Hi family and friends,
Just a simple note to say we’re all still here. We’re looking forward to a day off from school tomorrow. The kids are coming with us while Mark does interviews, and they’ll attend the zone develop meeting with me. The Zone leaders have something fun planned for us! Jessica and Taylor may be heading up to a different area of the mission to
A note to all my mom friends with sons and daughters on missions. I just want to tell you all how closely and carefully your missionaries are looked out for by our Heavenly Father. With 170 active young men and women, there are always a few that get sick from time to time. Most just can’t remember what to do for food poisoning, colds, headaches, dehydration (that one should be easy?), but occasionally larger problems arise. This week-we had some serious problems, an elder in the ER, serious back and leg injuries, digestive and parasite problems….needing surgery, specialty doctors that just aren’t available…. These are all such good missionaries. We love them. We worked hard with our local medical advisors (2-3 doctors and support nurses just helping our missionaries-same everywhere) to get the appropriate care for these missionaries-and as I went to some of our zone development meetings, I had the opportunity to invite the missionaries to add their prayers to ours. Within just a few short days we began to see answers to those specific prayers. One elder that I thought would need to have an emergency surgery received a priesthood blessing from his companion. In the morning when the surgeon came in for the exploration, he found that the problem had remedied itself and the missionary could be treated with some heavy duty antibiotics. (And yes, despite two and a half days in the hospital, he was still teaching people there about the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.) Specialists that were previously unavailable suddenly had time to see the missionaries.
Not all problems have gone away, and in those cases, missionaries have been blessed with strength and patience to endure. I have one elder that hurt his back doing some service for a family on one of the Native American reservations. He has 4 bulging disks and one herniated disk in his lower back. We’re trying to get him in to see a neurologist-but they are in such high demand, they don’t see new patients for 3 months out. Anyone with back pain knows how hard it is to cope-this missionary is still working diligently and is able to manage his pain with advil and alieve. We’ve found a doctor that will see him next week-but until then, no complaints from him.
The key for all of them is that they are so obedient and faithful. Talking with their parents has also been a great experience. They are so supportive of their children, and that makes such a difference for those missionaries. (The best thing is to pray that the missionaries will be able to continue to teach. They get so emotionally discouraged when they can’t do what they were sent to do because they’re sick. If they can continue teaching, then despite sickness, their spirits stay high.) The missionaries usually say, don’t tell my mom, I don’t want her to worry-but that’s just what mom’s do-right? They worry and then they pray and know the Lord will take care of their babies. And He does. These experiences-I can’t even begin to tell you in words so the spirit will just have to tell your hearts. The missionaries here are so united-they look out for each other and help each other. They know that their collective obedience is so important in procuring blessings of health and safety for all of us. We are doing well and are grateful for all your support!
Love you
Angie
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