Healing power of the word!

Hernando and Elder Loveless. Hernando let Elder Loveless use his Skype on Mother's Day.

So not only was yesterday amazing, but our last week was too! It was so awesome to end off the week skyping with the family! Loved it so much! I'm so grateful to have such an amazing family that has blessed me throughout my mission!

So this last week we got a call from a man in another city here in São Paulo. He said he has a friend that was sick and she needed a blessing! Well she isn't a member. So while on an exchange with an American elder here, we went and contacted her. She told us she lived in Texas for 10 years and she is fluent in English...well...we taught her in English. As we were talking with her she said, "When I heard your voices, my throat and the problems with it immediately started to feel better." We began the explain the blessings of the priesthood, how the power and authority was restored and as we were explaining it all before we gave her the priesthood blessing she said, "I haven't been able to to talk this much in a long time. It's only been since you two have been here and have been sharing the gospel." We gave her a blessing and she agreed to take the lessons! What she said had struck me about how just hearing us helped here throat feel better. Well I came across this scripture during my study today and it all makes sense now! In Jacob 2:8 And it supposeth me that they have come up hither to hear the pleasing word of God, yea, the word which healeth the wounded soul.... As I read that it hit me so strong. The gospel, the word of Jesus Christ, His authority, His atonement not only heals our wounded spirits, but our whole souls both body and spirit. I was blessed to be a witness of this in the MTC with Elder Eller. When he got hurt and didn't know if he had to go home or not he received a blessing that said, "the spirit can heal your body and knows how to do it." It was so amazing to be with him and see his faith shine to watch him now serve. I'm so grateful for not only the Healing Power of the Atonement, but the Healing Power of the Word. 

Elder Loveless, Elder Schulze with Ofelha (from the above paragraph)

I also read something that helped me a lot with questions I had that were answered in the Book of Mormon. In Mormon Chapter 9:8 Behold I say unto you, he that denieth these things knoweth not the gospel of Christ; yea, he has not read the scriptures; if so, he does not understand them. 9 For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing? 10 And now, if ye have imagined up unto yourselves a god who doth vary, and in whom there is shadow of changing, then have ye imagined up unto yourselves a god who is not a God of miracles.

It's been one of the hardest things on the mission seeing people leave the church. Especially people whom I love and know back at home. The world is changing all around us but as we learn from the Book of Mormon, GOD DOES NOT!  We get blinded by other things of the world and we forget to turn to the scriptures and especially to a God that WONT CHANGE! I'm so grateful for the power and the blessings of the Book of Mormon to help me to stay strong on a firm foundation. So grateful for my wonderful family and friends that have encouraged me to read the Book of Mormon and gain a testimony of it! I love this gospel with all my heart. I know its true and that Christ lives,

Love you all so much!

 

Gary