Dange Stikes!

My first days back in Salvador were a dream come true! I'm convinced that this is the most beautiful and pleasant area in the mission. Sister Santana is super optemistic and has a greater desire to baptise than any other Sister I've met in Bahia. Our first day together, our collective enthusiasm got us super pumped to go out and teach every person we saw. I'd never taught so much in one day as I did that first day with Sister Santana. It was awesome! And the next day was just as good.

    There's a new Elder here who's from the Cedar Mill stake. Elder Ray. He's a real darling and he is picking up on the language with impressive speed. I didn't believe it when he said he's only been out 5 weeks. He almost speaks at the level I'm at! If anyone knows his family, tell them that they should be very proud of him. His companion really keeps him on his toes.

     Towards the end of my second day here, Sister Santana and I stopped to eat and when we sat down, I suddenly had a headache. As the night progressed, the headache grew worse and worse until my whole body was aching. Eh, I thought, probably from the heat. We finished up our work for the night and went to bed. When I woke up the next morning, the pain was even worse, and after our hours of study were over, I went back to bed in hopes that I would feel well enough to make it to our lunch appointment. I did make it, but didn't manage to eat much and after trying to work for an hour or two, I was in so much pain that I couldn't even think straight, so we went back home and found that I had a fever of 38.3 digrees celcius (or 100.5 ferenheit). The next day was spent in bed, downing Tylenol and wanting to cry because of all the work we were missing out on.

     On Sunday (yesterday), I took a huge Tylenol and went to church, only to find that the Tylenol wasn't helping anymore. Again, we tried to get some work done, but ended up going back home. It was a rapid downward spiral from there. Long story short, Sister Andrezzo suspected Dengue (everyone always expects Dengue here no matter what your symptems are) and I was sent to the hospital. As I was jostled around the backseat of the car, trying not to throw up, I kept hearing in my head the voice of Ursula on George of the Jungle saying, "No, mother, I did not catch dengue fever." I also kept imagining a very Aussie Australian man in a cowboy hat saying, "The girl's got dengue, mate!"

  Dengue, dengue,dengue. Say it with an Australian accent. It sounds cooler, I promise. Go on, give it a try!

   

 After 5 hours of waiting in the emergency room (bless that Irmã and her son who drove us and waited with us), it became official. I have dengue fever. What does that mean for me? It means another several days of laying in bed (NO walking!), downing more meds, drinking water until I burst, and hoping that it goes away. Goody. :)

     Sister Santana was laughing at me the whole time because she said I looked like an old lady. I was moving really slowly, because of the pain, and thinking even more slowly. I also had on a pink sweater because I got the chills. She wanted me to be sure and tell you all how funny I looked. Laugh it up!

      It all became even more funny when, as we were waiting there in the ER, we got a call from our Zone Leaders to inform us that two new Sisters from Africa were going to arrive on Tuesday and that I would train one here in Stella Mares and that Sister Santana will open a new area and train the other. Oh, how we laughed (I smiled weakly, anyway)! Here I am with dange and going to train a new Sister from Africa! Missions sure are full of surprises.

      Today I'm feeling a lot better! I'm not allowed to leave my apartment, but thankfully a member lives below us and she let us use her computer to email :)

       That's the exciting news of the week, folks! Please pray that I get better soon so I can train this new sister and actually get some work done here.

      I love you all! The Church is true and the Lord is in charge!

-Sister Weezer