THOUGHT: The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.
Saturday just started out as an ornery day. I have my big area training with 70 doctors from all over Mexico this weekend and we had one last meeting with my committee. We nearly got in a couple of accidents on the way. Peg tried to track down Cynthia Collier who was down here to help plan the pageant they will have at the time of the temple dedication but she didn't get the the temple grounds until after we had left. We did our usual Saturday things - shopping, haircut, etc then walked down to our favorite taco restaurant for dinner with the new couple from Arizona. On the way home I got a pleadingly desperate call from the office elder in one of our Mexico City missions that an elder was having emotional problems. We dropped everything and went to the chapel where the assistants and his companion were trying to keep him from bolting. He had a psychotic break and ended up bolting over a 20 foot high chain link fence, breaking his companions wrist who tried to stop him, was tackled by an assistant who played high school football and ended up catatonic in the parking lot of a large store. The police came and luckily he was a member of the church - could have caused a lot of trouble for the mission. The elder had cut his hand going over the fence and had blood all over his white shirt and the missionary who tackled him looked as bad. The security in the parking lot were very concerned - they felt better as they watched us give him a blessing there on the ground. The ambulance came and he was taken to the hospital. When we got to the hospital the mission president traded shirts with the assistant with the bloody shirt who was going to have to stay the night so he wouldn't scare everyone with his bloody shirt. It was wonderful to see a mission president giving an elder the shirt off of his back. It breaks my heart to see anything like this take place but we have to remind ourselves that early 20's is when schizophrenia and bipolar diseases are manifest and we are going to get a sprinkling of this amongst the 7000 missionaries we have. We got home about 11:30 and were exhausted but with lots of adrenaline flowing.
There are NO PICS from today! I don't want to remember this day!!!
Sunday - We went to church. had the farewell of the son of one of our area seventies who is going to Tampa Bay Florida Spanish speaking mission - his English isn't so good so he has a bit to go. We then left after sacrament meeting to visit the elder in the hospital - he was still pretty sedated and was not talking but tears streamed down his face as I talked to him about the atonement and he even smiled when I tried to crack a joke (to get emotion and try to get him to say something) but he had a much bigger response when Peg told him I really wasn't funny and it was ok not to laugh. We hope we can get him stabilized and ready to go home in a day or two. The companion with the broken wrist goes home Wednesday and is scheduled to baptize his best friend this Saturday. I was telling his sick companion (trying to get him to show emotion) that I thought that he will need a white cast for the baptism but Peg said she thought a bright pink cast would be appropriate. We came home where it took me 3 1/2 hours to go through my emails from this week and notes from last week to prepare my weekly report to Elder Schwitzer and the area presidency. We have dinner with the Andersons and Griffens - mom made cinnamon rolls. We will be able to get to bed a little earlier tonight unless there are issues at the hospital - it is about 25 minutes away.
Love Dad
I finally got the pics from my 2 granddaughters that I have been waiting for!
I have been writing about my craft that I have been doing for the past few months.
I was able to surprise the girls with crocheted afghans that I have made them for their 12th birthdays this year!
Sister Smith has taught me how to crochet so I have been going strong!
I hope they like them and enjoy them forever!!!
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| Abigail - my beautiful blonde dancer with braces! Birthday 4/17 |
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| Kaylee - my beautiful brunette basketball player with braces! Birthday 8/4 |
They are both so sweet and I love them dearly!!
Happy Birthday girls!!!
Our mission here in Provo is not nearly as dramatic or adventurous as yours. I so much appreciate being able to share in your mission experiences. Our excitement consists in watching all the construction at BYU. Thanks for your blog. Your Family History Church Service Missionary Friends in Provo.
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