A Fire in Valles

Yesterday two elders that work in the city of Valles were called by members to see if they were alright.  The reason for the call was that their house was on fire.  The person in this picture might be one of the members in Valles or part of the family of the landlord.  Today we bought new things for their house and drove to Valles. 

While there, we located a different house just behind the burned one where in 3 days they can move in until they find something a little larger.

The elders are Elder Botello, who will go home in 6 weeks, and his companion Elder Gulbranson who just arrived in Mexico the end of March.  He is actually our son-in-law's cousin from Vanderhoof, Canada. 
After they had sorted through the damage Elder Botello realized that the only pants he had that weren't ruined were the ones on his body and Elder Gulbranson realized that the only white shirt he had was the one on his body.  His extra name tag also melted.

Here is  Elder Botello surveying the scene.  The fire started in their bedroom from a short in a wire right next to one of the beds.  It got so hot that the plasic tables in the next room started to melt...

and the things on the table that were plastic also melted.  An ipod with the speakers, two alarm clocks etc.  Elder Botello had left his camera on the table that morning but when they returned because of the fire, his camera was gone.  The outline of it was still on the table where the soot could not go.  His guess is that one of the firemen slipped it in his pocket before the elders arrived.

Elder Botello's shoes even got burned.  And the only ties they ended up with were the ones they were wearing.  And yet........

here they are.  One day later.  Smiling, happy and treating it like an adventure and also realizing how much they had been blessed.  Shirts, pants, ties and, yes, even their suits can be replaced.  They were also damaged beyond help.  But they are safe and know what is important.  They are great young men and are having success.  They have the truth of the gospel to share and are watching people's lives change.  "So come what may".......  We love these young men.  They are wonderful examples of what this is all about.