Well, it’s been another week here in Cucuta. We are walking right now to the internet so sorry if this sound quality isn’t that good. But this week has had a couple of miracles in it. I guess it was Wednesday that we went to an investigator that we have, her name is Miriam. She and her family have been listening to us for awhile now. Their traditions are Catholic, actually, they both have money that they have made selling beaded necklaces that they use to pray, they are called Rosarios. Also, statues of the Virgin Mary and the Saints. If you don’t know about that tradition, just ask Conrad. He will know. Los Santos. So their traditions are pretty set in. But we have had a lot of success with them lately, they have been reading, or listening to the Book of Mormon actually, I gave them my USB to listen to the Book of Mormon. So we went, and it was Miriam, who is kind of a large lady, and has had a couple of accidents where she has fallen down getting in and out of the house. So she was, I guess, walking through the outdoor patio which a lot of houses have here, and she fell and she hurt her back, her pelvis, and her head and when we got there she was in bed. So they just said: “hey, let’s just leave her alone for today.” And so we shared a message with the rest of the family, then afterwards we felt like we should offer to give her a blessing. So we went into her room and there she was actually sitting in a chair, but just like… I don’t know. You could see that she was in a lot of pain. But we talked to her and said: “hi, how are you?” and she said: “I’m really sad. It just hurts a lot. My pelvis, my back, and my head.” More than anything, I would imagine that she was just frustrated that she had fallen again. It’s frustrating when we have a physical disability because of a fall. It’s a hard thing to get over emotionally as well. So we went in and said: “Miriam, would you like a blessing?” and she said yes. I had actually given her a blessing a little while ago with Elder Prestwich. So my companion anointed her and I gave her a blessing. But before that I asked her: “Miriam, do you believe that we possess the Priesthood Authority of God?” and she said yes. “Miriam, do you believe that Jesus Christ can heal you?” she said yes. I said ok. I gave her the blessing and it felt right to just tell her “according to your faith, be healed.” Well, those were the words that were said, then we left. As we left, somebody came out of the house and they always give us food to eat. They said “hey come back, come and eat leftovers from lunch with us!” and we said that we had an appointment at 7, but we will come back. So we came back at 8 o’clock and there was Miriam, in front of her house. I went up to her and she looked up at me and said “you lifted me up.” That’s how she said it exactly. Then she starts to cry. Tears just came out. I sat down right by her and said: “Miriam, you know that it wasn’t us.” and she said “I know. I know that Jesus Christ put his hands on my head through you.” It was just really a sweet moment.
Later on in the week we showed her the video “How to find faith in Christ”. We talked about the miracles of Christ and afterwards we talked about the Priesthood Authority and invited her to be baptized along with Luis, her husband. Now she still doesn’t want to commit to being baptized because of the traditions of her family. She says that she would have to get the whole family together and discuss it. Well, they’re very Catholic. I said: “ok, but Miriam, what greater sign can you have from God?” and she said “I know.” So that was a cool experience this week, I am very grateful that God has trusted us with his Priesthood Authority to be able to bless his children. And honestly, through it, the feeling that I felt going in to give that blessing was that the Lord simply wanted to heal her. This is the second blessing that we have given her that has worked. But this one was a little bit….i don’t want to say more effective, but it was more… it had a little bit more impact. She was really in a bad way. And we came back the next day and she was out actually visiting another neighbor that was sick. Imagine that. The day before she couldn’t even walk. I am a witness that the Priesthood Authority is real. I am a witness that Jesus wants to love us and has a great desire to heal us but the best healing that can take place is Spiritual Healing. In Preach my Gospel it says that to be forgiven of your sins is to be healed spiritually. Thus, the Doctrine of Christ: Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Laying on of Hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end for a remission of our sins. These are the feelings that we need to have. We are trying to help them receive that healing.
Another cool thing that happened this week was with Isabella. Isabella, we were actually teaching a couple of references from Jairo, and she kinda peeked her head through the window a couple of months ago and was listening to us, and then we started teaching her. Now we are not teaching them, because they weren’t progressing (they liked to go out and party more than anything) So we started with her, and then she separated from her boyfriend I think it is, she is 17 and pregnant and she lives in a little house flat, and she takes care of her younger siblings while her older siblings and her mom are working all day every day. So it’s really been cool to teach her because in some ways we’re teaching her and some ways she is teaching us. She reads the Book of Mormon with incredible clarity, It’s not even hard to teach her because whenever we ask her to read she can give us a full on recount of the story of Nephi the first time we came. She told us that she felt like the first time that she saw us, she felt like she knew us from somewhere else. Especially my companion. She said “I felt like I knew you from somewhere else…” Also some of the people from the ward. She said that when she came to church with all of her little siblings, and she came with a small army of little kids, like 5 little kids, with Jairo. She said that “when Elder (?) taught, Elder Prestwich’s companion, I felt this burning and it wasn’t painful… but wow. Why do I feel like that?” It was really cool. So she is becoming converted at 17 years old, even thought she is going to have a child, She’s more adult than I think I am. We have to have permission from her mom to be able to baptize her. Which shouldn’t be a problem, we have actually talked to her mom one time. So we are hoping that will come to pass as well, so that they can repent and come unto Christ.
There are many miracles that happen. I know from my own weaknesses that we are not in this fight alone. I know that the Lord orchestrates the way that he does things absolutely perfectly. Being on the mission has put me in a place to know that and it makes me want to try to put myself in his hands as often as I can. Even if it means not completing his plan, because God’s plan is going to be completed whether by me or by someone else. But really, it’s for me to decide if I want to see miracles. If I want to be the means by which someone can see a miracle, even if that miracle is little or if it’s being completely converted to the gospel. Miracles do happen. They are brought to pass by him. Jesus of Nazareth still does miracles, even to this day.
Have a great week! Chao!
-Elder Lewis
This is Elder Goncalves modeling one of the two new additions to my bolivar bag collection! This one featuring bills of 100, 50, and 1000 jaja!
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