The mission infirmary

September 13, 2014

We are becoming an infirmary.

Hermana Valdez called Wednesday night in a lot of pain.  She arrived at the hospital at 10:30 pm.  By 1:00 AM she was in surgery for an emergency appendectomy. She was in a hospital close to the mission office which helped us get to her.  Missionaries have been dropping by to bring food to her companion Sister Cruz.  While they have been in the hospital, their apartment was robbed.  She and Sister Cruz lost everything except their clothes.  Sister Valdez will be released today.

On Thursday we heard that Elder G. needed hernia surgery.  The decision was made by his parents to keep him on his mission for the surgery.  We have some really good hospitals in Mexico; it was just finding a good surgeon.  Late Thursday night, Keith emailed the doctor that had taken care of him when we arrived from the MTC with pneumonia.  Dr. B. emailed back during the night that she would see him.  Dr. B. is a heart surgeon but we found she also does some general surgery.  Heavenly Father watches out for His missionaries – we felt it was a tender mercy.

Friday morning was zone conference in Neza.  Elder G. joined us after that and we made our way back to the mission home area where the hospital is located.  Our Assistants, Hammond and Burt, had teased Elder G. that he would probably have a beautiful surgeon.  The Angeles Hospital is big and modern.  It might as well have been sitting in SLC.  When Dr.  B. walked in, Elder G. looked at his companion and said, “I’m going to kill the assistants.”  Dr. B.  is 36 and quite beautiful.

Surgery is this morning.  Keith has taken Elder G. and his companion to the hospital.  Elder G. will probably be released tomorrow.  Having been the recipient of five hernia surgeries, my heart is pretty tender towards Elder G. this morning!

I am home starting to cook and prepare for some house guests.  There is “no way” we can send these two (and companions) back to their apartments to recover.  I’m about to start a large pot of chicken soup.  We’ll keep them in the mission home until they are in better shape and then return them to their apartments to finish recovery.  It certainly would have been more convenient to have all sisters, or all elders, but that was not the way this one rolled out!