A visit to the ER and parking tickets

Hi Mom, and I will just include the family in this one too.                             July 15, 2013

So first thing is first, it’s been a crazy weekend. Don't panic----but you need to probably know I was in the ER yesterday because I was having trouble breathing. About three weeks ago, I got a really bad cold. It wasn't going away and my glands got really swollen, so the mission Doc put me on antibiotics (amoxicillin). I took that for 10 days, felt a little bit better, but after it ran out I started feeling really sick again, and my glands started to swell up again. Fast forward Saturday night, at like 1am, my glands were pressing on my windpipe enough to send my body into a little bit of a panic. I wasn't wheezing thank heavens but it wasn't fun. I called our mission nurse and he told me to spray afrin down my throat, take Benadryl, and ibruprofen. He also gave me a priesthood blessing over the phone. Miraculously I was able to fall asleep, and my throat was able to relax again. So then Sunday (yesterday) I rested, went only to Sacrament meeting, and came home. And while I was taking a nap, same thing happened again, just a little bit worse. So we went to the ER. I had a really good doctor and he gave me some powerful steroids to help the swelling go down in my throat. He also said that my infection is pretty bad and so I also now have 2 Z-packs. Kind of scary, but I was promised in the blessing that God was watching over me and that I would be protected from danger. My throat still is getting tight at times, but the medicine is supposed to kick in the next day or so. Fun fun weekend. I don't want you to worry, but I do think that you would want to know. I prayed hard that I would feel well enough to write emails today :). I am praying it will all kick in real soon, and that I am done with the hospital.

Also, I learned a little thing about miracles.

Sometimes we don't recognize miracles in our lives because we don't realize the dangers or bad things that we are protected from everyday. I walked out of the emergency room feeling better, and a little embarrassed because I felt I might of "cried wolf" and scared everyone when it wasn't that big of a deal. But as the day went on, I realized how much of a miracle it was that it wasn't that big of a deal, and how bad it could have been. We got to the ER quickly, they saw me almost immediately, and I was able to be discharged and start taking my medicine within the hour. I felt the spirit confirm to me that I did the right thing and that God really was watching over me and protecting me from danger. Also, I had a tender moment as I was sitting in the waiting room by myself (my companion was helping me get my paperwork started while I was talking to a nurse). I couldn't breathe, and was feeling really scared and alone. All of the sudden I felt someone sit next to me and felt a peace run through my body as if the person was saying it was all going to be okay, and that they were right there. I didn't see anyone, but the spirit witnessed to me it was an angel who wanted to be there to comfort me.


Other than the craziness. We also got the parking tickets figured out and paid. Because we were new to the complex, they took one of the tickets away and dramatically reduced the other one (it was for pulling through the spot, so our nose was out.....which all missionaries do because anytime we back up, the companion needs to get out of the car and back us out. Anyway together, we only had to pay about $115, rather than the $300 it would have been. Thank heavens!! We still have to pay for the red light camera one, which ironically "flashed" just as we were talking about how we were not going to get anymore tickets.....funny story though. Just after we talked to the prosecuting attorney at the ticket place, guess who walked in the door. Our zone leaders (other missionaries). They got a parking ticket too. Hopefully that craziness will end!

To answer some of your questions. We work in the Plainview YSA branch which covers the Plainview stake and the Lynbrook District. We mostly work with young single adults (YSA), but we try to find wherever we go. As a mission we are praying specifically for the Lord to "Lead us to the Pure in Heart, including families". It’s been incredible the miracles that have unfolded. It was funny too because we have found several families who are ready to receive the gospel as we go out and about looking up Young Single Adults, but we haven't found really anyone in that age range. We couldn't figure out why, when we realized that we were only praying to find families. Since we have changed our prayer to find both families and YSAs, we have been finding a lot more. Amazing the power praying for the right things.

You asked about how we go about doing our work. We have several lists from all of the branches and wards in our area (there are probably a little over 10 congregations) of people of YSA age. We probably have over 600 names. Some of them are active and even recently returned missionaries, but they hold leadership callings in their home wards so they can't come or they don't want to come to the Singles ward. Also, because there really isn't much mass transit, many of them don't have a ride.  Many of them are less-active, have moved or have gotten married. Whatever the case, we essentially drive all over the island. To keep it more focused, we often do some look-ups while we are on exchanges with sisters in their respective areas. We also do a lot of praying. We start by choosing an area to work in that would make the most sense for that day (depending on where we sleep that night for exchanges). We kneel down and ask specifically to know where to go,  and choose the names that "pop" out at us. At that we pray again, asking the Lord to confirm our decision, or send us a "stupor of thought" as to where we should go. Often times we receive a distinct confirmation, (for me it is a burning and peaceful and clear feeling) and we know that is right when we both feel it. Sometimes we don't get that feeling and we go back to the drawing board at which usually one or both of us will have a different name or area come to mind. We have been led to absolutely amazing people. Funny enough, we usually don't find the name we were looking for, but we do find someone who needs us, whether that be their neighbor or parents or someone God puts in our path. I know this is the Lords work, and it is amazing what happens when we let him do it, and follow his lead.

Also, you asked about Spanish. It depends. Some of these look-ups live in heavily Hispanic areas, and their parents only speak Spanish so it sure does come in handy! I also get to speak Spanish on some of my exchanges, and there are some of the YSAs here that only speak Spanish. I can tell I am losing my Spanish.....bummer. But if the spirit is there, I can speak it. This past week I was in Brentwood and stopped by a family's home that we had talked to on their lawn the week before. They are from Guatemala and very sweet. My companion for the day was Sister Hamblin (which btw, yes we are related, she is from Jacob's first wife, the one that divorced him when he joined the church). Anyway, she is an English missionary, and thankfully was praying for me the whole time. We taught the restoration, to which they attacked the whole time. Thankfully I did manage to do language study that morning! It was just me and the spirit, the spirit kept me calm and gave me the right words to say. The spirit was so strong. It is just sad that there are so many people here who are so scared about being deceived in the "last days" (as it says in the bible) that they become deceived by their own fears and fail to recognize and act on the truth when it is right in front of them.

By the way, Stephen, I am so excited that you get to go to the South! That's where Dad wanted to serve. So funny, anytime I have imagined you serving in the states while waiting for your visas, I have just felt Alabama or somewhere in the south. The Church is true!  You are going to LOVE it! If you do have to be in an English area don't panic, God will provide. Our mission is full of "visa-waiting" sisters who are waiting to go to Brazil or Peru. About every three weeks someone gets their visa. I go on exchanges with a lot of these sisters, and it is a hard thing to have to wait. BUT from my experience. The sisters who have "hated" NY and have pined away for their visas of where they are supposed to be are miserable, and it is really hard on their companions (what is there not to love about NY? :) ) But the sisters who just go with it, and understand that they are CALLED as a missionary, and now ASSIGNED to NYNYSouth, and choose to love it, they do love it, and are grateful for their visa wait. So chose to love it, and if you have seen Becca by the time you read this, I hope you tell her hello and give her a big handshake! (You can't give here a hug for me ha-ha).

Kind of a random email and all over the place.....I have been on Benadryl for the past 2 days so I am not all the way here ha-ha (you know how my body takes to the stuff.....my poor companion) But hopefully you can see that yes, I am still breathing, yes this is really hard, and yes I still love being a missionary. (The other day, one of the sisters that I did an exchange with asked me what I liked to do other than run, and I said being a missionary :)...yep I have been out for a year ha-ha). I know God lives and has called upon me to serve here. This church is true, and I will keep fighting for it, even if that is from my bed for the next couple days.

I love and miss you!

Love,

Megan