Querido Familia and Amigas:
Another week closer to Christmas! This one began for me in the emergency room, not at all what I had in mind!
I was a part of a sealing session last week that lasted two hours, an hour longer than is recommended because the family had so many names of their own genealogy lines. It was a lovely experience but so tiring that I noticed I was shaking as I was a participant. When I came out and changed clothes, I stood and sobbed. I thought that I was still not over the flu and I'd overdone again.
The shaking didn't go away and Sunday night Dad reminded me that we had said we would see a doctor if I didn't feel a lot better. That led to me calling the doctors who are responsible for missionaries here, meeting one at the CCM (MTC) on Monday morning and ending up on the floor feeling awful.
Later: the hospital used by the missionaries here is gorgeous, with emergency rooms as lovely as our apartment. Here is a photo of the ceiling of my room. It is a back-lit scene of snow-covered branches and geese flying in their migration pattern. As I lay there, I saw them from the reverse and thought their long black necks were really black tails, their feet were little orange beaks and that they were looking down at me. I loved the calming blue, but was surprised to see snow in Guatemala, even in a hospital!
Another week closer to Christmas! This one began for me in the emergency room, not at all what I had in mind!
I was a part of a sealing session last week that lasted two hours, an hour longer than is recommended because the family had so many names of their own genealogy lines. It was a lovely experience but so tiring that I noticed I was shaking as I was a participant. When I came out and changed clothes, I stood and sobbed. I thought that I was still not over the flu and I'd overdone again.
The shaking didn't go away and Sunday night Dad reminded me that we had said we would see a doctor if I didn't feel a lot better. That led to me calling the doctors who are responsible for missionaries here, meeting one at the CCM (MTC) on Monday morning and ending up on the floor feeling awful.
Later: the hospital used by the missionaries here is gorgeous, with emergency rooms as lovely as our apartment. Here is a photo of the ceiling of my room. It is a back-lit scene of snow-covered branches and geese flying in their migration pattern. As I lay there, I saw them from the reverse and thought their long black necks were really black tails, their feet were little orange beaks and that they were looking down at me. I loved the calming blue, but was surprised to see snow in Guatemala, even in a hospital!
The doctor who helped me is the same President Burk says saved his life recently. I was in good hands (see the YouTube video below and watch all the way through. It is delightful, although not medical). After waiting for tests to come back, we learned I have a urinary tract infection. It's different from what I've had before, but still flattened me. There's a lot of power in those bugs that can be seen only under a microscope! Moral: wash wash wash your hands, especially in a foreign country where the bugs are new ones to your system!
So I'm still in the furnace of being new here. Kristi had commented on how long it takes to adjust to new missions by calling our time so far a "perpendicular learning curve"! So appropriate and I keep thinking about it. In spite of the "growing pains", I wouldn't be anywhere else on earth right now.
So I'm still in the furnace of being new here. Kristi had commented on how long it takes to adjust to new missions by calling our time so far a "perpendicular learning curve"! So appropriate and I keep thinking about it. In spite of the "growing pains", I wouldn't be anywhere else on earth right now.
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Now for fun:
Happy Birthday to Kimberly U. and Chad this week!
Less than two weeks to Christmas, everyone. Enjoy this Piano Guys YouTube video!
Much love to all,
Hermana Brubaker
Missionary Mom