Three Buses and A Taxi

     Jay and I take a bus to the office every day. We walk about two blocks to the bus stop, then wait for our bus. We can take one of three buses, but prefer to take the 117 for the best connection to the next bus (405). Sometimes the wait can be rather long and we get a little glassy-eyed just sitting by the street. There is a lot of traffic and we get used to seeing the many taxis and buses and cars and motorcycles passing by.
     One morning as we sat, glassy-eyed, a taxi pulled up and stopped for the red light. The front passenger door opened and I was startled as I took notice. The woman passenger leaned over and kissed the driver full on the mouth. Was this a Chilean custom I wasnt aware of? Then she got out, the light turned green and the taxi left. I hope she was the driver's wife. They were about the same age.

     There are the Transantiago buses and there are tourist buses and there are the charter buses that come from outside the city. These all pass us at the bus stop. One day a charter bus stopped for the red light. I saw a cute little boy who was probably about four in one of the windows. He was doing what all cute little boys do when bored on the bus. He was leaning on one elbow, looking out the window, and making faces and licking the window. He was so cute and I was missing my grandchildren. With the light change, the bus started. A few windows back, I see a man waving. Then a few windows back from him, I see a whole lot of people, maybe ten, waving wildly, smiling widely, and making eye contact with us. We smiled widely, too, and waved wildly back. As they moved down the street, I watched, and saw the bus maneuver onto the street where we live. This is the street where chartered buses of temple patrons go to enter Temple Square.  The passengers had spotted us and recognized that we were LDS missionaries. It made our day.
     We have had this same experience two other times. It is so fun to give them a little highlight after a long bus ride. Some come as far away as Argentina because the temple here is closer than one in Argentina.  We may be a rather small group as far as the world population, but we are everywhere, and we recognize each other often.
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Who Is She?

     I think I have been the recipient of a tender mercy. The hardest thing about this mission is missing out on the little ones. They grow and change the most is the shortest time and I like to see that growth. 
     I had a dream the other early morning and when I woke it was fresh in my mind, and I thought about all day long. When I awoke, and was still close to the dream, I had an idea who she might be. I knew it was a girl.
     In my dream, we were at church, and Sacrament Meeting was just letting out. I saw a young couple with a new little baby. I asked if I could hold her. Now, in real life, I would never do that because I firmly believe that a mother and her baby shouldnt be separated. The young mother proudly handed me her baby thinking she was giving me a treat. And it was. Then someone behind wanted to talk to me, and someone behind the young couple wanted to talk to them. When I turned back around, they had left the room. I thought they were probably in the foyer just outside the chapel.
     The next thing, I was in the back seat of the car with this baby. She was so beautiful. She had black hair, her eyes hadnt found their color yet. I could feel her calm spirit and a tremendous amount of love for me. I found myself loving her back. Then I was conscious of Jay telling me to get him a hamburger, which is very unusual, because he doesnt even like hamburgers. As we were driving, and I was feeling all this love, I started thinking that her parents were probably very worried. There was no reason that I should have their baby in a car, driving away from them. I could be in a lot of trouble. She is not mine, I didnt have permission to take her away, and I had no car seat. But I kept feeling this tremendous love and calmness from her. She was very little, probably two or three pounds, and only about twelve inches.
     In real life, I have just learned that we are expecting another granddaughter. She may be about the same size by now. I believe that this baby with all the love is my new granddaughter. She took a few moments of her time to visit my before going to her new body. Grandma Sally loves, you little one. I can hardly wait to see you again.

Who Is She?

     I think I have been the recipient of a tender mercy. I had a dream early this morning and I have thought about it all day long, and I think I know who she is.
     In my dream, we were just finishing Sacrament Meeting and were getting up to leave. I saw a young couple with a baby girl and asked to hold her. I knew it was a girl. This is unusual because I never ask to hold someone's baby, thinking that a mother and her baby are a single unit and I would never separate them. They hand the baby to me. Someone behind me gets my attention, someone gets the attention of the young parents. As I turn around again, the parents have moved on and out of the chapel.
     Next, I am in the car, still with the baby. I am feeling a bond with her, though she makes no noise and is too young to smile. Jay asks me to get him a hamburger on the way home. (This is very unusual for two reasons: he doesnt like hamburgers and we dont buy anything on Sundays) The thought crosses my mind that I really need to find those parents and give them their baby. They are going to be panicking! I could find myself in a lot of trouble. First of all, I took their baby out of the church, second, I took her into my car, and thirdly, I dont have a car seat. But I keep going. I am not driving so I cant turn the car around, the driver is determined to keep going. I am beginning to really bond with this baby. I feel a calmness with her. I feel overpowering love from her.
     Who is this lovely baby? She is very tiny, maybe only three or four pounds, only about 12 inches long. She has lots of black hair, her eyes havent found their color yet.
     I knew within a few minutes of waking up who she is. We are expecting a new granddaughter in January. I will miss her birth. She took time out of her busy schedule to come to me. She gave me a message of calmness and love for me. I dont know her name yet, but I know she is ready. I feel that she was able to come to me for a short moment before going into her body for her journey to earth.
     Welcome, little one. I love you.