Hello everyone of the world/the people that read this. How was your week. I hear it's cold in Utah. Hope you're all bundling up, and not getting colds or anything. That's ダメ (no good).
So I'll relieve all your worries about my back very quick. I actually just sent my mom an email about this, and it took a while to type, and I don't really feel like typing it again, so I'm just going to cheat,
and copy paste. Don't tell anyone XD So, it's slightly frustrating, because it has been hurting me to the point the it is difficult to move, but I went to the hospital, on Wed, they took and X-Ray, and proceeded to tell me I have 肩こり, which translates to "stiff shoulders"
Apparently what is happening, is that my body is stressed, naturally doesn't have good posture, and it's cold, which also causes my posture to be worse, and all of the muscles just decide to get as tight as they can. There are generally 3 area's in which you feel this pain, and that is in the shoulder, up closer to the collar bone, and right smack dab in the center of the shoulder blades. Essentially my 背筋, or the muscles that are right next to my spine, are just extremely tight, whenever I put pressure on them, I.E. when I stand, or sit, or ever have weight on my back. Go figure. They gave me a bunch of medicine, which has been helping a little, told me I should go to an Onsen (the public bathes they have in Japan) and also recommended me to go get a massage (which is offered at lot's of onsens). However, Onsens are not allowed for missionaries. Even with doctors orders, it's not life threatening, so I just get to deal with some pain. Knowing that it isn't life threatening though, I can kind of fight through it a little better, and we weren't cooped up in the apartment all week. We were able to get out and do some stuff, and we'll probably get to do some more this week!
So yup that about sums it up. I've actually been kind of humbled about it this week. I was at first very frustrated with the results, and almost was wanting it to be worse, just because it was hurting me so
much. But as I sat (laid) down to think about it, I realized just how stupid I was being. I don't want it to be worse, in fact being that it hurts as bad as it does, I am grateful that it is just 肩こり (stiff shoulders) and not something more serious. I am so glad that God blessed me so that I wouldn't be dealing with something that could have damaged me not just longer, but almost permanently. I actually remember on thing that Elder Bailey said when he gave me a blessing "I bless you that your
mission will not be hindered." Or something similar to that. I've realized just how much I have been blessed through this ordeal. I have a nice warm comfy apartment to help me stay away from the pain, a loving companion who has taken care of me, good doctors, that were very kind to help me, great Ward members to support me, and a Loving Heavenly Father who blessed me with it all. Suffice it to say, my broken back, broke me. I definitely have noticed God's hand in my life a lot more. It really is there all over the place. You just have to look for it. You too can see it.
So this week, with the small amount of dendo time, and pain in my back, we still didn't get to find anyone new. However yesterday during Sacrament meeting, as I was taking the sacrament, I felt this warm feeling all through my body, that took away all the pain in my back, and realized, this was the last week. The famine is over. This week we will find someone. We are going to find some wonderful people this week, and I'm super excited for it. I continue to pray for it everyday, and with everyone else praying for it as well, and the fact that God loves his children, and wants me to find them, we are going to find at the very least 1 new person this week. And I have great faith that it will be more than that. I'm going to take this bushel off of my candle, I'm going to put it on a hill, and I'm going to put
up a big old piece of glass, and turn this candle into a beacon.
I hope everyone had a good week, and is going to have another great one. I'm praying for you all, and hope you can see God's hand in your lives. I love you, and will talk to you all next week!!
愛しているよ!!!!!
Elder Eliot
Picture: I think I forgot to send this last week. This is Ritsuki's baptism.
