Week 13... JAX Beaches

Hi everyone!

I wish words could describe how crazy this week has been. Crazy, as in "Sister Chamberlain took a ride on the hormonal emotional roller coaster", crazy. Buuuut before we get into all that emotional mumbo jumbo... (I know you love hearing about my crazy sister missionary hormones) ...

Let’s talk about the weather.

It's 33 degrees.

PORQUE FLORIDA.. POOOORRQUUUUEEE?!?!?!

It's actually really funny to see the people here in their huge puffy coats and boots. Yesterday I saw people covering their trees in sheets and basically everyone is hibernating. It's hilarious. Nobody is out.

But I'm from UTAH! BOOYAH!

Needless to say... The Lord knew where he was sending me, to a place where it’s warm and sunny 80% of the time. I love warm. :)

Also, I am staying in JAX Beaches for another transfer! I am beyond happy about this. I could probably stay here my whole mission and be peachy keen with it. The ward here is beyond amazing. SO YEAH!

Debbie was confirmed this Sunday, which is a miracle considering she had gallstones!!! That woman never fails to impress me. She is one of the strongest people I know. I've heard that gallstones are worse than childbirth?? *shudder*… I am so extremely happy for her though. :) We just got to get her through this. “old hairy legs” (satan) always has to throw something in there. I swear... I want to drop an anvil on his head sometimes. And when I say sometimes... I mean all the times.

I digress.

Sooo... Update on the headache drama!!!! (This is where you get on the roller coaster... Keep your arms and legs inside the car, hold on tight and enjoy the ride!!)

My headaches were really slowing down the work. I was in about 30% throughout the past few weeks... So I was feeling like a lousy, worthless missionary. Towards the end of the week (Friday) I was really... really... Depressed. Now this wasn't like... I feel down and a bit blue... It was like... I sat on a chair, stared off into space, plucking nonsense on my ukulele, wallowing in self-pity for 6 hours. I wasn't motivated to do anything except breathe! I did nothing. It was so bad! My poor companion was feeling the same way. It's so dumb how satan can just... DO THAT.

So the next morning I was feeling the same way and that depressed me even more so we decided to call President C! (dun dun dunnn)  We called him and I fell apart and cried and blubbered and did all that lovely stuff and explained to him what has going on. Well, he basically rebuked us for a while... very lovingly might I add. But he said I needed to fast and pray about going home. When he said that... I panicked... Sis J shot out of her chair and started to get things organized to work. I guess that’s one way to get yourself out of the blues!!!! Haha! My first initial thought was "THERE IS NO WAY IM GOING HOME. SISTER J WILL HAVE TO DRAG MY DEAD CORPSE AROUND IF SHE HAS TO BUT IM NOT STEPPING FOOT ON A PLANE FOR ANOTHER 14 MONTHS" But as I thought more about it and prayed more about it.. I knew that I needed to do the Lord's will. Whatever it was. If I needed to go home and get better and come back then so be it!!!

Even if.. it killed my pride.. and dignity... 

Basically I was humbled to the dust. It was so hard. I was so afraid to pray and ask because I was afraid of the answer… But then I realized… The Lord will take care of me. He knows what I need to do and I have faith that everything will be okay! So on Sunday I fasted and prayed and cried (i cried a lot... we had to swim out of the apartment.. Bahaha) and during personal study I read in Mosiah 26. Look it up. It's a great chapter. In verse 20 it says " thou art my servant: and I covenant with thee that thou shalt have eternal life; and thou shalt serve me and go forth in my name, and shalt gather together my sheep". At that moment I knew my answer. I needed to stay here in Florida no matter how bad my headaches were, the Lord would help me through them. I was so thrilled with the thought of being able to stay I about exploded I was sooo happy!!! I read the whole chapter and it just fit my situation perfectly. I know God hears and answers prayers. Sometimes you just need to be humble enough to hear the answer!

 So that was beyond amazing!! I cried some more. Cause... apparently that’s what I do.

The next day… We had an appointment to see a brother in the ward who was a chiropractor to see if anything was wrong with my back! As soon as he started checking my back and neck I was so overwhelmed with the spirit. I literally felt as if my Savior was healing me. It was one of thee coolest things I have ever felt. Apparently my c1 (a place on the spinal cord right below your skull) was moved quite a bit out of place and was pinching the nerves. He cracked it back into place and it felt like the weight of the world was gone off my shoulders. ALL OF THE RELIEF. This headache I've had for wayyy too long was gone. JUST LIKE THAT. I have a testimony of chiropractors. Haha. But I know for a fact that it wouldn't have ended this way if I hadn't decided before that no matter how bad the pain was I was going to stay on my mission.

Heavenly Father teaches lessons in the most interesting way. It's usually the hard way. But I have learned soooo much this past week and my faith in the Savior has grown exponentially. I know it wasn't the chiropractor that healed me… It was my Savior Jesus Christ. He healed me emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and physically. It was so incredible. I know that Jesus Christ lives and he can heal everyone. Even the most broken of spirits. I have witnessed that time and time again on my mission.

I AM SO HAPPY.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support! The church is true, the book is blue, and I’m happy! :) I love ya'll so much! Talk to you next week! :)

Love, Sister Chamberlain