Peace! I come waving a white flag! I promise everything is alright!
I'm glad to say that the Dange has passed. For the most part. I'm a little
tired still, but I'm back to work and happy as a cluff. Being a missionary
confined to bed for a whole week is worse than all the pains in the world. I
always thought that if I got sick on the mission it would be a good opportunity
to read everything that I don't have enough time for normally, but with Dange I
quickly learned that reading makes the nausea worse. So all I could do was lie
there and be bored. *Sigh* I'm so glad that's over! :D
After a week in bed, the only real news I have has to do with Sister
Mártir, from Cabo Verde off the coast of Africa. As I said in my last email, I
was supposed to receive and train a new Sister from Africa here in Stella Mares
and Sister Santana was supposed to receive and train another, and open a new
area for Sisters in Itapetinga. BUT, the night before this change was to occur,
we learned that my companion would no longer be serving in this mission and so
Sister Santana and I are now in a trio with HER new greenie, here in Stella
Mares until one of the visa-waiters in Mississippi gets her visa and can come be
with me.
Sister Mártir is tall and thin and very sleepy. I was so tired of
sleeping this past week that I wanted to die, but there was nothing else for me
to do and I WAS tired. But Sister Mártir, who is in perfect health, slept just
as much as I did! It was strange. Poor Sister Santana had no one to talk to and
went about our apartment doing good works, leaving loving notes on mirrors and
under pillows, like the good fairy that she is. She also saw to it that I took
my medicine and drank lots of water. God bless her! She's so pleasant and always
laughing.
And so, today was our P-day and I was feeling good enough that I even
agreed to Sister Santana's P-day activity of choice: eating at McDonald's.
Now, anyone who knows me knows my deep-rooted fear for this
heart-attack factory of the U.S. But Brasilians love it and believe that it's
high-quality meat. They sing praises to McDonald's and get excited when rich
members will take them there for lunch. Sister Santana has been so good to me
all week, I just couldn't say no to the golden arches in her big, brown
eyes.
Having narrowly dodged a Dange Death, I willingly marched into a
McMasacre. As I stared down a highly over-priced McFrightful and McDrink (orange
juice?) with McFries, my stomach backed itself up against my spinal chord,
crying, "No, no. nooooo!!!!" The sound of cows being butchered inhumanely filled
my ears as I took a McBite. I closed my eyes in my concentrated attempt to
forget the images I'd seen on "Food Inc."
I now have a McStomachAche, and this is something I don't know if I'll
survive. Mommy, I love you!
-Sister Whitaker
P.S. Thank you for all the prayers and fasting! You guys are the
best!
