Over half way through the MTC. It sounds like she had a kind of rough week. It's been crazy busy around here, so this is the first chance I've had to post her letter. Keep the letters and the prayers coming!
Danielle
¡Hola mi familia y mis amigos!
This week was a VERY interesting one at the MTC (to say the least)! First of all, Tuesday night for devotional there were lots of rumors flying around about who was coming post-Conference. Most of the talk was that the members of the choir had it on pretty good authority that we were getting Elder Bednar. When I told Hermana Frandsen this, she said, "That's a pretty good rumor!" I love her. Anyway, we were indeed graced with the presence of Elder David A. Bednar and his lovely wife. He gave a very good lesson on how to study and apply the teachings from General Conference (and why they are important). The formula he shared is to look for the DOCTRINE (and principles), the INVITATION, and the PROMISED BLESSINGS in each address. He even kind of workshopped it with us, showing us clips from this most recent Conference and having us practice finding those things in each of the clips. It was a really great meeting. There was so much excitement to have an apostle in the room. Some missionaries were boucing in their seats, others were crying. I learned a lot and was so grateful he was able to come. Oh, and he said that he loved hearing all the speculation about why there was a change in the missionary age requirement. He called it "Apostolic Humor" to hear what people thought were going on in the meetings he was sitting in on. But he said it has been changed because, "the Lord hastens His own work in His own time." So there you have it!
After that, the week started to get very interesting. Before I left, I had a rash on my hands and feet that was treated by a dermatologist, but it never did go away. I was going to stop worrying about it, but I noticed it had spread a little and so I went to the MTC Health Clinic to have it looked at. They decided to send me to a dermatologist, so after getting approval from my mom (I had to sit silently and watch and listen while the MTC lady talked to my mom on the phone. It was murder.), they arranged for me a FIELD TRIP and I and my companions got to go off-campus for like, three whole hours on Thursday. The PA there was sure that it was NOT what I had been told by the doctor in Logan, and pretty sure of what it was instead, but since he's not the dermatologist, they did a biopsy (punched a hole in my forearm and then closed it up with stitches) and I have to go back next week for results and treatment. So really I get TWO field trips into the bargain. I lose study time but my companions love it, because they sat in the waiting room and studied, but there was MUSIC, and a different VIEW, and we were practically in OREM. It was very, very exciting. And I have my first mission war-wound (kind of).
Then the week just got even better. Saturday afternoon/evening I started to get a migraine (not unusual), so I took some meds and thought that would be the end of that. Boy, was I wrong. No pain or cold or wellness meds I tried did anything to alleviate the pain. It took like three hours to get to sleep Saturday night and then all Sunday I was still hurting, even though I insisted on going to all the meetings all day long. (And good thing too, because Sister Linda Burton, Relief Society General President, was our speaker in Relief Society and I got to briefly meet her and her husband afterward - I told them "Hi" from you AnnMarie.) But it was like this giant halo of pressure all the way around my head and nothing was making it better. The only time I wasn't hurting was when I was asleep, and it was hard to do that. Sunday night we skipped the movie and went back to the room right after Fireside (a good one from someone from the mission department about using a bird's-eye view to help with missionary work, I have more thoughts about that but they will have to wait), and Hermana Frandsen gave me some earplugs and Hermana Dalley (who has a bachelor's degree in Nursing) got me all drugged up and they gave me a cool cloth for my forehead and sent me to bed. Monday I was not better really at all, so my sweet companions got me a sack breakfast and insisted on skipping class so I could sleep some more. I went back to bed for a few hours, took a really long shower, and then we went to the Health Clinic (again) after lunch. They were full and couldn't get me in with a doctor, so I got sent out on ANOTHER field trip to the BYU Health Clinic (like a half-block from the MTC). The doctor there (no kidding, his name was Dr. Bloink) listened to my symptoms and did some neurological tests, like making me walk in a straight line and stay balanced with my eyes closed or whatever, and said he's sure I don't have a brain tumor and from what he could figure I had a headache. (I hadn't noticed.) He didn't call it a migraine, though, because I didn't have any nausea, so he treated it with a shot (in my hip, first time in my memory I've had that) of some kind of super-strong anti-inflammatory and they left me to "nap" in the exam room for a half hour or so to see if it worked. I still didn't have any relief, so he prescribed a few Loritab (he told me not to drive, operate heavy machinery, or make important decisions while I was on it - apparently he's not real hip to what goes on in the MTC) and told me to definitely take some when I got back just to try to "kick it" and then I'd have a few more left over in case I ever had any other cases of extreme pain with a headache. Anyway, eventually I think the shot started to work and I took some Loritab before evening class and then we left when it started making me feel weird (which was a couple hours, I am pretty resistant to like those sleepy-ish meds) and then it was time for one more before bed. I felt a little better this morning and have been able to function today, which has been nice. Of course, now I am two days behind in studying, but I really wouldn't have gotten anything out of class if I'd been there, so it was good I went to bed. And tomorrow I bet I'll be even better and I'll learn so much Spanish and gospel stuff - so no worrying about my health because I promise you, my companions have totally got it under control!
