This week has been yet another week of miracles, which resulted in the baptism of one of our pesquisadoras.  Her name is Pamela.  We were walking one day down the street looking for people to teach.  All of a sudden I felt the impulse to turn back and knock on one of the doors.  A lady (Fatima) answered the door.  Turns out she has a big lot with like 5 small houses on it.  She was inactive, but she returned to the church now.  She also takes care of pretty much all of the neglected children who live close.  (Their parents abandoned them, or are always at work.)  During the lessons we taught Fatima to help her reactivate, a girl Pamela started listening.  She gained a testimony of the Book of Mormon and everything looked great for her to be baptized this Sunday.  

So we woke up Sunday, got all ready, and were walking to the church for our meeting w/ Bispo.  On the way, we met a woman who had committed to go to church that day.  She told us she didn't want to go.  We explained the blessings that she would get there and she walked off.  Later, we headed to Fatima's house to walk with her and about a billion kids who wanted to go to church.  Pamela wasn't there.  Noone had seen her since the night before, and she wasn't anywhere to be found.  We walked everyone to church, and then started what would be an hour and a half long search party to find her.  We said a prayer on the way asking for a miracle to find her so she could be baptized that day (you have to go to church a certain number of times, and atleast getting her to sacrament meeting was crucial).  And so we searched.  

After the hour and half was up, we started walking slowly back to the church, perhaps wondering what we had done wrong.  We had done all we thought we could.  As we walked past the young women's room, we glanced in there, and she was sitting there, actively engaged in the lesson.  Elder Gallion and I went into the other room and offered a prayer of thanks.  God works in myterious ways, but when you do what is right, miracles happen.  

So, my comp is getting transferred tomorrow.  I'm super sad.  I will have another American come and take his place named Elder Bendoski.  Well, the work progresses.  I wonder what's with my luck getting American comps.

It looks like I will be spending the next month and a half here in Cesario de Melo.  It's a great place.  I was looking forward to getting to know a different part of Rio, but hey- this just means that there are more people here that are prepared to here my voice than I've reached yet.  I'm just grateful for the opportunity to serve.  

"Porque, eis que, eu sou Deus, e eu sou um deus de Milagres!!! "

Elder Stinnett