Carlos & Yudri

When we landed in Luxembourg, we knew a man named Carlos would be waiting for us with his van. We also knew he was the Stake President. 

I watched him smile and laugh knowingly at our family as we left the airport and drove to our new home. He quickly and silently loaded our 16 pieces of luggage in his van, met us at our house, unloaded the van, and drove away before we could thank him. 

Two days later, the entire Rodriguez family stopped by with orchids (everyone gives and has orchids in their home here). And the gifts keep coming.

Our first Sunday in Lux, we went to their home for dinner. The food of sausages, ribs, chicken, rice, carrots (yellow and orange), and bread filled up the empty space we'd been feeling since our arrival. Yudri then presented an apple cake and a chocolate cake (both made in the microwave), and vanilla ice cream. We had a piece of each. And we didn't feel bad about it. 

Ben then declared I would be taking cooking lessons from Yudri. 

A few days later, as I was preparing to take the kids to Bambesch woods, I was carrying Aksel down the stairs (and two iPads), and five or six steps from the bottom, I slipped and fell. My left arm was split open and my right elbow was cut and badly bruised. Ben helped me bandage (and glue) my arms up and then he called Yudri. 

She came right away. She sort of looked at me like I was a dumb American woman who can't walk down stairs -- and I will feel ashamed the rest of my life. 

Yudri took Otto and Aksel to their home a few blocks away and an hour later, two of Yudri's girls rang our bell and dropped off hot rice, chicken, potatoes, and vegetables. Ben came home at lunch and when he tasted Yudri's food, he said he was going to start pushing me down the stairs if it meant Yudri would keep cooking for us. 

She brought the boys round for naps later that afternoon. They chattered on and on about the garden, the ice cream, and the toys Yudri and her five children had entertained them with. 

We attempted to thank Carlos and Yudri for all they've done for our family since arriving in Luxembourg and take them to dinner. When we sat down at a restaurant that was pretty much identical to Benihana, I had to choke back laughter. 

After a lengthy dinner, we walked through the City Center, breathing in the lights, the cigarette/food/perfume aroma, marveling at the thousands of umbrellas suspended above our heads, and ate a raspberry tart that changed my life. I felt as happy as I can ever remember. 

Yudri, Carlos, and Ben mostly converse in French. I can understand a few words. I practice some French phrases with Yudri. When Yudri speaks to me in English, she uses the words stress and crazy for a LOT of things. And I love it. 

One day she told me she was having "rasta" done to her hair. I had no idea what she meant. We stopped by later that week and it became clear. Yudri was having braids put in her hair. I laughed about that to myself for a long time. I'm going to call all braids rasta from now on. 

She also told me she remembers my name by recalling the Chinese word for elephant, which sounds like Taw-sh-ee-uh. Awesome. I wholeheartedly love English as a second language. 

Yudri keeps sending her children by with food, and I am trying to keep up. 

I sent Ben over one evening with a plate of peanut butter cookies and he said the whole family ate them off the plate while he stood in the doorway. Note to self: the Rodriguez children love peanut butter. 

Carlos has requested should we ever find root beer, he's going to need some. And we will happily comply. 

A native Luxembourger, Carlos speaks six languages -- English, French, Spanish, German, Luxembourgish, and Portugese. He works full time. He goes to school in the evenings. And he's a stake president. His time is precious, and he always makes time for Ben and I. 

Yudri came to Luxembourg after meeting and marrying Carlos in Spain (where Carlos served a mission with some of my BYU contemporaries -- Tim Heinz, Cody Adams, and Brian Morris), after leaving her home country, the Dominican Republic, looking for work. Whenever I see her, she tells me that she's here to take care of me. And I believe her. 

Her children -- Amanda, Michelle, Charlie, Adrian, and Sam love our boys and when we see them at one of the parks in Gasperich, they yell and surround Otto and Aksel, chasing them, playing with them, and making them laugh. They like to practice their Enlgish with me and they let me practice French with them.

I'm happy to be humbled by people as good and kind as Carlos and Yudri. It's easy to fall in love with them. Two people who should have nothing left to give -- keep giving. Carlos and Yudri keep serving me a heaping dish of humble pie; I keep licking my plate clean, and I can't wait for more pie.