Modern Day Miracles- June 30, 2014

Family and Friends!

First off we have officially entered the interesting part of the World Cup. Saturday´s game was beyond crazy. I could feel the entire country of Brazil on pins and needles until the very end. Well, to be honest I was too! For those of you who don´t know. Brazil played against Chile in the most intense game of soccer I have ever watched. We went into overtime and ended up deciding the game by penalty shots. First of all Brazil´s goalie, Julius Cesar is amazing! Second of all Neymar Jr. Rocks! I am officially converted to soccer!

This past week I got to take part in a modern day miracle. Not the kind of casting out devils or raising the dead, but truly a miracle. There are a lot of people from all over the world here in Manaus because of the World Cup. They stay mostly near the center of the city, but one woman and her son were staying in the neighborhood that my companion and I work in with a host family. This miracle started last week when I got transfered. The mission president told me he had all intentions of keeping me in Petrópolis and transferring Sister Marinho. But, I ended up getting transferred to Dom Pedro. On Wednesday night my companion and I decided to work in a part of the neighborhood that we don´t usually go to. We ended up teaching a lesson to a less active and his cousins that lasted a little longer than expected. My companion and I were walking back to our apartment because it was time to go home. Then seemingly out of the blue (I was talking to my companion) a woman and a 10 year old boy walked up to us and asked in English for help. Now this woman was in the non-tourist part of Manaus, nobody speaks English.

This is truly a miracle showing that Heavenly Father is watching out for all of His children. First of all the odds are very slim for a foreigner to find someone that speaks English and Portuguese walking the streets at night. Second of all the odds are very slim to find someone who know the streetnames and neighboorhoods as well as missionaries do (seeing that we spend all day everyday walking said streets).  We found her host family´s house and gave them some of our water. (they had been walking the streets for 2 hours very confused because no one could understand or help them). As we finished our walk home I thought how special that experience was. I wasn´t even supposed to be here in Dom Pedro, but Heavenly Father transfered me here. Heavenly Father put a missionary that could speak English in Dom Pedro 2 weeks before this woman and her son got lost. He inspired our plans so that we would be on the same street when she needed us. And He left Sister Ojeda here (she has been here for 4.5 months and knows the area really well). There are no such things as coincidences, but there are such things as miracles. It was a miracle that this woman found an American that speaks portuguese on the streets of a Brazilian neighborhood at 8:45 at night. I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father who so willingly shows His love for each of His children. This miracle could have happened to anyone. I am glad that I got to be in the service of my Heavenly Father by serving one of His lost children.

And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles. 

Mormon 9:19

Remember the Lord loves you and the Church is True!

Believe in Miracles because they really do happen!

Love

Sister Nay