Missionary Excitement

This last week Christian had an interesting experience. I think the story would be told best in his own words . . .

Well, things are going pretty well out here in Oregon--for me, at least. Elder Haynes, unfortunately, seems to be falling apart at the seams. He's been having trouble sleeping, getting migraines, having a lot of problems with his knee, and, most recently, got hemmorrhoids (don't worry, I've been given permission to share this, because there's actually a pretty good story that goes with it).

Friday evening he noticed that there was something unsual going on in that region, and by Saturday morning it was bad enough that he could barely walk. We weren't sure what it was, however, and Elder Haynes, understandably, did not really want to talk to Sister Dyches (who handles all the medical stuff with missionaries) himself about this, so I offered to make the call for him. Still, because we didn't really know what the problem was, I had to simply describe it to the best of my abilities. It went about as follows:

"Well, Sister Dyches, I've been thinking, and I don't think there's a delicate way to put this. Elder Haynes...has a large, painful lump...on his...bum hole."

Thankfully everythings been working out a bit better since, and he wasn't off his feet for too long. Not the most exciting story, I realize, but we don't get a whole lot of excitement in our lives, so we take what we can get.

Because of his companion's health, they haven't been able to get out and teach as much as they'd like. They did go on blitzes with the APs and splits with the ZLs. They also taught a girl the last doctrinal lesson before she is baptized, and Christian expressed how neat it is to see the progress she has made.

Winter in Oregon

The snow started in the middle of December. A few inches of snow left the elders housebound. "One of the safety rules for our mission is that missionaries are not allowed to drive their cars if there is any snow on the road. And though Elder Haynes and I can still at least walk around near our house and tract there, we've both been battling colds, and so we had to stay inside to keep ourselves from getting worse. So, we've spent the last few days sitting around the house dying of boredom. Thankfully a few more movies have been approved to watch just for this month, so we've been watching those again and again. So far, we've seen Chronicles of Narnia twice, once with the audio commentary, Ratatouille three times, Cars twice, and Bridge to Terabithia three times (since Sunday). Not only this, but we've watched every bonus feature available on the DVDs, including previews for movies that came out several years ago."

Several of us got to talk to Christian on Christmas Day. It was a nice surprise, since we thought he would only get to call Mom and Dad. It was great talking to Christian, and hearing he was doing well. He was taken care of very well for the holidays again. He had two dinners on Christmas Eve and a brunch on Christmas Day. The couple he and his companion live with also left out stockings and other goodies for the elders. Christian also made cinnamon rolls and sparkling cider for himself and his companion, Elder Haynes.

What started as a few inches of snow turned into a huge snow storm that no one in Oregon really knew how to handle! During all this snow, the elders have spent a lot of time with the Tapasa family.

Now that the snow has finally cleared, Christian has enjoyed getting back to work. "I'm thrilled to be able to say that the snow has finally gone, and we've been able to get outside and get a lot of work done. It's nice to finally get out and get some work done, and to feel like a real missionary again."