Faith and Miracles

Morning!

Good week here—always is, right?

We had a leadership meaning Tuesday and our zone meeting Wednesday- they both went really well. Our new focus here is less actives! Love the idea, this mission really needs it too. Glad for yet another proof that our mission president is inspired. 

This week Jose and Fia were baptized. It was really awesome. :) God is really helping us in His work here. 

I am doing well- its starting to rain a lot here, again. Love the rain. Love the work, couldn't be happier. You´d also be pleased to know that I am mastering a few cake recipes down here- cakes every week for every baptizing... and I wonder why I am a little chubbier. HA! 

Zooeira. Anyways, everything is going well here- my companion is awesome. This branch is great, too. Yesterday, in sacrament meeting, Elder Carbonie came to talk to us- he is one of Pres. Nogueira´s counselors. Every time I see him he says, "Sister Seal, I know your father." Funny, right dad?

So happy to hear that you seem to be doing well- all of you are doing such great and exciting things- keep it up. I cant wait to catch up with you all in a few months time. And no- I don't want to talk about how little time that may be. Minha nossa, how it flies!

This morning I was studying faith and miracles. 2 Nephi 27:33, "For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith." 

I think miracles are a lot like salvation in the sense that yes, "`his grace is sufficient" but it also requires work on our part. We work to qualify for eternal life and we work to qualify for miracles. We cant merely wait around for a miracle to fall into our laps. Quite frankly, miracles rarely come when we are sitting anyway...

Having faith to see miracles doesn't mean we just believe someday maybe one could or would or might or should happen. The reason faith is a pre-requisite is because faith means we ACT. Ether 12:30 says, ``For the brother of Jared said unto the mountain Zerin, Remove and it was removed. And if he had not had faith it would not have moved wherefore thou workest after men have faith.`` 

We hear about this "faith to move mountains" all the time. I've also heard it said that if you looked behind that "moving mountain", you would see a bunch of people pushing it. 

Real faith is in our works not our words. 

This was a good lesson for me to learn this morning- and definitely one I have seen in action time and time again here in Brazil.

I LOVE being a missionary. And, I love all of you. Have a great week and may God be with you till we meet again.

Love, Sister M. Seal

These pictures are from a different camera- I think mine has a virus because they wont upload. I am going to start using a different memory card. SORRY. Dad or Katie need to fix it!!!! Love you all! Smile!