Elder Josh Terry-- Oct 3, 2011

As you know, Josh has been sick for most of his mission. He got a virus in the MTC that went through his entire district. After arriving in Minnesota, the stomach virus subsided but not the severe headaches and dizzyness. He has had extensive testing. He was treated several weeks ago for a sinus infection - given 5 pills - to be exact. We (along with our wonderful Bishop and Stake President) were contacted by the Mission President regarding the situation. We were given permission to contact Josh directly to assess the situation and to determine a course of action.


Thankfully, we were able to have a wonderful family friend (who has been a mission president and is a doctor) talk with Josh and evaluate the situation. He has started Josh on a strong antibiotic and feels that with this medication and much needed rest he should be able to kick the worst of this in 7 - 10 days. Josh's companion has been wonderfully supportive and helpful. Between him, the Bishop, and the Ward mission Leader, they have said that they will do all in their power to help Josh through this and allow him the time he needs to heal. They plan to have members come in to be with Josh and do splits with Elder Watkins. We are so grateful. The mission president expressed his love for Josh and his confidence in him as a missionary. It is Josh's greatest desire to heal quickly and to get back to work!


Thank you for keeping him in your prayers. With God's help, some good medication and rest he will hopefully be much better the next time you hear from him.


Warm regards,


Stephanie




hello!

this week as the family knows has been one of the most emotional and toughest yet of my whole mission. before i go into how the work has been moving i want to share that experience with everyone else wwho didnt hear. i want to bear my testiomony of the power of prayer, and that god will always be there to answer. being sick this past month has been so hard, especially when all you want to do is get out there and get things moving. the lord has definately humbled me. almost 2 weeks ago i decided to just see if it was all in my head and started telling everyone including the mission president that i was doing fine. i wanted everyone to stop worrying. so for the next week thats what i did. however at the end it was still unbearable so i went to mission president and told him. he told me that he was worried about me and that the next step would probably to go home and get it checked out. that thought killed me, i couldnt stand the thought of going home. i JUST got out here. so i asked him for another week to try and get better and finally friday i just slept trying to do anything i could to not have to go home. finally, feeling defeated i called the mission president and we decided i probably will have to head home. i have never been down on my knees praying for so long in my life, multiple times throughout the day. i wanted more than anything to know if i should go home and get better or if i should stay and see if i just get better out here. i had a strong feeling that if i just kept that question in mind it would be answered after conference. as i watched each session and prayed as much as possible in between sessions. after conference was over i didnt feel like i had an exact answer yet on what the lord had in store for me. so i felt like he just wanted me to go home and figure it out. after a long day we headed back home for weekly planning at about 745. a little while after being there i decided to offer up one last prayer on the subject. it was simple. i just said god if you want me to stay, just please let me know, and if not i will go home and get this all figured out. i stood up took not even one step when my companion comes running out the door with the phone saying that someone from utah was calling. naturally i thought it was the mission doctor that lives in utah and i wasnt super excited to hear from him again. however i answered, and on the other side was dad. words cannot even describe to you how i felt at that moment. i can honestly say i have never felt as at peace as i did at that moment when i heard my dad say 'elder terry how are you doing? is everything okay??' that experience will forever be with me in times of trial. i know that god is with me and hears my prayers. i want all of you to know that god listens and answers your prayers as well. he will just do so in his time. i cannot thank my heavenly father enough for that experience. i still don't know that i will be better soon but at least it gives me some hope of getting better!! Thank you dad for being so inspired to call me in that exact moment of trial. i know that was god asnwering my prayer that he is there and he knows what i am going through. there is just no way you can write that off as a coincidence that you would get a call from home(approved by stake president :) ) at that exact moment. thank you so much for living you life in tune with the spirit.

well as you can tell this week has already been an interesting one. The days really all blend together. so one quick story that i don't know if ive told you before. i think it was this last week. So we were out tracting. yes thats where all the fun stories come from, and we get to this ladies house with 2 barking dogs on leashes out front. i wasnt gonna let to dogs get in my way of my call to preach the gospel to every house on that street. so i just walked past them and rung the doorbell. this lady answers the door and i say hi and tell her we are the missionaries and before i can get any further she starts yelling and freaking out at me saying that im crazy for walking past her 'vicious' dogs and they could have attacked me. she said she was going to sue me for tresspassing. hahaha i really would like to see that. but anyways we just told her to have a nice day and she freaked again so we decided to leave. her dogs were honestly not even big at all i think she took to much pride in them. oh well. also on the same street this huge guy came to the door without his shirt on. i will never be the same after that. im scarred. anyways on a more spiritual note, we had 2 great things happen through all the trials this week! my companion challenged lynch to be baptized after the plan of salvation lesson and he said he would! we are shootin for about a month from now. we just need to get him to church. ALSO we had a lesson with Tim. i challenged him to be baptized after a really spiritual restoration lesson and he accepted! he is also going for about a month from now. so i hope those two both work out! and lynch has 2 daughters that would be baptized as well. so keep them in your prayers. i sincerely hope that i am here to see it. this week has definatly had its highs and its lows. what a wonderful week to have conference. i am so blessed of the timing of this. i dont think anything is quite as encouraging as hearing from your leaders. also just before conference i ran into the scripture DC 122:7 ' and if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murders, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, MY SON, that all these things shall give thee experience and shall be for thy good. I dont think it was a coincidence that it was said twice in conference. i know that was for me.

im so happy to hear that everything is going well back home! we got the ties and elder watkins says a big thank you. that is so thoughtful of you. im a little jealous that mom got to go hang out with mckenna to get them but i think i will get over it haha. i love the pictures you sent me. thank you. nicki and lane, im sad to hear you dont find out until TOMORROW meaning i have to wait another week to find out if it is bambino or bambina. you better let me know asap! thats so awesome im excited for you :) JARED! that is so awesome that you got your call to Africa. your a stud. i cant wait for you to join the work out here you are going to be such an amazing missionary. and is it just a rumor or is it true that you are all coming to visit k-town right when i leave! haha anyways i love ya. Jake howard i am so glad to hear you are doing well. i sure love you bro! your making a great missionary out there i can tell just through your letters. argentina is blessed to have you. I love you all so much. tell tj gert and the crew back home i love them as well. thank you everyone for your prayers and letters. they mean so much to me. well until next week!! i will leave a scripture with you that you will have to go read. its definatly one of my favorites. 2 nephi 32:9. i love you all and look forward to hearing from you soon!

Josh