Im coming home, coming home....tell the world that i´m coming home.

This week was sooo miraclulous. Mostly, Nidia and her family are the most precious, most amazing people on the face of the planet, and I could not love them more. We got there this week and asked how they liked church and Nidia said, ´We think it´s something really good for us and that we should go every Sunday.´ MIRACLE. And thenNidia was like, ´I have some questions...´ And we brace ourselves and say, ´Okay...´ And she starts asking what her daughter is supposed to wear. She asked if it had to be a white dress or if it could be any color, because apparently Diana came back from Primary and thought she had to wear a white dress (I think she got confused with the baptism dress), so they went to the mall and searched for a white dress, but they only found one and it didnt fit her, but they still bought it just in case. OH MY I DIE. And Nidia was all concerned, because she didn´t know what to do and then she was like, ´And Luis´ tie? Does it have to be plain or can it have patterns on it?´ Oh, they are soooo precious. Then they told us that they are so anxious to go to church again, that they want to know if they could go before Sunday. Luckily we have Noite Familiar during the week, so they came to that all dressed up in their sunday best, and oh, i just died. Seriously, they are sooo incredible.

And then we went over another day this week, and her 17 year old son was over. We watched the Restauration and it was awesome, and then we invited him to come to church on Sunday, and he was like, ´Yeah, I dont know, because my friend´s cousin is getting baptized on Sunday, so i´m probably going to need to go to that.´ And Nidia looks at him and says, ´Family is more important. I´m sure they´ll have a party afterward. You can go to that.´ SHE IS THE COOLEST. Seriously, such a boss. 

And this week at church, they came in dresses and ties and literally already look like members. They are so incredible. SO incredible. I die of love and happiness for them.

We were seriously SO blessed this week. There are no words. I am SO grateful for Heavenly Father and His perfect love for us. I know that He knows each of us perfectly. And I am still awestruck by it every single day.

I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father. I know that He has a perfected body of flesh and bone and that we were made in His image. I know that each and every one of us are His children. We are Spirit children of a Heavenly Father who knows us and loves us perfectly. I know that He sent Jesus Christ to this earth to do His will, to be lifted up on the cross and give His life for us. I know that He is our Savior and Redeemer and that through Him, all mankind may be saved on conditions of repentence. I know that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can all be freed from our sins. We can feel peace, comfort, and the Spirit of God in our lives. We can have the strength to overcome all of our trials and tempations in this earth life. I know that God hears and answers our prayers. Every single one of them. It doesn´t matter how important we think they are. WE are important to Him. Prayer is the biggest blessing, because we can literally get assistance and orientation from the most Divine Being in the universe. I know without a shadow of a doubt that the Priesthood was restored to the earth again through the prophet Joseph Smith. I know that the Priesthood is the power to act in God´s name here on the earth, and that with His authority, we can be saved through His divine ordinances. I know that His Priesthood today is the same Priesthood Christ used to perform miracles--heal the blind, cure the sick, cast out devils, and raise the dead. I know that worthy priesthood holders in His church have that same power to perform those same miracles. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is Christ´s church on the earth again, and that the Book of Mormon is our proof to know for ourselves. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that it can bring us closer to Christ than any other book. That and Jesus the Christ. I know that there is nothing more important on this earth than helping others come unto Christ and helping Heavenly Father get His children home. I know that God gives us commandments because He loves us and He wants to bless us and if we do our part, He is bound to do His. I LOVE Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. They are SOOO amazing. Amazingly perfect. And we have the potential to be like THEM. And that´s exactly what they want for us. 

I can´t thank my Heavenly Father or you all enough for helping me through these past months in Portugal. This has been the hardest, best, greatest blessing of my whole life. I am so grateful to have been blessed with this experience and to have had this time here to learn and grow and let the Lord mold me. I don´t even know who I am anymore, but I know that we are God´s children and that He loves us perfectly, and...that´s really all we need to know.

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH THERE ARE NOT WORDS. 

PS. I dont know if I´ll email next Monday or not, but probably not, so.... 

See ya next Tuesday <3

xoxo,

Sister Samantha Brooks

District Meeting