Modern Day Miracle

The first picture is of me in that same big field as last week. We walk in it sometimes to get to a different part of town named Delorenze. There live two member families there that feed us, and now we have a couple really good investigators there, so we use the field probably a few times a week.The second picture is me and Elder Martins in front of the Sao Paulo Temple. THis actually was back in November, but it has been on Martins camera this entire time.

Happy Anniversary! 25 years, and it all happened in Sun Valley. That is awesome,i am a little bummed that im not able to be home for this anniversary (silverright?) but know that i am celebrating here for ya!Thats awesome to hear about the inaugeration. I havent been able to hearanything about it, so i would definitely appreciate some info about that, aboutanything that is going on. Great to hear that people are getting patriotic again, i was getting sick of everybody always whining about the country. I think obama can do some good things for us.

Ok, about the week. I will just start out by telling a story that I forgot totell last week. Elder Martins and I had felt prompted a couple times to go visitone of the people that we have been teaching. However, both times she wasntthere. Each time we were wondering, we were we both prompted to go visit her ifshe wasnt home? Well, the second time, Elder Martins felt the need to startknocking on doors. The second door we knocked was of a girl that works in therestaurant across the street from our house. She committed to be baptized. Justgoes to show that we may not always understand the promptings of the spirit, butif we follow we really are guided by the hand of the Lord. The second thing was really a miracle. I am not going to go into too much detail, because what happened really was an amazing and spirtitual experience,not meant to be shouted from the rooftops.

So Elder Martins and I went to visitone of our best investigators, our eleito. It wasnt the normal scheduledteaching visit, and we decided we were going to just come and talk aboutprophets. When we arrived, our investigator was not his usual self. He was alldown, gloomy, with a killer headache that he said started just about an hour before we had arrived. Plus he said that he had been having difficulties all dayand that things were really hard for him right then. He had been taking allsorts of medication for his headache, but nothing was working at all. In the middle of the lesson, we felt prompted to offer him a priesthood blessing. Hewas completely healed in the very moment that we finished the blessing. He said that he had a new type of strength, that he could feel the Holy Ghost just surging through him. You hear stories about people being healed on the spot, butto actually have been able to participate is amazing. I am so grateful that the Lord blessed me with this opportunity to excercise the priesthood, and to helpsomeone with such great faith to be healed! It is not something explicable inordinary ways, but something that is only possible through the power of theLord.

Miracles really do exist in these days, miracles just as in the times ofold. I witnessed with my own eyes the power of God that day. I am so gratefulfor this opportunity to be on the mission, I know that I am serving the Lord,and that my calling is true.He keeps being a good investigator, receiving all the lessons well, praying,reading, studying, going to church. He has taught me a ton about faith already,about how to really trust in the Lord and to commit to the gospel. He is goingto be baptized Feb 7. I am loving the work. I am loving being able to make adifference in peoples lives, being able to bring purpose, truth, and meaninginto their lives. It is a blessing that i cannot describe.

I really cant remember too much else that happened this week right now. Oh! Mycompanion has a new baby sister! So shout out to the Martinsfamily....WOOOOOOOO. Plus received some awesome christmas cards from thekinkades and from grandma jeanie and from you and yeah, that was great. Will be sending letters to grandmother and papa jim, grandma jeanie and grandfather,grandpa chuck and lolly, and jack and carol. Oh yeah, and sorry to allgrandparents, but I am only allowed to write emails to mom, dad, kelsey...butplease keep sending me stuff! I feast on information.

I know the church is true, without any doubt. It is no longer faith, but aperfect knowledge. I know that Christ is our savior, and that with Him we cantruly experience happiness, that we can truly experience joy in our lives as weprogress with our families. I know that we have a living prophet, and I know that the priesthood is the true power of God. Miracles still happen these days,according to the faith of others and the will of the Lord. I know these things,and am so grateful to have been able to witness the hand of the Lord in my dayto day life here. I know that i am exactly where I am supposed to be. Love you all!