Waiting ... and waiting ... and waiting ...

This is a picture of Michael's cousin Dallin who is on a mission in Italy.  He baptized this sweet young man in the Mediterranean Sea this past week. 

A letter Michael had written to his Uncle Danny when Dan was serving a mission. 

 

So Michael's email finally arrived after I went to bed and had checked my account a thousand times. It must have been meandering around the internet most of the day, just checking things out, maybe doing a little exploring and looking around. Michael's dad had received an email saying the meds weren't working so they were putting cameras in his head. He told his dad to read the letter he'd sent to me for the details. All day we wondered if they had decided to do surgery and if so, when and where. Michael had sent the following email about eight hours before it finally decided it had done enough wandering and land in my inbox. The agony....

 

Hey Mom,

 

          Sooo... that's a lot of things going on at home -  like a ton.   That was a good letter, especially the story about Byron and Jeff.  That is really cool.  (I wrote to Michael about someone his step-dad helped to baptize this past week).  The picture of Dallin is sweet! I want to baptize someone like that! (Referring to a  picture of  his cousin baptizing a little boy in the Mediterranean Sea  this past week).

          So, they gave me some medication, but it’s not doing much.  The doctor is going to put cameras in my ears, up my nose, and down my throat to try and find out what the problem is.  It's going to be sweet.

(From the letter he sent to his dad)  “The teaching is going alright.  I counted yesterday and I’ve taught something like 250 lessons since I’ve been here, which is a bunch.  Some of the people are receptive.  Some not so much but it’s all good.  I’m enjoying myself … I like it here.  I enjoy the work and I love the people, and the language is coming on pretty well.” 

So I'm sure you want to know what happened with the kids we're working with. Unfortunately, of the 5 baptisms we were going to have this last Friday, we had 0. Two days before they were supposed to happen, President released a new rule that we have to get permission from the fathers (as well as the mother) before we baptize young kids.  I called them for permission, but both said no.  I then had to explain to both families why they couldn't be baptized.  It was pretty rough.  It's all good though.  We're going to keep working with them and baptize both families.

Also, today I got a new companion!  I've finished my training and we received a call this morning that Elder _________ was leaving.  He was actually pretty emotional. My new companion is from Lima, Peru. His name is Elder ____________.  He seems really cool.  He has just a bit more than a year in the mission. 

Matthew and Regan, you two make me laugh.  Yes, I can still speak English, but it feels weirder and weirder every time I do it.  And Matthew, be nice to mom.  I can't do math in my head either.  You sir, are a genius and I love you.

(I emailed him a copy of a letter he had written to his Uncle Danny when he was on his mission and Michael was five).  I liked my letter to Uncle Danny.  And I happen to know exactly what I was talking about in that letter - Super Mario 64 - great game.  Something cool happened this week.  I taught some circus people; the ringmaster and 2 clowns.  We were outside of their big tent and it was pretty sweet. The ringmaster was shirtless, and yes, his chest was just as hairy as you would imagine a shirtless Ecuadorian circus ringmaster's chest would be.

Anyway, that's the majority of what happened this week. I'll try to make it more exciting next week for you all, and I'll let you know what's going on with my head.

 
Love you all,

Michael