Wednesday, August 17, 2016

A week that WILL NOT be forgotten!



Dear loved ones,
Well...4 more weeks!  so crazy! But before we start talking about that, I have a few things to share with you this week, I don't know really where to start!  I think I will start with some of the crazy/odd things that happened first.  Well, when we talked on mothers day on skype, I remember being asked if I had ever had lice here because it is really common and I proudly said "Nope :)"  Well...I can no longer say that I never got lice on my mission because I GOT IT THIS WEEK!  Its been getting colder..not cold..but colder and we have been having rain.  So sometimes my head would itch and I just thought my scalp was dry due to the weather being colder and rainy.  It felt itchy for a few days and I never thought once that it could be lice.  but just to make sure when I was getting ready for bed the other night, I thought "I'll just grab the comb mom sent me JUST to make sure.  But I'm sure I don't have it."  Well, I sure was wrong because in just one brush with the comb, I saw about 20 EGGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Yes, I screamed. My companion came running in and I was just crying at my desk...I could not believe!  Thank goodness my companion is so so so sweet and she spent about 1 hour combing through my hair..there were about 20 ACTUAL BUGS in my HAIR!!!!!!!  I can't write out in description how I felt.  But I'm sure that you can imagine.  I first though want to thank you mom SO SO SO much for sending that comb and the shampoo, it is the best!!  I also want to thank my sweet companion, she is the best.  And she taught me how to kill the bugs and lice.  I'm happy to now say that it is all gone, but I'm still a little paranoid and I comb my hair every single night :)
Well, so that happened, and then the next day, I felt bumps on the back side of my neck and it wasn't a bug bite, but it felt like something was swollen or a cyst.  I ended up texting Sister Revillo and had to go the hospital that day to get a checkup.  The think that it is swollen lymph nodes, and I am happy to say that I think it is going away now.  The doctor said it is either cysts or a viral infection, hopefully just a viral infection. Nothing to worry about.
Yesterday we had our last zone conference with President and Sister Revillo and it was a day of fun!!  It first started out with the spiritual side, a few work shops, and then all the exciting missionaries gave there testimony in front of everyone.  I remember my first zone conference and the missionaries that gave their testimony.  I thought to myself, Wow those missionaries are going home, I still have forever!  It was weird standing in their place yesterday.  I just bore my testimony about conversion and the conversion that has taken place in my life during these last 18 months.  It was hard to describe because it is not something that I can really describe.  Everything has changed.  My testimony has changed and grown into something I can't describe.  My heart has been changed, my will has been changed because it is now in line with the Lord's Will.  Truly my whole life has been changed.  And it is my goal to just not look back and keep pushing forward every single day.  After the testimonies, we then went to all the fun and games and got out new shirts! 
Then, this morning, we had our temple day!!  And it was an amazing experience :)  I took the opportunity to pray in the celestial room and I shared with Heavenly Father about all the things that I have done in my mission, the hard times, fun times, everything.  And then at the end I asked Him a question.  I asked "Heavenly Father, Do you accept my work?  Have I done what you have expected of me?"  I waited for an answer, but I felt like I wasn't receiving an exact answer.  I thought, "Oh no..what did I do wrong"  I then asked myself those same questions, I thought about if I did the Lord's Will, if I fulfilled my purpose.  As I began thinking of those things, I felt an overwhelming feeling in my heart and in my mind, and it is as if someone whispered in my mind and in my heard. "Sister Latham, I am so proud of you.  Your work is accepted."  It brought tears to my eyes at that moment to know that the Lord is so grateful for the things that I have done here.  Its not easy, this is by far the hardest thing that I have ever done in my life, but I have pushed through and I've done it with the Lord by my side. I know that I can do hard things, not because I am strong, but because I am weak but because I had the Lord by my side as my teammate, we were strong :)
There is my update for the week fam, hope that you enjoy it!  Next Monday Sister Bairulla and I will be flying to Mindoro for a week and then when I get back I only have 2 more weeks in the field.  I am so excited to see you all :)  I will really miss this wonderful place though.  I love you all so much!
-Sister Latham




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