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| If only we could travel around the mission on these instead of by foot! |
As requested here are some answers to "some" of your questions:
- How are the shoe's holding up?
Answer: They are doing fine, I have to switch daily because of the rain and then being wet, trying to get them dry. I mostly wear the Ecco boots, which are great as they don't let the water in. - You send all these pictures of you in the rain, without an umbrella...I know we packed one, where is it?
Answer: We missionaries must be light on our feet, traveling miles and miles on foot, it's a trade-off decision I make each time we go out of the house. A little rain never hurt anyone... - What is the best thing that happened this week?
Answer: Two random people seeking us out, asking us to teach them because they wanted to get baptized. - What is the worst thing that happened this week?
Answer: Being sick the whole week could qualify (more on that later), and the test to test for parasites, yeah that was pretty bad. - What is the funniest thing that happened this week?
Answer: Teaching my companion the card game "Mao" where you make up the rules as you go and he started to flip out when started playing.
It has been another interesting yet fruitful week here in the mission field. I have said before my companion, Elder Goodman is a District leader and one of the responsibilities is to make sure that the people taught are ready for baptism. On Sunday we were visiting an investigators that some of the hermanas in our district are teaching. While there they gave us some lemonade. I had a pretty bad feeling about, I didn't want to drink it, but I was in front of them and not wanting to offend I drank it. For all of you who don't know water here is not like water in the U.S. You can't simply drink it from the tap. I was fine for the rest of Sunday and even all of the following Monday, however when Monday night rolled around it hit me. There was a thunderstorm going on at this time but it was still a good 80 outside. I started having chills and I knew at that point that I was sick. I have only ever had these kind of chills in my life when I was sick and if there was any doubt with the temperature as hot as it was, there was no way I was cold.
As the night went on things started to get worse. A blazing fever hit me as well along with a scorching headache. Then a short while later, the stomach problems began. That night we were going to be spending the night over at the zone leaders. You see, when we have lessons or anything that is in Reu, we normally spend the night there rather than run the risk of not being able to get a ride back to our area that we live in. This was one of those night but the zone leaders were not there when we got to their house. One of their lessons had run late and we ended up sitting there and waiting for them to finish and get to the house. I was seriously messed up by this point and I knocked out right then and there on the ground. When I woke the zone leaders were there and opening the door, I don't really remember too much of what happened after that, only that throughout the night I went on several dates with the toliet closest to my room and by the end of that night we knew each other pretty well.
The next day we were supposed to go to El Porvenir which is a part of our area that is relatively untouched by missionaries outside the main city of Retalhuleu, but every time we have attempted to go over there and work, something always comes up that prevent us from being able to go. Literally since I got here we have been trying and every attempt has failed. As I woke I made the decision that I would not be the reason that we would not be going this time, there was always so much holding us back and it simply was not going to be me, when we are this close. We headed down to our house a little while after to get the stuff and get ready to head out and over there. When it came time to leave I was seriously dead had no energy and even now the time there is a bit hazy. The only thing I know for sure is that I was not running of my own strength, I was not working through my own will, but rather the will of the Lord. In the matter of 2 hours we found 13 New investigators making up 5 families. All of whom are positive and sincerely want to know more. When we left we felt good about the work we had done and when we got back to the house, having no strength, no energy, I fell onto the bed and from 5:00 pm until 6:30 am I was out. The rest of the week things went on as normal or as least as normal as they could with sickness always there hindering me. In the last couple days I took some tests, to test if I had parasites, all of which came back negative... thank goodness! The methods of testing are better left unsaid. But Mom don't worry, all is well, as the t-shirt should say "sick" happens, especially in Central and South America. You just need to expect it and make the best of it. We are watched over, and the many prayers said on our behalf are much appreciated.
Closing out my first month in the mission we have had a lot of success, and this success comes in one of the hardest areas. The prospects of El Porvenir will only add to this if we can overcome the challenge of getting these people from El Porvenir over to the the building some 30 mins away (by car) We are brainstorms and the ideas are racing and we definitely have a lot of work to do. "yeah I know that I am nothing, as to my strength I am weak (especially after this week of "sick"), therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God (and a little about my incredible companion), for in his strength I can do all things; yeah, behold, many mighty miracles we have (and hope to) wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever. [Editor's Note: That is Alma 26:12 being paraphrased if you are following along at home.]
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| They make the "greenie" test the road to see how deep the water is. |
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| "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way..." Matt 7:14 |
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| Papaya anyone... |
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