Monday, June 18, 2012

Week 24 in Sonsonate. Month 22 in El Salvador. Year 2 of his Mission. Accomplished.

Subject:  Mission Accomplished

I was considering just sending a blank email with that subject line, since I figured that would be pretty classy. But then I realized it would be kind of mean, too. So, since I am neither mean nor classy, here is my final email.

This point in my mission is one of the strangest things I have ever experienced. There are so many feelings bouncing around that I don't even know what's going on. I am horribly sad that I am leaving this country and ending my service, but I am super excited to go home. And ridiculously scared and confused. I can't even describe how I feel. I think the best description, though, is numbness. Brian talked to me a little about that. I still don't really believe the end of my mission happening, and I don't think I've really began to process it. I know it will happen, but that doesn't help me realize that it IS happening. I guess we'll just have to talk about that when I get home, because I doubt that this is making any sense.

This last week was one of mixed results. We worked hard and found some good investigators, and even got some great references from the members. We found almost as many news as last week, but only taught thirty four lessons. There were good reasons for it, though. On Wednesday, we had a special meeting in San Salvador, by the temple, with Elder Maynes, who was recently called to the presidency of some quorum of some seventy. It was a great meeting, and took most of the day. My comp got sick, though, and started throwing up on the way (literally out the side of the moving bus). It was a very interesting trip, and I can talk more about the details when I get home, but that meant that we couldn't work when we got back from the meeting. The next day, I started to feel sick and couldn't eat anything. Friday, too. On Friday we did interchanges, and I worked with Elder Gillette, and there were times that I couldn't walk because my stomach hurt too badly. I think that if someone were to stab me with two knives in the stomach, that's what it would have felt like. At one point I almost threw up on the side of the road, so we ran to a member's house close by. By the time we got there, though, the throw-up convulsions had passed. Since I hadn't eaten in two days, I tried to eat a slice of pizza when we got home, but after one bite I was in the bathroom throwing up. Elder Gillette gave me a blessing, though, that I would be fine and that I would be able to eat and end my mission the way I wanted to, so after the blessing I went and heated up two more slices of pizza and got them down without any problems. And I felt pretty much fine. The priesthood is so dang awesome.

Other than those sicknesses (and a lot more that have been happening in the zone), the week was great. I can explain a little more about the investigators we found and such when I get home, so I'll just say that we had some kind of cool lessons. And three inactive families we were trying to reactivate came to church, which was awesome. These last two days I've got some good appointments set, and Wednesday morning I'll be out of my area, so I've got to go hard until the end. I'll be trying!

I just wish there were some way to describe what this is like! I can see the changes coming, but I don't believe them. It's so crazy! Gah! Oh well. I guess we'll have to talk about it when I get back. At least I'll have hot water again. I've missed that.

Random side-note: Stacey and Julie used the same quote as the subject line in their emails to me. Ha!

Thank you all for the support that you've given me on my mission! Seriously, the emails and letters and packages and prayers and everything make the work a little bit more enjoyable. I wish I could think of something cool to get you all from here before I leave, but I can't, so you'll probably get something stupid. Take care!

Elder David Arrington

No comments:

Post a Comment