A Living Hope

While I was serving as a missionary in Washington D.C., my heart problems began to act up. Without warning my heart would abandon its calm pace of 70 beats per minute (bpm) and begin to race at 300 bpm. This unusual pace or “arrhythmia” as doctors call it, almost entirely incapacitated my ability to do normal missionary work. After my heart went into an arrhythmia, I would travel to the hospital where they would (1) admit me, (2) talk with my doctors, and (3) shock me (cardioversion) to fix my heart. Two to three hours after I was shocked the hospital would release me. This pattern happened three different times. The fourth time my heart went into an arrhythmia, this pattern broke, and the greatest missionary opportunities I had during my mission occurred while I was a patient at Children's National Medical Center.

One of these great missionary opportunities came as I found myself wandering through quiet hospital halls. Because I was a missionary, I couldn’t watch television or listen to music, so I spent a lot of time walking around the cardiac unit. As I rounded one corner, I saw a young Hispanic couple sitting on the floor crying. My eyes went from the couple into the room they were next to where I saw the cause of such sadness, a newborn fighting to live. I continued forward until I reached the couple. Without saying a word I sat down next to them. It must have been odd to have a young white guy wearing a hospital gown, who you have never before met, sit down next to you. After a few moments I looked at them and said, pointing to their child, “That used to be me, but look at me now.” These parents began to open up to me and talked with me. As I explained my story to them I began to see a hope developing in their eyes.

I am convinced that this experience was no coincidence. The opportunity I had to share my story of struggle and triumph with this family that was just embarking on a lifelong journey brought me so much joy. I couldn’t help but pray that they would be able to feel God’s love through their trials; I think they could. As I walked away from this couple, the mother shouted, “Eres mi esperanza!” Which translated into English is, “You are my hope!”

The Timing of the Lord

When I was 16 years old, I was scheduled for open heart surgery at Primary Children’s Hospital. The surgery that was to be performed was quite risky. Due to the high level of risk, I was to be the only cardiac patient having surgery that day and the only one coming into the CICU. On top of the three pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons from Primary Children’s Hospital, a fourth surgeon was coming in from another hospital. Needless to say, this was going to be a big deal. The day before the operation was to be performed we received a phone call from my cardiologist informing us that the lead surgeon no longer felt good about performing the operation and had cancelled the surgery. As I listened to my doctor my heart just sank. I began to think, “If this team of surgeons feels that my surgery is too risky to perform, will anyone else be willing to do the surgery?”

A few days after my surgery was cancelled my cardiologist called us to tell me about the new plan. He said they had referred my case to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. We were told it would most likely take a few weeks for them to get back to us and that hopefully we would be able to schedule surgery roughly six months later. The next day we were contacted by the Mayo Clinic and within two weeks we flew out the Minnesota to prepare for surgery just fourteen days after the operation at Primary Children’s Hospital was cancelled.

I never have nor will I ever believe in coincidences. This experience testified to me personally that Heavenly Father is well aware of what we need when we need it. If we trust in Him, no matter what His timing may be, everything truly will work out for our best in the end.

Peacefully Powerful

I flew into rochester Minnesota on a beautiful Friday morning. The weather was almost perfect. It was pleasantly cool and sunny outside. I would have enjoyed the climate more had I not been so preoccupied with what was to come the following week. I flew out to Minnesota to have open heart surgery at St. Mary’s hospital, the hospital associated with the world famous mayo clinic. This was not my first open heart surgery. I have had a few surgeries prior to this one, but this one was different. This time, I was old enough to understand all of the risks associated with the operation.   

While my days during surgery prep were not bad, I found the nights were a new challenge for me. My anxiety and nervous thoughts kept me up at night. After taking sleeping meds, drinking warm drinks, and listening to soothing music, I still could not fall asleep. Finally I had a thought, I thought that I needed to listen to the Book of Mormon every night until I fell asleep. When night came and it was time to sleep I began listening to the Book of Mormon. As usually happens when I read the Book of Mormon, a peace came into my life. This peace gradually began to work on me and with the accompanying warmth of my bed, I quickly fell asleep.


I have heard it said that it’s not the experience that teaches you, it is a reflection on the experience that teaches you. As I think back on this experience with listening to the Book of Mormon I am amazed at the effect the spirit had on me. Though the feelings that came as I listened to the Book of Mormon were not intense or grabbing, they subtly calmed me down. Before I knew it, sleep that was not obtainable in any other way came by the peacefully powerful effect of the spirit.

The Power of a Smile

After being in the hospital for a few days one begins to feel like an animal in the zoo. Doctors, nurses, CNA’s and other hospital staff continually file in and out of your room. They take your blood pressure, clean your floors, or get your lunch. They come in to check your food and water, go through their checklists, and make sure you’re not dead. Don’t get me wrong, they always act in a professional manner, but they always seemed rushed. I can understand that; working at a hospital can be hectic. But when I was 19 years old and having surgery in Washington D.C. I learned how powerful a quick smile can have.

This lesson came from one of my nurses. The first time I met her she approached me with a big smile on her face and told me she "got lucky and was assigned to me." Her smile conveyed to me kindness and what was more, her actions told me she was genuine. With time that smile came to mean so much to me. Not because it looked different from others, rather it conveyed an unspoken promise of kindness. Her smile was a pledge of patience, and a commitment of care.

           I learned that the power of a smile has nothing at all to do with aesthetics. Power comes from one’s character; who one truly is. A smile is simply a short, quick demonstration and reminder to others of who we really are. The full power associated with a smile comes through consistent acts of charity. The smiles that mean the most are always associated with individuals we love and respect. I learned that the power of a smile comes from a trust in another's consistency of kindness. Though our days may be busy, we always have time to show kindness to those around us.

Becoming a Big Picture Person

All of us have those experiences that change the way we view life. Often this means we gain a new perspective on a specific issue. While the perspective we acquire may not be very grand, novel or unique to the world, it is to the one who gains the new perspective. Like putting corrective lenses on one who has never before seen clearly, new perspectives, though small, change our entire world. This was one of those experiences that have forever changed my view.

When I was 10 years old, I was scheduled for an open heart surgery at Primary Children’s Hospital. The surgery that was to be performed had rarely been done on a child as young or small as me. I was nervous. As I sat one night thinking about the surgery, my mother came in and talked with me. As we spoke I noticed that she didn’t seem scared. This puzzled me, but then she taught me a lesson I will never forget. My mother then looked at me and said, “learn how to view your trials for what they really are-opportunities to become better.”

Even now, when I’m trying to see how a difficulty is an opportunity, it’s helpful for me to think of myself down the road and ask myself, “How am I better, more capable, or more helpful because I went through this?” In learning to view my trials from a different perspective, one that encourages me to become something more, I approach not only surgery, but life in general, with increased confidence and a positive mentality.