So I'm sorry I didn't email last week. We went to the temple
last week and when we got back we didn't have time to email. If I had written a
letter it wouldn't have arrived until today anyway.
I had wondered earlier this week what I would do if someone died--if I'd come home for the funeral at this point or not. I didn't know we had telepathy! I'm glad everyone's healthy.[1] I'm so glad I'm invincible and don't get sick. On Friday night we were at a restaurant and I was out of water and my mouth was dry. So I poured a shot of my companion's water into my glass and drank it. The next day he wasn't feeling well all day and was even a little feverish later on. I was worried but nothing's happened yet! The last few weeks I have been waking up with an extremely dry (and therefore sore) throat but I can handle the fact that that's as sick as I get. The H1N1 has definitely hit people around us, but not us, fortunately.[2]
We haven't had anyone nearly die (except for an elderly member who moved to Arizona to die, and she did),[3] but we have had an exciting couple of weeks.
We are pleased that the girl we have been teaching, Mallary [last name redacted] (cue Home Improvement comment),[4] is being baptized on Saturday. She bore her testimony yesterday. This is my third baptism for the singles branch here, and they've all been solid people who have just come to us--ready to be baptized but had to be taught first. The other two are still active, and Mallary has already gone to weekly Institute.[5]
On Tuesday we had my final Zone Conference in the Spokane West Stake Center, my old stake when I was in Ritzville.
The next day we went back up to Spokane to go to the temple. The missionary who arranged it told us we had to leave at 4:00, since the only ride we found was an early temple worker. But he was wrong. We were already at their house to spend the night before we learned we had to be there at 4:00. So we got up at 1:00 and left at 2:00, arriving at 4:30. If I had known it was that early I would have declined. But we were there earlier than our assigned session so we got to do two. We slept in the car before going in at 5:30. Being so tired and hungry I wasn't totally alert, especially for the second session. But it was still good. There were several members there from my first area. Wow, that was such a long time ago!
On the way back our ride stopped at his son-in-law's house. Three of us slept in the car and one went in with the member. Apparently the fridge had thawed or something so there was rotting turkey which they had to clean up. It was in a kind of resort area so the missionary held the stinky garbage bag out the window until we could drive to the Dumpsters. Because of that episode we didn't get back until 3:30 and P-day ends at 6:00, and thus we didn't have time to email.
Friday night we went to the town of Culdesac, ID, where we ate at the previously-mentioned restaurant, which was free since it's owned by a member. That's one thing I'll miss, free meals. This week we're going to Winchester, ID. I love small towns. I want to get to all the ones we cover in this month.
Halloween was quite boring. Elder T. wasn't feeling well so we stayed home, and it was temple day for both the ward and the branch, so I didn't know if I could really arrange splits. I carved a pumpkin with a tie and a tag. I tried my hand at baking the seeds. At one point Elder Tamblyn got up and got dressed, only to determine that he was too sick to leave. We didn't leave until almost 7:00 p.m., when we had a lesson with Mallary at the stake center. Then we helped blow up orange and black balloons for the branch party. It occurred to me that maybe I'm finishing my mission here so I can get used to a singles ward.[6] I wished we hadn't had to leave the party early. It was fun.
I had wondered earlier this week what I would do if someone died--if I'd come home for the funeral at this point or not. I didn't know we had telepathy! I'm glad everyone's healthy.[1] I'm so glad I'm invincible and don't get sick. On Friday night we were at a restaurant and I was out of water and my mouth was dry. So I poured a shot of my companion's water into my glass and drank it. The next day he wasn't feeling well all day and was even a little feverish later on. I was worried but nothing's happened yet! The last few weeks I have been waking up with an extremely dry (and therefore sore) throat but I can handle the fact that that's as sick as I get. The H1N1 has definitely hit people around us, but not us, fortunately.[2]
We haven't had anyone nearly die (except for an elderly member who moved to Arizona to die, and she did),[3] but we have had an exciting couple of weeks.
We are pleased that the girl we have been teaching, Mallary [last name redacted] (cue Home Improvement comment),[4] is being baptized on Saturday. She bore her testimony yesterday. This is my third baptism for the singles branch here, and they've all been solid people who have just come to us--ready to be baptized but had to be taught first. The other two are still active, and Mallary has already gone to weekly Institute.[5]
On Tuesday we had my final Zone Conference in the Spokane West Stake Center, my old stake when I was in Ritzville.
