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Latter-day Saint

The Real Elder Price, Part 3: Companionship

December 15, 2011 by Margaret Blair Young

Continued from Page 2

Soon after, my family and I spent two months in England, participating in BYU's Semester Abroad program. Elder Chirwa's mother and sister lived near London. He had given me their phone numbers, referring to his mother as "Loveness." I thought was term of endearment, like "Beloved," and didn't realize it was her name until I met her.

Elders Chirwa and Wigginton

I embraced Loveness and Fiona (Elder Chirwa's sister) just before dinner on May 30, 2010. Loveness introduced herself as "Chiloba's mother," and asked me if her smile was like his. It was.

That evening, the students had prepared a musical fireside, which we all attended. Several sang solos, and others talked about their favorite hymns. One told a poignant story. She had had a mini-stroke, which had partially paralyzed her. Her family was out of town, so she was alone in this terrifying condition, thinking she might die and finding herself unable to speak or move. She was rushed to a hospital, and kept singing the words to "Abide with me, 'tis Eventide" in her mind. Though she couldn't form the words with her mouth, she kept singing them in her head.

Margaret Young with Loveness Chirwa and Fiona

Abide with me, 'tis eventide!
The day is past and gone;
The shadows of the evening fall;
The night is coming on!
Within my heart a welcome Guest,
Within my home abide.

O Savior, stay this night with me;
Behold, 'tis eventide!
O Savior, stay this night with me;
Behold, 'tis eventide!

The doctors and nurses were scanning her brain throughout the first hours after her stroke and could actually see the scans change when she was singing these words in her mind. They believed that her singing preserved her memory, which normally would have been affected. She testified that music lingers with us. It helps us remember.

After the fireside, Loveness told me her favorite hymn was "Come, Come Ye Saints." That was the hymn that lingered in her mind. She was not as active in the Church as she had once been, but that particular hymn beckoned her, and she recalled all the verses.

Elder Chirwa

In 1995, she had been living in London and had met the missionaries. She wanted to be baptized but was afraid of how her friends and family would react. Finally, she just did it—without telling anyone. When her sister visited later, she also met with the missionaries and was baptized, as was Loveness's husband, Jacob Chirwa. "So you see," Loveness said, "I am the root. I began it all. Chiloba would not be where he is if I had not made that decision."

She was so proud of her son, who was inviting others to believe the message of "Come, Come Ye Saints," that in the eternal perspective, regardless of what trials interrupt our journeys or scar our feet, "all is well." When I shared emails from Chiloba's companions expressing their love for him, Loveness said, "That is good. That is very good."

One of the students asked who my guests were. I answered, "I am very lucky. I have a bunch of sons serving missions in Cameroon. One of my sons is also this woman's son."

We could not have known that the entire Chirwa family was on the threshold of a tragedy, nor how it would impact all of us, and call on our compassion from across the continents.

Elder Chirwa's father was about to die.

Page: 3 of 3

12/15/2011 5:00:00 AM

The Real Elder Price

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Africa

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Illness

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Mormonism

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