"Getting Sleep" April 18 Email

Dear Everyone,

I don't remember if I made mention of it, but EVERY ONE of my comps has had huge snoring problems. I had earplugs that I was given from another elder, and I could STILL hear my comp with the earplugs in! Until Elder Bortolo. He doesn't snore! I've been getting real sleep! It's a miracle! Haha not like the most exciting thing ever, but it's a pretty big deal for me!

Also, this has been a week of miracles! Our mission president wanted our district to find 15 new investigators this week, which is a pretty big challenge. Elder Bortolo and I only had two of the five we needed, and by Saturday night at 8 pm, we were pretty desperate. But we kept working, and found 3 news all that day, and our district altogether found 18! I have never been so tired after a day of missionary work than that Saturday. We talked to SO many people and did every thing we could, and the Lord blessed us for our work! It was a pretty happy day for us!

I finally got to do a musical number this week too! Actually, it was a couple of weeks ago, but I remembered to write about it this week. :) The sisters in my district have actual musical talent, so we sang "mais perto quero estar" which is "nearer my God to thee" in English, and it was so fun to sing with people who know how to sing! Music is not a talent of very many portuguese people, so it's been a while.

My spiritual message this week is about enduring to the end. 2 Nephi 31:20 is one of my favorite scriptures -   20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward,feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end,behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

I love this scripture! I didn't really understand having a "brightness of hope" until this week. The week started of a little under the weather, and by the end of the week, I wasn't sure how it was ever going to end! But that miracle with new investigators, and a couple of lessons we got to teach this week about the gospel of Jesus Christ, helped me understand that having a brightness of hope is realizing that life ISN'T easy, that we WILL have struggles, but that Christ will ALWAYS bless us when we endure to the end, or in other words, keep going, even when we don't know how we can, love God, do what's right, and we are promised that we will be happy. Is there a better gift than that? PROMISED happiness for doing things that make us happy anyway! I love the Gospel! It makes so much sense that our Heavenly Father would bless us, especially when you understand just how much He loves you. 

Have a good week everyone! 

- Elder Valentine!