The next day we went back up to Spokane to go to the temple. The missionary who arranged it told us we had to leave at 4:00, since the only ride we found was an early temple worker. But he was wrong. We were already at their house to spend the night before we learned we had to be there at 4:00. So we got up at 1:00 and left at 2:00, arriving at 4:30. If I had known it was that early I would have declined. But we were there earlier than our assigned session so we got to do two. We slept in the car before going in at 5:30. Being so tired and hungry I wasn't totally alert, especially for the second session. But it was still good. There were several members there from my first area. Wow, that was such a long time ago!
On the way back our ride stopped at his son-in-law's house. Three of us slept in the car and one went in with the member. Apparently the fridge had thawed or something so there was rotting turkey which they had to clean up. It was in a kind of resort area so the missionary held the stinky garbage bag out the window until we could drive to the Dumpsters. Because of that episode we didn't get back until 3:30 and P-day ends at 6:00, and thus we didn't have time to email.
Friday night we went to the town of Culdesac, ID, where we ate at the previously-mentioned restaurant, which was free since it's owned by a member. That's one thing I'll miss, free meals. This week we're going to Winchester, ID. I love small towns. I want to get to all the ones we cover in this month.
Halloween was quite boring. Elder T. wasn't feeling well so we stayed home, and it was temple day for both the ward and the branch, so I didn't know if I could really arrange splits. I carved a pumpkin with a tie and a tag. I tried my hand at baking the seeds. At one point Elder Tamblyn got up and got dressed, only to determine that he was too sick to leave. We didn't leave until almost 7:00 p.m., when we had a lesson with Mallary at the stake center. Then we helped blow up orange and black balloons for the branch party. It occurred to me that maybe I'm finishing my mission here so I can get used to a singles ward.[6] I wished we hadn't had to leave the party early. It was fun.
I got very depressed, notwithstanding November is my second-favorite month and my outstanding depression usually hits hardest in March and July and August. But I was depressed two years ago at this time. It occurred to me that I must NOT be sad I only have a month left. Rather, I should be happy I still have a month. That will make it easier.
I sent home another package today. Soon I'll have to send home my bike.
I bought a temple recommend holder today (since at the temple a small library card decided to stow away in the cheap ones the temple gives you). I couldn't decide between one with the Bountiful temple or the Spokane temple, but I decided on Spokane. I also bought a CD by the LDS artist Cherie Call, because there was a must-have song on it. I was going to wait till I got home but then I realized it will be more fun for me now.[7]
My time's almost up!
Love,
Elder Melville
[1] My
mom wrote this in her email: “You have missed a very exciting week, but not
exciting in a good way. Your sister almost died this week. I
wondered how you would feel about coming home early for her funeral.
Luckily, she is home and alive so you will not have to decide that. She
had the flu (NOT the swine flu) and apparently it went into her heart. So
last Monday night she felt wierd and got very pale. After she threw up
and didn't have the energy to get up and clean it for about 30 minutes I
insisted that she go to the emergency room. It was a darn good thing
because after we were there about 30 minutes she had a seizure and had a barely
discernible pulse and no blood pressure. After about an hour they got her
stable and life flighted her to IMC (the big hospital) because they had 24 hour
cardiologists there. It was pretty scary for the first 15 hours.
They ended up putting a drain in the pericardium to release some of the
fluid. They took that out a couple of days ago and she got to come home
from the hospital today. She can't do anything for another week and has
to go back to the doctor twice this week. Her heart function is all back
to normal and they really expect it to stay that way. Is that enough
excitement for you? It was WAY TOO MUCH for me!!!”
[2] Oh
yes, the days of Swine Flu.
[3] We
used to do laundry at a members’ home on P-day, and they had a grandma (“Grandma
Bigler”) living with them. Then they went to Arizona with her and she died soon
after.
[4]
She had the same last name as the tools on Home Improvement, but I’m
trying to keep names out of these blog posts.
[5]
None of those three baptisms remained active. I think Mallary went inactive
just weeks after baptism.
[6]
And now my time in a singles ward is coming to an end.
[7] I
got her album The Ocean in Me. I’m a big Cherie Call fan now, and The
Ocean in Me remains my favorite.
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