Tender Mercy

Yesterday was a rough day.

Nothing specifically went wrong but not much went right. I'm still getting over this lovely cold. It's been a long week. I am feeling better but am still achy and super tired. Fridays are really busy at work and 2 of my co-workers took the afternoon off so I got one phone call after another. Not normally a big deal but many of my agents are rude and treat me like dirt. Like I'm not a real person with real feelings. As an underwriter, I get that I'm not going to be everyone's favorite person because it is my job to keep rules and write profitable business (aka not letting them get away with writing crap policies) but it's no excuse for them to be awful to me. It's not usually so bad but I swear every mad agent called me yesterday afternoon.

PLUS, I am starving. Every. Single. Minute. I am trying really hard to make positive life changes in my diet and to exercise everyday. I am discouraged because I'm not seeing the dramatic results I want to see. I have to do something different because eating egg whites and celery is affecting me emotionally. I'm convinced my body was genetically designed to have carbs on a super regular basis.

All of this makes for a really crabby Cali.

I got to take pictures of my good friend Rachelle and her fiance Travis after work, so that was fun, but I was exhausted when we were done. A couple of weeks ago, I bought a DVD at Walmart but didn't get home with it. So frustrating! I didn't think there was any way I could get it. I called customer service and they said that they keep a log of left items and that it was on the log. I just needed to bring my receipt in. Hooray! But, life is busy and I hadn't yet gotten around to it. As I was driving home last night, I decided just to keep going home because I was so tired. Then I thought that maybe there was a time limit and they wouldn't keep the log for too long so I got off the freeway and went to Walmart. I rarely park on the grocery side because it's always super busy, but I had to pick up a couple of food items, so I did. Plus, customer service is closer to that door.

I grabbed the things I needed and the DVD and checked out. Then I headed to customer service. Of course there was a long line. I (impatiently) stood there and when it was my turn I handed the DVD and receipt to the cashier and told him that I had purchased the DVD on the 15th but that it wasn't in my bags when I got home. He looked at me and said very rudely, "You bought this that long ago and are just now coming to claim it?!"


Um, EXCUSE ME?! You don't know my life and it's none of your business!


I was shocked that he was copping an attitude. Plus, I was not in a very cheery mood so I said, "I don't live close to here (not entirely true) and I couldn't get back until now. I'm sorry if this is inconvenient for you but it was your cashier who neglected to put it in my bags, not me." He rudely looked up the log, looked at my receipt, threw the DVD in a bag and handed it to me. I just grabbed it and left. What a jerk.

I walked out of Walmart and into the parking lot. As I made my way across the cross walk, I noticed a couple walking into the store. The man looked so familiar but I couldn't immediately place him. It only took about 5 seconds for me to pass them but as I made my way to my car, I couldn't shake the feeling that I knew him from some place important. Was he in a past ward? Had I inspected his home for work? Was he the dad of one of my friends? I didn't get a good look at his wife, but I knew that I knew him.


I got in my car, started it and backed out of the parking space. How did I know this man? Then, it hit me. He was a member who I had met in my first area of my mission. I was sure of it! Now, you must know that I have the worst memory in the history of the world. I am okay with faces, but not super great - especially after a lot of time has passed. I was in my first area 14 years ago! I don't remember anything from 14 years ago. AND this man and his wife live in the Canary Islands, Spain.
5,431 miles from Utah.

I just had to know. What did I have to lose? I was sure to never see them again if they weren't the people I thought they were so I decided just to go for it. Plus, my day couldn't get any worse, right? (I know what happens when I ask that so I will only say that now that the day is over). So, I found another parking spot, jumped out and ran back into the store.

They had gotten a cart and were in the produce section. How was I going to approach them? I thought about just getting close and looking at some cucumbers or something to see if I could recognize their accent but I didn't want to be some creepy person so I just went for it (like that's not creepy, ha!). They were facing away from me so I stood next to the woman and said, "Hi, excuse me." They both gave me the look of "Wait! We don't speak English!" So, in Spanish I said, "I think I know you. Are you from the Canary Islands?"

Immediately, their eyes lit up and they got the biggest grins on their faces as they exclaimed "Yes!" (or rather, "Si!")

NO WAY!! This does not happen!

I quickly explained that I knew them! That I had served in Lanzarote in 2000. They were so happy to see me! I'm sure they didn't specifically recognize me because she said that they fed the missionaries every Wednesday for years so there's no way to remember each one. Plus, it's been SO long. But, she did say that my face was familiar.

Who sees and recognizes people from their Spanish mission at a Walmart in Utah 14 years later?!  Seriously?!

To be honest, I didn't remember their names, but I do know that they were in the branch in Arrecife, Lanzarote and that we had lunch at their house every Wednesday for the 4+ months I was in the area. (They have a son named Javier and a daughter named Sarah and an older daughter who I never met because she was going to school at BYU when I was in the islands). In fact, I got to my first area on a Wednesday, met my companion and district, dumped my suitcases at the piso (apartment), then went directly to the Padilla's house to have lunch. They were my very first 'dinner' appointment in my first area on the very first day of my mission. So cool, huh?! (I'm clearly excited. I'm using a lot of exclamation points!)

Plus, when I cut my index finger to the bone (gross, I know - wanna see the scar?) with scissors while making a guagua (bus) out of poster board for the branch talent show, I'm pretty sure it was them who took me to the emergency room to get stitches :) I'll have to ask them when I see them again.

We talked for a few minutes about how their kids are doing and what I've been doing the past 14 years. Their oldest daughter lives in Springville and they are staying with her. Mercedes (the mom) has been here for 5 years and Andres (the dad) just got here not long ago.

The thing I most remember about the Padillas (they told me their first names and I remembered their last name after I left) is that Mercedes makes one of the best dishes I have ever eaten called Ropa Vieja (Old Clothes) which we had on my first day in the islands. In fact, I have tried numerous times to find the recipe online or remember what was in it to try to recreate it without any luck. I still can't believe that I saw them! This may sound silly but I'm pretty sure God had His hand in this sighting. So many things had to fall into place (photos starting later than planned, stopping at Walmart at all, parking at the grocery entrance, the rude guy) for us to pass by each other at just the right time. Plus, it's nothing short of a miracle that I even recognized Andres. Not all of my bad days end in such a great way, but I'm so glad this one did!

Mercedes told me that they are going back to the islands next month and staying for 2 months but that she would call me when they get back and have me over for some Ropa Vieja! I can't wait! I still can't believe that I saw them, recognized him and was assertive (or crazy) enough to approach them.

The only thing I'm sad about is that I didn't get a photo with them - which, as everyone knows - is so unlike me! I need to go through my mission photos and find some of them. They're in a box somewhere!