Our little Munchkin

Hey yous! 

My sense of time is SO gone. Can I just say that? Sis Krzymowski and I joke around a lot that I am dying from dementia :) But let me unload the scoop of this week with you all!

So back to last Saturday! We were up in Parramatta to witness Tia's baptism. It was SO beautiful. Then we made the long drive back to Narooma just on time. We unloaded the car and locked it at 9:30 exactly. Then we heard a knock on our side door with a voice "It's me! Next door!" We live in a duplex, and our neighbor is our investigator but it didn't sound like her. But we opened the door anyway, thinking they might just need us to move the car or something. But it was a younger girl saying she has been in a bad accident and needed a ride to the police station or the ecotel. We then had to explain we are here to help people but can't give lifts in our vehicle but how we have some friends that could. So we called up the closest neighbors in our branch. Then after talking to her some more, we start to connect the dots. We couldn't meet with our investigator last week because on Friday her son's partner was in a bad accident and was on life support up in Sydney. Her son is also a mess and she has practically disowned him as he is always on the run from the cops and in and out of jail. We then realize that the girl we were talking to is the partner of our neighbor’s son. And she was the one that was in the bad accident. She said that she got into a really bad fight with him and knows he will come back here looking for her. So then we start to freak out a bit. We called President just to make him aware of our situation and he told us to lock up, turn off the lights, go to bed and to not open the door. And of course as two American girls that now think they are in the newest scary story of a small sketchy beach town in the middle of Australia, we went to the extreme. Mattresses by each other, spare mattresses blocking our windows, etc. Obviously we were safe and it really wasn't a big deal at all but his truck WAS outside the next morning and has been since but aye, All is well in Zion. :)

But church last Sunday was in Batemans Bay. 4 less actives came. It was amazing. Especially Jack. And just for the record, I feel like every time I talk about Jack I have to say "Jack is Back!" Because he is! He is back for good and everyone said it felt like he never left. Coming to church is always like coming home. I love that. And we also had 2nd and 3rd hours of church THEN the food. A little bit of drama but us and the Branch President feel quite accomplished to be following the church Sunday schedule accurately now :)

Then for at least the past week I have had a lot of pain in my lower back/right above my tail bone. I thought I was just hardcore sore from working out... you know those v sits haha jokes. But I started to feel a lump so went to the nearest doctor on Monday. A small little hospital. No general practitioners but a little ER. So I was seen and told quite quickly to go back into the waiting room and not to eat anything because I have a cyst that needs to be surgically removed. 

Then to save us money they got the surgeon to come into the ER after he was done operating and saw me there. He asked me what my pain tolerance was and I said "Eh... we will see!" and laughed. I think I was being a little too positive. Nec Minute- 4 long as needles to numb me. They hurt SO bad and there was at least 2 more but by then I couldn't feel them. He did say most people scream and was impressed with my pain tolerance. Most improved award from the shots I got when I was 4 years old right?!

 Still not exactly sure what procedure they did (he had a really thick Indian accent) but after it was done, I saw how much blood was everywhere and then started freaking out inside (And I am a nursing student?? haha). But I still wanted to act really tough and strong. I was wearing my badge the whole time, gown and all, so I think I grasped strength from that, and wanted to be extra strong. And on the bright side, I did to tell a lot of the staff what I am doing here in Australia. But on the way out to the car I totally broke down. I was in a lot of pain, and in a lot of ways, the pain was worse than before. Then I just had to laugh when we went to the nearest pharmacy and then your most stereotypical surfer dude with long hair, sunglasses and a bandana was the pharmacist that gave me my antibiotics.

I got a priesthood blessing that night which really helped. I was blessed with a good nights sleep (which I hadn't had in like a week due to the discomfort of the cyst) and to rely on Heavenly Father and that everything depends on my faith. He also said to REST and not to push myself. Afterwards Sister Krzymowski and I were talking about the blessing and she said she was really happy it said to rest and not push myself. Which I knew was something I really needed to hear. In some ways, that made last week the hardest week of my mission. I have had a full on hole in my skin, the size of about an American dime and was in a lot of pain that was just oozing and oozing. I walked around as what I thought looked like the other retired population here in Narooma but my companion is convinced it is more like how the munchkins walk in the Wizard of Oz. Yet it killed me in a lot of ways to not be out working and to recover.

But everything happens for a reason. It was kind of random getting this cyst but I know Heavenly Father is in charge of our bodies and that this was something I needed to go through: to feel more empathy for those I will help serve in my future career, to rely more on my Heavenly Father, have more time to study (I was able to read most of Our Heritage and oh my goodness- what faith those early Saints had, it is incredible! And now I am up to Daniel in my Old Testament reading!) or just to have even more time to reflect on who I am and my mission. I have made lots of fun lists with Sis. Krzymowski (highlights of my mission, things I have learned, things I love, goals, who I am, memories from growing up etc.) We figured this is probably also due to the fact that I have such a short period of time at home with my family before going back to BYU and jumping into life again. And maybe having this week now is what I need so I can more smoothly transition and not be a mess that week that I have with my family. 

Yet sometimes we don't know why things happen for a while. But right now I am happy to say the oozing has stopped almost entirely, I don't walk like a retired munchkin anymore and am exciting to get back to work this week. We went to the youngest members of our branch's baptism on Saturday though (they are twins- so cute!) and it was a really good service at their house and their pool! We were able to talk to a lot of nonmember friends there! Kathy even came to church yesterday which was such an amazing miracle (until she voiced a lot of her opinions on her wavering testimony and then was very attacked by other members... yay small branch drama right?!) 

But for those who are anticipating my arrival in the upcoming weeks, don't worry. Sitting on a plane shouldn't be too much of an issue by then but watch out, President Back said I am more than welcome to stay ;) But I do think I really did need this week. Even if it was just to put all my mixed emotions down on some dinky lists to see what I have learned, what I will miss about the mission, and what I am excited for next. 

I know this gospel is true and the doctrine it teaches is flawless. I am so grateful to be able to know without a doubt that Jesus Christ lives and is my Savior. I am so excited as we have started singing Christmas Hymns for the upcoming season to remember the true reason we are celebrating. I am so incredibly grateful to be a missionary. And I love that as a missionary I get to feel the spirit of Christmas daily. I know that His church has been restored today and that the day of miracles has not ceased as all the priesthood keys are once again upon the earth. What a blessing it is to know that. I love you all heaps and hope you have a wonderful week!

Love, Sister Rushing

:)

pictures: yay and oozing dressing, our hide out sleepover and before the baptism!