Week 56 - The Miracle of Blessings

Elder Piukala and I been able to see amazing things happen this week. Two of these experiences are connected to giving priesthood blessings. The first experience happened on Wednesday when we got a call from the office telling us that there was a man (who is not a member of the church) at Westmead Hospital who wanted a blessing. When we got there, he was surprised by how fast we got there, arriving before the minister from his church. He was going in for an operation the next day, and a friend of his from the United States asked him if he would be okay with the elders from his church coming to give him a blessing. He agreed (this is where we come in). We gave him a blessing, talked with him for a while, and then left so the doctors could do some paperwork. A couple of days later, he sent us this text:

"Dear Elders Clarke and Pivitala (probably spelled that way because of my handwriting!), I just wanted to say how blessed I felt, when you both came out to pray for me on Wednesday night. I was so impressed by your commitment to your faith. My operation went better than expected... That I give God the glory for. And again I thank you for your commitment to the faith. Bless you both :) Alan"

I'm happy we were able to serve Alan as he prepared for his operation. I'm also thankful for the friend who was willing and able to share the gospel with their friend on the other side of the world. Alan was blessed, we were blessed to be a part of it.

The second big experience came the next day. There was a member of the ward, Aaron, who was going in for an operation the next day and asked for a blessing before he went. When we got to the house, his son, Lehi, who had arrived from New Zealand that day, answered the door and invited us in. We gave a blessing and talked with them afterwards. As we were talking, Aaron mentioned that he needed to come back to church and baptize Lehi. Up to this point, I thought Lehi was a member since he knew so much about how blessings work and everything. He went into another room and came back with most of the missionary pamphlets, a "For the Strength of Youth" book, and a quad combination. He's been studying, and knows a lot. We asked Lehi if he wanted to be baptized, and he told us that he did. We're going to start teaching him as soon as Aaron gets out of the hospital.

So far, being on a mission has been one of the most comprehensive learning experiences I've ever had. It's been very humbling. I've learned how valuable time is, and what great things you can do when you organize it. There's been good times and bad times, but looking back at who I was then and who I am now, I'd do it all again.

Last week, we read Helaman 6-10. I was thinking about it this morning, and I realized beyond the amazing teachings that the Book of Helaman contains, it also has a fascinating story. The forces of good and evil, espionage, the battle between the government and the secret societies of robbers, and lots of other things. It's not the most important thing in the Book of Mormon, of course, but I really enjoyed reading in the Book of Mormon this week.

Next week, we'll read Helaman 11-16.We're going to read about Samuel the Lamanite, who tells some amazing prophecies about Jesus Christ, who would be born in Jerusalem five years later.

Love,

Elder Clark

Elder Piukala and I live with our zone leaders, Elder Arona (from Samoa) and Elder Turi (from New Calidonia)

American Style Peanut Butter....I really can't tell a difference.