Good Morning Everybody!!
Well, well, do I have quite the story to tell you! I've been waiting a week! First off, know that I am totally fine :) Second off, I fell into the Mississippi River. There's just really no way to lead into that. Well, more like slipped in, but my companions think it's more entertaining to say "fell". It happened last P-day after I emailed you. We went down to LSU to see some different stuff. The capital, and the tiger, stuff like that. There's an old Navy destroyer down on the river under the bridge that we went down to see. Well, down by the river, I slipped backwards into the river. Kind of difficult to explain the whole thing in detail, and Erika got a letter that talks a little about it. Anyway, there was very slippery algae and mud and I slipped right in. Kind of disconcerting going in backwards. That plus the part where I know I am NOT supposed to be in water! So, it certainly does make for a good story. You can see from the picture where I'm coming out of the water. I only slipped in up to my waist. It was my district that went down there, and Elder Thomas just sprang into action when I fell and stuck his foot out for me to grab. Boy, am I grateful. The thing we don't actually know is how I stopped slipping. I most certainly should have gone all the way in. And I scraped up my right leg, but the worse part was the top of my right foot got some good scrapes on it. I bled pretty good, but we needed to go right out teaching. So I cleaned it real good when we got home that night. That was painful, but it was taken care of. Other than that, I did everything I knew. Kept it dry. Put disinfecting neo-sporin on it, bandaged it and went about my way.
But by Wednesday my foot was swollen up real big and quite painful. That landed me in the doctors office where they scrubbed and cleaned it, and then put me on antibiotics. I have a good infection because of how dirty the Mississippi is and it's a good thing I have my tetanus shot. That day I asked about any trauma underneath because of the way my foot bent when I went in, but they said it was just the infection. Well, Sister Wall and our mission doctor have seen it since then, or at least pictures, and didn't like how sensitive it is, and that the actual wound isn't closing off. It is fairly painful. I couldn't tell if there's any problems underneath, or if it just hurts so bad because of the trauma to the top. I mean, it took off so much skin, I've just had to treat it like a burn. It has felt like I just had two little coals set on my foot. So the uncertainty of everything landed me back at the doctors office for x-rays this morning. Even though I've been biking and walking fine, they thought my 4th metatarsal was broken, but it's not! yay! There is just soft tissue damage, and very micro tears to the tendons in the area. I could tell you the rest of all the little details, but to get to the point, right now I have on my foot a ton of gauze, then a self cohesive wrap to hold that on. Then a compression ace bandage for swelling. With all that on, my foot looks like an elephant’s foot, so I'm now in a post op shoe because that's the only thing loose enough. But quite the story though, right?!
I don't really love that I've been having these random little accidents. Seems like they happen no matter how careful I am. I guess I'm just a little clumsy these days! But I'm just grateful that I'm healthy and good. Instead, I'll just take joy in the fact that I can say I fell in the Mississippi :) I figure that's making the best of it - haha. Crazy huh? Sorry for any worry that caused you, but I figured you'd want to know...
My other miracle is that we have a bunch of new investigators! But we have two that are for a real. A mother and son who are just so amazing. We, as missionaries, invited everyone possible to the game night that we did. Well, two elders felt one day that they needed to ride through a park on the way home and give out all the invitations they had that Sis. Tanner and I made. One person that they met was 20 year old David from Honduras who was playing soccer. They didn't think anything of it, but they gave him one. And who showed up at the game night?! David and Dunia (David's mom)!!! Sis Tanner talked to them. I was so happy for her. She's struggling with her Spanish, but she had a full conversation with them and set up an appointment! They've come to the English ward since then, and Hna. Tanner and I went and taught them on Friday night and it went awesome! They are for real. They told us their stories of how they came to be here and I just felt the spirit so strongly. I will never cease to be amazed at people's stories and their faith. There are a few that I've met lately, including these two, that I just know only made it here to the States because the Lord's hand was in their lives. And I believe very strongly it's because here they can learn the gospel. Honduras is so dangerous. People are murdered every day, just awful things. Proselyting missionaries aren't allowed there, and so I believe that these two were ready for the gospel, and that the Lord brought them here to the promised land to hear it. It's not uncommon here. I don't know when they'll accept it, but I know they will! We're very excited to teach them.
Stake Conference was yesterday, and I got to sit at the translators table with my little headset and translate for the women speakers. I was worried because the last time I tried I couldn't do it. It's different than from the pulpit, because there they pause while you translate. Here you're just listening to non-stop and translating it as it goes, but I was so happy because I was able to do it!
I hope you all have a great week!
