Lowest of the lows to the highest of the highs

 Chick-fil-a after the hospital

sleep over

Disclaimer right from the start, this is going to be a long one. I've attached some pictures at the end, and so if you don't want to read everything, check those out and then scan for anything that interests you. Also I'm not being disobedient, we went to the temple this morning, and so P-day was changed.

Our week last week started out pretty well. We had interviews with our mission president (by the way, he says hi, mom and dad) and then we went to get our bikes at the church and bike to dinner. We hadn't even made it 10 minutes up the street on our bikes though when a wrench was thrown in the fan. Only it wasn't a wrench, it was a rock, and it wasn't a fan, it was my front tire, and I went down hard. My companion ran back, and dragged me and my bike out of the road with some help from a very sweet couple that stopped to help. We called our zone leaders for help, and the asked if we could get ourselves up to the church, which we did, where they met us with dinner (as our dinner appointment was now out of the question). It turns out a member had given them enough food for about 10 people (there are 3 of them) and so they shared with us. The best part though was the chocolate cake. Normally I'm not a huge fan of chocolate cake, but this cake had caramel throughout, whipped cream frosting and toffee crumbles on top. After a traumatic incident it probably saved my life.

The next morning (Wednesday) we thought I had gotten away pretty easy. I was fairly stiff had sore, had some minor scratches on my hands, some pretty bad road rash on my elbow and knee, and various bruises. We were grateful because it could have been so much worse. We were ready to go about our day as normal until studies. As I tried to study, I had a pounding headache, I was dizzy and nauseous and I couldn't focus on anything. My companion made me call the nurse, who told us that we should get to a hospital as soon as we could. So eternal shout out to Hermana Maldonado who came and dropped us off at the hospital in Glendora so I could get checked out. And it turns out I must have hit my head (I thought I hadn't for a while, but I did eventually find a sore spot) and probably blacked out for a second, and successfully gave myself a minor concussion. So lots of rest and fluids and no driving, bike riding, or deep thinking for me for the next few weeks. Fortunately for us the hospital was right down the street from Chik-fil-a (benefits of serving in an area for 6 months, you know where all the good stuff is) and so we got lunch before hopping on a bus home. And a shout out goes to our elders for buying us a dozen donuts and 4 bottles of Gatorade to help with our confinement to the apartment.

Life has been pretty quiet since then. I keep being stubborn and trying to work harder than I should, and so Hermana Villanueva finally laid down the law and said rest on the days we don't have the car (basically dinner appointments and nothing else) and then I can take it easy on the days we have the car. Wednesday morning was probably my lowest point. That was when Hermana Villanueva called, just as we were on our way to district meeting. I just felt so useless. My mindset was sort of if I can't teach then what's the point of being a missionary?I spent a good portion of my day reflecting, just trying to make sense of it all. After talking through a lot with my companion and spending some time talking to Heavenly Father through prayer, I have come to the conclusion that there are other ways to serve, and I can still serve even if it's at a lower capacity than normal.

That was all reconfirmed this morning sitting in the temple. I love the temple. It is the house of the Lord. The first thought that entered my mind when I entered the Celestial room and that has still stayed with me is 'it's all going to be okay. Don't worry. Trust me, and it will all be okay.' There I could feel an overwhelming sense of peace and love, as well as the Lord's approval. It was amazing.

The temple trip itself was out of the ordinary. Sister Rozsa, the stake president's wife took us up, and she got permission for us and 4 other sisters to sleep over at her house the night before, so we didn't have to be up so ridiculously early. Then this morning before heading out we made a quick stop at the church to pick up 3 more sets
of missionaries making the grand total 13 missionaries and Sister Rozsa all in a 15 passenger van. There were donuts to share, great hymns and great times. It was certainly an experience.

And so there it is! The latest events in our lives. I will be writing again on Monday, and it should be a short one, there probably won't be that much to report. I love you all! Thank you for all of the love and support you give me. Stay safe out there!