Nurses see 'miracles' happening for LDS missionary injured in Brazil

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL — Nurses say "we are seeing miracles" in the life of Elder Britten Schenk, the LDS missionary who was injured in a bus incident in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on March 16.

According to the daily blog maintained by Elder Schenk's parents, Steven and Karla Schenk of Hyde Park, Utah, one of the nurses working with the young missionary said "we are seeing miracles, God's hand at work."

"His lungs are getting stronger," the Schenk's blog post for Monday said. "Each day he is getting closer to getting off the ventilator."

In addition to the injuries he suffered in the accident, which left him in a coma, Elder Schenk has been battling pneumonia. "He's just about got the pneumonia licked," the Schenks reported on Saturday. But waiting for him to fully wake up from the coma and begin responding is requiring patience.

"'Waking up and responding' must be more of a process than an event," the Schenks said. "We feel like we see glimpses of 'wakening,' but not consistently."

On Monday there were slight smiles and a moment during which he "almost seemed to giggle" at a joke that were signs of improvement.

"We are so grateful to our loving Heavenly Father for these miracles," the Schenks said. "He is in charge. He and our Savior Jesus Christ love us all and know what is best."