Week Twenty Nine - Under the Weather and Thanksgiving!

Mi querido familia y amigos,

   Well it sounds like y'all had a great week and I can't wait to hear more about it!  It's amazing what missions can do to you, right?  There is no way you can serve a mission and stay in your comfort zone at the same time.  For example, going to dinner with total strangers is completely normal for me now.  Something I could never imagine doing prior to the mission.   I used to get nervous before going to member dinners, but now it's just part of life!  It's crazy and funny when I think about the stuff I do these days.  Only on the mission!  You are forced to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, and you have no choice but to grow.  The experience gained on the mission is priceless.  I'm sure Tom is the same old kid, but a completely new and transformed man at the same time!

   I had a pretty eventful week here in East Dallas.  It started out with a ringing ear last Monday morning.  It rang and rang and rang, so Tuesday I went to a CareNow to get it checked out.  It felt funny being in a doctor's room, sitting on the bed, with Elder Haskell right there with me.  I felt like he was my mom!  The doctor was funny.  She had an accent, kind of like Gru from "Despicable Me", and it made me feel like I was in a cartoon movie.  She looked at my ear and came to the conclusion that I had an ear infection.  She gave me two options:  antibiotic pills for a week, or a steroid shot in my behind.  I decided to go with the shot, just because it would make a better story.  Turns out I had to take the antibiotic either way, so the charges on my card are from the copays for that.  My ear continued to ring all week, but I can't hear it anymore, so I'm good! 

   Wednesday we went to help Jess in moving some boxes, and he took us to lunch as well.  He is a burger fanatic, so he takes us to all his favorite burger joints around town.  I'm not too worried about him anymore.  I've decided that he is just a good guy that recognizes how blessed he is, and he wants to give back.  I told him about my ear infection, and because he was an army medic, he tried to tell me to rest and not work... pfff!  Who does he think he is?  My ear was just annoying more than anything, and I felt able, so I worked!  I'm doing the Lord's work, and I'm confident that he'll take care of me, as long as I'm not a complete idiot. 

   Thanksgiving day, Rick Rodriguez picked us up in the afternoon.  Rick is the biological father of Elder Haskell's brother's wife.  He lives in the Coloney, which is Deron Williams' hometown.  His kids grew up with D Will and his brother, and know him very well.  So that got a kick out of it when I told them I went by "D Will" waayyy back in my high school days. Ha!   Dinner at their place was great.  Super good food and plenty of it,  We left with full tummies and bags full of leftovers.   Rick and his family are not members, and they are really nice people.  But I think they could definitely use the Gospel.  Lots of divorces and half siblings, and a very confusing family situation.  I'm not saying that that kind of stuff doesn't happen with Gospel centered families too, but the Gospel and the Church are gifts from God to bless families and bring them closer together.  Often times it is easy to see the difference the Gospel makes in families! 

So we spent our entire afternoon at Rick's, and then we spent our entire night in the ER.  Elder Munday has had severe stomach problems for nearly his whole mission, and afternoon a big Thanksgiving meal, he felt the need to go to the ER.  He asked us to tag along with him, which I regret.  We were there from 9:00 p.m. to 3 a.m.  His level of pain was a 2 out of 10, so everybody that came in after him took priority, and we did a lot of waiting.  I'm quite sure he just loved getting attention, and he himself will admit that he milked it a little bit.  Ohhh Elder Munday; he's a one of a kind. 

   Yesterday, a sister in the ward heard about Elder Munday's stomach problems and invited us over for dinner.  She had just recovered from severe stomach problems and being bedridden for 3 years because of it.  She has developed some serious food allergies to nearly everything but raw fruits and veggies.  She had literally just recovered and yesterday was her first Sunday back to church in years.  Now, she lives 100% by the word of wisdom.  Hardly any of us truly live by the word of wisdom.  Most of us just look at it as no coffee, tea, drugs, tobacco,and alcohol, but it really is so much more than that.  So last night we had the healthiest meal of my life.  It was just a variety of different salads and some delicious fish.  I couldn't even identify half the stuff we ate!  It was good and refreshing, but I definitely couldn't live off of it like she has to!  Her and her husband are now health and nutrition fanatics, and they gave us all sorts of diet info last night, and it kinda scared me.  There is so much garbage in food and water these days.  They made it sound like the only place you can shop is Whole Foods!  And I think I would if money wasn't such an issue.  But with so little money, my diet the last 6 months has been terrible!  I feel like if I ate the way I did last night every day, I would turn into IronMan!   When I get home, I'm going to be such a health nut, y'all are gonna think I'm loco! 

   I gave a blessing in Spanish for the first time ever the other day, and it went surprisingly well!  I could still definitely expand my vocabulary now, but Spanish is getting pretty easy to speak now.  Speaking doesn't take much thought anymore, but understanding it is still a little behind. 

   The heating in the English Elder's apartment has been broken all week, so they have been sleeping at our place for the last few nights.  What an adventure that has been!  But I'm definitely anxious for them to get out. 

   Grandma and Grandpa, I got your card on Wednesday.  Thank you!  Dinner Thursday was good, but it still didn't compare to Turkey dinner at your place!   

Welp, I'm out of time.  I've got a busy day today.  But I hope you all had a very happy Thanksgiving.  I hope you all know that I love you and miss you and think about you and pray for you.  Much love!

Elder Williams