Hello Everyone!
This week was one of those weeks where I couldn't possibly explain what happened, and yet I want to! I spent almost the entire week on a big service project, and helping with some situations in the mission with sisters. I was on exchanges Tuesday night through Thursday with some sisters in the zone. They're doing ok, but need some extra support and training. One of them is from temple square and they're awesome. So it was fun to work with them and get their perspective.
Then Thursday at our zone service project president told us he had a sister that he needed to be with us for a couple days. She was arriving from a different place in the mission, and was having some problems. Losing touch with reality, stuff like that. So we didn't really know much until President called us later saying that she was pretty bad and they needed us to come stay at the mission home with her that night. Come to find out, she was severely concerned with being exactly obedient, so she was freaked out to not have a companion at the mission home. She wouldn't get in the shower, get her scriptures, eat anything, leave your side without asking for permission. So we stayed with her that night, and I was her companion the next day, where we were also doing service - painting rails at a park. But that night at the mission home, I was talking to President Wall when a call came in from this sisters' stake president. President took the call and didn't ask me to leave, so I just sat there and heard most of their conversation, which helped me understand more fully what was going on. President told me when he got off the phone, that he always has people leave for calls like that, but that he felt like I should hear what was going on so I could help her the next day. So she spent that whole day glued to my hip. And I'm not going to lie, it was hard. She had OCD compulsions, I picked up on a little paranoia, and she was just generally confused/detached from reality. Mix that in with some serious questions about the atonement, and wanting to know how she could know if she'd been forgiven. She just kept saying, "I just want to do whatever Heavenly Father wants me, I'm trying so hard, I'm sorry." I could go into examples, but I'm too mentally exhausted. And it doesn't matter anyway, so suffice it to say that I'd never known really what a mental breakdown was, until she had a couple on me. But I found a spiritual gift that I didn't know existed. I dealt with it so well. I found out the things she loves. She feels the spirit through nature/music/and dragonfly's. Which was handy because I still wear that butterfly/dragonfly ring on my finger everyday and she loved that. So we took breaks sitting under this huge tree, and while we were there we sung a hymn to help her calm down. There was this moment when she was what I would call "lucid" when she told me that when she starts losing it and she can't make decisions (because she's paranoid and downright scared of being disobedient) to make her look at me, tell her one happy thought, and then tell her what do, and that she would do it.
When we later got back to the mission home, President told me he'd watched us that day, and he wanted me to come in his office with her when he told her that she was going to go home to get help. We went in there later and he actually put her parents on speakerphone. I never dreamed in my life I'd be in President's office, helping with something like that. Well, trying anyway. She was a total mess when she heard her parents. She felt like a sinner for talking to them, and she felt like a burden for being a problem. So he went through the process of explaining to her what was going to happen. Then the real problem - there was this tiny pill they needed her to take to stay kind of stable. One then, one that night, and one the next morning before she flew out with a healthcare psychologist lady from missionary medical. She absolutely refused to take that pill. It didn't matter what her parents said, what President said, what I said. I did what she told me to do, I had her look at me, gave her a happy thought to cling to, and then told her what was best - take the medicine. She just about did it, but then instead completely broke down. So it was quite the ordeal. Eventually everything got worked out when President told us that he felt like she and I were kindred spirits who promised each other in the pre-mortal life that we would help each other while here on this earth. He then just left us there for a while to talk about friendship. It was a neat experience. But she was so sad about everything and eventually (once we'd obediently talked about exactly what president asked us to for the perfect amount of time) asked me to just play the piano for her. Everything we did was the best for her, and obviously necessary, but kind of heartbreaking. And draining. Then that afternoon we found out about an elder in Kenner, someone I do know living in my old Kenner apt, has cancer and had to be rushed to the mission home and put on a plane the next morning to get emergency treatment. Craziness. Since there was going to be an elder in the mission home, she absolutely refused to stay there, even with a companion and on a different floor. So president had her stay with us. Everything, including the medicine ordeal, all worked out. When we took her back to the mission home the next day, I was so sad for some reason. I just felt so close to this unlikely friend that I'd made. Our spirits are just connected somehow. I’m a loyal soul though, always have been. So while I actually dealt really well with everything, emotionally it hit me hard when we left her there. President did tell me that whatever happened mentally to her happened really fast, so it should reverse fine. I look forward to knowing her and having a solid conversation one day!
