, and they’d like she share the gospel of Jesus Christ with us. My mom was so happy and shocked at the same time, but our English wasn’t good enough to communicate with them. Also that they are actually Spanish speaking missionary doesn’t help either. They did somehow managed to tell us (in Chinese, which they memorized) that they have friends that can speak Chinese, and if they could come visit us tomorrow. We said “YES!”
As they promised, Elder Chase and Elder Webb came by the next day. We had discussions, and learned all the lessons. We were baptized couple weeks later. My mother was able to go to the L.A. temple a year later, and Elder Webb whom baptized us was able to go with her. Elder Webb was also there when my mother and I received our patriarchal blessing. He had such a tender soul, and gets teary very easily.
My mother was remarried in 2003, and our family was sealed together in the Salt Lake Temple in 2005. Elder Webb and his wife were able to attend our sealing, and it was a fabulous experience.
3 short years later, I am also married in the San Diego temple to my sweetheart, and we now have the cutest little baby girl. I am so grateful for the gospel, and the blessing s it brings us.
God answered my mother’s prayer, and he sent his angels to us. We are so grateful for the “angels” all over the world that are serving the mission. Without the missionaries, we would never be able to have all the things we know right now. Our lives would be so different, and not as fulfilling.
I am grateful for the missionaries, and families that support them to serve a mission. Thank you all so much for your sacrifice!
