Monday, July 30, 2012

Monday July 30, 2012: Elder Bowles--Sad Week

Dear Mom and Dad:
 
I have not got the debit card yet.  I am sending a box home with some stuff in it.  It will be a surprise.  Where is Cody going on his mission? I didn't know he turned in his mission papers?  How are the missionaries doing in our ward.  One other thing My dryer box where I put my implant and hearing aid is broken.  It's not working Yes I tried different plugs but same result.  Maybe the dryer box is old and I need a new one.  Something is wrong with my hearing aide for some reason so I made an appointment with the hearing aide doctor this Wednesday so I am going try and get it fixed.
 
This week has been really hard.  Prepare yourself --I will only tell a little I will not give the names or the full description of what happened.  Last week on Wednesday we get a call in the morning from a recent convert in the ward.  She called us because her brother was in the hospital and needed a blessing right now.  She tried calling the bishop but no success. We said we will be right over.  Her brother was from Mexico and he was in the intensive care unit.  As I said before I will not give all the details what I have seen.  You don't need to know.  This person is the only member of her family and she is a very strong person in the gospel, I admire that person very much.  The person is very close to her brother and was crying please help him.  We do the first part of the blessing then the doctors kicked us out.  I saw the look on the new convert face, I went back up to the doctor and said we are not done with the blessing, let us go back and finish it, it won't take long.  It was a crazy situation.  THis is the day I will never forget.  When we left the intensive care unit the family was out side.  I gave her mom a blessing of comfort.  Those words flowed through the power of the spirit.  The new convert said it did really help her.  It did.  She was crying so much and I told her we will be coming back at 2:00pm after lunch.  We did.  We needed to be there for the family and this wonderful strong member. I asked are your parents here, she said yes they are waiting in the waiting room.  I followed and saw them and shook the whole family's hands.  She told us her brother is not doing good.  I will make this short and sweet because of the terrible grief we had to bear.  We were with the family the whole time, and they were discussing what they should do to their own member of their family.  I wanted to cry but I held it in and was crying on the inside.  We were there from 2:00pm to 3:30 pm and I will not give the details but me and Elder West were there in the same room with that recent convert with her brother and we were there when he died and did what they agree to do.  I am so glad I was there to bear this pain and help our members go though this trial.  I was not going to leave the hospital, we were going to stay and endure with the whole family.  After he died I shook hands with every one of the members of the family and everyone of the family said thank you.  One of the family members said GOD BLESS YOU.  I went over to the mother and father of the family.  I shook their hand and they said thank you.  When I left the hospital I started crying in tears about what happened?  It was so hard to make the phone call and let the bishopric know.  I cried all day and was asking them if there is anything that we can do.  Now they are organizing the funeral for a member of the family that had died.  I have been praying every day every time I pray I pray for this specific family of what they are going through.
 
 This week we met with that recent convert and she felt bad for us to experience what we had to go through.  I told her it was necessary for us to do, we are here for you and thank you for letting us to come and experience this with you.  We are representatives of Jesus Christ and we are here for you.
I told her after her brother died you can begin doing the temple work for her brother.  Someone else will have to you know do it but you can get it started.  She said can you help me, I said yes we can and we will be here every step of the way.  She told us that she is eternally grateful that we came and grateful for the church to be there for her.  I have been thinking and praying for the family everyday.  The ward has been there for her too.  It has been a hard week but I am glad I can have this experience.  I am sorry not much to say of this terrible loss this week.  She told me I know that god has a plan for my brother and he is in a better place right now. I told her I know that is true and I have been offering any kind of help.  I will help her get to the temple so she can do those ordinances and her brother will accept the gospel. Pray for this person so they can have peace and love that comes from this gospel.
 
Love Elder Bowles
Thanks mom and dad I love you.

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