Monday, October 3, 2016

We spent most of the day at the hospital waiting to talk with doctors. Our hermana is recuperating but the doctor thinks it will take up to three weeks for the inflammation to go down.

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

We had training for new missionaries, almost 45 missionaries and their companions. It was fun to feel their enthusiasm. Sister Bell and I gave a 20-minute presentation about drinking enough water and eating a good breakfast. We showed a short video of a glass of water singing with a bottle of water about needing to drink 8 glasses a day. It was a fun little Latin tune. We played it once, and then again and got the missionaries to sing along.  Then we showed a PowerPoint about eating a good breakfast. It was in English, so we got the missionaries to help with translation. We had a minute left so we showed the water video again, everyone was excited and happy. It was a fun way to start out the training.

President Poncio made the decision to send our sick sister home to fully recover in the United States. Our church doctors recommended this even though the Nicaraguan doctors had a game plan all lined out. So Sister Bell and I went to the hospital to talk to the doctors. We were a little apprehensive how they would react to her leaving, especially because the neurologist felt that an airplane trip home could make her inflammation worse.  Before we left the church for the hospital, we prayed. When we arrived at the hospital, the floor nurse told us that the neurologist had just left the floor so I had to talk to him by phone. He was very agreeable to sending her home (another tender mercy) if she could stay another 2-3 days to recover more and complete more physical therapy. She had a little set back this morning and was beginning some physical therapy. We agreed that she would stay in the hospital until Friday and fly home on Saturday. Her GI Doctor came into the room and was also very supportive of her going home and told us she would put together a copy of all the tests and reports. Again another tender mercy. Our missionary is also comforted by this decision. Now we just have to work out the details.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

After dinner at our house - Game night… We and the Lees went to the hospital and played 5 Crowns with our sick missionary and her companion. Our sick missionary won…. It was the first time she had played 5 Crowns…. Goes to show 5 Crowns does not take much skill… mostly luck. We had a good time and it improved our missionary’s spirits.

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Spent a little time in the office, hospital and home….  Not much to report.

Friday, October 7, 2016

Change in plan, our sick missionary will stay in the hospital one more night, and then travel home with her father on Monday. It took a lot of calling and working with Doctors, MP, Church medical people to have her father to come and travel home with her, but I believe we were guided to make these changes.

Saturday, October 8, 2016

We took a little road trip, stopping at the Waspan Church, Tipitapa and Loma Verde (outside Tipitapa) to drop off a package, a fan and a cocina. Sister Bell did a little medical counseling while we visited with the missionaries. In the afternoon, we brought our sick missionary to our home, after being the in hospital for a week. Her dad arrived from the US this evening. We hosted (and fed) him, President and Sister Poncio for a little while before we took her father to a motel for the night.

Sunday, October 9, 2016

We took our Hermana and her father to the Ducuali Branch this morning so she could see her “mission mother” one more time. The mission mother or father is a missionary’s first trainer. We attended Sacrament Meeting (where the branch was made a Ward) and the Gospel Doctrine class. We took father and daughter for a short drive around the city on our way back to the house. Her final interview with President Poncio was at 4pm and then her mission mother and her companion came over for dinner, to look at pictures of Ocotal and to talk about their experiences. It was a lot of fun and a great way to send a sick missionary home to recover. Her father especially enjoyed hearing and seeing pictures of Ocotal.