Sister McKenna Seal: February 17

Bom Dia.

This week was.... well... it flew. I was sick all week. No need for anyone to worry, I think I am doing a lot better now. But.... I really didn’t work at all this week.

Friday was our Mission Tour- President Fernandes (former Joao Pessoa Mission President) came and spoke to us- he hit on a lot of things and it really helped us all I believe. Good conference. Really great to see all my buddies. Miss them a lot and they seem to all be doing well.

My first day of work this week was Saturday, and we saw so many miracles... We left the apartment at 8 to visit Mauricio -Paulo, a recent convert´s son. Walking there, we here someone call out to us- there in a cell phone shop across the main road are Paulo and Mauricio. This was Miracle #1- if they hadn’t called out to us, we wouldn’t have noticed them, and wouldn’t have found them home, and none of the other miracles would have happened that day. Miracle #2- we taught the restoration on the busy street and SOMEHOW, Mauricio felt the spirit and FINALLY after 5 weeks of working with him, he accepted baptism. He wanted to be baptized next Sunday... but then miracle #3 happened, we got him to be baptized THAT DAY (Meaning, the 15th- last Sunday). It was STELLAR! It felt good to be back working- especially to have a baptism, a MIRACLE from Heavenly Father to end a difficult week. Really, really cool. My companion and I just looked at each other, awestruck, asking, ``why....why is it that we are so blessed here? We don’t deserve this...`` And that my friends is the mercy and grace of our Lord.

No real other news. Well, of course there is the big news of transfers next Wednesday, again. Didn’t they JUST happen? Obviously, given my track record, (7 months in my first area) I don’t think I will be going anywhere- I’d almost bet my life on it. But.... the change I think will happen is with our zone leaders who have been here for 6 months- together. So, that will be different... to get new ZLs. We LOVE our zone leaders now though, so if that doesn’t change- no one is going to get offended about it. Yeah, don’t expect any big news- its more just to say another 6 weeks has come and gone.

Ok. Now a message from the prophet:

``I pause when I think of the words of Pres. John Taylor: ``If you do not magnify your callings, God will hold you responsible for those you might have saved had you done your duty.´´ Pause here please and reread. That is a VERY powerful statement.

Ok. Then Monson continued: ``Like a glowing searchlight of goodness is the life of Jesus as He ministered among men. `I am among you as he that serveth,` Jesus declared as He brought strength to the limbs of the cripple, sight to the eyes of the blind, hearing to the ears of the deaf, and life to the body of the dead.

``With the parable of the Good Samaritan, the master taught us to love our neighbors as ourselves. With His answer to the rich young ruler, He taught us to shed our selfishness, with the feeding of the 5000 he taught us to see the needs of others. And with the Sermon on the Mount, He taught us to seek first the kingdom of God.

``In the new world, the resurrected Lord declared, ``Ye know the things what ye must do in my church for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do for that which ye have seen me do even that shall you do`` (3 Nephi 27:21).”

I really liked this idea- Jesus is always the example of things we do in the church, in our families, and in life. But the big idea here is in the beginning. I don’t want blood on my hands because I failed to bring the message to someone here... Let’s fulfill our calling-as members of the church, not in our organizations alone, but in our duty to bring the gospel to all the world.

Love you all. Congrats to the Reynolds family- wishing Preston and His wife all the best! Have a great week.

Sister Seal

Photos: this morning I made a banana bread for the sisters I live with. It was really good. You should all be proud. I did it with a microwave and without a recipe!!! Whoot! Yes, for 2 seconds I thought I was pretty cool :)