Chau noviacitas hermosas 4/1/24

Guess who finally got dengue! After successfully avoiding it for a whole month, both my comp and I joined the rest of San Fran in the dengue club. 

Saturday I barely slept because I had this weird headache behind my eyes and my stomach hurt, but I didn't have a fever so I figured there's no way it's dengue. So we kept working like normal, had district p-day in Arroyito on Monday and I was lowkey dying but pushed through the pain just to lose a game of soccer and a whole bunch of uno games. Tuesday was the same, and on Wednesday my entire body hurt and I could barely keep my eyes open. We visited our friend Ruth, who’s a nurse, and she informed us that I do in fact have dengue and that Thursday would be the worst day. 

Thursday we woke up and learned two things, Ruth was right, and Hermana Mascarenhas has dengue too.

Friday we were tired of being inside all day and from drinking Argentine water so we went in our pajamas to buy powerades! We had to go to two different stores and got laughed at by a group of teenage boys, but we got our powerades!

Saturday afternoon we gaslit ourselves into thinking we felt good enough to go to visit a few people, after 10 minutes of walking we were looking straight out of the walking dead. For the next hour I walked with a prayer in my heart that we wouldn't pass out in the street. 

Sunday was literally a day of miracles. After not being able to work in our area for basically a whole week, we weren't really sure if any of our friends would come to church. We went looking like zombies again, and we had 2 friends show up!! Then at night we started to call all of the references from Facebook and found 5 people!! Usually the references don't answer or are fake numbers. But we were able to have super good lessons with a few of them and schedule another call! It was an actual miracle!

Bro let me tell you being in bed all day SUCKS. But it did give me a good opportunity to really study and think about Christ’s Atonement this Easter. Earlier in the week I started to share a couple of my favorite scriptures about Christ with all of our friends. Since most of them had dengue, I really focused on the healing aspect of His Atonement. Little did I know I'd be needing some of that healing power in my own life.

And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. 

And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. 

• Alma 7:11-12

How humbling is it to know that Christ suffered every kind of illness, injury, and injustice because He loves us. He knows exactly what we're going through, and knows exactly how to help us get through it. Maybe sometimes he can't take away our infirmities right now, but he will always give us the strength we need to keep going. I've felt that strength this week, it's helped me to keep smiling when I feel like crap, to get up and make us food so we don't starve to death, and to keep walking when one more step feels impossible. Because He kept walking, with the cross of our sins on His back, he didn't stop, look back, or ask “why me”. He took it all upon himself, and in return all He asks is that we take upon ourselves His name. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to literally wear his name on my chest for the next year and share the miraculous healing power of Christ's Atonement with everyone that will listen.

Also special shoutout to the members of this branch, they're seriously the best. From the moment they found out that we were sick they started bringing us food, bug spray, and checking up on us. They really have become our family! And are the best examples to me of ministering to others!

On a different note, we also got a boyfriend! We visited one of our friends and as we were leaving, one of her little kids started riding next to us on his bike. He showed us his “wheelie” and I asked how old he is, he told us he's 7. And then told us that we're his girlfriends now, but not to tell our parents because it's a secret. Neither of us knew what to say, and were trying so hard (and failing) not to laugh. I asked him how many girlfriends he has, and without hesitation he goes “2, you guys”. I told him that we can't have boyfriends because we're missionaries, but he just ignored me, and yelled loud enough for the whole street to hear, “chau noviacitas hermosas” The men here really have a way with words

Anyways, the mission is awesome, love you guys so much! Make this week the best, watch general conference, eat some cinnamon rolls, and drink lot's of Dr. Pepper for me!!

• Hermana Milne