Almost One Month!

Hello everyone! I hope you have all had a wonderful week. Life at the MTC this week has been crazy. Rather than giving you all the day by day update, this blogpost is going to be like one gigantic story.

Friday morning I woke up with major pain and swelling in both of my feet. Finally, one of the sisters in my district convinced me to go to the doctor and see what was going on. I was expecting them to give me some medicine, or tell me to buy different shoes, or something like that. However, I found out that I have tailor's bunions, bunions, and heel spurs in both of my feet. The doctor said I would need surgery when I get home from my mission, but that as long as I wore braces on my heels, and on both edges of my feet, that I should be able to last throughout my mission.

 

 

Me on my crutches

Saturday morning I woke up and was in even more pain, especially in my right heel and foot. I was limping everywhere and was so embarrassed. But that was just the beginning of it. Around 11:00 I got shooting pain up the back of my right leg. It was the most pain I have ever been in. I got crutches to try and make it go away, since the pain got worse every time I used my right foot/leg. However, the crutches put too much weight on my left foot, which was also swollen and bruised. So, I was forced (literally forced...... haha I did not want to do it) to be in a wheelchair.

 

Sunday, as the pain continued, I was told that I would most likely have to go home from my mission to get surgery. Needless to say, Sunday was a really hard day for me. I knew that if I did end up having to go home for surgery, that it would be for my good and benefit. I have never prayed that long or hard in my whole life.

 

Monday morning, I woke up and the pain was still there. Disappointed, I went in to the doctor to hear whether or not I had to come home. The doctor told me that if I could walk, then they would do a test run on my throughout the week, to see if i could stay here and fulfill my mission. I immediately got out of the wheelchair, and told him that I was going to prove that I could make it on my mission. I was going to walk and I was going to be strong enough to show that I could do this.

 

The pain was absolutely awful  and some of you may think i was being stupid for doing this, but I wanted to stay on my mission so badly. I was going to do everything I could to walk. I was limping so badly everywhere and became known around the mtc as the "zombie". Everyone here has been so nice and so supportive. I have had countless, probably at least 100, missionaries come up and tell me that they fasted for me this week, and they dont even know me or my situation. it has been amazing. I can seriously feel the prayers that have been coming my way from missionaries around the mtc. It is such a blessing to be in such a spiritual place.

 

 

The pain went away so fast. every day the pain cuts in half. it is amazing. I am still walking on my own two feet and am limping so much less now. I met with a doctor yesterday, and he said that most likely the bone was pulling on my tendon and tore it on saturday. he was blown away that i am healing this fast.

 

Trust in the Lord is so important. Richard G Scott came and spoke to us on Tuesday about prayer, and it was seriously like he was just talking specifically to me. So many talks and devotionals and spiritual thoughts have been on faith and trust and prayer this week. It's amazing and I feel selfish but all of them have seriously helped me so much! I hope they have helped others at the mtc too. I love the mission life. There truly is nothing better.

 

Now that that story is done, I want to tell you about Champan Shimai and I's lessons from this week. As I already stated last week, we no longer use notes, but we were having problems because we were just memorizing the things we wanted to say, rather than praying and speaking from the heart. This week, we did just that, and BOY was it amazing :) Whenever we taught, we were able to speak straight from the heart. sometimes I said sentences that did not even make sense in my head, and were filled with vocabulary that I have not yet learned. We were both given the gift of tongues. It was the craziest and most amazing experience I have ever had! We both were so incredibly happy for the rest of the day :) and week :) haha

 

Funny story of the week: Thursday, while playing basketball with a group of elders, Bean Shimai and I ran into each other. She is a little bit shorter than me, and so when we ran into each other, my teeth hit her forehead! She had a huge bruise and teeth marks in her forehead for almost 4 days..... haha I felt so bad. It was so funny though. The elders who we were playing with all act scared of me now.  It's been weird not being able to go to gym this week, but hopefully soon I will be able to go again and be active.

 

Anyways, my time is up, but I love you all and miss you. You are in my prayers. I hope you have a fantastic week, and no matter what happens in life, know that the Lord is strengthening you and your faith. The gospel of Jesus Christ is true. The power of prayer is real. Heavenly Father can heal us, whether it be emotionally, physically, or spiritually. If we trust Him, miracles will happen :) I love you all. Have a blessed week :)

 

Ai Shite Imasu,

Sister Malia Kasteler