Speaking of which, I wanted to take a second to tell you a little more about Hermana Dalley. You've heard a lot about Hermana Frandsen, simply because she's always saying things that I find hilarious. But truly, Hermana Dalley is amazing! She's really good at connecting with people. even in Spanish, and she's so sincere. And really in tune. Both during our temple walk on Sunday and on our way into the temple today, she noticed a sister sitting alone and felt prompted to go over and talk to them (in fact, today we were half through the doors of the temple when she insisted on going back), and we were always glad we did, because it turned out they were needing advice from and praying to see sister missionaries to talk to, and Hermana Frandsen and I probably wouldn't have even thought to go over to them. I know this is a skill that will come in really handy in the mission field for her. She is going to be great, down in the South Pole with penguins for companions (that is our favorite thing to tease her about - she's going to Chile Osorno). Anyway, she rocks and if I had more time I'd tell you more about her, but I don't, so I'll try to fill you in some more later.
The two districts ahead of us are both leaving us this week for the field, making our district the "oldest" one in the zone - aaaaaaah! We are not ready for that kind of responsibility - we don't know enough Spanish yet to be the "most advanced!"
Something weird about the MTC - reading the dictionary gets to be really fun. And we're pretty certain we wouldn't know if a war broke out. Would somebody mind letting me know if one does? Or like, maybe inform me how the presidential election turns out or something? There's just really nothing here. We don't even have access to the weather forecast (though Hermana Frandsen put a suggestion in the suggestion box that they should include one on the information screens scattered about the campus, I hope that comes through.)
One last thought, since I am WAY overtime - today a sister who is a friend of Hermana Frandsen's, and who came into the MTC only last week, was saying how she had been having a really hard day yesterday and was feeling really overwhelmed, and then in their evening classes they addressed all of her issues and she felt so much better. And I was thinking, being on a mission is kind of like living the law of consecration. I know people say that a lot, but I hadn't thought about it in this way before. I mean, we give up spending time with family and friends, we give up music and movies and all that, but what I mean is if we REALLY give everything we have to the Lord, He WILL give us EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED in return. Isn't that amazing? Now, I just need to really give everything I have so I feel a little less like I'm drowning all the time!
¡Hola mi familia y mis amigos!
This week was a VERY interesting one at the MTC (to say the least)! First of all, Tuesday night for devotional there were lots of rumors flying around about who was coming post-Conference. Most of the talk was that the members of the choir had it on pretty good authority that we were getting Elder Bednar. When I told Hermana Frandsen this, she said, "That's a pretty good rumor!" I love her. Anyway, we were indeed graced with the presence of Elder David A. Bednar and his lovely wife. He gave a very good lesson on how to study and apply the teachings from General Conference (and why they are important). The formula he shared is to look for the DOCTRINE (and principles), the INVITATION, and the PROMISED BLESSINGS in each address. He even kind of workshopped it with us, showing us clips from this most recent Conference and having us practice finding those things in each of the clips. It was a really great meeting. There was so much excitement to have an apostle in the room. Some missionaries were boucing in their seats, others were crying. I learned a lot and was so grateful he was able to come. Oh, and he said that he loved hearing all the speculation about why there was a change in the missionary age requirement. He called it "Apostolic Humor" to hear what people thought were going on in the meetings he was sitting in on. But he said it has been changed because, "the Lord hastens His own work in His own time." So there you have it!
