Acting with Faith

A month ago in Brazil, I met Aroldo Cavalcante. 
He was baptized at age 21, the first member of the Church in his family. 
His faith burned brightly, and he immediately began preparing to serve a mission.
Sadly, Aroldo's mother was diagnosed with cancer.
Three months later, , only days before she died. she spoke to Aroldo of her greatest concern: There were no relatives to help.
Aroldo would need to take full responsibility for his two younger sisters and his younger brother. 
He solemnly made this promise to his dying mother. 

By day he worked in a bank, and at night he attended the university.
He continued to keep his baptismal covenants, but his hopes for a full-time mission were gone.
His mission would be caring for his family. 

Months later while preparing a sacrament meeting talk, Aroldo studied the words that Samuel reprovingly spoke to King Saul: "To obey," he read, "is better than [to] sacrifice." 
Aroldo received the seemingly impossible impression that he needed to obey the prophet's call to serve a mission.
Undaunted by the obstacles before him, he moved forward with enormous faith. 

Aroldo saved every Brazilian cruzeiro he could. 
At age 23, he received his mission call. 
He told his brother how much to withdraw each month from his account for the family. 
Aroldo still did not have enough money to pay the full cost of his mission and the living expenses for his brother and sisters, but with faith he entered the MTC.
A week later he received the first of many blessings.
The bank that had employed Elder Cavalcante unexpectedly doubled the money he was to receive as he concluded his work. 
This miracle, along with others, provided the needed income for his mission and his family during his absence. 

Twenty years later, Brother Cavalcante is now serving as the president of the Recife Brazil Boa Viagem Stake.
Looking back, he said of those days, "As I tried to live righteously, I felt the Savior's love and guidance. 
My faith grew, allowing me to overcome many challenges." 
Aroldo's faith did not come by chance, but by choice. 

-Neil L. Andersen -Faith Is Not by Chance, but by Choice -October 2015 General Conference

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi