Llamado a Servir en España: "If He Had Made Me Better..."

My family and friends,

I have learned a lot this week and continue to learn a lot everyday through this challenge with my hip! Last week my mom told me to start doing something she did when she was having a lot of arthritis pain last year. So I've been keeping a list called "if he had made me better..." and I have LOVED it! I write down all the wonderful things I would have missed out on "if Heavenly Father had made me better". It has helped me a lot to stay positive through this hard time and keep smiling even when I'm in pain. This week I wanted to share a few of the amazing blessings I've seen that I wouldn't have seen if he had made me better right away.

Last Tuesday a few of my members from Tarragona (Sara, Alicia and her parents) drove all the way up to Barcelona just to go out to lunch with me! They know I love pizza so they took me to Boston pizza!! There couldn't have been any place more perfect! We had so much fun together and it was nice to take my mind off of the pain for a little while! I love them all so much and I am so grateful for such incredible members here who have been taking such good care of me! If He had made me better I would have missed this fun time to spend with these people I love!

The Morejons (the senior couple in the office) have also been taking such good care of me! I feel like I am on a mission tour with Grandma and Grandpa Zwick because wherever they go... I go! They are basically my companions all day :) we have fun together and I love learning from them! They are so sweet to make me food every medio dia and cena. I love them so much! Every night when they drive me back to piso we do "happy moments" :) at first they thought I was crazy haha but now we love doing it together! If He had made me better I wouldn't have become such good friends with the Morejons.

On Wednesday night we picked up President and Hermana Dayton from the train station and went to the world wide mission conference!! It was SOOO good!!! I got to see my sweet little trainee Hermana Carollo! I miss her and I miss working with her, but she is doing a really good job keeping the work going in Tarragona. The conference was incredible and I loved it. But it was also really hard to listen to knowing that the next day I would be back in bed and couldn't go out and apply all of the wonderful things I had learned to "teach repentance and baptize converts". We got back in the MAV (Mormon assault vehicle) haha and president asked me what my favorite part was and how I will apply it. I explained to him how I felt and he said, "ok, well I would like to hear 5 things that you are going to apply then" haha. I just laughed and started thinking. Then I realized the biggest one I could apply into my life right now is really striving to better understand the atonement for myself so that when I am better I can more easily teach it to investigators! I'm excited to be learning more about the atonement everyday... Especially through this problem with my hip. If He had made me better I would have missed this time to study the atonement and really apply it to my life.

I had my interview with President this past week in the mission home and loved it! But I had to try so hard not to cry. He shared with me DyC 122 and we talked about how all of this experience will be for my good. And he is very right! I know that as I keep being patient and doing everything I can with faith in my Heavenly Father and Savior that everything will work out for the best! If He had made me better I would not have had this special interview with president in the mission home.

On Saturday I got to go to two baptisms!! I felt like a missionary again for a little bit! One of them was in my old Ward here in Barc so I got to see all of my members again!!!! It was so fun! Also Alex (my first baptism) was there!! I haven't seen him for so long!! And it was his birthday! He told me "wow... This is the most best birthday present in my whole life" haha :) he is doing really well and he now has a stake calling! I'm so happy for him! If he had made me better I wouldn't have been able to see all of my members and Alex on His birthday!

If He had made me better I would never be able to say "I'm active again" haha :) I got to go to church today for the first time in two weeks!!!!!! I was one happy Hermana! I could only go to sacrament meeting, but it was better than nothing! I loved being in church again and having that special time to think during the sacrament about how I can be better!

Hermana Stapley and O'neill came over to the Morejons for Sunday dinner with a member, Felicidad! Felicidad is incredible... her personality matches her name... Happiness! She has had a lot of hard times in her life but she is always smiling and always happy! We had pie for dessert and all 5 of us Americans LOADED the whipped cream on top and Felicidad looks at us and does a pity laugh and when we ask her if she wants some she goes, "oh no no no es mejor SIN nata" (it's better WITHOUT whipped cream) hahaa :) she makes me laugh. If He had made me better I would have missed this special dinner!

