Christ’s Light Breaks through Any Darkness

I want to share with you two personally meaningful photos from our time here:

    Elder Zamudio & Elder Manwarring  

Elder Hunsaker with Elder Layton who is not pictured

Both pictures were taken about a year ago. I love them because they represent the typical story of our missionaries serving as well as those that are being taught here in the Peru, Arequipa mission. The girls in the second picture were new members of the church who participated in the lesson because they wanted to share the gospel with the boy, another family member. He later joined the church as did more relatives since.

These images show normal missionary work here in southern Peru and may not seem special.  However, when I look at them, I have an emotional response due to my many spiritual experiences while serving here.  In fact, I couldn’t get these images out of my mind, and over time, I felt prompted to find an artist to create a painting for the mission office. I prayed for guidance throughout the process and I found Vany Mamani at a local arts fair. Because my Spanish is terrible, I wondered how I could communicate what I wanted through President Chipman to the artist who knew no English.  As they spoke, I didn’t want them to focus on the details of the photos, but rather the spiritual impressions and symbolism that I felt when I looked at the photos. 

At first, President Chipman explained the framework of the painting to the artist and told him that we wanted a combination of both photos with a companionship of elders teaching the young group.  The artist seemed indifferent and assured us that he had the skills necessary to create whatever we wanted. Then President Chipman explained further that we didn’t just want a painting of two missionaries teaching some kids, but rather we wanted him as the artist to catch the essence of sharing the light of Christ with others. To explain this, the President then bore a powerful testimony to the artist and his wife about our purpose as missionaries and the importance for all to build a personal relationship with the Savior by making sacred covenants with Him. He then testified that Christ’s light can break through any darkness.  This is when the Spirit became very strong and the artist locked eyes with President Chipman in agreement and a newfound shared understanding. His mannerisms immediately changed and he became very animated and excited about the project.  When we left, the President turned to me and said that he felt a connection with the artist and it was not a coincidence that we stopped and talked to him specifically.  President Chipman then told me that he was sure that the artist and his family would have a spiritual experience through the project and he was right. When the painting was finally delivered last week, we learned that this particular project had become very meaningful to the artist and his wife mentioned to us that she often saw tears of emotion streaming down his face as he painted it. 

Here is the finished painting and it exceeds what I had hoped and prayed for this past year.

I feel it beautifully symbolizes the light of Christ that missionaries carry and share with others.  As the missionaries share the gospel, they themselves become converted through the process. Just like light, the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is powerful enough to break through any darkness in any setting no matter who is being taught. The painting was not inspired by an event or even pictures, rather it was inspired by several personal spiritual impressions felt through shared spiritual experiences among many individuals. This is why it is hung in the mission office so that our missionaries serving as well as those they teach might reminisce about their own conversion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and with that remember their personal connection with their Savior.

I am profoundly grateful for having witnessed this beautiful miracle of conversion over and over again for our missionaries and for those they teach. It has been a truly remarkable adventure to have served with my husband as the mission leaders here in Arequipa, Peru and to play a small part in our Savior’s miraculous work.

Here are some related scriptures & quotes:

Alma 5:14

And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spritually been born of God?  Hae ye received his image in your countenances?  Have ye experienced this might change in your hearts?

D&C 88:6-7,11-13

He that ascended up on high, as also he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth;  Which truth shineth.  This is the light of Christ…. 

And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings; Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space – The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things.

John 8:12

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Quote by Elder Marcus B. Nash in the 2022 New Mission Leader Seminar:  When a missionary does missionary things as a means of seeking Christ, he or she will come to know and trust Him, for such a missionary will experience Christ’s presence and power.