Across the Universe

Whats up everybody, hows it going! This week was an amazing one, where we saw one of the biggest blessings and miracles seen in the mission thus far. Lemme run yall through it. 

Okay so first of all I gotta get outta the way the fact we had a Multi-zone conference! Gallll it was great to be back in Belem for a bit, got to see some of the boys again and I got to meet the new President of the mission! Him and his wife are awesome people, I'm mad excited to see what the future of the mish has got in store with him. Also the legendary meet up finally went down and I got to see THE day oner Elder Schudde after like 10 months without seeing him. Dude hooked me up with a legendary spicy tie, we got to catch up and overall it was a great conference! 

Okay so the same of the day is Edilane. That's an important name so don't go forgetting it, alright? When Elder Klinger and I first arrived here in Macapa, we heard the Ward Mission Leader's wife (Edilane) wasn't letting her daughter be baptized. After going and visiting her week after week, growing and sharing little by little, fasting, praying, and doing all that we can to try and soften her heart, the Lord was able to work miracles with her. As I said a couple weeks ago, she let her daughter, Maria Eduarda, get baptized. But she said that she still had some doubts with the church.

One day about 2 weeks ago, while we were talking with Edilane during a lesson, she shared with us a dream that she had. She said that in her dream, she saw her and her whole family wearing white together, and that she didn't know what it meant. We taught her about the temple and about sealing families together, and how baptism is the start of the path that leads to eternal families. After that we started discussing baptism, and she asked if she could be baptized in 2 weeks and we told her yes! Since then we've been inviting her to activites, growing her relationship with the members and with other aspects of the church, and she's been becoming more and more certain of the fact she wants to be a member of the church. This Sunday was the day planned for her to be baptized, everything was ready to go, besides one problem...

Saturday night as we were preparing to sleep, the Bishop calls us and says this: "Elders, I'm calling you to ask a question: do you both have faith? The reason I ask is because, the chapel once again is out of water, and we've got no way to fill up the baptismal font." He told us we should pray with all the faith we had for a miracle with the baptisma font, and we did just that.

I thought about the story with the brother of Jared. When he was up against the task of sailing across the sea in closed ships, he came to the Lord with the 16 stones he wanted the Lord to touch to light up the ships. The brother of Jared didn't just grab any old stone off the ground for the Lord to light up, but he "did molten out of a rock sixteen small stones; and they were white and clear, even as transparent glass..." Those stones were undoubtedly more work to make than just picking up any other stone and offering it to the Lord, but because he underwent the work to make those clear stones, he showed the Lord that he was willing to do his best in order for the Lord to work. And because of his faith, and also the work in which he put in, the Lord stretched forth his hand, and fulfilled what the brother of Jared needed of him. 

As we prayed to the Lord, I knew we had presented him with our best efforts. We had shown patience, diligence, and done our best to fulfill his will with everything we had power to fulfill. We knew that we were in a position to ask the Lord for help with what he needed, and that in accordance to our faith, and the Lord's will, it would be granted unto us. 

20 And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.

3 Nephi 18:20 

Sunday morning, we awaited news from the Bishop, but none came. We arrived at church a bit after the first meeting started, checked on all of the classes, and finally made our way to the font to see if the baptism was going to work out. As we opened the font doors, we looked down into the font to see that it was COMPLETELY full! The Lord had heard our prayers, and for the cause of righteousness he fufilled his promise made in the scripture above. Edilane was able to be baptized, and now her, as well as her daughter and husband are baptized members of the church of Jesus Christ. Here in a year, they'll be able to go to the Temple and be able to be sealed together for the eternities. I know that God is the author of miracles. The fact her heart was brought unto the truth, that the font was able to be filled and that every part of the process worked out is because Jesus Christ lives, he still performs miracles and because this is his church. 

Talk to all of yall next week! Peace out 

1&2. Edilane's baptism!! 

3. President and Sister Ferreira and some guy 

4. MTC squad 

5. Plan of salvation drawing I made for lessons (shoutout Elder Hillstead Sr.) 

6. Elder Hiatt and I improving a mafia skit

7. Dedicatory CDC drawing by the dukester (E. Manduca) 

8. ️ w/ Elder Tellechea 

9. Dawg