29 de agosto

Today I am completing 11 months of my mission. Time is so strange here. Sometimes I feel like I have been a missionary my whole life, but at the same time the time is really flying by.

This week has been super busy. I am fighting to stay awake as I write this. I am working at the Stake center in Brisa del Golf translating for a group of dentists that have come to do humanitarian work. They are called Smiles for Central America. I have been working there since Saturday and got a break Sunday. Well, not really because I went back to the area to work. Elder Bentz is with Elder Estrada working in our two areas while Elder Reber has been coming with me to translate. We will be working with the doctors through Wednesday. We work the whole day with the doctors and then return to my area each night to sleep. We are basically on really long divisions. The stake center in Brisa del Golf has been converted into a hospital. They are providing everything a future missionary needs to prepare for the mission (haircuts, pictures, dental, oral surgery, physical...etc). I was assigned to translate in the oral surgery room. I just translate to the patients whatever the doctors say and then translate their responses. They obviously cannot talk during the surgery, but ow and ouch do not need much translating. A lot of the patients were really scared because they would see bloody trays coming out or look in when the door opened. I think we lost a few that decided against it. A lot of them thought that when they were fully numb they would not feel anything, so I had to explain to a lot of them that they would still feel pressure and stuff. Several were hysterical and crying. I thought watching the surgeries and being around so much blood would be difficult, but I was fine and had a really fun day. The night before I looked up a lot of words I did not know like numb. I thought a lot about when I had mine taken out. Since I was put under I did not get to see or really experience any of it, so it was interesting to be in the room and see everything that was going on. I think that if they have time one of the dentists might be able to look at my chompers. I was looking around for Dr. Judd, Dr. Favero, and Dr. Mullen.

They have also needed a lot of help on the humanitarian side. We have been carrying around food and big black duffel bags filled with fleece blankets, toys, and candy. The first day (Saturday) was a lot of moving around heavy stuff and organizing. I was cataloging translator and receiving devices the group brought for Sunday meetings and a fireside. I have a chance to slip away and write you because several of the oral surgeons left for an hour to pass some gifts out. It has been so weird to hear so much English.

This week was also zone conference. Elder Martino from the seventy came to speak to us. I really liked the messages he shared with us, and he set apart a time at the end to answer our questions. He gave some really good responses, so I have been trying to use some of his ideas. I have been working closely with his wife since she is coordinating the translators for the oral surgeons.

So I have had a pretty busy week, but I am having so much fun too. I hope everyone has a good week. I will try to send pictures next week of all the craziness. No, it is actually really organized which is amazing given the scale of what they have going on here.

Love,

Elder Whiting