Laundromat

Our washing machine broke about a week ago. Of course when it broke I already had a lot of dirty laundry. We have a house of 8 people, we cannot live without a washing machine. The repair guy came on Tuesday and said he had to order a part to fix it and that would take 3 business days. Since Friday, the third day is a holiday we figure Monday. Then after we recieve the part via UPS we call back and he will come replace it. I ams so not happy!! Today I went to the laundromat here in Perris. I have some what adjusted to Perris and being the only white girl. But, I don't think you can ever fully adjust to that. But I prepared. I dressed my scroungiest, didn't wash my hair, and didn't wear my wedding ring. Totally WT! People still stared at me. I'm pretty sure other white people have gone to laundromats before, maybe just not in Perris. So, anyways, I did 15 really full loads of laundry. Just the loading and unloading in the car was serious work. So I was busy most of the time. But, once I got everything into the dryer I had a few minutes to sit and read. I read a couple of conference talks. (thanks mom and Patty for watching the kids!!! can you imagine my four kids in there? NIGHTMARE!!!) I found it funny how strongly I felt the spirit sitting there in the Perris Laundromat. While I was waiting a little old mexican man came to talk to me. I struggled to understand him because of his accent but he was so sweet and I tried hard to have a conversation with him. He told me about how his wife left him and how hard life is in Mexico. He talked about how expensive it is to live here and how much rent is. He seemed to need a friend so I mostly just listened and nodded. When he got up to change his laundry I started to read the talk "Daughters of God", by Elder Ballard. It's one of my favorite from this past conference and I read it often. As I read about the importance of a mother and the love and nuture that only a mother can give a woman walked in with four small children. Probably really similar ages as mine. I couldn't help but watch them. She struggled with them. All boys. She would ask them to do something and they wouldn't listen and she would curse at them. They bickered back and forth with one another and she would curse at them. They would walk too far away from her and she would curse at them. I was so close to tears. I so wanted to scoop up these little boys and love them. But, it made me think. What if I didn't have the gospel? What if I was in her situation, four small children, probably poverty, I have no idea of her living situation or her life. Then I thought she need to be scooped up and loved just as much as those little boys. I came home, scooped up my own children loved them hard and then went to play with them out front. I am so thankful to have the gospel in my life. I am so thankful to know why I am here in this life and where I am going. Funny, how the Lord reminds us of things. I'm thankful for my broken washing machine.