IIt's All in God's Hands

 Sister DeVictoria writing:

Well, we have gone on a roller coaster ride of diagnoses (I had to look up how to spell that) for Elder DeVictoria.  The first diagnosis was Cluster headache.  Then he developed Shingles.  Then another doctor said he thought there was never cluster headache, just shingles.  But now the shingles is cleared up and we are back to cluster headaches.  So the neurologist was right, that he has been suffering with both cluster headaches AND shingles.  We saw the doctor this week and he gave new medicines, but we didn't see any improvement so we went back to the doctor.  He wasn't on call so we saw a different neurologist who prescribed three new medicines.  One of those he said might just suddenly kick in and stop the headaches.  But so far that hasn't happened.  We are up to day...I think 24 of Elder DeVictoria being ill.  It sure is taking it's toll on him.  If he doesn't get well very soon we are going to have to consider being sent home.

One blessing is that there is a senior couple in our mission who are uniquely trained to step in and help do Elder DeVictoria's duties.  Of course things in this mission are done differently from businesses, so they still have to ask for help about how things are done in the church system.  Also there is a blessing that there is a couple who were previously in our roles who are Taiwanese, and I think if needed they could step in until replacements are found.  Another blessing is that we now have a mission health advisor who arrived in August.  He has been giving us some great medical advice.

This all comes down to the subject I have been thinking about most during all of this which is "faith".  We always hear that faith precedes the miracle.  "With God all things are possible".  "Ask and ye shall receive".  Sometimes I guilt myself in to thinking that maybe I just don't have enough faith for a miracle healing for him.  Then other times I remind myself that all things are in God's hands and if we are meant to be here, Elder DeVictoria will get better.  I can't see the big picture.  I don't know if there is some other reason that we would need to go home.  We felt drawn to come to Taiwan, and we have felt all along that in our lives we have had a sort of mission connected with Taiwan and China.  While we have been here, we have felt many times that we are meant to be here.  We have been given many opportunities to serve and to be of influence on others.  

When I first came to Taiwan I was dealing with tendinitis in my knee.  I really struggled with pain for about 4 months.  I was going through the same faith crisis wondering if I just didn't have enough faith to be healed.  But then one day the thought came to me that at least I have the faith to NOT be healed.  In other words, I have faith that if I am not healed, then it is God's will.  There must be something I am supposed to learn from the experience.  So too, now with Elder DeVictoria I don't know if I have the faith needed for a miracle healing, but I do have faith that if he isn't healed, then it is God's will.  

I should add that MULTIPLE people have been praying for Elder DeVictoria.  His name has been on the prayer roll of MULTIPLE temples.  He has received two Priesthood blessings.  So because of all of this, I feel even more strongly that it is all in God's hands.  

One huge blessing for me lately is that the weather has turned a little cooler.  I was walking a long way one day and thought about how it didn't really seem that hard to walk.  Then it occurred to me that it was because it wasn't hot out!  We have had a LOT of thunder showers recently.  Here is a picture of the dark sky.

One of our service missionaries finished her 18 month mission this week.  She has such a cheery disposition, everyone who worked with her will miss her.  This picture was taken at the Distribution center where she often volunteered.  

 

 

Last Sunday was our stake conference here.  I got to the chapel and the meeting started with some youth conducting the meeting!  Then at one point the visiting general authority had a question and answer period!  I had never attended a stake conference like this before!  It wasn't until near the end of the meeting that I realized I was attending the special early morning youth meeting.....  Senior moments happen to the best of us I guess.  Since Elder DeVictoria was sleeping alot that morning I stayed for the next two hours of conference.  

Elder DeVictoria: (Sister DeVictoria typing)

Well, this has been the strangest event of my life. These head pains are so intense when they flair up, that all other thoughts can not be thought.  These tortuous stabbing pains in the brain take over all else.  Now being on day 24 and looking back over these days it's amazing how this ailment has shut me down.  If I get in to anything too complicated in my work, then the pain just flares up and I cannot do anything for several hours while I recover.  Fortunately these pains are exactly the same every time.  The same locations, sequence and duration.  So I have kind of gotten use to it, but they are so painful that I can't do anything else but grit my teeth and get through it.  And when the pain is gone, there is practically no pain left over at all.  But this whole process really does shake up my ability to think and focus.  The other day I was speaking on the phone with the couple, the Millingtons who are at the office for a few days to take over my job, just to explain to them what to do.  With so much intense focus on my part, after about 30 or 40 minutes and I was at the end and the pain would come on.  So I would say good bye and hang up the phone and the pain would just completely take over my head.  Yesterday I couldn't speak to them even once.  Obviously I can't go on like this.  I have faith in Christ to heal me.  

Sister DeVictoria writing again:

Since I first started this week's blog, the mission health advisor called and encouraged us to switch to a different doctor.  This one specializes in headaches.  He and his wife have set up an appointment for Elder DeVictoria to see this doctor.  Also we just received our National Health Insurance cards, so the visits will be much cheaper.  

"But that ye have patience, and bear with those afflictions, with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions."  Alma 34:41