Member Voices
Meeting at the Future Temple
Sister Raquel Vázquez de Molina was introduced to the Church in October 1978. After taking the missionary lessons, she, her husband, and their three daughters, were baptized on Feb. 14, 1979.
“From the first time I heard the missionaries, I had no doubts and wanted to be baptized immediately. We were sealed as a family in July of the next year in Salt Lake City Temple.”
Newly converted, the Molina couple received their first callings, ward young men and young women presidents.
“Our callings and our challenges came quick. We had to learn how to organize activities for the youth . . . but it was a lot of fun, and we received a lot of help from the brethren. Someone was always there to help us,” Sister Molina said with a laugh.
Amid laughter and memories, Sister Molina recalled how construction began on the meetinghouse of Trujillo Alto, now the site of Puerto Rico’s first temple.
“We were meeting in a two-story house in the community of Carolina and there we participated in our activities and sacrament meetings. Our ward was then moved to the town of Trujillo Alto, where finally a meetinghouse was built.” Sister Molina continued, “they were long months, the land was not easy to obtain, and we had many conversations with the community to obtain the land.”
All the members were happy for the construction of the meetinghouse in the Trujillo Alto neighborhood. Many years later, the land that had cost them so much sacrifice would now be the site of the first temple in Puerto Rico.
“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23).
“The last day we attended the meetinghouse in Trujillo Alto was very special. I had the privilege of offering the last prayer in that chapel where I have so many beautiful memories; the marriage of my daughter, the activities, the baptisms that I saw, everything,” she said, with tears in her eyes. “These tears are of happiness, because now we have the temple on that land, the deceased members of this ward are happy,” Sister Molina continued excitedly.
“I want to close my testimony, I know that my Heavenly Father knows me, maybe I did not know Him then as I do now, but He is real, He is near, and sometimes I feel Him even in my home.”
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
When interviewing Sister Molina, she shared such a beautiful spirit. Seeing the joy of the pioneers of the Church in Puerto Rico and how after so many prayers, Heavenly Father blessed us with a beautiful temple, makes me feel very excited and happy for everyone in Puerto Rico. This is for all generations, past and future, the temple can unite them all.