Letter #41: October 15, 2012

Dear Family,

This week we had interviews with our Mission President.   He told me the Lord knew that I was strong enough to handle any situation I was put in and he gave me lots of comfort.  It was real nice.  :)  Also, we have transfers this week instead of next!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m not sure why and we’re actually not even supposed to know (our zone leaders accidentally told us), so we find out who leaves and stays tomorrow and we are moved Thursday.

We also have Elder Dallin H. Oaks coming to speak to us this Saturday!!!  I’m pretty excited! And if you remember, I’m singing in the choir for him.  The choir practices in Viña have been great.  So here is something that was super crazy this week... I had to go to emergency last Friday... Ha! Ha!  Let me explain.

Ever since I started wearing mascara I’ve used a needle or a safety pin to separate my eyelashes (for the past 5 years I’ve been doing this).  Well, I must be out of practice because I hardly wear make up here and I accidently poked myself in the eyeball Friday morning.  It hurt really bad, but I didn´t think anything of it...  So then on way to Viña, I mentioned it to my companion who just shrugged it off.  Then at choir practice in Viña, I told Hermana Ortega and she told me I should call the nurse (we have a mission nurse).  I didn’t want to so I told the Secretary of Health Elder.  Practice ended and we headed back to Quillota.  On the train back, I got a phone call from the Health Elder frantically telling me that he needed to take me to emergency and we had to come back to Viña.  So, we turned around.  We went to emergency and it turns out that I cut my cornea.  I had to have an eye patch for a day and then use dark sunglasses the next day.  It was great. Ha! Ha!  Everything is fine now.  I just have to put this goo in my eye twice a day for a week.  Crazy story huh?  Don’t worry, the mission insurance paid for my stupidity and we won’t be charged anything.  

On a good note we managed to find a man in the past week a half who is ready for the gospel!!! He has a baptismal date for the 27th of this month!!  WOOOHOOO!!  He has attended church the past 2 weeks and is doing great!  He is soooooo ready for the gospel.  He has terminal cancer and 6 months ago, the doctors gave him 2 months to live.  His name is Miguel Angel Castro Rosas and he is the cousin of one of the members in the ward.  I’m so excited for his baptism, even though I might not get to be there!!!!  He is a champ.  :)

Well, that’s all I really have to say for right now.... Thanks for all of your prayers!!! I have felt a lot of comfort at times and have learned SO many valuable life lessons, but more importantly, I have come to know my Savior on a very personal level. I LOVE YOU ALL VERY MUCH!!!!!!!

-Hermana Hermansen