This week was interesting! We've been working really hard to find some new investigators to help progress, however, my companion and I have had some adventures, and needed to change ourselves a bit in order to overcome some struggles.
Adventure first: Elder Merrell entered the area having daily nosebleeds that ran like a faucet from his face. They were pretty bad. We procured some cream to help things out in there and hopefully heal whatever had broken in his indoor plumbing, but it was to no avail. So, the nurse organized a hospital visit for us.
We went in and the doctor didn't speak English, so I had to explain things to my companion, and once we'd sorted everything out, he said this exactly:
"Okay, entonces, tenemos que cauterizarla."
I dunno if you guys know what cauterizing is, but it's when you burn a blood vessel closed using fire, or chemicals, or electricity. Well, we went back to the lobby to go pay, and on the way, I told my comp a little bit about what was going on, but at the time, I wasn't aware that you could do electrical cauterizations, so I was foggy on the details as to not freak out Elder Merrell. Well, we got back, and I asked how it'd be done, and then the doctor showed us his big pair of tweezers that had bright metal tips, or as my companion would describe, malicious metal tips. He was super freaked out, but we swore it wouldn't hurt.
They injected the inside of his nose with anesthesia, and then stick the tweezers into the nostrol where his vein had burst open, and nothing happened. Then, I saw the doctors foot press down on a pedal and my comp jerked back in pain.... I didn't know what to think because the doctor just kept saying that it wouldn't hurt, so I must say that I was pretty amused by the odd situation (I mean, the doctor was wearing that weird reflective head thingy, so it was kinda comical looking), but Elder Merrell later said that it was the worst pain he ever felt in his life. For good reason too, he just had a vein seared shut by a hot electric rod.
He's absolutely fine now by the way. The bleeds stopped immediately.
As far as the week goes, we slackened our strength for a time at the start, and a lot of it was because of discouragement. But, the second half of the week, we defied discouragement with the healing power of Christ. We took hope and worked with the honest belief that there is so much good that we can and will do with our efforts. We worked with greater passion and greater faith. It was in this time that I began to pray for a greater change of heart and greater trust, and we just went to our visits and worked with that trust that God would take care, and He did. He provided us with more successes that we'd hoped for and helped us to acheive more. I know that with His help, we can undo the mistakes we make, recently and in the long stretches of past that loom over us at times.
I read the April 2013 Ensign in English today, and I want to testify of what so many have before me. I know that Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior suffered all the consequences of death and hell, but more importantly, that He overcame them. Any who believe that happiness is far from them must know that Christ felt your sorrow and pain, and has happiness anyways. He can undo all pain and suffering you have felt. I know that you can join the Heavens on the morning of the Resurrection of the Just and enjoy a life free from the pains of this one. Let us fulfill the purpose of our creation and have joy, through Christ the Lord who enables us to do so.
I love you all, have a wonderful day.
Sincerely,
Elder Harris
PS my compa and I take a pic every day before leaving. Here are a couple! The prize goes to whom guesses what famous art piece we're trying to imitate in the second.
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