"Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever." -Alma 26:12

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

12/5/2016 Miracles!

Hello everyone!
As usual, time is short, so let's jump straight to the miracles! The biggest miracle of this week definitely goes to my companion, Elder Octaviano. We visited a member (Marcos kyodai) this Sunday, along with his wife (Sachie), who is not a member. They are both from Brazil, and incredibly friendly people. Even though we didn't have an appointment, Marcos kyodai called us into his home the moment he opened the door and saw us. Sachie also greeted us warmly, but as usual, she quickly disappeared to take care of some things around the house. We somehow got her back at the time we wanted to share a message, though, and my companion shared a simple scripture and bore powerful testimony of the power that the gospel has had in helping his family come closer together. Before we knew it, he had almost the whole room in tears, including Sachie. The Spirit was so powerful, and no one could deny its presence. We invited them to do a family home evening together with us, and they jumped at the opportunity.

Another of my favorite miracles from this week came when we invited one of our investigators, Seiryuu kun, to be baptized. He is 8 years old, and reads the Book of Mormon every day. The only reason he wasn't baptized before was because his mom was worried that he didn't understand everything yet, but when we invited him this time, his mom was completely ok with it. We set a date for the 18th of December, and we are so excited for him! We are most excited to see how this will help their family to be strengthened, and feel the love of their Heavenly Father.
These, and other miracles from this week have really strengthened my testimony of eternal families. I see these people that we are teaching every day, and I know that this is why so many missionaries left their own families, in order to help others to come to know their Father in Heaven, and that there is so much more to life than just suffering through trials and sadness all the time. Just as Lehi teaches in the Book of Mormon, I know that the purpose of life is for us as God's children to find joy. In one of the talks from this past General Conference, President Nelson taught that in order to feel this joy in our lives "we can start by 'looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith'". I know that when I fail to focus on the Savior, I feel more tired, less motivation to carry on, and more vulnerable to temptation. On the other hand, when I make a concentrated effort to remember Jesus Christ in all I do, I feel empowered, and that I am not on my own. I know that the same power and joy can come into the lives of any who choose to learn more about their Savior and Redeemer, and to make Him a greater priority. I hope everyone is feeling joy in their lives, especially in this amazing Christmas season! Love you all, do something to make a friend's life brighter this week!


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