Also, huge miracle happened Saturday!! We've found and have been trying to teach a lady, Marquetta. Her appointment’s keep falling through and we weren't really sure what was going to happen with her. But she kept our appointment on Saturday and we had an amazing Restoration lesson with her! I think it was maybe the only lesson Sister Chausow and I taught together all week, and we made it a good one! This woman has been through crazy hard things. And without knowing the words to describe it, she basically told us that all the different churches she's attended throughout her life are apostate and can never give her the answers she wants, and also she wants to know, "what's up with the Bible?! Why is it so unclear?" Haha, I'll go out on a limb and say it -she's prepared. I told her she seemed ready, and her response was, "oh, I'm more than ready!". She, her husband, her brother, and her five kids. That's right! A family!!!!! Quite frankly, there has been nothing going on in the 2nd ward, and no real excitement or anything. But all 8 of them came to church yesterday, and took up a whole middle bench! They came! It was the first time Sis Chausow has ever had investigators in church! They were the only black family in the whole congregation, so people noticed, and it seemed to light this fire of excitement in the ward. All of a sudden our WML is more willing to communicate with us, he called us back for the first time ever last night instead of going through the elders to get to us. Which is a really good sign because for some reason it has been painfully apparent how much Bryce doesn't really trust sisters. So relationships with the ward members is on an upward rise, and we are so excited about this family! I believe we're going to see a miracle. It won't be easy. Her brother smokes. And she herself actually isn't married. She was abused by her old husband, who is now in prison and refusing to sign the divorce papers. Stuff like that, but I have faith, lots of it. And so do they. We had a lesson with those three last night to find out how they liked church and establish expectations, and it went amazingly well. They're committed to two lessons a week, each on the husband’s (boyfriends ?) days off. I believe it's their time for good things. And God brought us to her to bring them.
That's my week! Sorry I don't have time to respond to what you wrote me :) Everyone is definitely ready since I had this whole server/email problem or whatever so I better go. I love you all so much!!!
Hermana Marks
This week was one of those weeks where I couldn't possibly explain what happened, and yet I want to! I spent almost the entire week on a big service project, and helping with some situations in the mission with sisters. I was on exchanges Tuesday night through Thursday with some sisters in the zone. They're doing ok, but need some extra support and training. One of them is from temple square and they're awesome. So it was fun to work with them and get their perspective.
Then Thursday at our zone service project president told us he had a sister that he needed to be with us for a couple days. She was arriving from a different place in the mission, and was having some problems. Losing touch with reality, stuff like that. So we didn't really know much until President called us later saying that she was pretty bad and they needed us to come stay at the mission home with her that night. Come to find out, she was severely concerned with being exactly obedient, so she was freaked out to not have a companion at the mission home. She wouldn't get in the shower, get her scriptures, eat anything, leave your side without asking for permission. So we stayed with her that night, and I was her companion the next day, where we were also doing service - painting rails at a park. But that night at the mission home, I was talking to President Wall when a call came in from this sisters' stake president. President took the call and didn't ask me to leave, so I just sat there and heard most of their conversation, which helped me understand more fully what was going on. President told me when he got off the phone, that he always has people leave for calls like that, but that he felt like I should hear what was going on so I could help her the next day. So she spent that whole day glued to my hip. And I'm not going to lie, it was hard. She had OCD compulsions, I picked up on a little paranoia, and she was just generally confused/detached from reality. Mix that in with some serious questions about the atonement, and wanting to know how she could know if she'd been forgiven. She just kept saying, "I just want to do whatever Heavenly Father wants me, I'm trying so hard, I'm sorry." I could go into examples, but I'm too mentally exhausted. And it doesn't matter anyway, so suffice it to say that I'd never known really what a mental breakdown was, until she had a couple on me. But I found a spiritual gift that I didn't know existed. I dealt with it so well. I found out the things she loves. She feels the spirit through nature/music/and dragonfly's. Which was handy because I still wear that butterfly/dragonfly ring on my finger everyday and she loved that. So we took breaks sitting under this huge tree, and while we were there we sung a hymn to help her calm down. There was this moment when she was what I would call "lucid" when she told me that when she starts losing it and she can't make decisions (because she's paranoid and downright scared of being disobedient) to make her look at me, tell her one happy thought, and then tell her what do, and that she would do it.