Transfers are next week so I will be emailing on Tuesday! Hmmm... If he had made me better... I wouldn't know where I was being transferred? Haha does that work? I know I'll be staying here in the office ;)

This next part is a quick update on what happened this week with the doctors and the final diagnosis...

I went to the doctors again and they said it was a labral tear in my hip. It sounded logical to me because of all the pain I am in and not getting better. They said that I would need 2 surgeries. We sent the images of my MRI to Utah and California specialists again and on Sunday they came back with the final results. It isn't a labral tear but still a stress fracture. I still can't walk on it and have to use crutches and it will take a while to heal. I'm still in a lot of pain after 3 weeks of resting which isn't normal. President said we will see how it is doing in 7-10 days and if it isn't getting better I might have to go home to recover from this. My heart broke when I heard those words! So basically I am going to do everything I possibly can to get better. I will do whatever the Lord asks of me, but I really do hope that His plan and my plan are the same and I can stay here in Spain. I will let you know what happens next week!

My last story for you all happened just barely today! We are starting the week off with a big BANG :) I was reading emails this morning and I got one from my sweet friend Lyndsee. This is what she said "even though this wasn't in your plan to serve this part of your mission this way, Heavenly Father knows that someone needs you to reach them through a different way. So I'm excited to hear who you get to meet!" I read this and thought to myself, "oh my sweet Lyndsee... Thank you so much but you don't understand that I am lying on the bed and couch all day! Who am I going to possibly reach?!" Well Lyndsee was right... Right then the timbre (doorbell) rang in the office! A girl came in from the United States frantically looking for help! She started talking to the Morejons and I thought to myself, "they can take care of it... I can't even walk. I'll just stay here". Then the STRONGEST prompting came "get up and share the gospel with her! You're a missionary and she needs you! This is who Lyndsee was talking about!" Ok fine ;) I got up and went to talk to her on my crutches. We sat and talked for TWO HOURS!!! Her name is Caitlin and she is my new best friend! She has had A LOT of hard times in her life and is passing through a really hard trial right now. I laughed (in my head of course thinking, "ok Heavenly Father... I know you have a perfect plan") I testified to her that the gospel of Jesus Christ can help her! Then I read her an email my mom just barely sent to me (5 minutes prior). She cried and cried and I just hugged her while I told her that Heavenly Father knows us all and the trials that we face in this life will be for our good and give us experience. It was funny to me to be bearing testimony of what I personally needed to hear! But in that moment, I forgot all about my hip pain! I WAS A MISSIONARY AGAIN!!!! I shared the whole lesson on the restoration with her, challenged her to read the Book of Mormon and testified! The spirit was so strong and she loved all of it! AND on top of all of this I found out that she lives in my old area... So she will be in my old Ward!!! And Hermana Larsen will be teaching her! After we finished helping Caitlin and got her on her way (she promised to read the Book of Mormon and go to church) I called Obispo Arturo and Hermana Larsen and told them everything! They are so excited and ready to help her!! What an incredible miracle for me! I loved every moment that I spent with her! I KNOW that Heavenly Father has a perfect plan and that I was here in the office for Caitlin to bear testimony to her and help her find the gospel in her life! If He had made me better, Caitlin probably wouldn't have been able to have the first lesson or know the Bishop or Hermana Larsen! Heavenly Father sure does work in mysterious ways, but His ways are the best ways!

I love the poem that President Monson used in a talk once...

"Give me a light, that I may tread safely into the unknown!”

And he replied:

“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.

That shall be to you better than [a] light and safer than a known way.”

Right now I am kind of treading through the unknown, but I know that as I put my hand in His that He will lead me to a better light which is even safer than a known way... Lights like Caitlin that I can reach out and help! Heavenly Fathers plan doesn't always make sense to us, but it is always better than anything we could have ever planned for ourselves! I know that is true! I know that He loves each one of us and as we look for His hand each day in our lives, no matter how sad or scared or lonely or lost or in pain we might feel, we will ALWAYS be able to recognize it! He is constantly blessing us... Even in the challenges of life... Because we are His children and HE LOVES US! I know that is true and I bear my testimony of it in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

I love you all! Thank you for all the prayers and fasting and letters and emails and packages! I am so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends! I can feel of your love everyday! I hope all is well!

Love,

Hermana Eyring