If last week was normal, this week the sky fell in Cauquenes. Everything turned out alright, but it felt like all of the sudden half of our branch and all of the people we were teaching had a sudden explosion of life problems. Just to give you a quick summary of the events of this week-
Last Sunday night, one of our strongest sisters had a fight with her wayward son (who we have been reteaching). He said a lot of hurtful things, and she started having suicidal thoughts. She called the Elders for a blessing and we had previously set an appointment with her for that very night. We were able to talk things out with her, and she's doing alright.
Monday, Hermana Nájera received news from her family that her Dad is really sick. She is the youngest in her family, and her parents are older. She was very worried and had thoughts about leaving the mission. She asked the Elders for a blessing and everything was much better after. She worked really hard this week and we've been praying a lot. We'll see what the family says today.
Tuesday we passed by to pick up Osvaldo for our lesson, but for the first time he told us he didn't feel strong enough to leave, and that his ulcers had been getting worse. Left him some material to read, and added his ulcers to the prayer list again. Right after, passed our Relief Society President in the street, and she asked us if we'd been by to visit Juanita, one of the Menos Activos that we've been reteaching. She said she'd heard that she wasn't doing well, so we went with Hermana Laura to visit Juanita. She's been having trouble with her husband, who likes to go partying and drinking and leave her in the house with all the kids. She had also tried to commit suicide. Chatted with her, put some goals, added her to the special prayers list. Later that day, passed by to visit Arturo, and he was really shaken up after a visit with his hijada (No idea what this word is in English. Oh wait- goddaughter? That whole Catholic business... You know.) She chewed him out for being baptized, and he was really shaken up, saying that he wasn't so sure about his goal to go the temple, etc. We're working on strengthening his testimony.
Wednesday, we went by a young couple that we're teaching, Christian and Valeria. There was obviously something wrong, and it turns out they've also been fighting and are thinking about breaking up. Talked with them, had some good open discussion, and put Book of Mormon and prayer goals with them. Passed by for Hermana Lucy, the less active mother of one of our strongest sisters. She's had some complicated family and social problems, and is very hurt, very bitter, and not very willing to change. That night we also passed by for Hermana Christina and her husband, Tayo, her nonmember husband who we're teaching. Hermana Christina feels like the sisters are gossipping about her and looking down on her, and that she is unable to control her rage. Of course, Tayo is very put out by this as well. Gave her a Conference talk to read and we're praying for their family as well. That night, the Elders called us, quite distressed, and explained that they'd been late in picking up one of the members for a visit, and she had chewed them out, swearing never to visit with them again. Talked about what we could do, began praying for that Hermana as well.
Hermana Christina and a late Birthday flan that we made her
Thursday we had a visit with Patricio, our investigator, but he had digressed again in her level of commitment and doesn't show a very strong desire to progress. We may have to drop him. We found another lady who was very distressed with the cancer of her niece, and another man who felt like Satan was haunting his home. Great, right?
The big climax was Thursday night, when the Elder called, once again very distressed. They told us that Nicolás was in the hospital, they didn't know all of the reasons why, and that he'd be back home in about an hour. We changed our plans and went to go see him. I know I'm breaking the Grandma rule in writing this, but someone literally tried to kill my ward mission leader. He was out picking something up from a friend when one of his old enemies came at him with a knife, stabbed him in the side, and his girlfriend whacked him in the head with a board. The Elders gave him a blessing, and he's doing just fine now. Nicolás may be rough around the edges, but he is like a brother to me, and that night was when I started feeling a little overwhelmed.
Nicolás and Mary, his wife. Still breathing, the both of them!
Friday I studied in the morning to strengthen my testimony of the need for trials, and you know what? Everything really did turn out ok. We've had so many spiritual experiences and so much opportunity to really rely on the Lord, and I know that the gospel answers really are ALWAYS the answers. Hermana Nájera continues to be a big miracle for me- she is not the same person that I first met coming into Cauquenes, and that makes me very happy. (That is, she's the same in all the good personality, work ethic, etc. ways, but her emotional issues have shrunk considerably.)
In fact, we were chatting this morning in our studies about the different kinds of love. We started talking about charity, based in Moroni 7:45. There is a slight difference between English and Spanish- in English it puts more emphasis on suffering 'long', when in Spanish it basically just says that charity suffers. She asked, "Why does it suffer long? And how?" Here is what I think.
Charity suffers long because it is a living virtue. It is born because of, and in spite of person-to-person understanding. After having known and loved, charity knows that paths will part and each will go their way. It gladly cedes possession, wanting what is best for both, but there begins that 'longness' of its suffering. Charity suffereth long because even when it cannot be there to see the joys and pains of one it loves, life carries on and those things will be lived. It suffers and rejoices because the heart follows where the feet do not. It will always feel, it will always know that name and share in the life of those it loves. Charity really does suffer long.
At first, we were thinking in the perspective of people that we've loved in our lives. We're not with them now, and maybe there are some that we'll never see again, but we can keep loving them, 'suffering' with them from a distance. What really affected me was to think of it from God's perspective- He also lives at a distance right now, and can't physically be with us in our joys of pains. I do know, with all my heart, that He lives, suffers, and joys with us, even if we don´t ever see Him. I know that He loves each of you, as do I.
All my prayers,
Hermana Oldroyd
p.s. Comic detail of the day- The other night I was praying, face near my mattress, and a mite bit my eyelid while I was praying! Anyone else find that kind of unbelievable?
The Twister battle against Camilla. I almost won...
There I was, being moral support for Hermana Nájera. I looked the other way for two seconds, looked back, and she had chopped about 4 inches off her hair. Oh, that crazy girl! She'd told me before that she likes drastic changes, but now I really believe her.
Call it a mission midlife crisis? We decided to cut our own hair...
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