Hermana Marks
Well, well, do I have quite the story to tell you! I've been waiting a week! First off, know that I am totally fine :) Second off, I fell into the Mississippi River. There's just really no way to lead into that. Well, more like slipped in, but my companions think it's more entertaining to say "fell". It happened last P-day after I emailed you. We went down to LSU to see some different stuff. The capital, and the tiger, stuff like that. There's an old Navy destroyer down on the river under the bridge that we went down to see. Well, down by the river, I slipped backwards into the river. Kind of difficult to explain the whole thing in detail, and Erika got a letter that talks a little about it. Anyway, there was very slippery algae and mud and I slipped right in. Kind of disconcerting going in backwards. That plus the part where I know I am NOT supposed to be in water! So, it certainly does make for a good story. You can see from the picture where I'm coming out of the water. I only slipped in up to my waist. It was my district that went down there, and Elder Thomas just sprang into action when I fell and stuck his foot out for me to grab. Boy, am I grateful. The thing we don't actually know is how I stopped slipping. I most certainly should have gone all the way in. And I scraped up my right leg, but the worse part was the top of my right foot got some good scrapes on it. I bled pretty good, but we needed to go right out teaching. So I cleaned it real good when we got home that night. That was painful, but it was taken care of. Other than that, I did everything I knew. Kept it dry. Put disinfecting neo-sporin on it, bandaged it and went about my way.
But by Wednesday my foot was swollen up real big and quite painful. That landed me in the doctors office where they scrubbed and cleaned it, and then put me on antibiotics. I have a good infection because of how dirty the Mississippi is and it's a good thing I have my tetanus shot. That day I asked about any trauma underneath because of the way my foot bent when I went in, but they said it was just the infection. Well, Sister Wall and our mission doctor have seen it since then, or at least pictures, and didn't like how sensitive it is, and that the actual wound isn't closing off. It is fairly painful. I couldn't tell if there's any problems underneath, or if it just hurts so bad because of the trauma to the top. I mean, it took off so much skin, I've just had to treat it like a burn. It has felt like I just had two little coals set on my foot. So the uncertainty of everything landed me back at the doctors office for x-rays this morning. Even though I've been biking and walking fine, they thought my 4th metatarsal was broken, but it's not! yay! There is just soft tissue damage, and very micro tears to the tendons in the area. I could tell you the rest of all the little details, but to get to the point, right now I have on my foot a ton of gauze, then a self cohesive wrap to hold that on. Then a compression ace bandage for swelling. With all that on, my foot looks like an elephant’s foot, so I'm now in a post op shoe because that's the only thing loose enough. But quite the story though, right?!
I don't really love that I've been having these random little accidents. Seems like they happen no matter how careful I am. I guess I'm just a little clumsy these days! But I'm just grateful that I'm healthy and good. Instead, I'll just take joy in the fact that I can say I fell in the Mississippi :) I figure that's making the best of it - haha. Crazy huh? Sorry for any worry that caused you, but I figured you'd want to know...
My other miracle is that we have a bunch of new investigators! But we have two that are for a real. A mother and son who are just so amazing. We, as missionaries, invited everyone possible to the game night that we did. Well, two elders felt one day that they needed to ride through a park on the way home and give out all the invitations they had that Sis. Tanner and I made. One person that they met was 20 year old David from Honduras who was playing soccer. They didn't think anything of it, but they gave him one. And who showed up at the game night?! David and Dunia (David's mom)!!! Sis Tanner talked to them. I was so happy for her. She's struggling with her Spanish, but she had a full conversation with them and set up an appointment! They've come to the English ward since then, and Hna. Tanner and I went and taught them on Friday night and it went awesome! They are for real. They told us their stories of how they came to be here and I just felt the spirit so strongly. I will never cease to be amazed at people's stories and their faith. There are a few that I've met lately, including these two, that I just know only made it here to the States because the Lord's hand was in their lives. And I believe very strongly it's because here they can learn the gospel. Honduras is so dangerous. People are murdered every day, just awful things. Proselyting missionaries aren't allowed there, and so I believe that these two were ready for the gospel, and that the Lord brought them here to the promised land to hear it. It's not uncommon here. I don't know when they'll accept it, but I know they will! We're very excited to teach them.
Stake Conference was yesterday, and I got to sit at the translators table with my little headset and translate for the women speakers. I was worried because the last time I tried I couldn't do it. It's different than from the pulpit, because there they pause while you translate. Here you're just listening to non-stop and translating it as it goes, but I was so happy because I was able to do it!
I hope you all have a great week!
Hermana Marks
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