Wow! Sounds like a crazy weekend - a good one. It's so cool that Chad Lords got to do splits with Craig's mission president. (Chad is serving in Mississippi where Craig's mission president, President Pack, is from. Before he left to serve as mission president, he went out and worked a lot with Elder Lords and his companion. Chad's dad is in our stake presidency and told us all this before Craig was set apart as a missionary last night. Craig left today for the Madrid Spain MTC and will serve in the Madrid Spain mission). Reading all the advice Craig received makes me want to re-evaluate how I am doing as a missionary. I always seem to feel like I can't do enough, but I guess that's where grace comes in.
This week, I think the power of grace really manifest itself. It was a humbling week. It was a week where I had to rely on the atonement, and it was a week where I understood some of the tender mercies of being able to serve in this area. It was a good week. The Spirit was as present as the blessing I received last Sunday promised, and it might have been a life saver. I'll explain in a bit but what I do know is that I learned more about gratitude and about Heavenly Father.
Monday. We emailed. As you can tell from the video I sent, I was a mess, pale as ever. I was able to laugh and have fun, but as soon as we got my sweater we went home. We had a fhe with Gary Sue and Andrew. We watched the 20 min restoration video. It was really good for him. He is so golden. I ate probably a bit to much - a normal amount, but having not eaten a lot recently, it was a lot for my body. I had chest pains over my heart and even into my back. My stomach was in a right mess. I was grateful to go home and be able to sleep.
Tuesday. Slept most of the time. Had 2 or 3 lessons and the Spirit was there. Andrew really loves the gospel and is anxious to receive his answer. Went back and slept. Ate a bit of dinner and the same type of reaction as the night before. Even on Sunday, I felt a tightness over my heart as I was breathing.
Wednesday. I woke up and could breathe through my nose. I was so excited, but something didn't feel right, I didn't want to work because I didn't feel well, so I thought the Spirit was warning me that the natural man was a bit strong. But as I really felt that something was wrong (a prompting from the Spirit... And it was a strong one - like someone yelling "this is life or death!! Something is not right in you!!"), I said a prayer asking what to do. I asked if I should go back to bed... Nope. I asked if I should get in the shower... Yes! So I did. I noticed my heart was beating really fast, that worried me. So I finished. I had a hard time standing, but got dressed and then counted my heart beats per minute. It's was about 110. I thought I should tell Sister Leppard (another loud prompting) but one of my biggest worries is that it is all mental and that I am making it up, and some missionaries do, so I felt really bad to bother Sister Leppard about something again. I put it off for as long as possible but the Spirit kept prompting me to text her, if not call her. So I did. She said to go to the emergency room - that most likely it was just a chest infection but it was better to be safe than sorry. So in my jeans and a t shirt (we were going to do service that morning) we walked to the hospital just down the road. We spent 2 hours there. I had my vitals taken. My heart was slowing down but I still had a fever. I had my heart traced - stickers and all. Then I saw a doctor and he had me give him a urine sample. Yup I had a uti. Yup I had a yeast infection and yup I had a chest infection. Thankfully nothing wrong with my heart. I got antibiotics. I'm not sure what would have happened if I did not go to the hospital but I'm so grateful I got it all figured out and that I got the medication I needed. We had a lesson with Andrew and it is so cool to see the small changes each day!! Sister Maughan had heard from the elders that I was in hospital so she brought us dinner. We had a dinner appointment with the Cravens so she saved us from having to bus and drove us. And Sister Craven made meatloaf..... It tasted like comfort meatballs... I was in heaven.
Thursday- I could tell it was hard for Sister Francis to just stay in the flat so we organized splits with Hannah and Sue Maughan. So I chilled at their house and Sister Francis got out. Most of this week I slept for hours and rested. Watched bible videos and listened to conference talks.
Friday- had district meeting and slept some more. Had a dinner appointment with a sister. She is having a hard time and it was cool that we were able to help her. We had a prompting to share a Mormon message about moms - she needed to know that what she is doing is amazing. We just listened and then as it was getting closer and closer to 9, and she had some tears, we promised to come help her the next day.
Saturday- So after a really good lesson with Andrew, we did dishes and laundry and helped that sister shop. Started a fast with Andrew. We also burned tights for my year mark... Didn't have time on Friday. I was able to see a difference from Thursday to Friday to Saturday with my health. Doing much better. Still on the mend. Let me tell you about the members. Monday night, they brought us banana bread. Tuesday a member offered to bring us lunch. Wednesday, Sue brought us dinner. Thursday they housed me. (She stayed at the Maughan's). All week we got texts and calls to see if we needed anything. I felt so loved and well taken care of.
Another miracle was that Sai came to church with two of his girls!! It was amazing. Our numbers weren't as good as they have been but they were not bad whatsoever. This is where grace and the atonement really came in. As we did our best Heavenly Father made up the rest. I know my testimony of the atonement and what Christ has done for us really has grown. We taught Andrew about who God is on Saturday before we started the fast and the Spirit was so strong and he was able to identify when he had a "good feeling." It is amazing!
