Letter #11 - My Week = Lots of Rain and Parasites - 3.23.2015
You have been sent to Earth in this dispensation of time because of who you are and what you have been prepared to do.
Remember it and never forget it...
How was your week? This week went by crazy fast. I feel like I say that every week, but it is true. Time is flying! I cannot believe it is almost April, conference, and Easter!
You know you are a missionary when you are counting down the days till General Conference! haha! We are really excited for conference! My new goal is to try to read all of the talks in all the general conferences before I end my mission! I have been trying to read them in Spanish and translate them because it helps me improve my grammar.
What's Going on Medically
This week was another busy week in the hospital. It has been freezing this week here! It rained every day and was also really cold. It is rainy season, but it usually only rains in the afternoons, but oh not this week. We were freezing all week. With more rain brought more sick missionaries (including my companion and I) especially missionaries with parasites. Lots of stomach pains! I am getting really good at saying "Ok, will you take a stool sample and send me the results?" haha. All jokes aside, it really is a huge problem in our mission. President and Sister Richardson are having me try to track in what parts of the mission we have the most stomach issues to try to see what we need to do to prevent missionaries from getting them. Most of the missionaries are those serving in the countryside, but there are missionaries from all over that have gotten it.
This week I had my first Colonoscopy and Endoscopy at least while I have been a missionary. I am really grateful for the experience that I have had before my mission because it really has prepared me to be a better nurse for the missionaries. It went really well. We were there all day. We are waiting for further results and will find out more information of why a missionary has been sick for so long this week. We are crossing our fingers we find something, but something that is treatable and something that can be treated on the mission so he does not have to go home.
Dreams
Bad weather also brought some crazy dreams! I kept having those dreams that you wake up and say "oh phew, I am really glad that was just a dream". A couple of times, I would wake up and forget where I was. "Oh ya, I am in Ecuador." I also had the best dream about the fambam though! It was pretty funny. Nicole was serving at the top of Chile and we got permission to spend PDays together. Then, the rest of the family would travel down every Monday to spend PDay with us. I remember the first PDay, when Nicole and I first saw each other since we had been out, Nicole came up to me and we started talking. Then, she stopped and said "You know we can hug." Haha. We started bawling the moment that we hugged because we had not seen each other for so long. Then, we went to a store and you started speaking really good Spanish. I was very impressed. Haha. I know you all wanted to hear about my dream! The moral of the story is, I am really grateful to have such an amazing family! It is a big sacrifice as a missionary to leave your family and only be able to talk to them once a week via email, but it sure does strengthen your appreciation and testimony of The Plan of Salvation! It really is a PERFECT plan. I feel so lucky to have the knowledge of how to be able to live with the people I love most forever and even more lucky to be able to share it with those who do not have it in their lives!
I miss you guys everyday! I miss spending time with you and seeing your smiling faces! I miss all of our outdoor adventures like hiking, skiing, and boating! I cannot wait till the day that I can see you and give you a big hug! I dream about that day...literally! Haha!
Juana and Sus Hijos
I stinkin love this family. People are truly ready to hear the gospel and just do not know where to find it. Juana is living proof. This week she was sick and she received a priesthood blessing! It was a really special experience especially because it was her first blessing. I am grateful for the opportunity to be there as she felt the power of the priesthood on the earth today. This week was another busy week in the hospital, but this is why she is so great because she continues to read and study the gospel even when we can only teach her once a week. We asked her Saturday if she still wanted to be baptised and she said yes. We also asked her kids. Her youngest turns 8 on April 13 so we moved back their date so they can all get baptized together on April 18th. It was so cute when we were asking Juana if she wanted to be baptized, the youngest girl shouted "YO TAMBIEN, YO TAMBIEN". Her kids always remind me that we all need to become as a little child. They possess so many Christlike attributes. I see it everytime that I teach them and when they go to church with us. Also, Juana told us that before when we asked her she was not sure, but that morning she had a confirmation that this was the true church and she knew that needed to be baptized. She said she started to read the bible and flipped it open to a random page and it was about baptism. She also said when we testify that Heavenly Father loves her, that she actually believes us whereas when people had told her before it was just words to her. She needs a job and we are grateful for the ward members because they have been helping her find a job. I said this last week, but I really have seen the importance of members in missionary work. Missionaries need the members help!!! Juana and her family are struggling right now and it has been a huge blessing to see how willing the members are to step in to help!!! I am really excited to continue teaching her and her kids. I really do love them! I get so excited when we go to their house. Their little boy comes over the side of the wall to see who is at the door and he shouts "Las missionaries" and runs down to open the door. It is so cute!
How Simple It Is
I have learned a lot this week, as normal. That is one thing that I absolutely love about being a missionary is how much you learn about the gospel, about yourself, and so many other things every single day. This week I have really learned how easy it is to have true happiness in our lives. Our course is clear and certain. It is to strictly obey the commandments of the Lord, as they are recorded in the scriptures and as they are being given by the living prophets. I think it is often easy for us to compromise, rationalize, and justify our actions even though we know deep down what we should do. I am not really sure why we do this to ourselves because when we live the commandments we really are more happy in our lives. We all do it though. I know that wickedness of any kind will never lead to happiness. I know that Satan is real and effective in the hearts of men. I also know that God lives and through him we can accomplish all things. No matter what our circumstances are. I know that Jesus Christ suffered for each and everyone of us more than we could ever comprehend. He already suffered for us, so why don't we use the Atonement in our lives. Do we want what he suffered through for me, for you, or for those people we love to go in vain? It is simply laid before us and although the process of changing is not easy, the promises and rewards of using the Atonement are far more worth the difficulties of the process or what we might think we are giving up. I know that we compromise our blessings, we rationalize ourselves, out of the sure and safe way, when we do not use the Atonement in our lives or we don't ask God to guide us in the decisions that are part of our daily lives. The Lord has promised that he will help us in our pursuit of happiness if we will trust in him and follow his path. I know that living the gospel of Jesus Christ brings true happiness and lasting happiness. God gave us commandments because He loves us. I testify of this. We find security, we find peace, we find joy in his paths. We become better people and get one step closer to reaching our full potential when we stay on his path and continuously try harder to be better in the places we fall short.
My invitation to you this week is to find something that you are struggling with or need to be better at and work to make that weakness stronger a little each day. Pray for strength. I promise as you humble yourself, ask for help and strength from our Heavenly Father, you can make your weaknesses strengths and you will see the difference in your life. I promise all things are possible through Him. I know that each of our potentials are far beyond what we think they are and honestly I think they are beyond what we can comprehend. If we just have the courage to take a step each day, we will get one step closer to reaching that potential. We will all fall short because we are imperfect and Heavenly Father knew that which is why we have the Atonement. I promise as you use the Atonement in your life continually you will gain a testimony of it for yourself and will see it change your lives for the best. I have seen it in my own life and I have seen it so many other people's life. I know that as we do our part and do all that we can do to become better, Heavenly Father will help us with the rest. My hope is that we will all work towards reaching our full potential.
The Nurse is Sick...Wait What?
Yes, my companion and I have been sick this week. It really is not fun to be sick as a missionary!!! Everyone thinks it is pretty hilarious when they find out because everyone calls us when they are sick. Our district leader last night said, "Well, I am sure you guys know what to do." We did not go to the doctor because you can get antibiotics over the counter in Ecuador. The medications are so cheap here too. It is so weird because it is so different than the States where you have a prescription. We are hoping to get back to 100% soon!!! :)
I love you guys so much! I hope you guys a have a wonderful week!
Hermana Pemberton