After that, the week started to get very interesting. Before I left, I had a rash on my hands and feet that was treated by a dermatologist, but it never did go away. I was going to stop worrying about it, but I noticed it had spread a little and so I went to the MTC Health Clinic to have it looked at. They decided to send me to a dermatologist, so after getting approval from my mom (I had to sit silently and watch and listen while the MTC lady talked to my mom on the phone. It was murder.), they arranged for me a FIELD TRIP and I and my companions got to go off-campus for like, three whole hours on Thursday. The PA there was sure that it was NOT what I had been told by the doctor in Logan, and pretty sure of what it was instead, but since he's not the dermatologist, they did a biopsy (punched a hole in my forearm and then closed it up with stitches) and I have to go back next week for results and treatment. So really I get TWO field trips into the bargain. I lose study time but my companions love it, because they sat in the waiting room and studied, but there was MUSIC, and a different VIEW, and we were practically in OREM. It was very, very exciting. And I have my first mission war-wound (kind of).
Then the week just got even better. Saturday afternoon/evening I started to get a migraine (not unusual), so I took some meds and thought that would be the end of that. Boy, was I wrong. No pain or cold or wellness meds I tried did anything to alleviate the pain. It took like three hours to get to sleep Saturday night and then all Sunday I was still hurting, even though I insisted on going to all the meetings all day long. (And good thing too, because Sister Linda Burton, Relief Society General President, was our speaker in Relief Society and I got to briefly meet her and her husband afterward - I told them "Hi" from you AnnMarie.) But it was like this giant halo of pressure all the way around my head and nothing was making it better. The only time I wasn't hurting was when I was asleep, and it was hard to do that. Sunday night we skipped the movie and went back to the room right after Fireside (a good one from someone from the mission department about using a bird's-eye view to help with missionary work, I have more thoughts about that but they will have to wait), and Hermana Frandsen gave me some earplugs and Hermana Dalley (who has a bachelor's degree in Nursing) got me all drugged up and they gave me a cool cloth for my forehead and sent me to bed. Monday I was not better really at all, so my sweet companions got me a sack breakfast and insisted on skipping class so I could sleep some more. I went back to bed for a few hours, took a really long shower, and then we went to the Health Clinic (again) after lunch. They were full and couldn't get me in with a doctor, so I got sent out on ANOTHER field trip to the BYU Health Clinic (like a half-block from the MTC). The doctor there (no kidding, his name was Dr. Bloink) listened to my symptoms and did some neurological tests, like making me walk in a straight line and stay balanced with my eyes closed or whatever, and said he's sure I don't have a brain tumor and from what he could figure I had a headache. (I hadn't noticed.) He didn't call it a migraine, though, because I didn't have any nausea, so he treated it with a shot (in my hip, first time in my memory I've had that) of some kind of super-strong anti-inflammatory and they left me to "nap" in the exam room for a half hour or so to see if it worked. I still didn't have any relief, so he prescribed a few Loritab (he told me not to drive, operate heavy machinery, or make important decisions while I was on it - apparently he's not real hip to what goes on in the MTC) and told me to definitely take some when I got back just to try to "kick it" and then I'd have a few more left over in case I ever had any other cases of extreme pain with a headache. Anyway, eventually I think the shot started to work and I took some Loritab before evening class and then we left when it started making me feel weird (which was a couple hours, I am pretty resistant to like those sleepy-ish meds) and then it was time for one more before bed. I felt a little better this morning and have been able to function today, which has been nice. Of course, now I am two days behind in studying, but I really wouldn't have gotten anything out of class if I'd been there, so it was good I went to bed. And tomorrow I bet I'll be even better and I'll learn so much Spanish and gospel stuff - so no worrying about my health because I promise you, my companions have totally got it under control!
