Do or Die, You'll Never Take Me Down

 2 years ago, I was with my family for the holidays. We had a great Christmas together, and spent the break together. New years I was at a friends party and played hecka Super Smash Bros and drank a lot of grape Fanta.  I could say it was a pretty rad time.

1 year ago, I was in West Africa, Togo, in an obscure little city called Baguida. Although I wasnt with MY family, I was with a family, who loved me like their own, and I was this same family again for the New Year celebration.

This year was different.

I was praying and was scared out of my mind. I guess you could say thats NOT what people usually say about the holidays. I caught a bad form of malaria. THANKFULLY I was able to skype home the 24th, and I was blessed with a great connection. I was feeling symptoms, but because my companion and I had SPRINTED in the mid day sun to catch a taxi, I was thinking maybe just heat exhaustion.
Christmas day was something else.

Worst came to worse, and I ended up in the hospital. In the beginning there was a lot of skeptical talk, and thankfully it was in french, and I was able to lighten up the talk to my companion. This skeptical talk, was the skeptical talk nobody wants to talk about.

 But something I love is that the Lord has promised us to send His Comforter. My companion had left me for a moment to go and buy some water and supplies. I was alone. I was on my hosptial cot praying and hurting, when He came to me with the words of How Firm a Foundation, "Fear not, I am with you, oh be not dismayed. For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid.

I will strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand."

After that, I feared not.

And the Lord showed me I had nothing to fear! He healed me! I am so grateful the Lord inspired and helped those doctors in a 3rd world country in a sketchy part of West Africa. My Christmas miracle was a little different than normal, but I could never be more grateful for it.

I would also like to say a few words about our dear prophet Thomas S. Monson. It really kinda stung to hear that he had passed. But then that same Comforter spoke peace to all of us. I know that he is in the comfort of the Lord and he's probably holding his wifes hand. I am fully confident that his work has changed this world, and I know that his teaching have changed my life!

@Elder Vincent