Dennis recently joined a group from his home church in Washington that came to experience life on the Silk Road with the LDSR missionaries. Below he shares about one of the impactful days he spent there.

This experience has been nothing less than truly a blessing!!! The team is beyond anything I have every experienced. Each one is an intricate part of the most well-oiled machine I have ever experienced. Their roles are of the utmost importance to their success and they are only experiencing the beginning of their mission.

 I went out sowing with Allan and we were joined by Stan and Phil. Our first stop was a tailor. His uncle was present at the time and was very angry at America. He told us he “couldn’t be friends with us” and had a number of reasons why. After he left, the tailor opened up to us and Phil began to ask him questions. The one statement that stood out to me was he could never retire. He needed to work to pay off the house he had just bought and pay for his children’s education. He said he could be friends with us, and I asked him if we could pray for him and he said yes. We then left him after spending almost two hours talking with him.

Our last stop was at a Cay Tea Café. The owner had known Allan for almost two years. This time with him was an experience I will never forget. He shared with us about his family, the loss of his first wife, and other personal things. He said he could be friends with us and be our brother. He was very sincere when he said that he loved us. We visited only a short time as we had to get back.

As we left, I told him that I loved him. He grabbed me and gave the biggest man hug I ever experienced as well as kissing me on my cheeks and forehead. I was in tears and still am whenever I think about it. As we left, he told me he also loved me and rubbed my belly. Now, I don’t know if that meant something special or I just need to lose some weight but either way I will NEVER forget that experience. I could write much more, but will give others a chance to tell stories of “blessings” during their time here.