Dear Readers,

Most of you are must be wondering WHY IN THE WORLD I wrote Pain and Peace for the topic of this week and it´s because that sums up my feelings and experiances.  The entire week as essentially been focused on the plan of Salvation that God created for us and I don´t think it was a coincedance.The peace part is easy to explain...S and A were married on Wednesday.  On Sunday, S and her sister J were baptized.  Nothing brings more peace and joy than taking steps like these in following Christ and understanding the importance of family in this life and the life to come.  

It seemed like just the other day, that my companion and I were knocking doors and came across a family that needed a special prayer.  The 70 year old grandmother of the family (Brazilian families stick together...in the same neighborhood or same house) had been horriblly sick for the past year and was confined to her bed.  Old, pencil-thin, and always tired, anyone could see that she was clinging to life with her frail fingers.  I specifically remember the spirit that filled the room as we knelt and prayed for a blessing of comfort, relieve, and peace upon the household.  After closing the prayer, I stretched forward my hand, shook the hand of Sueli de Fatima de Jesus, looked into her eyes and smiled.  We left the house and I thought hardly nothing of the encounter.  A couple days later, we returned to find that Sueli passed on not 3 days after our first visit and prayer.  That night I shed tears of sadness and joy.  It was as if that ancient woman was holding on to life just for us.  So she could see our faces, know us as missionaries, and feel the spirit. I´m glad that one of her last memories was of us because when she meets the missionaries in the spirit world, she will remember us. 

 In my life, I´ve always just excepted the believe that there´s a life after death...it just seemed logical.  As of 20 minutes ago, this belief has become a fact in my mind...no longer logical, but essential.  In the last 20 minutes, I learned that my Grandmother passed away. To be honest, for the last 20 minutes I´ve just been sobbing while reading and writing letters in a lan house (surrounded by strangers)! Brothers, Sisters, Friends and Family...life wasn´t meant to be easy!  Our Heavenly Father said that this time on earth would be a huge test!  Difficulties, trials, and burdens WILL COME OUR WAY.  In Helaman 5:12 it states, `WHEN the devil sends forth his mighty rain, winds, tempests...`  If we are built firmly on Christ and lift up our heads amid affiliction...we will overcome(Mosiah 25:13-15).  With this in mind, we can have hope and peace in this life and in our life to come.

Elder Johnson