Dear Family and Friends,
I am so sorry if I haven't been able to email you for the past weeks, I am not ignoring you or anything like that. And Ma, don't worry, I didn't forget yours and Pa's 25th wedding anniversary!
I was in "isolation" for almost two weeks. Yeah, I got a very contagious disease, CHICKEN POX. A very common thing for children and when you get it in your adulthood, it is so unpleasant. I had it from head to toe. Yeah, my face is ruined. Pre-mission = ugly. Almost at the end of the mission = THE UGLIEST.
I don't know who I got it from, we meet and get in contact with a lot of people everyday.
Those two weeks was the loneliest day of my life. If you know me well, you know how I can't just sit in a bench or somewhere else without talking to someone or making new friends wherever I go. But this time, I have nobody to talk to. Whenever I see myself in the mirror, I just cry thinking who is that awful monster in front of me. For reals.
My dear friends, it was during those times when I had the overwhelming feeling from the spirit that the Atonement is real. That Jesus Christ is real. It was during those times that I thought of that Man in Gethsemane and when He was on the cross in Calvary, because He walked on that path alone, you and I are never meant to walk on this journey alone.
I still do my personal study and I was studying faith that day. I came across an article about the pioneer saints and early missionaries of the church. Their examples gave me strength to carry on, to press forward during those difficult times of my life. They died on the mission field, they got cholera and other worse diseases but they never complain. It wasn't easy for them, it wasn't easy for the Saviour, nor it will be easy for me as well. My experience wasn't nor will it ever be the same compared to theirs, but I know I learned a lot.
We didn't have the chance to attend church on the 7th (as I'm still contagious) and we were expecting few of our friends to attend church that day especially because of Elder Holland's broadcast. Our friend who is getting ready to be baptised in two weeks confirmed that he is coming. Because me and my companion were severely ill for almost a week, we haven't arranged a lift for him. We tried arranging on Saturday night but everyone we asked told us that they are planning to walk to church that day as the weather will be good. (Side note: People back home, please appreciate the sunshine there. People here get so excited whenever they see even just tiny little rays of the sun. I have never I appreciated the sun and heat back home until I came here in the country of rain, damp and cold. Love it!) Anyways, we were just sad that he won't be able to make it during that great day. Imagine our surprise when the Elders called us after the broadcast telling us that our friend came! We immediately called him and he told us that he walked all over from his house to the chapel, vice versa, (it's almost 8 miles). We asked why did he do it and his answer just brought happiness to our dying bodies. He said, "Sisters, you told me that an Apostle of the Lord is coming to speak, I really wanted to see him and hear whatever he will say. What he spoke of today is exactly what I just needed!" We just stared to each other with tears rolling down our eyes. I know that Heavenly Father will help His people to draw closer to Him by sending His servants, the prophets and apostles.(We are just sad that we won't witness his baptism.)
Transfers came by. Yes, since I have been in King's Lynn for almost six months, I am getting transferred. To our surprise, Sister Mekonnen is moving as well! President Jordan told us that it is better for her to move than to stay here because of her feet. Remember my emails before, her feet got worse. So she needs to be in a car area and in our mission, there is only one area that has car for sister missionaries. That's in Thetford. They cover two wards which are both American wards as they have the Base there. Anyways, Sister Mekonnen will be serving there with Sister Quinn!!! She will still be in the same district as King's Lynn.
Members in King's Lynn was so sad that both of us were leaving. We definitely did our very best in that area in terms of member missionary work and everything, we left a lot of teaching pool for the sisters who are coming. We are proud to say that "we left our area stronger than we found it" as stated in Preach My Gospel.
I couldn't travel using public transport - train, buses or tubes - , so Sister Mekonnen left 6am in the morning for her to move to her new area and by the instructions of President Jordan, I was on my own at the flat waiting for my ride. The Baxter's (one of the couple missionaries in the mission office) were so great! They weren't scared of me. They came with my new companion and picked me about 13:30. It took them four hours to get to King's Lynn from London and it took us five hours to go back and be dropped off at my new flat.
As for me, I moved to Enfield, part of London, the ghetto part. I am back in the big city and it will probably be my last area. My new companion is just so sweet and so gorgeous. She is from Australia and is a Samoan! She was surprised that I can pronounced her last name properly and I told her that I am used to Polynesians last names back home. I feel sorry for her to see me on this state though and she's stuck with me. What's exciting in our area is that we are serving in an African ward!!! Wohoooooo! I love them so much. We have four families in the ward from the Philippines. In fact, we had a dinner appointment with them last night. I am just looking forward to fully recover soon and to have a blast!
I didn't get to shake Elder Holland's hands last Friday but I am still glad that I was allowed to attend the conference with him. He is such a powerful man.
I know that if we work our hardest and give all that we have, Heavenly Father will make up the rest and miracles happen. This principle applies to all of us my friends, whether you are in university, at work, at home or anywhere.
The joy that this work that has been brought to my life is so enormous that I feel I won't get if I didn't choose to serve a full-time mission. Missionary work is the best work everyone could ever have!
I love you all.
-Sister Ordanza
P.S
1. Thetford last district meeting for the transfer
2. Our whole mission in front of the Royal Albert Hall after the conference with Elder Holland. Can you spot me?!
3. Our baptism this Saturday. Rockin' those chicken pox scars. Ewww.
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