Jimenez- A servant of Jesus Christ

My wife and I began a dating relationship and in December 1985 we were married. We did not wait long before having children and in January 1987 our son was born. After him, in the next 5 years, we had three more daughters. During that time, I had the opportunity to serve the Lord as Branch President on more than one occasion. It was not easy, but it was wonderful to see the Church grow and strengthen. One day, I began to have a very deep desire in my heart. It was to be sealed to my family for all eternity. I discussed it with my wife and we set that great goal for ourselves. However, in Venezuela, there was not yet a Temple where we could do that sacred ordinance. That meant we would have to leave the country if we didn’t want to wait. I didn’t want to wait any longer, so from then on I started working on that wonderful goal and the place we chose was Orlando, Florida. I made arrangements to get passports, which was pretty easy at the time. Then we went to the US Embassy to try to apply for a visa. I remember that I was very nervous about the interview because I had never done something similar. When the interviewer asked me what my purpose was for traveling to the United States, I simply told him that I was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ and that I wanted to go to a Temple to be sealed with my family. He looked at me and asked: What is the name of the Prophet of that Church? I answered the question, he just approved the visas for me and my family without saying anything else. I couldn’t believe it had been so easy, but I knew the Lord was preparing the way. I will never forget that day.

After raising enough money and sacrificing various things, we managed to embark on our family adventure. The challenges were not lacking, but it was an unforgettable experience. We arrived in Orlando, Florida and with the help of a Venezuelan family that lived there, we were able to do things better. In January 1998 I was sealed to my wife and four children for time and eternity. The words of the sealer still resonate in my mind when he told me: “Now they are yours.”
The brothers who attended us at the Orlando Temple were very kind to us. We were even very happy to know that they had a gift for us: they were tickets to go to Disneyland! We enjoy each moment to the fullest and the memories have been treasured in our minds and in our hearts. Then we returned to Venezuela with joy after fulfilling our longing wish.

From then on we strive to progress. We always were and are very close as a family. Our temporal and spiritual progress was increasing remarkably. Despite the difficulties that might arise, we had the armor to face it with courage. I did everything in my power to give my children a good education. Three of them graduated as engineers and one is studying accounting, which made me very happy. Seeing them meet their goals is one of the things I’ve always wanted and I know the Lord is pleased with secular knowledge as well.

We attended a Branch of the Church that was a little far from our home in the country. So some families closer to our area and us, we got together and worked very hard to have our own Branch. In 2006 we did it after so much effort. We were approved to open a new Branch and begin meeting. It really was wonderful. By that time, the country’s situation was already beginning to decline rapidly and foreign (American) missionaries were no longer being allowed to serve in Venezuela. We certainly became pioneers of that new place and as expected, just as there were blessings, we were also presented with many trials. We don’t have a chapel built yet, but we fight for it. We go on and we still stand.

Today, I have the opportunity to serve as President of this Branch, and it has honestly not been easy at all. Unfortunately, I still do not have counselors, so the work is greater. Some leaders have had to leave the country because of the situation in Venezuela, they have abandoned everything in order to find a better life. Those who remain in the country have gone through and are going through many difficulties. Many members are out of work, others work but what they receive is not enough, some of them are disabled and have no support, there are widows who have been left completely alone. Isn’t this sad and alarming? The global pandemic has also prevented them from breaking through further in order to find better opportunities. The Church cannot solve everything that is presented, it needs other hands that provide support and especially a change in our country. Sometimes these brothers come desperate asking for help to solve their situation and when I hear their challenges my heart feels anguished because I cannot give them all the temporary help they need, I can only motivate them to cling to the Lord. As President, I have also gone through many difficulties, especially temporary ones. I live in the countryside, a bit far from the central area of ​​the Branch, so I am estranged from most of the members.

Can you imagine being the main leader of a branch and not getting transportation or having a simple telephone connection to communicate with the members? It is definitely difficult to handle. But despite that, I have tried to do my best, because it is for Jesus Christ and His work that I am working. The number of Church members who have left the country in the last two years has been very large. Entire families and leaders who have left or sold all their belongings without knowing if they will one day return to their country. Just as they have left, many others have also converted to the Gospel, because the Lord’s work will never stop. Because I am a part of the Restored Church, I have received many wonderful blessings, blessings unlike anything in this world. I quote a stanza from my favorite hymn: “You have given me many blessings, God. That is why I also want to give according to Your voice. I will attend to my brother, I will mitigate his great pain, I will give my love to my neighbor. This letter strengthens me and encourages me to keep going.

Some of the great blessings I have had is that two of my sons served missions full time and returned with honor, which helped us all. I remember when my oldest son went on a mission, we were going through a difficult situation. I was unemployed, but we still did what was necessary for him to serve for two years. While on the mission the windows of heaven were opened for us and we progressed a lot spiritually and temporally. When my youngest daughter returned from her mission the situation was very complicated, we were going through great difficulties and we could barely eat. His honorable return was a great blessing and with his help at home, things went better. Everything she learned during that year and a half gave us an impetus to continue.
Another great wonderful blessing is that my three daughters have already formed families of their own and have been sealed for time and eternity with their husbands, who also served as missionaries for the Lord. I know that they are safe and that they will teach their children eternal truths, just as my wife and I taught them in their childhood. It is gratifying to see how all of them have progressed and all thanks to the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I am very pleased and happy to belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All the blessings that I have received from Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, are too great and so many that it is impossible to describe them all. I have received their help in everything and most of the time, it is through other people that my prayers are answered.
Now I hope that I can help other people who also need it so that they can receive the blessings that I have received. How wonderful it is to have the opportunity to be an angel in the lives of others. I am sure that when we give of ourselves to others, the Lord feels very happy and will bless us even more than we expect. We may not receive as many earthly blessings, but we are reaping those that are eternal and have true value.