Gastritis, Appendicitis, or Gastroenteritis...

Sorry about last week's letter. We were not only running very late, but I was pretty sick, and it resulted in an emergency room visit all day Saturday, but that story comes in a minute. This week was looking really good. We had 5 new baptismal dates, all of them were positive that they were going to be able to come to church, were accepting perfectly everything we were teaching, and everything just looked great. Then Sunday happened. We went to pick up three people and they had a relative get sick, so they had to go to the hospital. The other two (a mom and daughter) were sure that the mom could be an hour late to work so she could come to sacrament meeting, but her boss had a change of heart for the worse, and she couldn't come. Our last hope is a less active and her husband (Marcos, whom I've written about before), and her husband was gone, but she was "getting ready" when we stopped by and then never showed up. I decided that Sundays are the best and worst days of the week. The best because It's nice to go to church and take the sacrament, feel the spirit, and have a little rest from our normal work, and the worst because we always lose everyone on Sundays and basically have to start the week out with nothing. Weekends were a lot better before the mission...

So last Saturday (when we were still in August), I started having a stomachache after we ate with some members. Both me and Elder Irigoyen were feeling sick, so I figured I would have some diarrhea and get better. He did, but I didn't. I started having some pretty bad stomach pains, and I could hardly eat at all before feeling completely full and bloated, but I figured it would just pass, because I lived my first 12 years of my life like that, and I didn't think it was anything serious because the stomachache was really my only symptom. Then it got worse. I started having some pretty bad aches in my whole body, I could hardly stay awake all day, but I didn't feel any nauseau or have diarrhea (or anything for that matter), so Thursday morning, I decided to call Hna. Call to let her know what was going on and see what needed to happen. She had me call the mission doctor who diagnosed gastritis and told me to go buy some medicine. So I did. Thursday I still didn't feel good, but Friday I felt better. Then Saturday happened. I woke up at about 5 and had to take a giant dump (pardon my language), then went back to sleep. I woke up to the alarm at 6:30 with a terrible pain on my right side. It was so bad that I couldn't move, talk, or essentially do anything but sit there and cry. I eventually was able to ask for a blessing, and then it calmed down a little. I called the doctor again, and he told me it's probably appendicitis and that I needed to get to DF right away and go to the emergency room. We got there in a few hours and got to the hospital, where I had blood and urine tests, an ultrasound, and some radiographs done only to find out that I'm perfectly fine. The doctor said it's probably just getting used to "the flora" (?) here in Mexico, and that I should be just fine. So after 6 hours in the hospital, she told me to go buy more medicine to treat for gastroenteritis and sent me on my way. So after 3 different diagnoses, I still don't know what's going on, but I do feel better today. Where's Dr. House when I need him?

Anyway, that was my week. I'm glad things are staying busy at home and that everyone's doing good things. I heard from Alicia and Canyon, which was a fun surprise because it included some pictures. So far I haven't gathered any recipes because we eat almost the same thing every day. Basically every meal has chicken, either soup or rice (and occasionally spaghetti), and tortillas. We have enchiladas probably 3 times a week, sopes (flat enchiladas) maybe once, and various forms of chicken the rest. If not, there's a really good little taco place that we like to eat at. Sorry I didn't answer you about the RS lesson last week, but I've already given my excuses. I think you may have misunderstood me a little bit, though. After this transfer, I CAN train. That doesn't mean I WILL train. there's a really good chance I'll just get sent somewhere else as a junior companion, but anything is possible, I guess. We do get to have a special training with President Call this Wednesday, though, so that will be exciting. I can buy more pants possibly in a different area, but they won't be as nice, and they won't be free. Everyone here is telling me that Mr. Mac will replace them for free (they're black with green paint that won't come out), so I'm hoping we can work that out, because I'd rather not only have one pair of black pants my entire mission. It would upset my strategy to have wearable clothes when I come home. As far as other things for the package, any LDS CD would be greatly appreciated (I decided I'd like to own every MOTAB CD one day), American candies, especially chocolate, and the missionary library (the four books I told you about earlier). I'm really not in Mexico City right now. I'm on the border of the state of Mexico and the state of Hidalgo, and it's rural, to say the least. Why do you need to send it with Bro. Pinckney? President Call assured us that if you send it through USPS, it is assured to get here in less than 3 weeks. If you do send it with Bro. Pinckney, he can either just send it to that address or also to

Miralirio 69
Col. Cumbria, Cuatitlan Izcalli
Edo. de Mexico 54740 (or whatever the zip code is in that address)
Mexico

Which is the actual address of the mission offices. I would really enjoy that if you can make it happen, but if not, I decided that for a Christmas/birthday/any other gift giving holiday present, you can start my macbook/protools savings account for when I get home :)

I hope you all continue to be involved in good things. I finished reading the New Testament, and am now in D&C 65, and should have D&C finished by the end of this week. Then the daunting task of the Old Testament... Even when things are hard, I know I can still be happy because I'm involved in the greatest cause that there is. The Lord is blessing me so much for my service, and I hope I can be humble enough to let this experience change me for the better. Continue to study the scriptures and pray every day; that is how we are perfected and receive answers to our questions. Keep all the commandments, no matter how hard it is, and the Lord will bless you in your sacrifices. This is His only true church, and the only church on this earth with the priesthood authority of God to effect all of the ordinances of salvation. Joseph Smith restored this church through the power of God, and we are led by a living prophet today who holds the exact same keys of the kingdom that were given to Peter, James, and John. President Monson receives revelation directly from God on a daily basis to direct this church. As we strive to endure to the end in righteousness, we will receive a crown of glory, and we will have the privilege on being on the right hand of Christ in the day of judgment and inherit the greatest gift of God, even eternal life. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and He watches over us as His sons and daughters. He loves us so much that He suffered every single pain, sorrow, and affliction that we do. I came to appreciate that more fully with my experience on Saturday when I thought I was suffering more pain that a person can withstand. He loves us and He gave His precious blood and life for us so that we can find comfort in Him, and the third day, He rose again so that we can all overcome physical death, have a perfect resurrected body, and be able to stand in the presence of God at the last day. As you study the scriptures and pray, every one of you can know the same through the power of the Holy Ghost. I testify of the truth of all these things in the name of Him whom I represent, even Jesus Christ

Elder Joseph Facer