When we later got back to the mission home, President told me he'd watched us that day, and he wanted me to come in his office with her when he told her that she was going to go home to get help. We went in there later and he actually put her parents on speakerphone. I never dreamed in my life I'd be in President's office, helping with something like that. Well, trying anyway. She was a total mess when she heard her parents. She felt like a sinner for talking to them, and she felt like a burden for being a problem. So he went through the process of explaining to her what was going to happen. Then the real problem - there was this tiny pill they needed her to take to stay kind of stable. One then, one that night, and one the next morning before she flew out with a healthcare psychologist lady from missionary medical. She absolutely refused to take that pill. It didn't matter what her parents said, what President said, what I said. I did what she told me to do, I had her look at me, gave her a happy thought to cling to, and then told her what was best - take the medicine. She just about did it, but then instead completely broke down. So it was quite the ordeal. Eventually everything got worked out when President told us that he felt like she and I were kindred spirits who promised each other in the pre-mortal life that we would help each other while here on this earth. He then just left us there for a while to talk about friendship. It was a neat experience. But she was so sad about everything and eventually (once we'd obediently talked about exactly what president asked us to for the perfect amount of time) asked me to just play the piano for her. Everything we did was the best for her, and obviously necessary, but kind of heartbreaking. And draining. Then that afternoon we found out about an elder in Kenner, someone I do know living in my old Kenner apt, has cancer and had to be rushed to the mission home and put on a plane the next morning to get emergency treatment. Craziness. Since there was going to be an elder in the mission home, she absolutely refused to stay there, even with a companion and on a different floor. So president had her stay with us. Everything, including the medicine ordeal, all worked out. When we took her back to the mission home the next day, I was so sad for some reason. I just felt so close to this unlikely friend that I'd made. Our spirits are just connected somehow. I’m a loyal soul though, always have been. So while I actually dealt really well with everything, emotionally it hit me hard when we left her there. President did tell me that whatever happened mentally to her happened really fast, so it should reverse fine. I look forward to knowing her and having a solid conversation one day!
Also, huge miracle happened Saturday!! We've found and have been trying to teach a lady, Marquetta. Her appointment’s keep falling through and we weren't really sure what was going to happen with her. But she kept our appointment on Saturday and we had an amazing Restoration lesson with her! I think it was maybe the only lesson Sister Chausow and I taught together all week, and we made it a good one! This woman has been through crazy hard things. And without knowing the words to describe it, she basically told us that all the different churches she's attended throughout her life are apostate and can never give her the answers she wants, and also she wants to know, "what's up with the Bible?! Why is it so unclear?" Haha, I'll go out on a limb and say it -she's prepared. I told her she seemed ready, and her response was, "oh, I'm more than ready!". She, her husband, her brother, and her five kids. That's right! A family!!!!! Quite frankly, there has been nothing going on in the 2nd ward, and no real excitement or anything. But all 8 of them came to church yesterday, and took up a whole middle bench! They came! It was the first time Sis Chausow has ever had investigators in church! They were the only black family in the whole congregation, so people noticed, and it seemed to light this fire of excitement in the ward. All of a sudden our WML is more willing to communicate with us, he called us back for the first time ever last night instead of going through the elders to get to us. Which is a really good sign because for some reason it has been painfully apparent how much Bryce doesn't really trust sisters. So relationships with the ward members is on an upward rise, and we are so excited about this family! I believe we're going to see a miracle. It won't be easy. Her brother smokes. And she herself actually isn't married. She was abused by her old husband, who is now in prison and refusing to sign the divorce papers. Stuff like that, but I have faith, lots of it. And so do they. We had a lesson with those three last night to find out how they liked church and establish expectations, and it went amazingly well. They're committed to two lessons a week, each on the husband’s (boyfriends ?) days off. I believe it's their time for good things. And God brought us to her to bring them.
That's my week! Sorry I don't have time to respond to what you wrote me :) Everyone is definitely ready since I had this whole server/email problem or whatever so I better go. I love you all so much!!!
Hermana Marks