So fun to Skype with Grant on Sunday. He is doing well and looked well even after his bout with Malaria this week!
This week started out really good. But then I got take down haha.
On Tuesday, we had our first District Meeting with the new
Matero District! It's awesome having the AP's in the district and having
everyone contributing and participating. We discussed how we can implement the
Book of Mormon more in our work and more in the conversion and reactivation
process of all those we are teaching since really - if the Book of Mormon is true,
everything we believe is true. That's why our message to the world and my
message to everyone reading this blog is just to read it to know if it's true!
We started our day on Wednesday with a district service for
some members in the ward where we were helping them harvest their maize (corn). They let
the maize dry out in the sun while still on the stock then you come and harvest
it and collect it all in a big store room where you then take the kernals off
and dry them more then mill them into a flour for nshima (porridge). So that was super fun
(and super hot). The rest of the day we saw a few people but also got to knock
quite a few gates. And we got rejected quite a few times haha!
And so Thursday I woke up with a POUNDING headache. I
thought that it was just a heat headache since we were in the direct sunlight
all yesterday, so I didn't think too much of it and we went and did some errands.
But when we got home that's when I started vomitting... I vomitted and vomitted.
Nothing was left in my stomach. And so now I was just thinking maybe it's the
flu or a fever or something since I also got some chills and sweats. So the ZLs (Zone Leaders)
called and said "are you taking your doxicycline (antimalaria pills)" I said
not really "but it's not malaria". haha so naive...
Well we decided I'd better go into the clinic and get a blood
test to find out what was wrong and so the nurse stabbed my thumb and took some
blood and sent us back to the waiting room. I wasn't fully there but when she
came back I heard her simply say "He has it." so yep I was wrong. I
got Malaria. They gave me some pills to take and sent me home. I tried to eat a
slice of bread since you take the pills with food and I hadn't eaten all day and
then I drank some water and took the pill. Well that came back up 30 min later
partially dissolved...Yes, I swallowed it again...anything to feel better!
So the next day they decided to just admit me to the
hospital to be on an IV since I couldn't eat or drink anything. They took me in
and the doctor instead gave me an anti-naseau shot and an anti-malarial shot (In
the butt. Eish you feel so vulnerable there face down with your buttocks
exposed to a nurse with a giant needle in her hand!)
I was now able to force myself to eat and drink and slowly
recovered each day. My last anti-Malarial shot was yesterday and now I'm feeling
so much better and have gained back my energy and all is well! So yep that was
the good news I gave my mom when I called home for Mother's Day! Hey Mom I have
Malaria!
It was a bummer to miss 4 days of work in the area though!
Also I'm grateful for Elder Ssengooba though since he helped me out a ton as I
was dying haha!
So yep you all be sure to take your doxicycline and sleep
under your mosquito nets!
Elder Grant Hiltbrand