Two years waiting for a Book of Mormon

Hey dad so I was so happy to hear from you this week as I have been thinking a lot of you more in particularly.  My companion has been asking various things about life and his mission. Almost such questions and thoughts that I had at the time of my mission.  But I pulled out the talk you sent me long ago of "Waiting on the Lord" and I gave it to him.  It really helped him and then I, in reflection to those thoughts and feelings I turned back to read my journal of what I was feeling. haha wow 1 year ago I was in a world of hurt and heartache and I didn't write all but the bad and small about it.  Now I am writing much much more but I wish I would have wrote in the past. anyway it even lead me to one journal entry where I was writing about the relationship that I had with my dad. I then went and dug out of my box of letters the dear elders you send me that really inspired and helped turn my life and mission around. reading it, I was so eager to come and talk and read the emails that I had.  So now I find myself here writing you.  I love hearing from you so much dad and I am thankful that you are willing and loving to hear from me.  So I will just share an experience that I had during this week with my companion.  It probable won't be too sufficient in detail but I hope you and the family may enjoy it.

To start off my weekly report I just want to share with you a miracle that my companion and I saw this week:  After teaching a recent convert my companion and I closed the lesson and for once we were just hanging out with the convert on his porch.  Well Brother Sidikie (the convert) is just a boy of 12 years old and didn't want to hang out with us missionaries too much longer.  After some time Sidikie got board and went in the house. We, just sat on the chairs and were waiting there for about four or five mins when the thought came to our minds.... what are we still doing here, we asked each other. "lets get out of here and go see Joana" well just at that moment an old man across the street waved to my companion and I. He waved and smiled.  The old man got out of his chair and walked over to the road. hobbling up across and up the stairs to where we were seated.. "oh no what should we do now?" asked my companion "lets teach him or see if he's drunk first" I replied. The old man sat down in the chair where Sidikie was seated and turning to my companion and asked "Are you Joseph Smith?" we didn't know what to do but sit there in silence and wait.  As the story goes on the man went on to tell us that he was only asking about Joseph smith because as we waved to him he was struck and thought I was a man named Joseph Smith, whom he had read about in a small blue pamphlet. (The testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith track) we then asked the man if we could pray and teach him a small lesson about our purpose. After praying and introducing ourselves.  We asked him to share with us more. (we did very little talking in the beginning of the lesson.) as the story unfolds the man was named Joseph, he was from a village that is 19 miles outside of Bo.  He was in the city to get treatment of his sickness. He had in the village received the Pamphlet from a friend who road with them on his bike to the village.  He explained that they were worn by the weather and muddy from the rain. but he saw it fit that it was something for him to read. After reading it over and over again he knew that the prophet Joseph Smith was a true prophet! He had been reading it for the past two years and looking for someone who could give him a Book of Mormon. Tears filled my eyes as I witnessed such a thing as this. an old man coming from a village to take treatment. I personally think it was conducted by God for him to meet us and to hear our message of the restored gospel!

The sickness that I received I know not. But I don't know that I didn't want to eat anything and hadn't for the whole day. My body ached to the point where I couldn't walk and my head was just about to die with the headache it was.  But I tell you I could literally feel the power and peace of the order of the Son of God. I know the priesthood is real I have seen it in so so so many ways. The blessing you used on Caleb was true and I know it cause I've seen it! seen it...  anyway my time is all don don so I get fo de go
love you ELDER HALES