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Show REJOICES IN GOSPEL' Mexican Student Explains Conversion BY CLARENCE BARKER t Church News Correspondent MESA, ARIZ. ( Juiia Palazueios Is a radiant, convert to the church now. studying nursing at Mesa Community College. How she joined the church and some her experiences before and since comg ing to this area, make a of heart-warmin- story. She was reared in a small town of about .2,000 people, Guasave in the state of S;naloa, Mexico. In order to attend high school, she and her sister, Lucy, traveled by bus to Guadalajara. The missionaries left pamphlets with two sisters and asked permission to return the next day at 5 p.m. and talk about God and religion. The visitors were Shanna Summers from Salt Lake City and Victoria Hernandez from Mexico City. I had been baptized a Catholic, but that church did not fill my needs. I knew1 very little about religion, and nothing; , about the Restored Gospel, Julia-.relates- . Within one month I was considering being baptized. I followed the advice of the mission- aries and like Joseph Smith, I called upon God and asked for wisdom. After falling to sleep I dreamed that I heard about 100 people saying We must r follow him. In my dream I opened and saw at a distance, a man carry--in- g a staff and, wearing the whitest cloth; ing I had ever seen. I did not see his face but he said to; me: Julia, come and follow me. I lowed. He was climbing a big mountain, and went up it easily, but it was hard for me to follow. When I reached the top of the mountain, I realized that the man was the Savior. He on. When I awakened it was about 3 a.m. The next morning 1 went to the missionaries and asked them to explain the dream. Julia, this is great! one of the missionaries said to me. He wants you to be baptized! Later that day Julia was baptized. As she came up out of the baptismal font she related: I was feeling clean inside and outside. The congregation sang More Holiness Give Me and I started to cry. They asked me to say the closing prayer. O Father, I said, and then stopped crying and was given power to say freely what was in my heart. But our problems started. Relatives found that I had been baptized. My aunt said Lucy and I were crazy and had been baptized because the young men missionaries were so handsome. My father and mother and two brothers also were baptized soon after. Father taught Sunday School, but soon became inactive along with my mother and two brothers. Lucy and I went back to Guadalajara where we lived with our older sister and brother-in-law- . But my relatives started, to bother us. The district president came to look for us. Feelings got worse until my sister and I decided we had to move elsewhere. To make things worse my sister who the-doo- had-gon- had been a Sunday School teacher, fell in love with a Catholic, married him and left our church. But my testimony continued strong and I bore it at the meetings. Sister Torres of the Relief Society in Guadalajara contacted Sister Leona. Hayes in Mesa, who wrote that she would take me into her home if I could obtain clearance from th? immigration officials. Julia obtained clearance. But after she had left by bus for Mesa, a telegram-arrivetelling that a Spanish couple had come to the Hayes home, so she would be unable to stay there also. But I did not receive the telegram and went on to Mesa. Sister Hayes had me stay with them one night, and then she reached Norman and Linda Lewis of Mesa whom she persuaded to take me to their home. Linda Lewis, who now has five sons and two daughters, explained that both she and her husband, now a Mesa building contractor, were from Thatcher, Ariz. He had lived in the church colonies in Mexico and spoke Spanish, but Linda is only learning Spanish. Linda related: I had misgivings, but decided to take a chance! Since then, 1 have found that we had far more to gain from having Julia with us than we were to give. For example, one night we had our regular home evening, and it was not well prepared and was going over like a lead balloon. Julia asked if she could say something. n First, she told each one of the how much she loved them and appreciated them and good characteristics of each one. The tears streamed" from the eyes of each one of us. Next, Julia told each of the children what he or she had been doing that was not right, and what each should do to correct this. They should put their clothes , away and do what they were asked to-do, she said. Believe me, that was the best home evening we ever had, Linda concluded. is presently Julia carrying a course at Mesa Community College, where she is study ing to become a nurse. She also takes two courses at the institute of religion adjoining the college and works long and hard at the Lewis home helping to take care of the children and do the many chores there. She is an assistant teacher in her ward Junior Sunday School. An outgoing person, she loves the gospel and she loves people. Her patriarchal blessing promises that she will be a leader of youth, and that she shall possess a keen discernment. She believes this and exercises these gifts. She rides with friends and neighbors to school and to dances and other functions, making addi--. tional friends in these contacts. But all has not been easy1 for her.' After her first six months with the Lewis' family, her visa expired and she had to return to Mexico. . bus In Guadalara again,' Julia worked as a switchboard operator at a hotel, and as cashier in a restaurant. She talked to many people, met a few fellow members I d S3 chil-.dre- o. 4 Julia Palazueios, a convert to the church, enjoys playing the guitar. of the church and rejoiced with them in the gospel message. During this period, she rented a home and had her mother come to Guadalajara to live with her. One Christmas time she conversed with an older man who was a guest at her hotel. He asked me if I knew when Jesus' Christ was bom? Yes, he was bom 6, I told him. He took out a picture of our temple in Salt Lake City and gave it to me. He was not a member of our church, but that was a real, Christ- maS gift to me. Finally the Lewis were able to con-- , vince immigration officials of the Mexican goverr.mentthat.they should let Julia, come to Mesa and study nursing. One of the clinching things to one Mexican official who had some- - acquaintance with our church, was the Indian , Placement Program, which he admired greatly, Linda tells. Julia, while still in Mexico, was privileged to attend the Area General Conference in Mexico City which attracted 16,000 people. She tells about her impressions when President Harold B. Lee entered the conference: Everyone stood at once and then sat down. They were so quiet you could almost hear a pin drop. Their love was so strong that everyone was moved. She also has been privileged to . 'attend a Church General Conference in Salt Lake City with the Lewis family.-Thiwas a rich spiritual feast to Julia. She has enthusiasm, love and friend-- ', as well as works which she ship makes Julia an gives .to others.-.Thi'asset wherever she goes. WEEK ENDING FEBRUARY 24, 1973 CHURCH -- 13 s |