Servants

Family!  Friends!  Hi!

So first business!  I got grandma and grandpa's dear Elder, which was my first real letter on my mission so thank you so much!  I was pretty sure the MTC couldn't get mail but I guess you proved me wrong!  For the rest of y'all, I understand you're having difficulty with the pouch mail.  I have no idea how any of that works, but I would reeeeeeeally appreciate having hard copies of your letters once I get into the field because I'm still not entiiiiirely sure if there will be printers where I'm going.  Also receiving real letters out here kinda makes your whole day.  So keep me posted on how mail is happening and such!

Now culture things!!  I write down a few things in my planner to tell you guys about Chilean culture so I don't forget because I think it's super cool.  So here, for breakfast they don't just pour milk on their cereal.  They actually think that that's really weird.  Instead, they mix a little milk into yogurt in order to make a more pourable form of yogurt and they pour that over their cereal.  Most of the missionaries absolutely love the yogurt thing but I'm not gunna lie I kinda miss the plain milk.  When I get into the field I might be weird and pour milk on my cereal and get weird looks from my companions.

So this week was pretty uneventful until yesterday, but I have a few stories to tell before I get to yesterday.  Sadly none of them are as funny as fried sin story (I hear that one was a hoot ;) ) but they're still good.  Yeah, still good.  One day in class Hna. Alegría got on her phone and looked at all of our Instagrams and Facebook accounts in order to show everyone in the class everybody's girl or boy back home.  I have no idea how this started but it was kind of an out of body experience seeing my facebook account again, even though last time I was on was only a month ago.  So when you post this to my facbook, mother, you'll probably notice a friend request from Something Something Alegría.  Do accept it, she's one of my CCM teachers and she's awesome.  Also they stalked your account, Bre, but I don't think she requested you as a friend, but if she did you should accept it to!

So now to yesterday!  It's kind of difficult to adequately express a day as sacred as yesterday, but I'll try my best.  The Spanish keyboard doesn't make it easier, Dad emailed me a trick to fix it but I forgot it already and am too lazy to look again so forgive the weird Spanish accents popping up in weird places.  The entire day was directed by the hand of the Lord.  The entire day, and there are not a lot of days where you can say that.  Our teachers here are very inspired and absolutely incredible people.  Sometime around 4:00 yesterday, we discovered that an Elder in our district was going to be sent home that night.  After a month of spending 16 hours a day with a group of people, you get really close.  Especially on a mission because you're entire purpose is to build and lift each other up.  So this news kind was actually pretty devestating.  He got up to the front and told us what was happening and how much he loved all of us, then we all took turns giving him a hug and offering encouragement.  Then we sang "Come Thou Fount" as a district and had a group prayer, arm-in-arm.  Then we said our final goodbye's.  The Spirit was almost stronger than I've ever felt it, and it was all a very sacred experience.  

There were tender mercies throughout that day that testified to all of us that God was with us.  Before he told any of us, the teachers before (without knowing what was going to happen at all) completely deviated from the planned schedule and had us do things as a district that brought us closer together.  Our teachers are very close to the Spirit, I'm very greatful for how they listened to the promptings of the Spirit.  They had us do things like bear testimonies, go around in a circle and say kind things about everybody there, act like other people in the room and focus on their strengths, and things like that.  Even before anything had happened, the day was directed by the hand of the Lord for our comfort.  After the Elder left, Hno. Pino came in and told us a funny story that all cheered us up instantly, then had us pray and find a scripture through revelation that would help us.  He had us all read Alma 26: 27-31 and talk about what we liked about that scripture.  He also let us all take a walk around the temple, where we sang hymns in front of the temple for a half an hour while the sun was setting.  The Spirit was very strong, and these experiences were so beautiful that I cannot possibly begin to describe them.

One particular event of yesterday stood out from the rest, and it has definitely changed my life forever.  In the morning, our district leader's back was really hurting and wanted a blessing.  I annointed him then his companion gave the blessing.  For whatever reason, as soon as I annointed him I got the impression to offer the Hermana in our district a blessing.  And that impression was persistent throughout the next few hours of the day.  In fact, it was more like the Spirit hitting me in the stomach repeatedly with a baseball bat than it was like a prompting.  I'm kinda not used to this whole prompting thing so I think the Spirit helped me out by making it perfectly clear what I needed to do.  That morning (this was before we knew about the Elder that was leaving) I told Hna. Porter that ever since that morning I was feeling prompted to offer to give her a priesthood blessing whenever she wanted one.  She told me that she had been really wanting a blessing, but didn't know how to tell the District and wasn't sure how they'd react.  She thanked me for being close enough to The Spirit that I would follow the prompting, and later expressed gratitude to God for watching out for her so closely.

I think one of the sweetest joys you can feel in missionary work is acting on a prompting and later discovering that it was an answer to prayer.

After Hermana Porter told me she wanted a blessing I got permission from Presidente Doll and worked all of the logistics out and started fasting for the remainder of the day.  I prayed for the rest of the day that I'd be close enough to the Spirit to say what I needed to say and that I'd be guided in the blessing that night.  A few hours later is when we found out that the Elder was leaving us, which compounded the pain that Hermana Porter was in (he was one of her companions, don't ask me how that works because I don't really know) and of course it dampened the mood of the whole district, who'd be taking part in the blessing.  I questioned the wisdom then of offering the blessing at such timing when the Spirit wacked me in the stomach again and told me "What are you thinking fool this is the perfect time for a Priesthood blessing" So I was quickly humbled.

After dinner, I laid my hands on Hermana Porter''s head with the entire district and Hermano Pino in a circle around her and offered her a Priesthood blessing.  Of course I can't share what was said, but it was easily the most sacred experience of my life.  There was even a part of the blessing where the Lord offered counsel for the entire company present, in response to the Elder leaving earlier that day.  I ended the prayer and saw that Hermana Porter and several of the Elders in the circle had been crying.  I got to hug all the Elders and shake Hermana Porter's hand, who said that what was said was exactly what she needed and couldn't thank me enough.  I was extremely greatful for the companionship of the Lord at that time, and His willingness to work through me as His Priesthood servant.  There is no sweeter feeling than blessing the life of another in such a way as to offer them the counsel of their Divine Heavenly Father, directed specifically for them.  I cannot possibly describe the beauty of that experience for me, or my testimony of the power of the Priesthood on the earth today.  It is my firm knowledge that God directs his work through his servants, and that he speaks through the tongue of man in our days.  The blessing was able to bless not just Hermana Porter, but the entire distrcit as well in our hour of need.  I know that God lives, and that he loves us more than what we could possibly comprehend.  I will forever be greatful to be in the Lord's hands, and to be His servant in this life and in the life to come.  The Church of Jesus Christ is on the earth again, and we have the full authority and Priesthood of Christ on the earth.  I say these things in His name, even Jesus Christ, amen.

- Elder Fox.