My Hero

November 24, 2014

Companion Hermana Rioja

Where to start... Wow I don't even know where to begin! Well, I'll start off at the end of the story. I am writing from the comfortable home of my mission president :) comfortable bed, warm shower, washer and dryer to clean my luggage full of clothes, fast internet to upload my pictures and a fully stocked kitchen with all the ingredients and appliances one would want to cook. I have been happy and content cooking meals for my companion with spices and vegetables and the works! I was making pasta for dinner and I thought to myself, wouldn't it be so wonderful to have some frozen cauliflower, broccoli and carrots?? Then I opened up the freezer and vuala!! There it was.... haha God must love me.  

So now I guess I should tell you how we got here. For the past few months my companion has been struggling with increasing back pain bless her heart :( Being a missionary in a third world country where you have to walk and climb mountains with all your books in your bag makes having back pain the pits! So lately I've been carrying all the things in my bag and we've been taking it slow. Tuesday we went to the doctor and got an MRI, one look at it and though I'm not the greatest at reading them, I could tell that it looked like she had a bulging disk. After getting the results from the doctor we were right :( She had degenerative disk problems with a bulging disk that was putting pressure on nerves causing pain. Buuuuuuut since she is a trooper we decided to still go to Roatán for our divisions. So we went! And then a huge storm came in!!! I keep saying that I've never been in a storm so bad, and then it just keeps getting worse and worse.... haha maybe I should just stop saying that? It was raining SOOOOO hard we were soaked to the bone in 10 seconds and our umbrellas were worthless. But it was funny and we laughed... but then we found out that because of the weather the ferry wouldn't be running... And then we stopped laughing...... haha So we were STUCK on the little island for an extra day, and my companion's pain was getting worse and worse. It was so bad that she couldn't even sleep on her bed but would sleep on the floor because it was more comfortable. When we finally got on the yacht back she sat on the floor :( When we got back we were in the apartment for most of the time. She didn't want to stay and rest so we compromised that we would rest for a little bit and then go out for a little bit. On Saturday it took a turn for the worse. We were headed to our last appointment and she just couldn't go on anymore. We had to sit down on the curb and she no longer had strength in her limbs and couldn't move her arms or her face so it was difficult to speak. It turned into an emergency situation... There really aren't words to describe the situation and everything we went through, but all I know is that Heavenly Father is a God of miracles. As we were sitting there waiting for our taxi driver to show up, Derian came out of no where and was able to help us. He listened to the Spirit (that he now has) and was inspired to be right where we needed him when we needed him. We were able to get a blessing from the elders and our taxi driver and we switched houses with the elders for a night because she couldn't climb the three flights of stairs to our apartment. In the morning we got the news, they were going to close down our area for a bit :( Hermana Rioja would be going back to Peru and I was being pulled from the area to go to different area at 2:00 that afternoon. Only 8 hours later!! It hit like a ton of bricks.... I didn't want to leave yet! What about saying goodbye to our investigators and to the members?? What about all the new people we had found?? At first I asked if there was anyway for me to stay and to have another missionary get sent here so that our area wouldn't grow cold. But after talking to President, we prayed and His will was otherwise..... gaaaahhh! But though it ripped my heart out, I had peace. This is not MY work it is HIS and He knows best. The elders there will take care of the area, our investigators, and recent converts until more sisters get sent and it will all work out the way it is supposed to. With Heavenly Father there is no such thing as surprises :) I know without a doubt that our companionship was inspired and that we were supposed to be together again. Hermana Rioja is my HERO. Like I said, there just aren't words to describe what we experienced this week... but she is the strongest person I know and an incredible missionary. She has literally given every single part of herself to this work more than anyone I know. And even when she is in excruciating pain she still finds a way to stay positive and to have a smile on her face. I have learned so much from her and am so grateful to have been her companion. I think the bond we have created in this last little while will last a lifetime :) So here we are in President's house taking it easy and recuperating until she is well enough for a flight home and then me? welp.... I'll be back in La Lima again in an area called Porvenir! It will most likely just be for the rest of this change and then I'll be off to another area. I am grateful that Heavenly Father is teaching me to be okay with change and with surprises. It's also teaching me to never take for granted the moments that I have with these people here. We never know when we will have to say goodbye :(

I'm so thankful to be a missionary and for all the things I am learning and experiencing. This has seriously been some of the most incredible months of my life and I know it is preparing me for more things to come. I'm so thankful that I got to serve in La Ceiba and for all of the people I was able to meet and to grow to love. I still love the quote from President Uchtdorf. There are no true endings, only everlasting beginnings :) 

Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. I hope that this week you all enjoy Thanksgiving!! Save me a piece of pumpkin pie please.... haha Shout out to the Bushnell Family and their new addition! I can't wait to meet Baby Bushnell!!

Until Next Week,

Hermana Bennett