An Experience From my Sister's Mission

I want to tell you a story that has had great import in our lives and fills us with wonder and joy.

When we first came on our mission, one of the temple missionaries pointed out a Chinese man in the Hung Hom MTR Station (subway), saying that it didn't matter what time of the day and night, he was always there. I have to admit that I found it a little troubling because he looked unkempt and strange. One day he was gone and we presumed they must have turned him out. But then we saw him walking slowly on the promenade, hunched over and looking at the ground, pulling his little cart with what appeared to be all of his belongings. We saw him at random times and always he looked the same, not engaging anyone, seemingly lost in his own solemn world, shuffling slowly along without happiness or purpose.  

One day, on an impulse, I leaned into him as he walked past and said good morning in Cantonese. He looked up, startled and confused, and didn't really know what to do. I nodded to him and smiled and then we went our separate ways. Every time we saw him after that, we would greet him and then we noticed a change. He no longer walked bent over, and his eyes now looked forward, scanning the distance. This has been going on for a year and a half and our mutual greetings are now bright and happy. When he sees us, he waves vigorously and we all smile broadly as we approach each other. We cannot talk to one another at all except to say good morning in Cantonese but it doesn't matter. This man has become transformed because of love. And so have we. Our hearts are filled with joy every single time we see him. We love this man. And he loves us. We can see it in his eyes.

During the Christmas season, Church Public Affairs spearheaded a service project in Hong Kong making 2000 fleece blankets for the elderly and others in need. We were all involved in cutting, fringing, and packaging the blankets. Arrangements were made with a variety of local organizations to distribute them. Dave had the presence of mind to grab a blanket for our little homeless man. Of course, we never know when we will see him but Elder Macbeth kept it with him and just before the really cold weather struck, we were able to give our friend more than a smile--we were able to give him a blanket too and a brief message about Christ that was also in the bag. What joy filled our hearts!

And so it continued, month after month. The little man's cart had been in constant motion throughout most of our mission. Elder Macbeth observed that the wheels and frame were wearing out and that tape was holding it together. It didn't appear that it could last much longer ... and then what would he do? My beloved husband took it upon himself to find a sturdy, durable hand truck to replace the failing handcart. I thought it was a great idea but couldn't imagine how we would be able to make it happen. After all, we didn't ever know when we would see this man and it didn't seem reasonable to haul the hand truck everywhere we went. Dave just said that it would work out. 

And so it did. We saw our homeless friend one day as we were almost at the ferry. Dave tried to tell him that we would meet him the next day at 10:00 a.m. by the clock tower but, of course, he couldn't understand. I started asking numerous people around us if they spoke English and finally found a man who was willing to translate for us. We told him what to tell the homeless man but we weren't really sure that he or our homeless friend understood what we wanted him to do. We had to just hope he understood.

The next morning Dave got the cart ready with zip ties and bungee cords to assist in changing out his old cart. We took the shuttle from the complex where we live and as we approached Tsim Sha Tsui about 9:40 a.m., Dave indicated to me that if our friend wasn't at the clock tower at 10:00 that he would begin searching for him beginning at the Art Museum plaza. He gestured with his hand and I naturally looked out the window ... only to see our homeless man walking in the opposite direction from where we were going to meet him. I just can't believe that it was coincidence that right when I looked out the window, I saw our friend! We would never have found him otherwise. And, that day of all days, the shuttle didn't stop at the regular stop but stopped short of the normal location by a couple of blocks - which put us closer to our homeless man. We took off like crazy and the first light was green. Everything was working in our favor.

We finally caught up with him and Dave pantomimed that he was giving him the hand truck. The man looked happy but we weren't totally sure he really understood. Dave showed him the zip ties and he put them in his little cart. I found someone who, once again, could interpret but we don't think our friend understood until Dave showed him how the handle extended, then lifted up the old cart and placed it right on the base of the new hand truck. Dave tipped the hand truck with the old loaded cart on top of it - and then the man really smiled!! I took a photo as he walked away, pulling the cart on the hand truck. I expressed surprise to Dave that he didn't help transfer the belongings from the one cart to the new one but he said that he was sure the little man would figure it out and that he needed to do it himself. (I snapped the accompanying photos as all of this took place.)

