Over fifty years ago as a missionary in the Central America Mission I was serving as a District Leader in San Salvador, El Salvador. One night we returned to our house and began preparation for bed. However, I had the impression that we needed to go see the Elders in the town of Santa Tecla that was part of our district. There were no telephones. There were no buses at night. So, I continued to prepare for bed. The impression of going to Santa Tecla returned. I thought I would go if it were possible. But we would need to walk all night through the jungle to be back by the next morning. Since it was not possible to go, I tried to continue getting ready for bed. The feeling that I must go returned again, even stronger. This time I decided to tell my companion because I thought I would be unable to convince him to make that journey. However, he said he was feeling the same thing. 

Starting to walk down the highway a station wagon came up the road and stopped to give us a ride. Few cars drove on that road, especially not at night. He drove us directly to the house where the Elders lived. The Elders should have already been asleep but as I knocked at the door both Elders came to the door. One Elder asked what we were doing there. I said, “I don’t know, I was hoping that you could tell me”. At that comment the other Elder began to cry as we went inside. The Elders recounted the activities of that day and the imminent danger they were about to face. The Elders said they knew the Lord had intervened on their behalf. As we went out to return home, a Jeep came around the corner and surprisingly stopped and waited for us at the end of their walkway. He gave us a ride back to the capital and to the door of our house.

As I have considered the events of that night many times in my life, where we saw no other vehicles on the road, it has been a part of my testimony that God knew and loved those Elders in Santa Tecla and He knew their troubles. Even more humbling was to realize that God knew me and was willing to be patient in my slowness to respond to His direction. He was also, as I should have known, able to provide a way for us to do as He directs.