LETTA THORPE

   

I was born in Lake George ,Upstate New York.  I have five sisters and one brother, and am the youngest of seven.  At the age of three, all of us children were placed in Foster care. At the age of fourteen, I ran away from a foster home, and started out on my own. I successfully lied my age to gain employment, and worked my way up to becoming a U.S. Customs Import specialist. I worked as an Import Specialist for 29 years in Houston, TX.  I was married twice, and had two children. Considering I am not currently married, it suffices to say, I divorced twice.  I had two beautiful girls, Victoria and Natalie.  I had tried most all Christian faiths, and loved many of them.  However.... I knew there was more. I knew, without a doubt, that I had only "Partial truths". In my frustration and unquenching thirst for spiritual growth, I stopped going to church, and opted to have my own personal devotions at home, which proved to be more fulfilling, as the girls continued going to Sunday School.

I was also looking to start my own business. I fervently prayed for the right doors to open so I could spend more time with my girls who were growing so fast. They were now 10 and 13, and have pretty much been raised by a hired Nanny. A few months later, I received a call from U. S Customs Port Director in Salt Lake City. They had a concrete machine that one of my customer's was returning to the U.S., claiming U.S. Goods Returned. They wanted me to look into it, and advise them the situation. I called the manufacturer in Layton, Uah and talked with him at length. During the course of our conversation, I was directed to his photo gallery, where I saw beautiful Landscaping that this machine was capable of doing. (It was a concrete curbing machine.) I immediately thanked the Lord, as I knew without hesitation, that this was a business I could start in Houston, as there was no such landscaping in this state! To make the long story short, I visited Utah to invest in this machine. As I was investigating the machine, I came in contact with a gentleman who owned four of them. As we talked business, out of nowhere, I asked if he was a Mormon. He was. I asked him to tell me a little bit about Mormonism..... He proceeded in reciting the Articles of Faith to me. (Of course, I didn't know that at the time.)  As I stood looking out the large window at the departing Gate of  Salt Lake City's Airport, I verbally said out loud, "This is going to put a serious crimp in my plans! "  I knew there was no place on this earth I wanted to be more than Utah. That meant I had to scrap the business plans I was making for Texas.... When I arrived back in Houston, the next evening, the LDS Missionaries called me, and we made an appointment to meet the following afternoon..... God's plans were not my own, and I couldn't be more grateful!  :)