Hey guys! Thanks for all your emails and thoughts and prayers! I'm not exactly sure where to start with this week...
My companion and I did a division/split with the sisters that we take care of early on this week. We stayed there and everything was great! Those sisters were having a few problems but we were able to work things out with them. That night I got a phone call and was told another set of sisters that we are over were really sick and one had been rushed to the hospital. Her companion had caught dengue fever that week so she was prohibited from being in the hospital. Basically we needed to figure out how my companion and I could work out this situation as we were so far out in another area and super far away. Her comp, Sister Trindade came out to stay with the other sisters and I went back to help the sister in the hospital. President Castro gave me special permission to travel with three elders so that I didn't travel by myself. The elders were so nice but it was...super weird.
I stayed with Sister Meono at the hospital and spent most of my week there. It was a little overwhelming taking care of her but I did my best. I didn't have a lot of information - just that her appendix had burst in December and they did an emergency operation in one of the interior areas. After a week they were able to move her to a private hospital here in Manaus. She was recovering ok until this last week when she started to have a lot of pain. A member rushed her to the hospital and that's when I got there. President and Sister Castro were traveling all week and it was difficult to reach them by phone. I stayed with the sister while they did all the exams and tests during the week. I was overwhelmed because I'm not familiar with this field and all the terms in Portuguese but I just tried to take care of her the very best way I could and make her happy because she was so sad. We played Uno and sang songs in English. I did her hair and I tried to paint her nails but apparently it's not allowed :(
We were frustrated because nothing kept showing up on the tests as to why she would be in this much pain but other tests showed she had an infection. We also had issues obtaining medical records from the interior city she was in where the operation was performed so the doctors at the current hospital didn't have all the information they needed. The doctors told me I needed to get in touch with someone from that city to have her records sent. Trying to get a hold of people in an interior from here with zero minutes left on your missionary phone was a disaster. A member nearby attempted to bring me her phone to use but get this - she was robbed on her way to the hospital and her phone was stolen. Miracles happened though and the records we needed were sent and the results of the tests were made available earlier than we thought. They found a fungus that had grown after the surgery (probably from all the heat) and it was treatable with oral medicine. Yay! They released her on Sunday and the Presidents got home Sunday night. When I got home last night I was super excited to see my companion and get a good nights sleep - except then I got another phone call from the assistants telling me that for whatever reason I'm being sent out to an interior city this week to help the sisters out there. The city is called Itacoatiare. I'll be there this week with another sister trainer leader named Sister Farias. We leave tonight and are taking a six hour bus ride and will division with the sisters there.
So, craziness right now. Today before we leave we are helping some sisters move apartments with all their furniture so that will be fun!
This whole week I was really worried about our area and all of our investigators. Last week we had just so much success and then this week it didn't work out to follow up with any of them. I was really nervous. But on Sunday, guys...just miracles. A lady we have been teaching with her daughter came to church and accepted to be baptized this Sunday! Then, this young woman who told me she didn't want anything to do with the church went to EFY here and had an amazing spiritual experience and now wants to be baptized!
Then! The Bishop's wife from my old area bent over backwards apparently to get a hold of me to bring me something I had left behind at her house. She has been inactive for the last few years and my companion (Sister Cidade) and I worked super hard with her while we were there. We developed a really strong and sincere friendship with her and she became someone I will always feel so grateful for. My last Sunday I begged to come to church and she promised me she would. We told the Bishop and he wouldn't believe us. He was like, "ok sisters, my wife won't come". The last twenty minutes of sacrament meeting she walked in with her son who is not a member and we were overjoyed! We turned and looked at the Bishop and he had tears coming down his face with happiness. Anyways, she came all the way to the hospital this week to bring me what I had left. And when we finished talking she said, "I want you to know that I'm officially back in the church." It's been one of the most rewarding things to happen on my mission.
President Hinckley when he was first sustained as a prophet, was asked what his focus would be. He said, "Carry on. Yes. Our theme will be to carry on the great work which has been furthered by our predecessors." I've learned, especially this week, the importance of perseverance! Carry on everyone and never give up! Love you all so much - have a great week!
