July 23

To describe this week is one word, it would be miraculous! After
trying to meet with the dad of Gustavo, a fourteen year old boy who
lives with a family in our ward, for the past few weeks to get his
signature of approval, so gustavo could be baptized we had a miracle
occur yesterday. When I woke up yesterday I was holding out a little
hope and praying that Gustavo would get his dad´s signature before
church. However when we met him at church, he had a sad look on his
face and said that he didn´t get ahold of his dad to get his
signature, so he thought he wasn´t going to get baptized. If that did
occur that would have been the second week in a row that he would´ve
passed his baptismal interview, only to not be baptized because of a
missing signature. Elder Evans and I knew that if we had faith that
the Lord would answer our prayers anything was possible. So we called
the adopted mom of Gustavo to get permission,as sacrament meeting was
going on, and she said that she couldn´t sign the paper since she´s
not his actual mom, but that if Gustavo called his Dad and invited him
to his baptism after church, we could go ahead with the baptism since
she is the legal guardian of Gustavo right now. Gustavo called his Dad
who lives a couple miles away from the chapel, he signed the paper an
hour and a half before the baptismal service then he left to a lunch
appointment. He then returned as the opening song for the baptismal
service was being sung to witness his song enter the waters of
baptism. It truly was an amazing spiritual miracle. The day ended with
another miracle as the mom of a recent convert for the first time told
us with conviction that she will be baptized this coming Sunday after
a month and a half of teaching her. The Church is true, miracles do
occur and the Lord answers prayers in his time and in his own way.

Thank you all for your love and support, Have an amazing week because
I know I will.

Love,

Elder Jonathan Hokanson

Attached is the picture of the Elder Evans and I at the baptism of
Gustavo, he´s the shorter one with shaggy hair