Tuesday::Day 1- Went into the New Zealand Auckland Mission Office to get a blessing from Mission President Lekias. It was a great blessing, and definitely gave me comfort and hope. The Lekias' are awesome, shout out to the Liddicoats who are related to them! Call the Tramfam on the way to the hospital to say my last goodbyes, in the event that I dont make it. Go to the hospital, get dressed in that paper napkin dress and knee high socks they give you. Nurse asks me if I'm ready. Do I look ready? Apparently not, they give me a muscle relaxer. I go into the operating room. Nurse asks me what my favorite ice cream is, since thats all I'll be eating for 2 weeks, so I start telling her about my favorite ice creams...BOOM OUT. **Insert the ripping of tonsils out here** The next thing I can remember, I am telling all the nurses and people around me "Did you know your family can be together forever? No really, they can, just get baptized.” or "No i didn't choose Fiji...we have a living prophet who calls us to where God needs us to go, did you know there is a Prophet on the earth?” And more “Yes you and your family can be forever, even after you guys are dead." Well then I try and hold nurse #1 hand, who happened to be male (great Sister Trammell, that's exactly what we want these people to think) NURSE JENNY TO THE RESCUE- This woman is a saint. She comes, holds my hands, wipes my tears (oh i forgot to say, i'm weeping through all of this) tells me "yes, maybe one day i'll come to church with you.” They bring me some jello and ice cream, I scarf it down because who knows the next time I'll feel like eating. I get dressed, go out and meet up with Sister Brown, Nurse Jenny gives me about 1001 pills of medication to keep me alive. Thanks Nurse Jenny, you're the bomb! Sister Brown goes to get the car, Nurse Jenny sticks me in a wheel chair, no she would not let me roll down the hill in the wheelchair, darn. Get in the car, go back to the Brown's flat, called Mom again to tell her I'm alive, throat is still numb. Well things were looking good...until I went to sleep. I felt like I had hairballs in my throat. Apparently the scabs were already forming, so that was exciting.
Wednesday::Day 2- Throat still numb, but didn't sleep because I was drowning in my own saliva. But was visited by homegirl Sister Janice Aoina! Also Sister Cocker from the Takapuna ward, shout out to my Sunnyvale Fonua Family! Thanks Raewyn! :) Ate some soup and ice cream, throat starting to have feeling in it...more hairballs.
Thursday::Day 3- ELDER ANDERSEN! Woke up in the morning, not feeling like PDiddy. Actually, this was the first day day I had thoughts that this was my time to die, definitely was regretting the choice to get tonsils removed...but after LOTS of prayer, LOTS of medication, and LOTS MORE PRAYER, I made it to the conference. Elder Andersen gave a GREAT talk, which I will talk about in a minute, but I was spiritually nourished for a while, then returned back home to sleep more. Except no sleep because Scabby McScabbers decided to start hanging out into my esophagus...he's still there as we speak, darn guy.
Friday & Saturday::Days 4&5- Woke up and wrote a small will. If this is the end of me, its in the bottom of my backpack. Saturday thought it would be a good idea to take 2 codeine since only 1 wasn't really making a difference with pain relief...BAD IDEA...codeine+empty stomach = no bueno.
Sunday::Day 6- Time for more spiritual upliftment. MORE PRAYER--- Church was great. The Browns go to the Chinese Branch in the city, so it was all in Chinese. Even though I didn't catch the words, the Spirit was so strong. They are such a great branch, and they are definitely precious in the sight of the Lord. I just was basking in the blanket of Spirit, because I knew that there were things I needed to hear in my mind, as well as feel in my heart. Back to recovery.
Monday:: Day 7--Well this morning, I woke up thinking I had a brain tumor...also I was afraid to tell the Browns...how would this have sounded “Well now that I’ve been here almost a week, now I need brain surgery so I'll be here for a while longer"…yeah. Well turns out, Sister Brown went online and looked up side effects for tonsillectomies and it turns out a massive head ache is one of them! I'm normal! (sort of). Now I'm on a medication to help w/ the headache, the scabs are falling off a little, except for that one that is still dangling. But everything is okay.
I wish I had more spiritual experiences to share, but I guess the only ones that really impacted me this week were from Elder Andersen's conference on Thursday. Elder Andersen talked about a LOT of things, and a lot of them I needed to hear. He talked a lot about how the Atonement and the knowledge of the blessings that come from it can help in Missionary work. Once we have a true testimony and understanding of the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ "your desire to share the gospel will increase" (PreachMyGospel pg 2). So true...I have seen the power of the Atonement in my own life, as well as in the lives of many that I have grown to love on my mission. And I know that as I continually and daily come to understand it's power, and experience the blessings, it becomes such a powerful confirmation to me of what it really can do as I share it with others. Elder Andersen talked about how following the Spirit was really important too. "If you follow the feelings, do them, and believe them, you will get more of them!” BINGO! All we have to do is trust in the Spirit. One of my favorite scriptures is from Doctrine and Covenants 11: 12-14: “And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good - yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit. Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind which shall fill your soul with joy; And then shall ye know, or by this shall you know, all things whatsoever you desire of me, which are pertaining unto things of righteousness, in faith believing in me that you shall receive.” When we are prompted to share our testimony with others around us, we need to just say what comes to our mind and believe it's from the Lord “which shall fill your soul with joy!” I think that's my favorite part...sharing our testimony fills our souls with such joy and love!
Another great thing that Elder Andersen said about missionaries: "The Church didn't make all these investments to get you on a mission just to have you come home and swan dive back into Babylon.” HAHAHA We all were dying! It's so true. The church, our families, and ourselves haven't put all this time, this effort, sacrifice, and service just to have us go home to be our old selves. I guess it means that the habits you make on the mission will be the habits you take home!
Well I hope that everyone had a great week...I know I did. Oh I forgot about one thing. In the recovery room, I heard a nurse say to another patient "Can I take your party hat now? You've already been to the party."
LOLOMA LEVU!
Sister Trammell
Tonsils are out
