Hurricane Agatha

A lot and then again not a lot has happened this week. First, I will start with the interesting Monday. It was changes and I got a new companion. Later, we went to Burger King for a late, late lunch. We worked, came home and I had a little headache and fever. I went to sleep, woke up half way through the night and had the chills. The next day, same thing all day, but I worked cause I have faith the Lord would help me in my trials. He did and I made it through the day to get home and sleep again. Third day, same thing. After three days of high fever, bathroom problems and head and stomach ache, I decided the next day I would need to go somewhere or do something about it. So I did. I went to Hermana Laurenas place (she is licensed in a biolab for medical reasons). She told me I needed to go get an exam, so I did. 5 dollars and half an hour later, I took this info sheet to her personal doctor and he saw me for free. That was another blessing. I found out I had parasites in my system and an abundance of ameobas. With that happy news, I then went in search for the best priced pharmacy to buy my prescribed meds. Its the end of the month so I had no mission fund money to buy the stuff. I am very, very, very thankful for good friends like Hermana Laurena to help me and take care of me. I feel bad for her because of what's next.

It's rainy season and it has rained all week. Turns out we are in the middle of Hurricane Agatha. The country is in red alert status for flooding and landslides. Yesterday we had to stay indoors because of the rain. It didn´t feel like a lot of rain but what would I know coming from Las Vegas? I feel bad for Laurena because she lives right next to a river and it over filled and took out some of the houses by hers. Sunday, after church, we went to her house and found out how high the water was out front when she opened the door. All the trees by the river were gone and was now very fast moving water getting closer and closer to her house. She freaked out a bit and was in shock and unbelief. I calmed her down and got her mind busy by asking her if she had 3 back packs: one for each member in her family (you know, like 72 hour kits). She didn't, so we made quick emergency packs and my comp and I got her food and rations from the kitchen, prepared them and got them out of there. We told them to go to higher ground. Which is where our house is. Our house sits on the side of a mountain called Mt. Sianae. Just like the one Moses climbed. Today it hasn´t rained but is supposed to. We shall see. It is cloudy and if the bridges to and from town flood again, we could be stuck so President Perez has asked us all to have an emergency stash of food in the house and an emergency backpack ready to go.

I am fine, just a little tired of being sick and wet all the time. My comps name is Elder Herrera. He is from Honduras and he is quiet and does not know much about the mission yet so it's like training again.

I am still in the same area, just new companion. I battle the Evangelicals, Catholics, 7th Day Adventists and a church called Apostles and Prophets every day and I get sick of them trying to tell me my testimony is wrong. It gets old proving them with their own personal Bible that these things are true. I know the Church of Jesus Christ is true. The Bible is true too, but how can such a blessed people neglect the knowledge and testimony of the Book of Mormon? There is no other book like it on the planet. It speaks clearly and with the power of the Spirit that Christ did visit the Americas, that the prophets of old knew of Christ and with out a shadow of a doubt that he would come. The Holy Ghost testified this to them and they could not deny it. Joseph Smith was a prophet and restored such a great work here again back on this earth. I am eternally gratetful for the brave men who set off in the early days of the church: Sidney Rigdon, Oliver Cowdry and the countless others who served an honorable mission because they were called to do so. The mission isn´t always easy. It is possibly some of the toughest times I have had in my life, but with the worst comes the very best. The Lord uses his weak to make his church strong. A president once said we do not do these things because they are easy, we do them because they are hard and we learn from our failures. I wish sometimes Dad, you could be here with me and we could teach these people together. Creativity and a smile will take you a long ways in this world. I have definitly learned that.

Pray for our leaders and the leaders of the church. They need our help. Mosiah 5:15 Be steadfast and immovable always abounding in good works. If we are steadfast and need something, after we have tried our very best, the Lord will bless us with it and make up for our slack, but first we have to do our very best.


love,
Elder Proksch