Three days later, we saw our homeless friend again as we walked on the promenade to work. He proudly showed us how he had transferred everything over to the new hand truck (the old cart was gone) and "made it his own". And then ... HE LAUGHED RIGHT OUT LOUD.

We hope to do one last thing for him before we leave our mission in four weeks. We want to give this dear man a Book of Mormon and pamphlets about "The Plan of Salvation", and "Jesus Christ", and "The Restoration" written in Chinese. (We know he can read because we saw him reading a newspaper one day that he pulled out of the garbage.) We will have one of our Chinese staff write our testimony in Chinese characters and we will tell this man in words and not just facial expression how much we care about him. It is because we love him that we want him to have the greatest gift of all -- the gospel. We have not been able to figure out a way to have the young missionaries who speak Cantonese talk to him since we never know where he will be. That would be the best of all but we do know that God loves this man, that He has allowed us to play a small part in his life, and that He will continue to have an influence in this man's life. We trust him to God as we have to do with so many that we have grown to love.

    

                        

   

Jim, October 20

I went back to the apartment today to try to make some calls, but our Vonage phone had such poor quality I was unsuccessful. Apparently the temple compound was having internet issues and the chief engineer was trying ti fix the problem. 

President Boren drove me back to the hospital. The Bjornasons and Martins came along too. The Bjornasons bought a Canadian pillow for Jim. So sweet! Hna. Martin brought some of her muffins to share with us. Sister Nelson fell outside yesterday and was trying to be invisible because her upper lip was swollen and scraped. She was feeling very self-conscious. We really do work with wonderful people!

After I got back to the hospital the room phone rang. It was Hermana Sadoval. She's the Gospel Doctrine teacher in our ward and the assistant coordinator on the Tuesday evening temple shift. She noticed we weren't at Stake Conference and ask where we were. When she found out Jim was in the hospital she called to give her love and support. Good people!

Doctors Ycaza and Lopez both visited tonight. The tests done today did not show anything, so they will be doing a biopsy from the pleural layer of Jim's lung tomorrow morning. Hopefully, it will provide an answer to begin to help Jim get better!

We feel so blessed by the expressions of love and the prayers being offered!!!! Thank you!

Jim is in the hospital

Friday, October 17, 2014

Jim has had difficulty breathing for the last few weeks, so we went to the doctor a week ago last Tuesday. Jim was sent for a chest X-ray and ultrasound, which he got this past Tuesday. 

The doctor, Dr. Ycaza, contacted me on Thursday and asked me to bring Jim back for a CT scan Friday morning. The doctor's nurse called, while we were still at the hospital, and had us return to his office. He informed us that Jim's right lung was completely filled with fluid, his left lung has an infection and there's liquid in his abdominal cavity. He had his nurse get a wheelchair to take Jim directly to emergency. 

Dr. Ycaza contacted a pulmonary specialist, Dr. Lopez, to come to drain some of the fluid from Jim's lung. Dr. Lopez said he wanted to wait until the morning, as Jim had had an aspirin the night before and didn't want to risk internal bleeding. 

Saturday, October 18

I contacted Aetna, the insurance company for missionaries, this morning. They're trying to arrange with the hospital to have them direct bill. That would be nice! 

When I got back to the hospital this morning the pulmonary specialist, Dr. Lopez, was just finishing up. He drained 1600 cc's of fluid from Jim's lung, which was a dark coloured blood. They then sent Jim for another X-ray, hoping to see his lung more clearly. Dr. Lopez said it was a good X-ray.

The lung has to be drained slowly so as to not collapse. Dr. Lopez said he would be doing it again, but I don't know when. 

