An LDS Family's Experience in Crumbling Venezuela

This morning I felt I should share an experience I had last week with an LDS family from Venezuela. Only eight months ago, they moved to the USA to escape the terrible crisis occurring down there.

Before continuing my post, I highly recommend reading this article: Venezuela Is Falling Apart. In essence, over two short years, Venezuela has imploded and the people are in dire circumstances: people of all economical status digging through trash cans for food, anarchy increasing mortality rates daily, complete corruption of government and dismantling of infrastructure, etc.

The reason why I bring this up is because I have been thinking about this LDS family ever since I met them and heard their story.

The mother told us that they were doing okay in Venezuela because they had followed the prophet to have a year supply of food storage. One evening about 16 months ago, the father had a dream that they should move abroad. The mother, understandably, was upset and said he could go but she would remain in Venezuela with their family and friends. Five nights later, she had her own dream instructing her to move abroad.

She said that they would have never left Venezuela if it weren't for the spiritual promptings they received.

If you think about it, when they received these promptings the crisis was still in the early stages (when a year supply was sufficient and it seemed like this was simply a hiccup in the economy). By the time they got the paperwork processed for their passports and visas, the country was far worse. But in the last 8 months since they've come to America, the country is literally in shambles.

One of her sons is still in Venezuela. He has a visa but his wife and newborn do not, so they are staying there, praying for visas. Her single sister is also trying to leave. They dig through the trash cans for food and deal with the increasing violence that happens in a nation falling apart at the seams.

Their Deaf son showed me the sign for Venezuela (prior to 2 years ago) - it is a V up in the air, showing pride and patriotism. In the last two years, the Deaf community has changed the sign to a V starting at head level and falling jerkily down to about the waist level - showing the disastrous fall of their nation.

My heart hurts for this family and the people in their country who are experiencing war-like circumstances. But I am inspired by this family that followed spiritual promptings, first to have food storage then to leave the country when they did.

Makes me want to make sure my food storage is in order and that I am living in a way that I can receive promptings in this crazy world of ours.

Safe travels, pray for Venezuela,

Destiny

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