Feb 8, 2016

This was a pretty full week for Elder Wight and I. Full of meetings, lessons, and miracles.

President has told us that the Missionary Department wants the Assistants areas to have the model area for the mission, A proselyting area that can be used as the guide/example area for other missionaries to work towards having...woah. Talk about responsibility. We were a little nervous on how we would accomplish this because how much we have to do outside of standard missionary work, but we took the challenge and the Lord has provided. We have been finding more people, teaching more lessons and have more people progress in their testimonies than ever. Sunday we had 14 investigators attend church, which blew our minds, we were so happy that they came, and they loved church. We are working really hard to become that "Model Area" and I believe the Lord is helping us out.

The main portion of this email is about a man named Aaron (not his real name) and the Miracle he is to us, and the miracles the Lord has done for him.
Aaron was released from Prison this week. He has been there for about two years. The Wollenziens, a senior Couple went to the prison with a woman from the Red Cross to deliver some reading materials to the inmates there a couple months back, and a little while ago they received a very well written and serious letter from this man. He had read Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson and was converted from that book. he Asked for a copy of the Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants and the Pear of Great Price. He promptly received those from the Wollenziens. He was released because he has TB and cannot get the proper treatment from inside the Prison (it was a miracle he was actually released, the Red Cross woman they were with didn't think they really would). 

Thursday afternoon, Elder Wollenzien was talking to us and Sister Carlson about this man and said that he might show up at our chapel one day, so we should keep an eye out. About 20 minutes later we left and were walking to the Chruch when I got a call from a recent convert telling me that some man named Aaron was here looking for us (we were dumbfounded at how fast it happened). We met him and wow what a wonderful man. We only met with him for maybe 20 minutes but it was filled with love and the Spirit. Aaron is an older man who is very smart and articulate. He has a change of heart and is so willing to come unto Christ. For years he thought that he was too old to repent and change, but when he read from President Benson, he realized that he could repent, that he could be happy, and he is working to do just that. I don't know, it's a lot to write but the way that the Lord has shaped the events in his life to get him here are too obvious to ignore, The Lord loves this man and has performed miracle after miracle to do so. I am grateful that I am able to meet and witness this man and the miracles the Lord does for him.

His miracles were very apparent and obvious to him, and to us. But that does not mean the Lord doesn't provide numberless miracles to all of us. The Lord loves us just as much as he loves Aaron, and works just as hard to help us as He has him. "By small and simple means are great things brought to pass" The lord performs miracles for us everyday, we just need to realize it more.
Elder Verdoni

Elder Cichoski from Vegas

Delicious soup (casava leaf)