Week 55 - Dengue Fever

I was struck with dengue fever the entire week.  Boy, let me tell you dengue sucks!  I called sister Andrew the mission president’s wife.  I was either in bed or at a member’s house the entire week.  With dengue you have a super high fever, a migraine, and throughout your body your muscles just ache and throb.  I couldn’t even sleep.  I had to buy a ton of Gatorade because you dehydrate super fast.  I also bought Tylenol for the aches.  One of the members said açaí is really good to eat when you have dengue.  It's like coconut water on steroids but I didn’t have the money to buy any.  Dengue is super bad here right now.  Everyone has it.

Brazil: Fighting dengue fever in Sao Paulo

The other elders had to come over to teach some of our investigators.  I didn’t feel like eating much.  One day we ordered pizza and I was only able to eat one slice.  That day I had a temperature of 102.

DengueMap showing hot spots

All I know is that I don’t want to get it again.  I’ve been told that it is usually worse the second time. It is a virus. You don’t catch it from someone.  Mosquitos transmit it.   I live in an apartment on the fourth floor.  Mosquitos can’t even fly that high.  I probably contracted it in the house of someone we taught.

Things have been going great for Elder Helamã and I.  The fruits of our labors are starting to show. I'm hopeful there will be many baptisms this transfer.

I feel bad for my companion.  He is being transferred tomorrow.  Elder Helamã is sad too.  He taught this good sister that will be baptized Sunday and really wanted to be there.  Today we going around to let him say goodbye.

We will go to São Paulo tomorrow morning.  That is where Elder Helamã and I will get our new companions.  They don’t give you information on transfers anymore to try to stop all the rumors that end up going around. You just show up and they introduce you to your new companion.

Campos Jordão was so freaking cool!  First off its cold there!  Second its like Switzerland!  I’m just in love with this town.  Check out my pictures:

Week 28 - Dengue fever and my trial

The missionary work here is starting to happen! We have eight new investigators this week and one of the people who previously dropped us returned so we have several people to teach!  There is much work to do in this branch.

My companion has been sick for the past four days. We think he has dengue fever.  The other night we went to the hospital at 2:00 in the morning.  He is in some pain but it’s not as serious as it sounds.  Sister Andrews, the mission president’s wife, told him to stay in after 5:00.   We still go out and work because he refuses to sit around.  He just wants to work.

IT’S FREAKING HOT HERE.  I’m dying.  I literally am sweating 24/7.  The inside of our house is like 88 degrees and the outside is 95.  There is absolutely no breeze or anything.  We have a fan in our house but it does nothing.  The air in our house is so hot.  The fan just blows hot air over you.  I don’t know what I’m going to do about this heat.  I don’t think I’m getting use to it.  I feel like I’m breathing with a blanket over my face.   I feel so claustrophobic.  This is way difficult for me and has become a big trial.

We found some potential houses in our area.  We just need to get the mission president or one of the secretaries to come look and approve one.  They haven’t had time to do that with my companion being sick.

I had an interview with our new mission president this week that was great!   He gave me direction.   He isn’t worried about numbers at all.   He just wants me to always have the Spirit with me and to work hard.

I get feed well here!  I ate chicken hearts the other day.   They were terrible.   They just tasted like blood to me.  I have had churrasco six times!  Churrasco is barbeque Brazilian style.  They use salt to season the meat.   They use all kinds of parts from cows and chickens.   They also use sausages.