A Story of Love, Trials, and Forgiveness

 

Friday was the sealing of Dario and Susana. The Sunday before we had received a beautifully engraved invitation, inviting us to the sealing and to a celebration afterwards in Bella Vista. We knew what to expect with the sealing, but we didn’t know exactly what to expect afterwards.

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Dario & Susana After sealing

Alvaro, Dario ,Susana  and Juan Carlos

 

 

Dario and Susana

After the sealing their boys Juan Carlos and Alvaro wanted to take us to the Cristus  situated on a large hill overlooking Cochabamba,  Lorna and I had been up there several weeks ago and actually climbed to the top of the arms.  The Cristus was built in 1994 when the Pope came to visit.  It and the LDS Temple are the two main attractions in Cochabamba.  The statue stands 110 feet tall 33 meters one meter for every year of Christ's life.

 

 

  We were following their sons in their pickup.  Juan Carlos told me they didn't have the amplification system set up for the reception, yet so they wanted to kill more time.  We decided to go down to the Center plaza,  but Susana finally put her foot down and said she wasn't going to parade around the plaza as a 55 year old Cholita with a wedding veil on. 

 The trip back to Bella Vista which should have taken less than 45 minutes turned into a 3 hour diversion.  When we arrived the couple entered the event center,( a metal roofed building with a cement floor)  to the wedding march,  Most of the branch their relatives and many of the community were there.   Their 3 children spoke and praised their parents for their good examples.

 They like us have two sons and a daughter After music from our era, a lot of Julio Iglesias, we had dinner, 

 

 We were placed at the head table with the couple, after a great Bolivian meal of piles of rice piles of potatoes and chicken, the Bolivian line dancing started,  as you can see from the pictures Jack got roped into it.

   Several hours later, all the guests lined up to wish the bride and groom well and give gifts. The custom here (new to us), is that both the guest and the bride and groom grab a handful of confetti and sprinkled it over each others heads. Then there was the cake.We thought the party was about over when a Mexican Mariachi band arrived with Mexican dancers

 

  

 

 

We left after several hours  Juan Carlos the oldest son and his daughter left at midnight for the 7 hour drive back to La Paz where he lives.  Compared to a temple sealing in the US this seems way over the top.  Bolivians like parties, but knowing the story of Dario and Susana  it seems fitting.  We have been hesitant to discuss their story publicly, but they are very open out it and  it makes the celebration more understandable.

Susana is Lorna's age. In previous blogs we have told the story that she has always lived in Bella Vista,  her father died young and worked from an early age to help support their family.  She married Dario and they had three children,  Juan Carlos, Alvaro, and Noami.  Susana was searching for answers in many of the churches.  One day she came home to find Juan Carlos praying.  He said it made him feel good and some missionaries had taught him how.  Susana and her children were taught the gospel and baptized.  Susana said she had many of her questions answered.  That was 28 years ago.

Dario was not happy about the family attending church on Sundays.  He wanted the family to do other things on Sundays. He  finally gave her the ultimatum that either they left their beliefs behind or he would leave. She didn't think it was a fair choice to make and she told him she wasn't going to leave the church. Dario left.

Susana lived on the same place her parents had,  probably about 1/3 an acre. They grew vegetables and flowers on their land.  She took whatever jobs she could and said it was difficult to survive raising the children, but she said they always had something to eat and enough to get by.

Juan Carlos served a mission in La Paz,and he and his family live there now. Alvaro was sent to Santa Cruz on his mission.  He had a good mission and four days before the end,  he was waiting for a tienda to roll up their metal door.  When it did he was standing face to face with his father. Although Alvaro was 12 when his father left,  they both recognized each other. His father reached out for him, but Alvaro would only shake his hand.  He told him he needed to finish his mission. Alvaro said he was going home in four days, but that he would be back to bring Dario home. Three days after he finished his mission,he returned to Santa Cruz and brought his father home.

It has taken time to reach the point they are now. That was eight years ago.  To see them now it's hard to imagine their story.  Dario is a kind and caring man,and they seem really happy together. To watch their children at the reception, it was interesting to see how they worked together to make sure their parents had a great evening along with the guests.  The parents are very proud of their children as they should be.  It was a great lesson to us of never giving up, and the power forgiveness has to change lives.