This past Thursday, I had the opportunity to go on a split with my zone leader, and it was a much needed spiritual rechargement.  I learned so much…and then things got tough.  The rest of the week was very difficult; nothing seemed to go right.  Then, on Sunday, a small miracle happened.  We went tracting in the small flavela in the southern portion of town.  Poverty is everywhere and people don’t have anything.  And yet, every person that I spoke with was completely happy…happiness was found around every corner.  These people were surrounded by their families and, for them, it didn’t matter that they had few material possessions.  We taught three amazing families.  During one lesson, we started with five people and by the time we finished teaching about the restoration, there were 15 people eagerly listening.  As I bore my testimony each time, my heart seemed to mend from the difficulties of the previous few days.  I realized that my whole life has been changed because of Canindé. 

I will forever love the people here.  
Though I still don’t understand them well,

I hope my testimony manifested my love to them.

I have been studying about the importance of symbols in our life.  The Prophet Samuel raised an ebenezer (“stone of help”) to the Lord in gratitude for conquering the Philistines.  And, in Joshua, we read that the Israelites raised a monument of 12 stones to remind their children of the Lord’s blessings.  I realized that the Book of Mormon is also a “stone of help,” given by the Lord in the last days as a monument of truth and light.  It radiates the warmth of infinite love and cannot fall.  This is what I spoke about in Church this week.

I hope all is well with all of you. 

I continue to move on and look for joy in the small things.

Love,

Elder Larkin