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Community speaks out about missionaries affect on them
Posted: 11.10.2011 at 10:48 PM
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When missionaries come knocking, some people choose to let them in while others choose to ignore them.

And there are some that say letting them in changed their outlook on life.

Claudia Vasquez is one of them.

She is writing a note to the fallen missionaries' families.

"They taught me that god has something in store for everybody," said Vasquez.

Vasquez fought away tears as she said this because she said missionaries changed her life, in particular Elder Trevor Reinhold Strong.

"He had a great heart,” she said. “He could bring out a smile in everybody."

Vasquez said she frequently fought with her mother and was always in a bad mood.

"I was having some rough time with the family," she said.

Vasquez said she never felt the presence of God before Elder Strong came into her life, but once he started visiting her, she said she started feeling something.

That feeling sparked an interest in her learning more about the faith.

"He said that he would always be there every step of the way," said Vasquez.

And even though Strong passed away in that fatal accident Tuesday night, Vasquez said she can still feel him every step of the way.

"I feel like he's here next to me," she said.

Rene Rodriguez also said without the help of missionaries, his life wouldn't be the same.

“There were a few times life was really tough, and I questioned a lot of things that were going on and sometimes woke up and did not want to wake up," said Rodriguez.

He said his life was full of negativity.

“Just hanging out with the wrong crowd and doing the wrong things, and it just really began to weigh me down," he said.

But Rodriguez said two years ago, he got a knock on the door from his savior.

"I call it my late Christmas gift because it had been a pretty sorry Christmas the day before for sure," said Rodriguez.

Rodriguez said after speaking to the missionaries, he became involved in the church where he later met
Elder Strong and Elder Derek Jason Walker.

He frequently played basketball with them and discussed the gospel.

He credits what these men represent for saving his life.

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