Things Just Got Rio: Will I ever adjust to the heat?

Jan. 27, 2014 – The week in review

Tuesday:

Time is such a weird thing on a mission….the actually “missionary mission” as well as the mission of life. Some days drag on and I wonder if it will ever end. Other days pass as mere blips on the radar. I am in an emotional funk right now. Things are fine when I am out teaching and working, but in our house I am struck with homesickness and wanting to be anti-social. I think it must be PMS, hopefully. Thankfully, Sister S. is a very sweet companion. She is generally very positive and happy which has helped lift my spirits more than once this transfer. She will be going home in 2 weeks.

Wednesday:

Our Zone Leaders called a zone fast yesterday, and my immediate response was, “I am sick and it is over 95 degrees…I’m not fasting.” However, I have learned from past experiences not to voice my concern or rationalizations. Once, the zone leader said (when I voiced that I would not be fasting from water in 104 degree conditions) that my “biology knowledge” was getting in the way, and that I needed to have more faith. Three days later we got strict guidelines from the Mission president’s wife to NOT fast in these extreme conditions, and if necessary, schedule the fast on a P-day so that we would not be out in the heat working. There have been a lot of health problems in the mission related to this lately. The other time I raised my concern, this same leader made it a point to lecture us on obeying our leaders, having “real” faith and the “correct way to fast – maintaining eye contact with me nearly the whole time. Ugghh! It’s just not right to make accusations or lectures on a personal matter that should be between a person and the Lord. I believe that the Lord has power to do all things, but I also know that as our loving Father, he wants us to do all things in wisdom. For me, that means not fasting from water in 100 degree plus weather, especially when I am sick, and especially during a full day of proselyting. Anyway, I kept my mouth shut yesterday and said a private prayer to know for myself if I needed to or should fast. I received a comforting feeling that it was up to me, but that I would receive help if I decided to fast. So, I decided to fast and it went well.

We invited A., a young 14 years old recent convert of about 9 months, to join us in our teaching. We don’t normally asked such young members to teach with us, but I felt that she would be great. Her mother recently started chemotherapy and is having lots of trials. Our appointment was actually home (milagre #1), and Sister S. taught well (milagre #2), and N. accepted to be baptized (milagre #3). Her son-in-law then arrived and we ended up teaching him more about the Book of Mormon, then he too accepted to be baptized! (milagre #4) Little A. bore a sweet and simple testimony. She seemed to be in much higher spirits after the lesson, and asked if she could go out with us again. I am so glad that she had a good experience!

We also had a good lesson with F., mostly because Irma Leia surprised us by signing up to come teaching with us. She is an older lady who can’t walk super fast, so we made really good plans to teach people that live near her. Our “Plan A” fell through, but we ended up teaching their neighbor and he was really open to our message and told us that he would like to prepare for baptism. WHAT???!!!

Thursday

My companion is sick and we stayed in almost the whole day. I only then realized how wired I have become for working. The biggest part of me felt lazy and guilty for staying in all day, but I must admit that there was a part of me that felt like the day was a nice relief from the heat and the exertion. It is pretty easy to give into the natural man. Overall, this has been a tough week for me as far as homesickness, leadership frustrations, and feeling overwhelmed and inadequate. I have no idea what this next transfer will bring for Sister Brown and I. Both of our companions are leaving the mission so we will most likely stay here to train someone to this area. I have been here in this ward for almost 5 months so I would not imagine that I would stay much longer than one more transfer here! But who knows?

Friday

It was so HOT. My companion was still feeling heat stroked/dizzy/nauseous, and it was 100+, so I decided that it was best to rest for an hour or so in the chapel in the middle of the heat of the day. We then got a phone call from our District Leader to get busy doing all of our contacts, teach more discussions, push harder, have more faith…etc. So we did what we were told for the rest of the day and pushed hard. We got our numbers …but didn’t have any real success.

Saturday

Sister B. my housemate

Sister S, my companion

The highlight of the day was teaching with a 12 year old deacon’s quorum president. He looks like a stout 16 year old and he has a great testimony. It was fun to teach with him. The low point of the day was walking for hours in the hot sun. I think that I might be heat stroked after today, either that or I am getting what my companion had. Version:1.0

The low point of the day was walking a long long way to C. and F.’s house ( this is a less active family where the young 25 year old father is a returned missionary.) The husband, F., has given us a few referrals and we set an appointment with him to go with us to teach his neighbors. We showed up around 5:30 p.m., already hot and worn out, and F., who had been napping, forgot about our appointment despite confirming it the night before. F. was very vocal about not wanting to go out…he was too tired and it was so hot. We asked nicely again and testified that we needed his help, but he refused saying, “it’s too hot and I’m, tired.”

After a long day in the hot sun.

I have to admit that I lost it a little bit with my response. I said, “You know what F.? It is hot, and I am tired too, but I am working and sacrificing everything to be here because people – your neighbors – need what we have to share with them. And I am going to work, hot or cold, tired or full of energy, to give people that opportunity.” He just laughed at my sincerity. I turned on my heels, walked down the street a block and contacted his referrals on my own.

Sister Sousa was shocked saying, “Sister Colvin, I don’t think that you can act like that as a missionary!”

I responded, “and F. can’t act like that as a returned missionary.” NOT my most shining moment. By the end of the extremely hot day of work I was probably heat-stroked because I was feeling dizzy and weak.

Sunday

M. told us that he passed his interview to receive the priesthood. He is our shining hope that there are people prepared and willing to learn, grow, serve, and progress.

I was feeling sick and dizzy after church, I think due to the heat, so I rested a couple of hours and then went back to work. We visited M. and her cute 11 year old neighbor E. I have to admit that I am terrified of teaching and baptizing children because it is so easy for them to fall away without family support. But E. is not your typical 11 year old. She has already visited a lot of other churches and is actively searching for the truth….seriously, at 11 years old! …Time will tell, but I am very very cautious. I think that my realism is impeding my ablity.