Week Siyam: Working Hard or Hardly Working?‏

So this week was whack. On Tuesday morning, I awoke horrifically ill. Very very VERY sick. My theory is food poisoning. Because of the fact that I couldn't move without my stomach feeling like it was going to turn inside out, I went back upstairs and slept for another hour, hoping to shrug it off. Alas, no deal. I came downstairs and slept on a mattress in the middle of our livingroom floor (which Sister Donato kindly documented for you in a picture, ugh). After another few hours, I tried to eat a little oatmeal, which made me so sick to the point of vomiting, so back to my mattress I went. I read the entirety of "Our Heritage" while laying there in discomfort and exhaustion, which is another wonderful book about the LDS church. I finally felt good enough to get up around 4pm. I ate the oatmeal, showered, dressed, and wallowed in misery knowing that I had derailed our entire day. The sisters, however, were so not having my misery. They scolded me and told me that my health was most important. I steeled myself and made us go out for one appointment to the Yellow House, which went okay. The mom and daughter enjoyed our lesson and listened carefully, but the mom told us straight up in the beginning that they were not interested in conversion. We told them that we weren't there to convert, we were there to share. The mom gave me many compliments on how well I speak (because they were educated so I spoke english) and she seemed impressed by my testimony, though at the time I was fighting to keep a smile.Tuesday was just a very sick day.

Wednesday started out much the same. Achy and stomach sick. I made myself move around about nine though because it was exchanges and since I live with the Sister Training Leaders, I didn't want to seem useless. Sister Pace and I are friends though, so she was understanding and even very concerned about how I was feeling throughout the day. We taught a full day, and while a couple of times I felt sick, I pushed through the day, ending with a mild case of sleep deprivation.

Yesterday, I was sick too. Migraine, stomach upset, dehydration because I ran out of water at church and had no time for a refill, and major frustration with the language that I don't seem to click with yet. I was so hot, so sticky, so tired, and the thought of food made me nauseous, so I went to bed without eating last night. My sleep last night was uncomfortable because of the heat that my electric fan didn't seem to battle, and my back hurt really bad too.

Oh crap, I just reread this. I sound like such a whiner. What I'm saying is, is that I was very sick this week, but I'm regaining my health and I'm very much still alive. No one worry about me. I'm doing better today. I ate food and everything.

Okay, onto the not death parts of my week. I have funky dreams now, so vivid and descriptive, and I have them every night. It's weird since I'm not really used to dreaming. But anyway. I had a dream that in order to serve a mission, I had to participate in a Hunger Games competition. And I just wanted to serve but there was this sister that was like "Well I'm going to kill you, so that isn't going to happen." I had to wake myself a few times and remind myself that I was already in the field, and that a HG competition made absolutely no sense for missionaries. What are we going to do - slowly kill each other by giving paper cuts with our pamphlets? 

I had my first experience this week with a breast-feeding investigator. Brother Kovach was right - they just don't care here. No privacy needed. The first experience quickly opened the floodgates to a second and third experience. It was super weird, being raised in such a different environment. Elder Wilcox in my district reacted to my observation with a serious nod and said, "Yeah, you think it's awkward for you? Try being an elder." I cackled for a minute straight, laughing harder when his eyes suddenly looked like he was thinking of horror stories. It's just so very different here. Things that would never happen in the states, happen here. Things that I have been taught my entire life not to do, they freely do here. Children run around without pants, men pull up their shirts and fondly rub and slap their bellies in the streets, stray cats and dogs with missing fur are nuzzled and chased. The other day, I saw a small group of teenage boys, their little brothers, and men gathered around watching a cock-fight in the middle of the street. I slowed, my jaw dropping, my mind immediately screaming about how illegal and messed up it was. But Sister Jaya didn't slow and the men didn't seem phased, and then I remembered I was in a third world country. It's a jungle out here, kids.

We had Zone Training this week. Sister Jaya, Sister Pace, and I sang "Savior, Redeemer of My Soul". Man, I love that song. Just the lyrics, "Savior, Redeemer of my soul, whose mighty hand hath made me whole. Whose wondrous power hath raised me up, and filled with sweet my bitter cup." UGH, those lyrics hit me straight in the heart every time. After training, a few of us went to Colonial Grill, which was beyond tasty, and the first nice restaurant I've been to here. It was fun. Sister Jaya and I went to the hospital then to get her a chest xray, which is apparently required for all departing missionaries. Another note - I am so so SO thankful for hospitals in America. Hospitals in third world countries aren't exactly nice. Or clean.

Briefly saw Shampoo lady two days ago. Haven't been able to teach her because she's busy. Dangit. We taught a family yesterday, named Lotivio, and convinced the mom and her two baby daughters to come to church after only two lessons. She stayed for two periods, which was so nice of her. She's lovely, though she doesn't speak any english, so my broken Tagalog isn't really helpful with her. It was the Primary program yesterday, and ugh, I was just sitting there missing my primary kiddos so much. I miss hanging out with the every week.

Not much happened this week, other than acute sickness. I'm doing better though, and despite frustration, I'm still so happy to be here. Working on some things, and although progression is slow, I pursue it all the same.

"We are the reason He created the universe!...This is a paradox of man: compared to God, man is nothing; yet we are everything to God." - Dieter F. Uchtdorf

All my love,

Sister Green

Earworms:

-"Fernando" - ABBA

-"The Cave" - Mumford&Sons

-"Witch's Rap" - Into the Woods

-"The Phantom of the Opera"