I love my Mom

Dear Everyone,

This was a week full of adventures here in Mindelo!

It was a bit of a challange for us both as Elder Adams passed through the aniverasry of one year since President Mathews came to assomada with the news that his mother had passed away.  I struggled a bit to know how to succor. But, we are through, and just need to keep going and the Lord will do his work.  I am grateful for my mother and all of my family.  I have the best family in the world!
This week we had some great experiences.

One of those was teaching a man who we contacted last Sunday and got to teach this last saturday.  He is probably about 50 and is married and has 2 kids.  He had been taught in the past but not much and didnt remember anything.  He still had the book of Mormon though.  His copy was really old.  A style not printed anymore.

We left him a part to read, and he read a bit before our lesson.  He had read about eat drink and be merry.  He started off about how people reject the prophets and told us about a cycle he has seen in the history of the bible of rejection and prophets and stuff.  He pretty much just taught the restoration to us up until he had nothing after the great appostasty.  He talked about gospel principles that arent really lived in his church, and that he sees in other churches.  He said he has never gone to church and felt like they were living what Christ taught in the bible.  He said he has always longed to feel that he was living with others the true teachings of Christ.  I was able to testify of the restoration and give him the oportunity to learn for himself.  It was an amazing experience.  That doesnt mean he just picked up everything super fast though and is already on board.  We still have some work to help this brother gain his own testimony, but It was a great start!

This Sunday too, Hivandro, who is the group leader from São Nicolau, came out on his way to EFY in Santo Antão.  He went out to teach with us, and though it has only been a week and a half since I saw him, it was super awesome to be with an old friend again.  Also in this ward live the 2 mini-missionaries that were with me in Santo Antão a year and a half ago.  One is still a strong worthy melchezidic preisthood holder, and the other, who was my comp, left 4 weeks ago to Portugal to serve his full time mission.  What a blessing!!!

I also love the other members here.  Testimony meeting was full of people that bore their testimonys, instead of only haveing 7 people to start out with and only 4 will bear their testimonys.  That is a pretty quick meeting. But, here is was a great meeting.

I went into sacrament really needing a new start.  To be clensed.  I begged the Lord.  As the sacrament prayer was going on, I was praying it along with them.  However it became:
Oh God, the eternal Father, I beg thee in the name of thy Son to bless this bread to my soul... that I may always have Thy spirit with me. (or kind of like that.  I was praying in portuguese)
There was a great change in me from that moment until the end of church, as many open wounds were miracuously healed.

Also, we got to teach a lot with our ward mission leader too.  Helton.  He is awesome.  He is about to be able to start his papers.  A true and valiant member.  A great example to me.

I love the Lord.

I love you all too!

Elder Sampson