tired, very tired

Hola,

This has been a very wearing week, but mostly in great ways. I wish I could sit here for a couple hours telling all of you about everything but I have even less time then usual today so I will try to do some good highlights.

- A member in our ward asked if we could give a friend of his a blessing because he was going in for surgery. We of course agreed and set up a time at the institute to meet, but he was not sure what the surgery was for. We walked in, a couple minutes late, and met Robin who looked excited to see us and had a much larger smile on his face then I was expecting considering he was getting ready for surgery the next day. As we talked we became instant friends and he told us that he is going in for a major surgery, nine hours long, to remove some type of cancer (I can't remember what kind). According to his surgeon he was going to cut him open like a pig and that it makes open heart surgery look like a walk in the park, also meaning there wasn't extremely high chances of success. He had to have his stomach cut to a much smaller size and permanently moved up into his ribs by his lungs and heart.

Robin told us that he had a friend who is a member of the church who asked him if he would like a blessing before going in, and he gladly accepted. As we talked to him about what the blessing was it became clear that he thought it was simply a strong prayer by 'ministers'. We explained to him that we hold the priesthood and that we would not be simply praying but instead speaking the words of God and commanding the elements according to his faith and the Lord's will. He was open to the idea and we went into a room with his wife and friend to give the blessing. My companion was asked to anoint and then I sealed and proceeded to give him a blessing. The spirit filled the room completely and the few words I can remember speaking still amaze me. After we ended he sat there for a good while while I got his wife something to wipe he free flowing tears and then he stood up saying that he felt light headed and incredible. We explained to him that it was the spirit confirming what had just taken place and they left smiling with a firm belief that the blessing was from God and he would be safe through the surgery.

Elder Yardley and I went to the hospital on Saturday to see how he was doing and his wife told us that was the first time Robin perked up and told jokes since his surgery, and that he had been waiting for us to come. As we talked to him he told us that after the blessing he and his wife knew without a doubt that he would be safe. His surgeon told him that he was extremely impressed with how his body handled such an extensive surgery and Robin told him frankly that it was because of the blessing he had received the night before it happened. We will be going back to the ICU this week to see how he is doing and talk more about the miracle that he has been blessed with.

There is so much more that took place this week that I wish I could talk about but I am already running low on time and I still have to email President. I love where I am serving and the people I have been called to bring closer to Christ!

Love,

Elder Inman