I had gone on line to look up blood in the lungs and found that it could be a result of congestive heart failure. I was relieved when Dr. Ycaza said that the blood, in his lungs, is not coming from his heart. I mentioned I had Googled blood in the lungs and he told me if I wanted to look something up to look up pleural effusion. It has several causes, but because the left lung has an infection I'm hoping this is the cause, as it seems to be the lesser of the other possibilities. However, he's not saying that is what Jim has. They will likely do a biopsy of the lung at the beginning of the week. Until then, they continue to give Jim antibiotics for the infection in his left lung. We feel good about the care Jim is receiving!

Jim is comfortable and feeling relief, as he can now breathe much easier, but he is still on oxygen. He had a bad night Friday because they didn't give him his regular night time sleeping pill and pain pill, but he's resting much better now that I've been able to bring his pills to give to him. They will probably not do anything more until Monday as the lab is mostly closed on Sundays. The doctor said that the blood, in his lungs, is not coming from the heart.

Here are a few pictures of Jim's room. It is quite comfortable. The closet has lots of room for hanging clothes, plus it has a set of drawers and a fridge. The love seat makes into a bed, which is where I'll be sleeping tonight. 

Looking in from the door. The window looks out at the clinic where our doctor's office is. Notice the flat screen TV. Calgary's hospitals need to take heed. The closet has a place to hang clothes, a couple of drawers and a fridge. 

The view outside Jim's window. The covered bridge connects the hospital to the clinic. 

This is a love seat that makes into a single bed. 

The bathroom. 

The nurse just came in and made up my bed. 

This picture shows it in relation to Jim's bed. It was not comfortable, but at least it's somewhere for me to sleep. It's a comfortable, quiet room!

Sunday, October 19

Jim's doing well this morning. He got up, ate breakfast and has taken a shower. 

A technician came in to get the blood samples the doctor had ordered. The nurse came in right after and took his blood pressure. It had been somewhat high for the last couple of weeks, but since the stress of not being able to breathe has been relieved, it has begun dropping to a more normal level.  Other than this, today is a wait and see day. 

This is Jasmin, Jim's morning nurse. The nurses still wear the white cap and some still wear skirts or dresses. 

Dr. Ycaza came in and took Jim's vitals. He wants us to find out what kind of cancer Larry died from and to find out what the navy said about why they felt it was probably related to the time Larry spent in the ship's boiler room and around asbestos. 

This makes me a little nervous, but Jim's calm and not exhibiting any anxiety. 

We were told that Jim will likely be in the hospital until at least Thursday. 

We serve with wonderful, caring people! Elder & Hermana Bjornason accompanied us to the doctor the first time we came. On the way back, via the Metro, Elder Bjornason was robbed by a pick pocket. Hna. Bjornason has shown me care and concern, and Elder Bjornason has called Jim every day since he's been in the hospital just to give support and show love. 

Elders Bjornason and Nelson gave Jim a blessing last week. Thursday night I went to the Boren's apartment to ask Pres. Boren for a blessing of comfort. 

The Boren's have been helpful in getting me home from the hospital in the dark and back the next morning with a bunch of stuff we would need in the hospital. 

Hna. Martin has been a wonderful friend! She has offered me love and support through her many phone calls! I know she would do anything I needed! I feel bad that this is happening so close to the time the Martins will be finishing their mission and returning to Argentina. 

October General Conference 2014

It was so wonderful to be able to watch all six sessions of conference!

Hermana Boren invited the sister missionaries to watch the Sisters' Session with her on the Boren's flat screen TV.  They then invited us to watch the Saturday and Sunday sessions too, after we discovered the TV was snowy over at the chapel. The chapel shows conference in Spanish in the chapel and English in the Primary room. The men did go to the chapel for the Priesthood session and I watched it on the laptop. 

It was an incredible conference, which it am enjoying reading now. The talk that touched me the most is Come and See by Elder Bednar. I'm hoping that by sharing it in my blog my family and friends ,who aren't members of my church or are no longer active, will understand me better. The following is a link to his talk.

