New Jersey Times - Un cambio de corazon

Monday, February 13, 2012

Familia!

I've got very very VERY little time, but know that regardless of how much I get written here, I love you ALL!

The last couple days have been an adventure, a roller coaster of emotions, anything and everything you could think of. Saturday we had an All Mission Conference with Elder Jay Jensen (of the Presidency of the Seventy) and Elder Jeffrey Olson. It was a remarkable experience. At that Conference, President Jeppson announced that he has kidney cancer and will be flying out to Salt Lake City today with Sister Jeppson in order to have surgery. It was an array of tender mercies from the Lord that lead to the finding of his cancer. I wish time permitted the sharing of all of them. They will be there for the next 4-6 weeks. It is a difficult thing for me to even write this to you because I love my Mission President and his wife so much. They will not be here for my final temple trip, for my final interview, nor to take me to the airport. Actually, nothing's for sure yet, but they're anticipating that they will not be able to be back by then. I trust in my Father in Heaven and I know He knows better than any of us what needs to happen, when, and why. It is still hard though. SO, I ask for your prayers. He has said that if they are still in Utah when I get back, that he would love to be able to see us (the missionaries and me that are leaving in a couple weeks) so that he can give us one final interview. If circumstances allow, I ask that a trip to Salt Lake might be considered shortly after my return. I would love for the whole family to be able to come, so you can meet my wonderful President...especially Lauren who soon will be starting her life as a missionary.

Yesterday morning Hermana Fenn came to companion study and shared with us an experience she had had during personal study. She said something about feeling like she needed to have a change of heart. In Relief Society yesterday (the meeting with all the women :-), she turned to me and said she had to go to the restroom. As missionaries, we're not allowed to leave each other's sight nor sound, so I went to the door and watched her as she went to the restroom. As she opened the door to the restroom, I heard a big thump. I looked over and realized all I saw were her feet and her legs, lying on the ground. I quickly called Hermana Simpson to come out with me and we found our companion struggling to stand up straight. She slowly made her way to the ground again and just stared blankly at the wall. We sat her up and tried to get her attention. (Maybe I'm going into too much detail. Please, stop worrying :-). Turns out as she was sitting in class she felt something happen in her heart, something weird. That's when she told me she had to go to the restroom; she just wanted to figure out what happened. We took her straight to the emergency room. They ran some tests and couldn't find anything wrong; however, they asked her to stay overnight so they could do some more tests and see if they couldn't find the reason for what happened. She is currently there. We joked with her about asking for a change of heart. She's such a trooper. We know that Father is taking care of her. I love her so much. All the doctors seemed to think we were slightly crazy because we kept telling them we "couldn't be separated." As if we have separation anxiety or something. Haha. Hermana Simpson and I had one of the security guards approach us ask us why it was so. We continued to talk to him for most of the night. He thinks we're a little strange because we send our brand new missionaries into the heart of Newark at night, by themselves nonetheless; or that we only talk to our families twice a year. :-) Billy is our new friend.

New Brunswick is wonderful. The members here have taken upon themselves the name of Christ and they understand what it means. They are remarkable. Somehow they all seem to know about Hermana Fenn and have been calling and texting us like crazy offering to help in any way. The Lord takes care of His missionaries...and I add all of His children. Mosiah 18:8-9. They exemplify it. I'm am so grateful to be so closely involved with them, to be able to learn from their example.

I love you family. Keep in up! Be the Lord's hands for the people that surround you. See you soon!

- Hermana Word
(the first ;-).