Warning: the following email is really long but I promise
it's going to be the most entertaining 10 minutes of you life! If you're not
satisfied you get your money back!!
Greetings for Johannesburg!
This week has been so awesome and so crazy! First of all, it
was the last week of the transfer, and we finished it with a baptism! Maki was
supposed to be baptized a month ago, but she had to go to Lesotho to renew her
worker's visa. But it FINALLY happened!!
We also had some really really really (that's 3
"really"s) powerful lessons this week about the Plan of Salvation;
reading the Infinite Atonement has made me obsessed with the Atonement, and it
has broadened the horizons of my mind and my spirit like perhaps nothing else
has! As we taught investigators about the Plan of Salvation, we capitalized on
the Atonement to make sure that every person that we taught could not possibly
misunderstand the eternal significance of the truth that we have a living
Savior, we descended and became like us so that we could eventually ascend and
become like Him and our Heavenly Father (Hebrews 2:17).
And now for the main event:
On Saturday morning we had our Mormon Helping Hands Project
at an Orphanage, and that was going great! UNTIL DISASTER STRUCK (just kidding
it's not a big deal, Mom don't freak out) I was pruning this ridiculously tall
bush, and to get to the top I had to stand up on something; so while I was
cutting (the bushes were looking really nice if I can mention it) the rock
underneath me turned over and I fell, while I was falling I tried to catch
myself on a fence I was leaning on, and in South Africa every fence is topped
with spikes or forks, and on of those forks just so happened to be right under
my hand and punctured my palm (how rude). So I was just like "oh no this
isn't good" and just ran into the courtyard and was like "Hey.. I
need some help.." and then two members and Elder Mcopela jumped to the
rescue and drove me to the hospital.
We went to the hospital in the township (bad idea; but
please don't judge we were rushing) and we sat there for about an hour and they
didn't do anything and I'm just sitting in the waiting room trying to be cool
and finally we were like nah man this place is bogus so then we drove to the
hospital in Bloemfontein and waited for like 2 hours and FINALLY we got
help!
First and foremost, I got an young(ish) female Afrikaans
doctor who was way too excited that I was American and maybe it's because I
have had zero contact with girls in almost a year, but she was VERY VERY
touchy!!!!! hahaha Elder Moore can attest that it's true! ( 2 Corinthians 13:1)
Yeah she was way too friendly and I was freaked out hahah but in the end all
they did was give me a tetanus shot and wrap my hand (they wanted to give me
stitches but I was like "no ways keep that needle out of my hand
woman") and then sent me home.
Now this story would be alright if it ended there... But
there's more!
Throughout the day I was really concerned because ever since
I hurt my hand I had lost feeling in my ring finger and my little finger! I
told the Robert's ( the senior couple in Bloem) and they called the Mission
Doctor and he was like oh my days you guys have to come to Joburg to see a
specialist (those were not his exact words but it sufficeth me to say that he
was very concerned) SOOO this morning the Robert's and me packed the car and
left for Johannesburg (Joburg is outside of the mission boundaries so this is a
big deal ppl)! We sat in a hospital for four hours today and I think we filled
out like 10 pages of forms, but finally we were referred to a plastic surgeon!
We met her in the "breast care unit" which was really awkward and had
very interesting pictures so Elder Roberts and I just stared at the floor
hahahaha
The doctor told me that the fence injured a common digital
nerve in my hand and that explained the loss of sensation in my two fingers, so
they amputated my fingers!!
just kidding. they didn't amputate. I'm getting plastic
surgery on Wednesday! They're going to open up my hand, repair the nerve, close
it back up and I'm going to take a nap and wake up with fingers that feel
normally again :)) hahaha
So yeah, that's the story! I think Mom is probably booking a
flight to South Africa right now to pick me up... But that's the whole of it!
I'm okay, don't worry!! I'm mostly worried because we had scheduled
appointments and I have to be here until Thursday... hahaha
To make matters better, today is the Robert's 44th
Anniversary! And I'm chaperoning!! I have a feeling that this anniversary will
be pretty hard to forget... hahaha!
So, that was my week! I'd say it's been a success! I'm so
grateful for the protection from the Lord, and I'm so grateful for His gospel!
I know that there is no greater joy nor greater peace than that that comes from
living righteous and obedient lives! I know that we experience the greatest joy
when we are in the service of our fellowman, teaching the gospel, and
magnifying our callings and responsibilities!
Okay this is so long but I had a really sweet impression
yesterday during Priesthood meeting -- Life isn't supposed to be easy! It has
never ever been in the plan of our Father for life to be convenient! We are
here to be tried and tested! We are here to learn and grow -- not to vacation
on Earth in mortal bodies, not to waste away our mortal probation with temporal
things of no eternal significance, and it's never been in the plan for our
lives to be easy going! We have to give something of ourselves to lay up
treasures in heaven ( Matthew 6:19-20)! Although life is meant to be enjoyed
and life is meant to be good; we should not expect life to be easy! We must
teach ourselves to learn to LOVE to be tried, to LOVE to work, and to LOVE
to be mindful and obedient to our Heavenly Father's will!
I love you all! And I am so grateful that I am able to serve
in the Lord's vineyard! I know that this work is true, I know that this message
changes lives, and I know that the Savior lives and that He loves YOU!
--
Elder Weiler
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