"Hey everyone!! I'm sorry that I'm writing this email late its been crazy. First off, I want to share a little miracle experience I had this week. On Tuesday my companion was sick and I took advantage of the time to clean the house. I also burned the trash. There is only two ways to get rid of trash in San Blas. Burn it or throw it in the ocean. I didn't want to throw it in the ocean. Well it turns out that someone threw a glass bottle in with the burning trash. (We have a seperate bag for things that cant be burned). Well the fire got really hot. I was using a stick to make sure all the stuff got burned and the next thing I hear is something explode. In that split second I realized that on the top of the pile was the glass bottle. It exploded into a hundred pieces maybe 4 ft right in front of me. Glass shards went to my left,right, front, and behind me. They went past my head even. I walked away without a single scratch. I have no idea how I didn't get hurt. The shards were everywhere and I should have been hit. I know the Lord was protecting me because I have absolutely no other explanation. I keep thinking I've reached the max in all the crazy stuff that can happen. Once again I find myself surprised. This past Tuesday I woke up at 1:30 in the morning and felt something on my foot. I feel it fluttering on me. It was at that time, that I realized after planning I must have fallen asleep. I forgot to put my mosquito net up. I got up after feeling something on my legs, turned on the lights, and saw that I had a bat on me. Due the numerous scratches and bug bites on my legs I'm still unsure as to whether it bit me or scratched me. I have no idea how long it was on me. After I got it out of my hammock it started flying around and I knocked it out of the air with a broom. I got it outside and killed it with a machete. I didn't want it flying back into the rafters of the church again. I laid in my hammock until about 5 Am thinking about what I was going to have to do regarding the bat being on me. Sure enough...plop..another bat falls out of the ceiling. I get out of my hammock hoping it doesn't hit me (I hear it flying). I get the lights on, find it, get it outside, and kill it too. There is still a ton more though. The following morning I decided to call the mission nurse and find out what to do. She started getting a little frantic about it. She made a ton of calls (including to the mission president) and they didnt get back to me until 9:30 PM. During the day we did everything as normal. We taught the new investigator teacher I found and shes progressing well. When we got the call, it was the mission president and the assistants of the mission. They told me they wanted me in the city the following morning to come get the rabies vaccine. I was like..What? I woke up at 6 AM and got on a boat that we contacted later that night. The plan was for me to meet up with another Elder that was sick and needed to go in as well. He works in Nargana an area that I would pass by on my travel to the port. He would get on the boat with me, and we would travel to the city in a van. Well..the morning comes. I get up and get to the beach to wait for the boat. Since it was so early in the morning we couldn't find anyone to take me in a small wooden boat to the larger passenger boat. Out of necessity I had to wade into the water past my belly button keeping my bag above my head and pull myself into the other boat. I was wet the entire trip to the city. I get to Nargana and the other Elder doesn't get on. I'm still traveling by myself. 4 hours of traveling by boat from my area of Ukupa I finally get to the port. I see cars for the first time in nearly 3 months..Crazy. I had no phone or way to contact my companion or leaders. The other Elder is nowhere to be phone. I start praying for someone to give me a phone. 2 min later.."Hey Elder. I'm a member. Do you need a phone?" haha! Wow..that was quick. I get a hold of my zone leaders and find out they decided to send the other missionary on a boat before me and they forgot to tell me. That's all they told me and they didn't know where he was either because they didn't give him a phone like I thought they were going to do. Well..at this point I at least knew he had arrived. I start asking in kuna to the people " Bia nika mergi misionero?" Meaning where is there a gringo missionary? haha!! It worked and some guy pointed into the distance and says he saw one that had left at the other port about a mile eastward of where I was standing leaving the dock. I started walking along the coast towards another dock I see out in the distance. I get there..sure enough hes sitting there. I start asking around and find some guy willing to drive us into the city. 3 hours through the winding mountains and past military checkpoints we eventually get to the city and the church offices. I'm still wearing pday clothes due to the way traveling in Blas is (I knew I might have had to get in the water and didn't want to do that all in dress clothes). I was wet. Upon entering the offices we realize that the church secretaries and assistants to president weren't there. We stashed our bags and did the only logical thing I could think of..It being nearly 2 PM we rode the metro and made the elaborate journey to a place I truly love. Carl's Jr! I got up to the counter and ordered the largest burger meal on the menu. The Double patty supreme with all the other stuff. It was amazing. Honestly, eating do-le-masse every day sucks and eating there was like a dream come true. We went back to the offices and found the secretaries there. They took our stuff and sent me off with my companion (for now) Elder Nielson to go to the hospital for him. They took his diagnosis and still aren't really sure what he has. We went back to the offices and waited with the secretaries. They told me they had my rabies vaccine in the fridge and that I didn't need to get it done by a doctor. That either I could give myself the shot or someone else could do it. Of course...I wanted to try experimenting on myself. I've never given myself a rabies shot before and wanted to try it. haha! I read the directions in Spanish, mixed the powder solution with the solution in the needle and injected it into my shoulder. That was such a trip. It was almost like it was in slow motion because I wasn't sure how far to put the needle in. The best part was that I got the needle and did it in front of my secretary Elder Young. He doesn't like needles. I'm a punk. Well I'm still in the city. I'm going back out to San Blas tomorrow in an airplane. A lot quicker and cooler. Also, the other Elder is fine. They thought he had a parasite but he doesn't. This week has been full of divisions working in the city. I gave myself another rabies shot on Saturday. I need to get two more done. The only problem is, they only have one other shot currently in our possession. I'm taking it out to Blas with me and will self administer the 3rd this Thursday. I'm not sure whats going to happen with the 4th. I talked with president and he said the worst case scenario is that I fly to Costa Rica and get a shot there. Its hard getting them here or something in Panama. Eh..not sure. I don't have to worry about that for another week though. This Sunday I translated an entire fast and testimony meeting for an american couple that attended sacrament at the church we attended with president and the assistants. They were just passing through on vacation and wanted to make sure they got the sacrament. I thought that was awesome. While being here in the city I have no meals with members and we've had to buy all our food. I've eaten at Carl's Jr, McDonald's, subway, Taco Bell, Papa Johns, Dominos, and I cooked myself fried chicken one night...O well. Really not much else we could do other than buy. We ate quickly and met up to work with other people to work. Oh..this Sunday while waiting at the church I got to practice playing the piano. I still remember everything for the most part. That was surprising. Its been 3 months without even seeing a piano. One other thing. I cut one of my friends hair today. Hes from Honduras and is one of the assistants. That was the first time I've cut the hair of another person. It went well though. He was happy with it. Well....I'm not sure what else to talk about. I hope all of you have a good week! The Panama mission is crazy and awesome! Love you guys!"
-Elder Hawes
No comments:
Post a Comment