Speaking of which, I wanted to take a second to tell you a little more about Hermana Dalley. You've heard a lot about Hermana Frandsen, simply because she's always saying things that I find hilarious. But truly, Hermana Dalley is amazing! She's really good at connecting with people. even in Spanish, and she's so sincere. And really in tune. Both during our temple walk on Sunday and on our way into the temple today, she noticed a sister sitting alone and felt prompted to go over and talk to them (in fact, today we were half through the doors of the temple when she insisted on going back), and we were always glad we did, because it turned out they were needing advice from and praying to see sister missionaries to talk to, and Hermana Frandsen and I probably wouldn't have even thought to go over to them. I know this is a skill that will come in really handy in the mission field for her. She is going to be great, down in the South Pole with penguins for companions (that is our favorite thing to tease her about - she's going to Chile Osorno). Anyway, she rocks and if I had more time I'd tell you more about her, but I don't, so I'll try to fill you in some more later.
The two districts ahead of us are both leaving us this week for the field, making our district the "oldest" one in the zone - aaaaaaah! We are not ready for that kind of responsibility - we don't know enough Spanish yet to be the "most advanced!"
Something weird about the MTC - reading the dictionary gets to be really fun. And we're pretty certain we wouldn't know if a war broke out. Would somebody mind letting me know if one does? Or like, maybe inform me how the presidential election turns out or something? There's just really nothing here. We don't even have access to the weather forecast (though Hermana Frandsen put a suggestion in the suggestion box that they should include one on the information screens scattered about the campus, I hope that comes through.)
One last thought, since I am WAY overtime - today a sister who is a friend of Hermana Frandsen's, and who came into the MTC only last week, was saying how she had been having a really hard day yesterday and was feeling really overwhelmed, and then in their evening classes they addressed all of her issues and she felt so much better. And I was thinking, being on a mission is kind of like living the law of consecration. I know people say that a lot, but I hadn't thought about it in this way before. I mean, we give up spending time with family and friends, we give up music and movies and all that, but what I mean is if we REALLY give everything we have to the Lord, He WILL give us EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED in return. Isn't that amazing? Now, I just need to really give everything I have so I feel a little less like I'm drowning all the time!
Anyway, I love you all and hope you have a good week. Keep writing to me - if you share blood with me I want you to write on your calendar to write me at least once a week. (That means you, Colin!) Otherwise I start to wonder if you are still alive.... Thanks for the package, Mom Cannon, the taffys were a huge hit with the elders in our zone and the brownies and cookies aren't being shared with the elders because the sisters in our room are really enjoying them! Thanks for finally writing Eric, and thanks for pretending to be Eric, Anna. ;) And thanks to everyone else who wrote, even if I didn't mention you by name. It means a lot and really makes my day - I always need my day to be made! Read the Book of Mormon, pray, and remember that God loves you and so do I!
We crossed our HALFWAY POINT this week - October 12! Our departure date is approximately November 12, so we are on the DOWNWARD SLOPE. WOOHOO!!!!!
Anyway, I love you all and hope you have a good week. Keep writing to me - if you share blood with me I want you to write on your calendar to write me at least once a week. (That means you, Colin!) Otherwise I start to wonder if you are still alive.... Thanks for the package, Mom Cannon, the taffys were a huge hit with the elders in our zone and the brownies and cookies aren't being shared with the elders because the sisters in our room are really enjoying them! Thanks for finally writing Eric, and thanks for pretending to be Eric, Anna. ;) And thanks to everyone else who wrote, even if I didn't mention you by name. It means a lot and really makes my day - I always need my day to be made! Read the Book of Mormon, pray, and remember that God loves you and so do I!
Lovelovelovelovelove,
Hermana Burgess
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