OPERATION SMILE On Saturday last, March 14th and then again on Monday the 16th Mom and I were invited to work as volunteers for “Operation Smile”. Man, what a special treat. As we neared the entrance to the hospital around 8:00 AM we saw a large waiting room full of mothers holding little children that had major deformities to their mouths and faces. We moved on up to the second floor where the screenings were taking place and quickly Mom was put to work standing on a scales and then holding the little children in her arms so they could be weighed and their vital signs taken. It was easy to calculate the weight of these little children because Mom weighs exactly 100 lbs fully dressed. I was assigned to work with the other four missionaries and coordinate the translation needs. I heard, over and over again how appreciative the staff was for the “Elders” as they were called. And, indeed they did a great work because none of the Doctors or nurses spoke Khmer. At one point I had a minute just to stand against a pillar there in this big room and witness what was going on around me. I was deeply touched as I observed these great doctors, literally from around the world, there at their own expense, working with skilled, surgically gloved hands that wielded tongue depressors and other instruments, examining the serious birth deformities of these children. The mothers had never been in a hospital before and gave fearful glances at the surgeons doing the examinations. They had come in faith that perhaps their little children could be healed and so they spoke comforting words to their babies as they tried to restrain them during the sometimes painful exams. As I stood there and watched the love and compassion being demonstrated by those wonderful surgeons and nurses toward these destitute deformed little children gathered around them, I couldn’t help but think of a similar gathering many years before. The Master Physician, the Savior of all mankind invited the little children to gather around him and then “He did heal them, every one”. This is exactly what I was witnessing right before my eyes. The scripture reads that “He wept”, and so did I (3Nephi 17:9, 21-22). The tears flowed freely but, thankfully no one noticed because sweat was running down my face as well as the faces of all in the room. Again, I said to myself, as I have said so many times before on our mission, “I walk today where Jesus walked and feel His presence near”. There was no air conditioning, there were no sterile chambers—in fact, the nurses had, just that morning, driven rats out of the operating rooms. But there was so much more there in that wing of the hospital that morning than I have seen in the most sterile of environments. There was a spirit of love and compassion that seemed, at that moment, to weld nations and cultures into one perfect union. I reflected on another passage of scripture from the Savior’s life where he said, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto me” Matthew 25:40). That truth was also being demonstrated right before my eyes. For the few moments that I stood there I received yet another great insight into one of the powerful principle the Savior taught. Let me explain. Here were some of the great surgeons of the world, “rich” in knowledge and skill, bending low, lifting, rescuing, healing, and indeed exalting the poorest of the poor. As a result, these little children would be blessed, lifted and truly “exalted” the rest of their life. Yes, the scriptural phrase, “The poor shall be exalted in that the rich are made low” was demonstrated and clarified to my soul (D&C 104:16). We left the hospital after those two days of volunteer work richly blessed with a much clearer understanding of the Savior’s life and mission. There was an expanded clear vision in our eyes and a heart grown tender in our breast. In just two days we were the recipients of blessings greater than all the riches of the world and experiences like this one are almost a daily occurrence. Is it any wonder that we love our mission? Thank you, our precious children for making this possible. We love you all. Love Dad