July 10, 2016
Yes i am in a hospital, no I don't need to go home, and yes I am just fine. No it's not from mosquito or from diet or from anything. I have kept my hands clean and I basically swim in hand-sanitizer every day and I wear shoes, an all those prevention things. I got a virus, and while the hospital is unsure which virus it is I am feeling 90% better but that may be because I am on medication. I am being released today and will be resting the rest of this upcoming week. Right now I am emailing off my mission president's wife's phone. Did I ever mention that she was a nurse? So don't worry about me I am completely fine and am just a little home sick, but being sick does that to a person. I don't want to go home and will be back to full strength and working full hours by next Wednesday. I feel fine, just tired all the time.
So this week has been interesting. Sister Hermosa and I were quite ready to hit the ground running and do our best to not only live up to the mission standard of excellence but our personal goal in finding was to find 40 new investigators. We started the week out right on track and every day we doubled our total lessons and although we were behind in out goals for finding we were setting aside time specifically for finding as well as speaking and teaching everyone that would listen to us! I think that we were very well on our way to fulfilling our goals. But life never works out the way you want it to. It may be becaus I keep praying for opportunities to be more patient. So I became a patient. How much more patient can a person be than when your very title is 'patient?' Haha
Apparently I have some sort of virus, but I'm feeling fine now. It's been interesting, annoying and amazing all at once. Being confined to a hospital is interesting as you are still set apart as a missionary so you still cannot watch movies or tv or anything like that so it's mostly just reading "Jesus The Christ", sleeping, drinking water, and sleeping again... But you are still set apart as a missionary and you constantly worry about your investigators and who will sit with them at church, and who will help them with rides, or who will greet them...Of course being stuck in one room from Friday to Monday can be frustrating and annoying; I like to think of myself as an independent person and don't like having people waiting on me or doing things for me. I seem to have the mentality of "I have to do it for you" and have never taken well to having others help me. But this is what happens when you ask to be blessed with patience. It's been amazing as I got to see the reaction of the mission and the Sarrat Branch. We received the Branch President, his family, our Branch Counselor and his family and several of the youth of the branch came to visit. Their concern, their kindness and their generosity has truly touched me. I am also extremely grateful for President Andrada and Sister Andrada coming to visit so many times despite how busy they are with the transfers, general mission business, and the new trainees, and those going home all flooding the mission home and mission office. They are truly amazing and I thank Heavenly Father every day for their guidance and care and to bless their family.
This week has been fun, for the few days we were actually out working as missionarries. I got to experience Filipino 'cheese cake' which is litterally just a muffin that tastes like cheese. Not at all what I was expecting, but at the same time who knows what I was expecting. I really ought to not expect anything when trying a new food as that will lesson the confusion but you can;t help but have expectations when trying something. Speaking of food, last Monday was the 4th of July and my companion made me American Pancakes for breakfast!! She is so sweet, and she has been so patient as I've been out of commission this whole week.
While we were out working Wednesday we were teaching our youngest recent convert, Mary Rose, and when we asked if she was excited for school the next day (school was out due to a religious holiday) she responded that school was canceled because there was a typhoon on its way! I got excited and looked up to the sky only to see that there wasn't a single cloud in sight. Needless to say the typhoon missed the Philippines in general and we just got some light rain instead. It was simply funny how she was talking about a huge storm while the sky was clear.
Our progressing investogator, Roman, asked us this last Thursday to push his baptism back again and we have been praying to know what his concern is, as this is the second time that he has asked us to push his baptism back. This Sunday he did not attend church and arrived back at his house late at night stone drunk. I have to say that I'm not even mad, I'm only sad that we did not see the signs that he was struggling with this addiction again. I hope that when we get back to Sarrat, once I'm discharged, to be able to help him see that he can always bounce back and that he has an incredible support system through the branch and his family. We texted his son, the branch mission leader, and suggested he give his father a blessing. Hopefully he accepted and can see how loved he is.
Then there is Kenneth, Lorenzo's best friend. Even though Lorenzo did not make it to church- despite having gotten the day off from work and working with his boss to not work on Sundays- Kenneth was willing to walk to church, which is a good half hour walk one way! Our wonderful Second Counselor was able to intercept Kenneth and bring him and his friend Lennox to church and give them a ride back. I am excited to hopefully begin teaching Lennox again, who was taking lessons back in May but stopped for one reason or another.
Sorry this is such a short letter, but not much happens when you are stuck in a hospital for several days.
From the sister who is still recovering but is feeling much better,
Sister Eldredge
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