October 28, 2013
We definitely had quite the week this week! I
am really enjoying being in Iquitos. It feels more like being on the “front
lines” of the battle as we try to prepare the Jungle to receive a Temple
someday. I also love that we are right by our Mission President and his wife
and get to spend time with them.
Last p-day, Presidente Gomez decided to play
soccer with us and it was a blast. His wife got a good laugh at it! It’s also
fun having more than just one Zone in the city (there’s four here) because I
get to see a whole lot more people. I also love having a better hospital
here…but I’ll get to that part later. J
I am really learning a lot as I “train”
Hermana Dickey. Sometimes I feel like I’m the one being trained. I think I
talked a little bit last week about how I had felt a little lonely because I
was doing so much of the work. I am the phone answerer, the appointment
coordinader, the planner, the lesson giver, the Gospel Principles class
teacher, the paperwork doer, the people finder, the number counter, the Baptism
planner (another part I’ll get to later), etc. But, as I taught Gospel
Principles yesterday, one of our investigators in the class got really
emotional and Hermana Dickey, without words, went over and just held this lady
in her arms and they both cried together.
It was then that I realized how small my part
really was and how my companion was doing the most important part: Loving.
Somewhere in the stress of this transfer, I started forgetting the lessons I
learned in Tarapoto when I had to teach without words. I had forgotten to take
a breath and just love the people. I definitely have loved the people I’ve been
teaching these last few weeks, but not with the same power as before. I am so
grateful for the lessons my sweet companion has taught me about the real reason
I’m here.
The Hospital Story. Oh man. I was doing so
well until this last week then I got sick to my stomach and couldn’t really eat
and I’m sure you can imagine how my blood sugar felt about my lack of food. I
started falling asleep in the middle of studies or in motokar rides and I think
it scared the daylights out of my companion and, while I was sleeping…again,
she made a few phone calls and I was forced to go to the hospital.
I obviously didn’t want to because I
absolutely HATE those places, especially when I’m the one in the bed! It was
funny. I tried to explain to them what was wrong and they just put me on a bed,
stuck an IV in my hand (yes, I did not handle that one well, the Doctor called
me a baby), and then took my blood sugar and informed me that I’m probably
Hypoglycemic. Thanks Doc. I haven’t known that for two years already.
In the end, it was just a stomach infection
and the put some “Stomach Protector” in my IV along with the Nausea medicine,
and the next day I was working almost normal. The problem was just the
stomach pain kept me from eating enough, which made my blood sugar low and my
body weak. Everything’s okay now!
While I was in the Hospital, the power went
out and, as if I wasn’t already freaking out enough for having a needle in my
hand, I had a mini panic attack until my companion pointed out that I wasn’t
hooked up to anything electrical. I felt really smart.
The hardest part about being in the hospital Friday night
was that we had a baptism planned for Saturday. I was worried that it
wouldn’t happen but, with a few last minute changes, Diana was baptized Sunday morning.
It was such a beautiful experience.
We found Diana’s family our first week here.
Diana is ten years old and lives with her dad and her little sister. Diana’s
mom left them when she was just a baby, and her dad, Richard, stopped going to
church after she left. Richard was very honest with us when we met. He hadn’t
been to church in 10 years and wasn’t very interested but, after just one
visit, he showed up at church and has been there every Sunday that we’ve
been here.
As we taught his daughter, the light sparked
in him again and the family was “rescued” and brought back to the Gospel that
Richard once loved. It was amazing. It was also a beautiful experience for me
because it was my first baptism as a Trainer. I had always had this doubt that
I really could help people because I felt like I was just following my
companions and letting them do everything. Now, I realize that it doesn’t
matter who the missionary is, even if it is just Hermana Simonson, because God
can work through any instrument, no matter how imperfect that instrument is.
I know I have said it a thousand times, but I
LOVE this work. I love the trials that I pass through everyday. This week was
hard. It was a lot of adventure and a whole lot of “Fire” but it ended with
such a special experience that made every second worth it.
That’s really how every week is in the
Mission, and that’s why I’m so happy. A little bit of good easily
weighs out a lot of bad. All is well! All is well!
Love,
Hermana Simonson
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