My son Blake served as a missionary in Peru. He is a very outgoing, loving, and friendly young man who was used to being surrounded by many friends. After his MTC experience, he was sent to his first area with a companion who spoke no English, and Blake spoke little to no Spanish. He stated that these first mission months in a foreign country with little communication were the deepest feelings of loneliness that he has ever experienced. I remember receiving his first letter where he wondered if he should stay in Peru and wondered if the Lord shouldn’t have just sent him to the states somewhere. He was being honest regarding his concerns about whether he could make it or not as a missionary in a foreign country.

Many months later he realized the Lord gave him these months so that he would no longer rely on friends or family. During these trying months, he learned to rely on God’s arms of love, safety, and hope. It took months for him to realize that through Christ, the depths of his loneliness could be overcome. This trying experience caused him to become completely dependent upon his Savior, Jesus Christ. Through the miraculous atonement of Christ, he was cured of his loneliness. He testified to me that God has no limits to what He can do for us through the atonement. If we will allow the atonement to work in our lives hope can be restored, no matter what our needs might be.