Sorry for the novel. For a week where we didn't do much there was a lot to write about! Love you all!! Good luck with sending Craig off!! Give him a huge hug for me!!
Sister Ashley MacKay
This week, I think the power of grace really manifest itself. It was a humbling week. It was a week where I had to rely on the atonement, and it was a week where I understood some of the tender mercies of being able to serve in this area. It was a good week. The Spirit was as present as the blessing I received last Sunday promised, and it might have been a life saver. I'll explain in a bit but what I do know is that I learned more about gratitude and about Heavenly Father.
Monday. We emailed. As you can tell from the video I sent, I was a mess, pale as ever. I was able to laugh and have fun, but as soon as we got my sweater we went home. We had a fhe with Gary Sue and Andrew. We watched the 20 min restoration video. It was really good for him. He is so golden. I ate probably a bit to much - a normal amount, but having not eaten a lot recently, it was a lot for my body. I had chest pains over my heart and even into my back. My stomach was in a right mess. I was grateful to go home and be able to sleep.
Tuesday. Slept most of the time. Had 2 or 3 lessons and the Spirit was there. Andrew really loves the gospel and is anxious to receive his answer. Went back and slept. Ate a bit of dinner and the same type of reaction as the night before. Even on Sunday, I felt a tightness over my heart as I was breathing.
Wednesday. I woke up and could breathe through my nose. I was so excited, but something didn't feel right, I didn't want to work because I didn't feel well, so I thought the Spirit was warning me that the natural man was a bit strong. But as I really felt that something was wrong (a prompting from the Spirit... And it was a strong one - like someone yelling "this is life or death!! Something is not right in you!!"), I said a prayer asking what to do. I asked if I should go back to bed... Nope. I asked if I should get in the shower... Yes! So I did. I noticed my heart was beating really fast, that worried me. So I finished. I had a hard time standing, but got dressed and then counted my heart beats per minute. It's was about 110. I thought I should tell Sister Leppard (another loud prompting) but one of my biggest worries is that it is all mental and that I am making it up, and some missionaries do, so I felt really bad to bother Sister Leppard about something again. I put it off for as long as possible but the Spirit kept prompting me to text her, if not call her. So I did. She said to go to the emergency room - that most likely it was just a chest infection but it was better to be safe than sorry. So in my jeans and a t shirt (we were going to do service that morning) we walked to the hospital just down the road. We spent 2 hours there. I had my vitals taken. My heart was slowing down but I still had a fever. I had my heart traced - stickers and all. Then I saw a doctor and he had me give him a urine sample. Yup I had a uti. Yup I had a yeast infection and yup I had a chest infection. Thankfully nothing wrong with my heart. I got antibiotics. I'm not sure what would have happened if I did not go to the hospital but I'm so grateful I got it all figured out and that I got the medication I needed. We had a lesson with Andrew and it is so cool to see the small changes each day!! Sister Maughan had heard from the elders that I was in hospital so she brought us dinner. We had a dinner appointment with the Cravens so she saved us from having to bus and drove us. And Sister Craven made meatloaf..... It tasted like comfort meatballs... I was in heaven.
Thursday- I could tell it was hard for Sister Francis to just stay in the flat so we organized splits with Hannah and Sue Maughan. So I chilled at their house and Sister Francis got out. Most of this week I slept for hours and rested. Watched bible videos and listened to conference talks.
Friday- had district meeting and slept some more. Had a dinner appointment with a sister. She is having a hard time and it was cool that we were able to help her. We had a prompting to share a Mormon message about moms - she needed to know that what she is doing is amazing. We just listened and then as it was getting closer and closer to 9, and she had some tears, we promised to come help her the next day.
Saturday- So after a really good lesson with Andrew, we did dishes and laundry and helped that sister shop. Started a fast with Andrew. We also burned tights for my year mark... Didn't have time on Friday. I was able to see a difference from Thursday to Friday to Saturday with my health. Doing much better. Still on the mend. Let me tell you about the members. Monday night, they brought us banana bread. Tuesday a member offered to bring us lunch. Wednesday, Sue brought us dinner. Thursday they housed me. (She stayed at the Maughan's). All week we got texts and calls to see if we needed anything. I felt so loved and well taken care of.
Another miracle was that Sai came to church with two of his girls!! It was amazing. Our numbers weren't as good as they have been but they were not bad whatsoever. This is where grace and the atonement really came in. As we did our best Heavenly Father made up the rest. I know my testimony of the atonement and what Christ has done for us really has grown. We taught Andrew about who God is on Saturday before we started the fast and the Spirit was so strong and he was able to identify when he had a "good feeling." It is amazing!
Sorry for the novel. For a week where we didn't do much there was a lot to write about! Love you all!! Good luck with sending Craig off!! Give him a huge hug for me!!
Sister Ashley MacKay