Hey everyone!
But yeah, let's start at the beginning, let me tell you guys a story or two.
So first of all, let me tell you about the bus ride from Salta to Santiago. We did get a movie and a half. The first one was this film from Spain called 22 Angéles, pretty boring. Then I got the first 30 minutes or so of a movie called the art of the steal, a heist moving starring Kurt Russell. It didn't seem too bad.
So then I got here and let me tell you a bit about here. I am still district leader, and in this area, there are only three areas, and we're the only elders, the other four are sisters, which is pretty fun. The zone leaders also seem pretty chill, which is a good thing.
And so this is a big area, we have bikes, BUT, we don't use them cuz my companion doesn't know how to ride a bike. So we walk. A LOT. And guess what? It is HOT here. Like, really hot. Like it's literally unbearable. We spent the first few days walking around, contacting and getting lost a little, cuz my companion is a little scatterbrained and doesn't have a great memory. The also, the elders who were here before (I'm talking to you Elder R) lost the phone, so we've been using another phone they had to buy, and we have to keep paying money to get minutes or something like that. So that's been fun. (NOT) But the good news is that tomorrow, we're gonna receive a new phone from the mission so we won't have that problem anymore.
And yeah, this area seems pretty cool, From what I could tell, Santiago's great, and the people are great too, but the problem is the HEAT. Let's get into that, shall we?
So Saturday, it rains. Sigh a little relief from the heat. But, when the weather changes on a dime, it's not good for the body. So by midday, I was feeling a whole bunch of pain in my entire body, and I just lost all energy. I was trembling, and every movement hurt, but I decided to try and overcome my natural man and push on, thinking it would pass soon.
We left to go work. We were walking around for around an hour when my companion just stops me and says that we're going back so I can rest. So we did that. I slept for about 3 hours or so, woke up to verify with the district and zone leaders, then went back to sleep. At about 2 in the morning, I was super cold, freeeeezing. I quickly got out of bed, put on a long-sleeved shirt, and turned up the air conditioning so it wasn't blowing cold air. But I still couldn't sleep that well.
Sunday, we wake up and go to church. I'm still feeling pain and this lack of energy. We go through church, go to lunch with some members, and I'm still not feeling better. So they take me to the hospital. (luckily hospitals are free here.) And They set me up with this thing (See photo). They called it a serum, so I played it off like they were turning me into Captain America or something. I was there for like five hours, waiting for them to finish analyzing my blood to see if I had a virus or bacteria or something. But no, it was just the heat, I need to be more careful and drink a whole lot more water (I am drinking a lot of water, but ok).
And yeah, that was basically our week. But don't worry, I'll be alright, when I woke up this morning, I wasn't feeling 100%, but I did feel a lot better, I think by tomorrow, I'll be great.
I also want to bear my testimony that God loves each of us and that he has prepared a plan for each of us. Everything that happens, happens for the benefit of His children.
Yesterday, coming back from the hospital, we took a bus, and we hopped off at the apartment, but my companion realized that he had left his keys in his suit jacket, which he left in the car of the member who took us to the hospital. So we hopped on another bus and arrived at his house, but they weren't there. Another man was there, who let us come inside and use the landline, cuz our phone was dying and didn't have minutes to call either. So we tried calling, but the landline was not working at all. So we decided to wait. After about five minutes or so, I decided that something else should be done, and the idea came to me that we ask to use someone else's phone from a neighbor or something. So we get up and go do that. There was a nice couple sitting a few houses down and had their phones out. So We walked over and asked kindly and they tried, but they didn't have minutes either, and so they lent us a charger for the phone so we could go charge minutes on there from some kiosk down the street, then their daughter comes over and finds out what's going on, so she calls the family and lets them know where we are. Very nice family, and now the problem is solved. But that's not all, after all this, they tell us "hey, we're members too you know, we just don't go to church." Turns out that they had stopped going to church some six years ago, and lately had been trying to find an opportunity to come back to church, and then this happens. That is just incredible. I absolutely love the grand and mysterious designs of God. This should be a testimony for all that everything that happens to us is an opportunity, and that God has our best interests in mind.
I love you all,
Elder Blaylock
PS I'm an Eight Again ;)
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