Elder Harper Sparto (North Brook Park Ward) recently returned home from his mission to Educador Quito West Mission, Spanish-speaking. Even though Elder Spataro ended his mission there, he technically served in three different missions during his two-year service. As he waited for his visa paperwork, Elder Spataro was sent to the Idaho Falls Idaho Mission, then off to his original call of Educador Quito North Mission. While serving there, the mission was split, and he was made part of the Educador Quito West Mission.

“I served in three missions, and I worked with three mission presidents,” Elder Spataro said. “They were all very different too. It was quite unique.”

Elder Spataro said “contacting,” or trying to find people on the street to learn about the gospel wasn’t the most effective way to find those interested. He did, however, mention that one experience where “contacting” proved to be fruitful.

“We met this lady while out on the streets one day that seemed interested in learning more about the gospel,” he said. “When we asked her for her phone number [so we could set up another appointment] she said she didn’t have one. That is something people say in Ecuador when they are not interested, but trying to be polite.”

Instead Elder Spataro and his companion gave her their phone number not expecting her to ever get in touch with them. They were surprised however, when she texted them a day or so later.

“Even though she had just met her on Thursday, we decided since she had contacted us and expressed a desire to learn more, we would call her on Saturday night and ask her if she wanted to come to church. We knew it was a long shot, but we did it. Not only did she come to church the next day, but she brought three of her kids with her. They were super excited to be there and were singing hymns with gusto.”

Later in Sunday School Elder Spataro and his companion were bearing their testimonies to the class, including this new friend, about how the Lord works in their lives.

“She raised her hand and said God answered her prayers because missionaries found her and saved her life.”

Elder Sparato went on to mention that the city of Quito is a dangerous city and on the day they found her in the street, she was being followed by a man.

“She had been praying that someone would come and help her. That’s when she met the missionaries. She talked to us so that guy would go away. She later realized that is the way God answered her prayer. Not only had he responded to her immediately, but she was blessed with both physical and spiritual protection.”

The woman did later get baptized, but unfortunately lived two blocks out of Elder Spataro’s area, so they could not baptize her, but passed to the appropriate missionaries. Speaking of the experience of meeting her and helping her, Elder Spataro said: “It was a powerful experience.”

He then shared the following powerful testimony, after joking that bearing his testimony in English is harder to do than Spanish:

“I know that this is the true church of Jesus Christ and the gospel has been restored. The Book of Mormon is true. Priesthood keys have been restored and passed down to our current prophet and that Jesus Christ is the head of our church…and will lead and guide us into the second coming. I’ve never had a big aha moment about the truth of the gospel, but I have seen the Lord’s hand in my life in small and simple things. I know that those things matter to him, because they matter to us. I know more than anything that God loves his children, first and foremost. The greatest manifestation of his love is his son Jesus Christ. He has helped me overcome my weaknesses and become who I am today.“