Aug 5-11

What happened this week?   A LOT of medical.
 
We have a pretty amazing District.   Super happy to be a part of these great elders and sisters.   6 Sisters 4 elders and one senior couple.  The District leader makes great assignments each week.  Everyone has an assignment.   We always start by quoting the mission purpose:

Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel 

through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement,

 repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, 
and enduring to the end.

Which is followed by the 4th section of the Doctrine and Covenants. 
They have it memorized ... I still stumble through both.

We recognize how amazing these elders and sisters are, and want a picture of the district together.   Its the beginning of our mission, so a picture of all our districts as they change every 6 weeks at each transfer seemed like a great idea. We planned to get it on Tuesday at District meeting.    Then Wednesday came and change was oozing from our district.  One sister with ongoing pain, finally required an MRI, which determined it was best to have her go home and she left on Saturday.  Wednesday evening one of the elders in our district had a bike accident and dislocated his thumb.   We sent him to urgent care where xrays were done and decided he needed surgery for a closed reduction fracture pinning.  They wrapped him in a plaster cast and sent him home without any pain meds.  We gave him some ibuprofen and waited.... we spent 2 days trying to track down the plastics doctor to do the CT scan or surgery.  Because it was an injury in NZ, it was covered by their Social Healthcare coverage, which is a challenge for me to adapt to!

Saying Goodbye, the night before she leaves . . .

Meanwhile we were with a previously injured elder, who was getting a cast removed and starting physical therapy to return movement to injured wrist.  We asked several departments that day how to get in for the next visit with the new accident.   Finally we returned to the urgent care, where the doctor was exasperated at himself having tried to call the plastics department and never getting an answer OR a return call.  He wrote a referral letter and explained the urgency of the surgery.  We went to the Hospital Emergency with the letter and proceeded to wait .....   That was Friday.   We waited Friday and were sent home to return Sat.   We returned Sat and were told there weren't any x-ray people available and to come back Sunday.  We went Sunday at 730 am and at 2pm they said they might have to send us home.  Linda went to take a walk and was retrieved and told they were sending him to surgery. (Which in the states is called an Operating Room, In New Zealand its a Operating Theatre ....) 

Little differences in spelling everywhere...
Authorised vs authorized
Kerb vs Curb
Tyres vs tires

Hallelujah!   He was finally out and by 730pm we were able to leave ... this time with a couple pain meds in hand.  Luckily last Sunday we attended two church meetings since we spent time in the hospital this week and while waiting attempted to help the elder with his own family history.  His father's relatives are from England which we find sources for, His mothers family is from Tonga and I am LOST trying to help with Tongan Genealogy.  Thankfully we have an amazing Islands of the Pacific Family History center here and there are many talented experts in this area.  

In the interim, I had ongoing phone calls of colds and flu, rashes, eye cyst that needs surgery, successful dental visit, and right quadrant abdominal pain coming off and on for 3 weeks.  I asked the abdominal pain elder to get a ride with another senior couple and come to Hamilton for a doctor visit, and meanwhile asked the doctor for a prescription, for a sister he had seen, with leg rash that turned into a boil,  We successfully delivered the prescription, missed a diabetes consultation and returned home.

Last Monday we attended a First Monday of the month Ward FHE, where a newly returned missionary from Samoa was welcomed and native dancers performed Samoan dances.  We met people from all over the stake who wanted to be there.  We have a list of places we'd love to see and more friends.  We visited with a delightful family who made us part of their family gathering and we tasted their highly admired crackling.   Pork fat is a staple here.   They don't sell bacon, they sell Streaky bacon which cooks crispy like they like it.   All the flavors here are slightly different than ours.  We're learning what we like. 

We manage to attend weekly office meetings for coordination updates with the President and Sister Erekson, and mingle with members we have met in other wards.  Most families have family who are not members and we get to visit with non members regularly.  We attended a baptism that sisters in our district had taught.   The girl was so elated to be a member of the church and so excited to share it with both of her parents who attended and supported her even though they are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  We are grateful for the spirit we feel from these good missionaries who are here to serve and become better.  They teach us something on a regular basis.  We learn a lot from them and are immersed in their love of others as they seek to share and bless the lives of those around them.