"Taking it Easy" Conference Weekend

Last Monday we had a farewell dinner for the Thomas' (far right on couch and and in back) and to officially welcome Sister Nance (sitting on couch next to Sister Hansen)who came March 11. I tell you that's one thing about a mission, there is so much coming and going sometimes it's interesting trying to keep track of it all. Which is one of my job descriptions, I do keep track of it all in IMOS on the tracking board. IMOS is the church's computer system that tracks everything from new missionaries arriving to reminding me of who is leaving. It knows where every missionary lives and their phone numbers. Of course we have to plug in this information but it is pretty slick and really not that much work. If you were doing it all by hand the old fashioned way it would take days of typing what a computer can generate in minutes.

Sister Young's daughter was here visiting her mom, she took the above picture for us. Here she is below visiting me in my apartment. It's a good thing Elder Stringfellow arrived when he did, otherwise it would not have been a pretty site (me, not you Margaret). there's a reason you don't take pictures of yourself that close up as you get older (me, not you Margaret!!!). Thank you so much Margaret for your sweet note and the beautiful piece of fabric, I can't wait til I get home and figure out something fun to do with it.

I had a small (I hope) flare-up this past Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. It always makes me nervous when I wake up with a new pain here or there because I don't know if it's going to be a full blown ordeal like last June and October or if it will come and go in a few days. I'm still learning about my MS and how to deal with it. I know that it is very individual for everyone, the symptoms and the treatments. I would like to explore different options of treating it, but until the mission is over I am treating symptoms as they come with the drug neurontin for nerve pain and with steroids when the pain gets real bad. I am on that shot for MS, copaxone, that's supposed to slow down the progression of the disease, but I just don't have enough experience or faith in it yet to trust that it is really helping me. Though I do continue to take it out of pure love for my husband and mother who both really want me to stay on it.

Scott told me that I needed to totally take off the weekend and do nothing but rest and stay off my feet and try to get over the cold I've had for a week and see if the pain in my hips would go away. I think it helped because tonight I feel a lot better than I did last week.

I am so grateful for the spiritual rejuvenation of Conference this weekend as well. I love it when I can just sit down and have this spiritual feast without any interruptions and be able to bask in the Spirit. It seemed like every talk was just for me. But I have to tell you, I don't recall ever hearing a talk on "pain" before and it felt like it was JUST FOR ME(and for you David)! I do know that our Heavenly Father is very aware of everyone of us. He stands ready and willing to bless us with His choicest blessings. I know that our trials and challenges are sometimes blessings in disguise, that they can bring us closer to our Heavenly Father, our faith can be deepened, our resolve will be stronger to choose God over Satan. It is always a CHOICE. I can't wait to read and listen to these talks again. Unfortuantely, one of my symptoms of MS is short term memory problems. Sometimes it's scary to me when I can't remember something I just heard 5 minutes ago. But I do remember how I felt when I heard it. And I can recall it when I'm given reminders. I am so thankful for a kind and patient husband and a kind and patient Heavenly Father who both are so willing to be there for me and help me in any way they can. I am blessed in so many ways.