September 2009 - September 2011

The Journey from Beginning to End

Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Week #72: What a Sick Week!

Hey all,
 
So, just to let you all know, the subject line says, "what a sick week." That is not slang for "what a super awesome week I had".  It means, "ugh, I got super sick again and wanted to die". I guess everyone has to hit that point at some time on the mission. So, let´s describe it. I had muscular pain and lack of energy. Splitting headache whenever I looked anywhere but straight ahead and down, somewhat high fever of 101.3 as the max that I logged, and lots of red splotches all over my body that thankfully did not itch. After consulting with Sister Jayme and many members, I had it down to 1 of 3 things. First, dengue as many members said, but I didn´t have all the symptoms, so I wasn´t too worried about that one.   Second, an allergic reaction, but it was weird because I didn´t know allergies give fever and headache, too, and not a cough or runny nose. 3rd, the German Measles, which Sister Jayme said it might be and I was taken aback when she said I might have that. The spots were 24/7, but the fever and headache only came around 7pm and went until about 12 the next day and would go away and we would go out and work fine in the afternoon and day. It lasted a couple days like this, then finally on Tuesday the headache and fever weren´t there when I woke up. That same day the Missionary Doctor of Brazil called me after talking with Sister Jayme and he said it sounds like a reaction to a shot I may have had before coming to Brazil where I get part of the disease. It was already going away by itself without medicine, so he wasn't too worried. As of right now, I only have the red splotches on my knees down to my feet, so I should be clean by Friday.
 
"Football today with the Americans (and one Brazilian)"
- Elder Tenney is front row - 2nd from right -
02 February 2011

We went out and played American football on the beach at Ponta Negra this morning, so add a sunburn now, but I am thankfully feeling much better. Just a little sore. Don´t worry mom, it was 2-hand, not tackle. This last week we got a reference to a member´s daughter who is already married and has been wanting to hear the missionaries. We went there and taught her Saturday night with her dad. Her husband didn´t seem to want to hear anything. Sunday, some reason didn´t go to church. Monday, we go back to see how the reading in the Book of Mormon was and praying about it and we get there at 7 and sit and talk with her dad for a while. At 8, after having gone through many conversational points, we re-mark for Tuesday. Tuesday night, 7pm. we sit and chat with her dad again about the weather that day and any new topics that may have come up. Still nothing at 8. Seems her husband is a little bit on the warpath at the moment. So we re-marked to come back Thursday afternoon when she is more free to talk. It was just funny to me that we would sit in the front room for an hour two days in a row and she didn´t even come out to talk to us. She really liked the message, though, and we won´t give up any time soon. Also, I am teaching people to play the piano Saturdays at 3. My last class had 5 students in it and they know the basics of how to read music and figure out which note it is on the keyboard. The only difficulty is that music here is not like in America. Instead of the ABCDEFG with all the sharps and flats, they have some weird scale like so lo fa la mi do re do ... I don´t know the order or all the words. A bit of a speed bump, but they say the ABC way looks easier. Maybe that´s why lots of people tend to avoid learning to play here. I had a bunch of other stuff I was going to say, but I forgot what it was... I guess that´s the highlights for this week.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SAM!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRANDMA!!!!

-Elder Tenney