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/come-and-see?lang=eng

Here are a few scriptures from the Book of Mormon that I'd like to invite you to read as well:

*  1 Nephi (creates an introduction to the people whose history is written in the Book of Mormon)

*  2 Nephi 31-33 (tellis why Christ was baptized and testifies of Christ)

*  3 Nephi (my favourite...Christ's visit to the Americas after his crucifixion and resurrection)

*  Moroni 10: 3-5 (a promise to all who read the Book of Mormon)

The Church of Jesus Christ has brought such peace, direction and joy in my life! I know that I am a child of God and that He loves me. I know that families can be together through the sealing power of the priesthood within His holy temples. I know that the Book of Mormon was preserved for us in these latter days and that it was translated through the power of God by a prophet of God, Joseph Smith. I know we have a living prophet today, Thomas S. Monson, and that our lives are blessed as we listen and heed his words. I know God listens to my prayers. I know that I can receive comfort and healing blessings from worthy priesthood holders. I am comforted by this. I share my testimony with you, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

Hermano Pascual

We have met some people with truly amazing stories! One of these people is Hermano Pascual. One evening, during my temple shift, I had the opportunity to chat with Hermana Pascual. It started out by me asking whether she and her husband had both been members before they got married. She said she had been, but not him. After they got married he did join, and then he served as bishop of their ward for about 9 years. For many years there weren't roads to get to church so they had to walk and it would take them a couple of hours. 

The story I really wanted to share is of his early life. His mother was raising four children on her own. An older son, who was in his mid-teens, and three younger children four and younger. Hno. Pascual was the four year old. At this time in his life his mother died. His older brother tried supporting the two youngest, but wasn't able to support Hno. Pascual too. For the next several years he ate fruits and vegetables, and slept in mango trees. Hna. Pascual said he was like a feral child. Eventually, his older brother was able to help take care of him too. 

It's incredible that having gone through this experience that he has been able to come out of it with such a caring, wonderful nature! God has blessed his life! He's currently one of the temple sealers. 

New Temple Missionary Couple

A new couple arrived on Thursday night. They are the Nelson's from  the Logan area. They know Sharon & Ladell Hoth, my Sonberg relatives. Small world! They both speak fluent Spanish. Hermana Nelson is originally from Torreon, Mexico and Elder Nelson is an Idaho boy. He served a Spanish-speaking mission in the mid-60s. 

Yesterday we had a special temple session at 6:30 pm. Usually the temple closes at 1 pm on Saturday, so Pres. Boren asked if the missionaries would help out. Of course we did! I was the only sister missionary to not take some part within the session because I was coordinating and they needed me at the end. Jim and a three other elders also stayed out to help at the end. This provided Jim and me time to study. Jim's almost got the session ordinances memorized in Spanish! He just has a couple of pronunciation errors to correct!

The Area President had requested it for all of the stake presidents and their wives throughout Panama. There are some very young stake presidents! There were 16 sisters, including Hermanas Boren, Nelson and Mojica. There were about the same number of men, but President was the only non-stake president. Some travelled 8 hours to get here. It was marvellous to see the church leadership, of Panama, all gathered together!

Today they were all in our ward's sacrament meeting, seated in the choir seats. The Area President spoke at the end of the meeting reminding us to prepare ourselves for the sacrament every Sunday and to think about the Saviour's atoning sacrifice as we take the bread and water. He said if we don't, then we are just taking bread and water and not the Saviour's blood and flesh upon us. I'm going to really try to make an effort to do this more purposefully. 

The leadership all came to the patron housing after for the quarterly training. 

What a privilege it is to be serving here in order to have this kind of experience!

I love the temple! It is only in the Lord's Holy Temples where families can be sealed together forever! I am so glad that I have been sealed to my family, Jim ,and Stacy and Craig! One day we hope to be able to go with Neal too! 

It is such a comfort knowing that even those who have died can receive this ordinance through proxy! Thank you Al and Ann for sending us family names! We have been able to do all the baptisms and are still working on the other ordinances. The work for two of the names has now been completed. 