Sister Arbuckle
My companion and I did a division/split with the sisters that we take care of early on this week. We stayed there and everything was great! Those sisters were having a few problems but we were able to work things out with them. That night I got a phone call and was told another set of sisters that we are over were really sick and one had been rushed to the hospital. Her companion had caught dengue fever that week so she was prohibited from being in the hospital. Basically we needed to figure out how my companion and I could work out this situation as we were so far out in another area and super far away. Her comp, Sister Trindade came out to stay with the other sisters and I went back to help the sister in the hospital. President Castro gave me special permission to travel with three elders so that I didn't travel by myself. The elders were so nice but it was...super weird.
I stayed with Sister Meono at the hospital and spent most of my week there. It was a little overwhelming taking care of her but I did my best. I didn't have a lot of information - just that her appendix had burst in December and they did an emergency operation in one of the interior areas. After a week they were able to move her to a private hospital here in Manaus. She was recovering ok until this last week when she started to have a lot of pain. A member rushed her to the hospital and that's when I got there. President and Sister Castro were traveling all week and it was difficult to reach them by phone. I stayed with the sister while they did all the exams and tests during the week. I was overwhelmed because I'm not familiar with this field and all the terms in Portuguese but I just tried to take care of her the very best way I could and make her happy because she was so sad. We played Uno and sang songs in English. I did her hair and I tried to paint her nails but apparently it's not allowed :(
We were frustrated because nothing kept showing up on the tests as to why she would be in this much pain but other tests showed she had an infection. We also had issues obtaining medical records from the interior city she was in where the operation was performed so the doctors at the current hospital didn't have all the information they needed. The doctors told me I needed to get in touch with someone from that city to have her records sent. Trying to get a hold of people in an interior from here with zero minutes left on your missionary phone was a disaster. A member nearby attempted to bring me her phone to use but get this - she was robbed on her way to the hospital and her phone was stolen. Miracles happened though and the records we needed were sent and the results of the tests were made available earlier than we thought. They found a fungus that had grown after the surgery (probably from all the heat) and it was treatable with oral medicine. Yay! They released her on Sunday and the Presidents got home Sunday night. When I got home last night I was super excited to see my companion and get a good nights sleep - except then I got another phone call from the assistants telling me that for whatever reason I'm being sent out to an interior city this week to help the sisters out there. The city is called Itacoatiare. I'll be there this week with another sister trainer leader named Sister Farias. We leave tonight and are taking a six hour bus ride and will division with the sisters there.
So, craziness right now. Today before we leave we are helping some sisters move apartments with all their furniture so that will be fun!
This whole week I was really worried about our area and all of our investigators. Last week we had just so much success and then this week it didn't work out to follow up with any of them. I was really nervous. But on Sunday, guys...just miracles. A lady we have been teaching with her daughter came to church and accepted to be baptized this Sunday! Then, this young woman who told me she didn't want anything to do with the church went to EFY here and had an amazing spiritual experience and now wants to be baptized!
Then! The Bishop's wife from my old area bent over backwards apparently to get a hold of me to bring me something I had left behind at her house. She has been inactive for the last few years and my companion (Sister Cidade) and I worked super hard with her while we were there. We developed a really strong and sincere friendship with her and she became someone I will always feel so grateful for. My last Sunday I begged to come to church and she promised me she would. We told the Bishop and he wouldn't believe us. He was like, "ok sisters, my wife won't come". The last twenty minutes of sacrament meeting she walked in with her son who is not a member and we were overjoyed! We turned and looked at the Bishop and he had tears coming down his face with happiness. Anyways, she came all the way to the hospital this week to bring me what I had left. And when we finished talking she said, "I want you to know that I'm officially back in the church." It's been one of the most rewarding things to happen on my mission.
President Hinckley when he was first sustained as a prophet, was asked what his focus would be. He said, "Carry on. Yes. Our theme will be to carry on the great work which has been furthered by our predecessors." I've learned, especially this week, the importance of perseverance! Carry on everyone and never give up! Love you all so much - have a great week!
Sister Arbuckle