The herniated - 10/22/12

Another wonderful week has come and gone! I'm hoping that tomorrow I get some good news. I have gotten a grand total of one message from the outside world in the past two weeks. That's to be expected, because the mission office holds our mail during the last week of the transfer and the first week of the transfer until they are sure they know where to send everything. When my companion and I stopped by the office on Wednesday, they told us to expect our letters in the mail on Monday. Well, we didn't get anything today. I will be patient and enjoy the bounteous blessings of the mailbox tomorrow. Or soon. At least they got me my packages today. My mom and friends back home sent me a bunch of food and useful little goodies, for which I am very grateful.  

I'm also hoping to hear from the surgeon tomorrow. I am still not sure why I ended up seeing Dr. Hou when I made an appointment to see Dr. Lara, but I was told on the phone by Sister Van Vleet, the mission nurse, that Missionary Medical has fixed the situation and that I'm cleared for the surgery. Their office told me to expect a phone call "early next week, probably Monday". It's past 5:00 now and still no phone call. So I'm still waiting to know exactly when my surgery will be.

I'm not sure how I got this hernia, but it seems to me like the swelling has been present since before my mission. How I managed to slip that by my doctor that gave me my pre-mission physical, I don't know. I'm not in a ton of pain. It does hurt every now and then, but the intense pain that keeps me up at night has only happened a couple of times. The ward here and my mission president are both working to get me the best possible care, including having other priesthood holders help out my companion so that the missionary work here doesn't stop completely while I'm recovering. I know I would go crazy if I had to sit around and watch the paint peeling in our apartment for two weeks.

The work is progressing and it's so cool to watch it! I'm sure the Lord has kept me here for so long because he needs me here for a fifth transfer. But seriously, we have some really great investigators in addition to the frustrating ones. "K" is doing so well when we visit with her, and I think she's willing to get married in order to get baptized. "D" made it to church this week and impressed all of the Relief Society with her enthusiasm! She told them all that she has lots of questions for us now. That's always good for us to hear! I can't wait to meet with her again, hopefully tomorrow evening.

We also got to baptize the anesthesiologist.  Her boyfriend drove up from Orange County to perform the ordinances of baptism and confirmation. He and his parents and some family from the Westminster ward all came and supported her in typical Mormon-family fashion, complete with little kids running around everywhere. It was so cool. They were sure to point out to me and my companion that we were the first missionaries that really clicked with her. She told them that she sincerely thought that we knew the answers to all her questions and cared about her as more than a baptismal statistic. They said that if nothing else, the Lord needed us in this area in order to finish her conversion. I never really felt like we did an awful lot with her, because she knew so much of the doctrine already, but it's good to hear that we made such an impact in her life. I definitely feel like I've made another forever friend.

I want to talk about the Sword of Laban. Laban was a pretty bad guy, with command over at least fifty soldiers, and he threatened to stop the work of the Lord with that power. So God had Nephi chop off his head with his own sword. From then on, it became a legend that was wielded in defense of liberty and truth by the prophets of the Lord, and was revealed to Joseph Smith in the latter days. (Jacob 1:10, WoM 1:13)

In the epic stories that we love so much, the heroes are the ones we adore, but a truly extraordinary weapon is not forgotten. Remember Narsil and how it fit into the LotR story arc, or the Elder wand. They didn't do anything of their own free will, but when wielded by a hero, they became legendary as well. I want to be an instrument in the Lord's hands that does mighty things for Him. I want to swing as an extension of his will and bring glory and honor to his name.

Love you tons, guys. Keep the mail coming, I should have plenty of time to respond.