P Day Excursion to See the Widening of the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal

On Monday, September 15, President and Hna. Boren drove us to the Atlantic side of Panama to visit the construction of the new Gatun locks. It was pretty impressive! It took us about an hour to drive from the temple compound to Colon. Panama is a beautiful country and the road from here to Colon was a nice four-laned freeway with lush vegetation bordering it the entire way. Every once in awhile we could glimpse the river, Gatun Lake or house nestled in valleys or small slopes. 

This is a view of the Chigres River and surrounding countryside from the van. This is looking in the direction of where the Embera natives live, but further down the river. 

This is a sign along the road near the locks. 

Here's our group, minus the photographer. Elder Mathieson, President & Hna. Boren (Hugo & Camille), Hna. & President Martin (Celia & Andrés) and Hna. & Elder Bjornason (Kathy & Leon). They are standing in front of the visitor centre entrance of the expansion. 

I just had to have a picture of me in front of this beautiful orchid near the entrance. 

The Bjornasons, Jim and the Borens in front of Gatun Lake. This is where the ships end up aftering leaving the locks on the Atlantic side. They travel through this lake to get to the Pacific side and vice versa. 

This is looking at the construction of the widening. You can see several of the gates sitting, waiting to br put into place. The water in the background is the Carribean Sea. 

I believe these spaces are where the gates will be placed. 

These are so e of the gates that were just shipped over from Italy, where they are being made. They will eventually be hauled over to the expansion site to be put into place. There were already a few there, but not in their places yet. Apparently there are still about 8 remaining to be shipped over from Italy. 

Jim standing in front of the expansion. From here you could see ships in the original locks. There's a small white tower looking structure just to the left of the top of Jim's head. This is a ship travelling towards the Atlantic. There's another ship just a short way in front of it too. 

I zoomed in on the ship so it would be easier to see the ship travelling through the lock in the near distance. 

Hna. Mathieson with her dear friend, Celia Martin. Celia and her husband go home to Argentina at the end of October and will be greatly missed!

Elder Martin, Elder Mathieson, President Boren and Elder Bjarnason in front of Gatun Lake. Gatun Lake is where the ships enter as they leave the locks on the Carribean side. 

Ships anchored in Gatun Lake. 

Hermanas Boren, Mathieson, Martin and Bjornason just prior to starting the nature hike at the lock widening centre. 

While hiking along the nature trail nearby and we saw a golden silk spider. I know it's hard to tell the size, but it was enormous!

This is the entrance into the current Gatun Locks. We got there just after they closed to visitors, so it'll be nice to go back one day to experience watching the locks work. 

This was a ship that we saw while driving away. It was almost nearing the end of the locks to exit into the Carribean Sea. 

There is a one lane bridge that goes past the entrance into/exit out off the locks. This is what the gate looked like as we drove over the first time. 

This is what it looked like as we drove back over. 

This is what going over the bridge looked like, from the other side of the van, on the first trip over. 

Same spot, just minutes later. We are guessing that they are emptying water to lower the ship into the Carribean Sea. 

It had started to rain, on the way back to Panama City, so the windshield wipers got in the way. This highway was absolutely beautiful...Tree-lined and windy. 

Another view of the drive home. 

The guys always sit at the back of the van. It's probably the least comfortable seat, so they are being very gracious to us. 

This selfie is not very flattering, but it shows how we usually sit. President and Hermana Boren sit in the front, of course, unless Elder Bjornason drives. I'd be willing to drive, but it seems to just be a guy thing and Jim has no desire to drive. Plus, we don't have access to the van as it is intended for President Boren's use. This May be our last P Day excursion for a while, as we just got a new couple on Thursday night, the Nelson's from Cache Valley, Utah. The van only holds 8 and we are now 10. 

This is a diagram of the expansion project. I've heard the ferry trip down the canal is fabulous. We'll have to see if we could do it while the van is too small for us all. 

Here's the link for the official expansion website: http://www.pancanal.com/eng/ 

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