Sept 24, 2010 Excerpts

Bonjour Ma Famille!!

Well I can't seem to stop amazing myself with my good fortune haha! It is true, I will be here at the MTC for one more week than scheduled! Due to a injury I acquired playing soccer this week, I have been delayed from departing Monday the 27th. I don't know when exactly I will depart, but what I do know is when I'm cleared the District President said I could get out of here anytime period between a few days and the same day I am give the O.K. from Doc.

I'll explain what happened haha. I was playing soccer (Shouldn't have played the week before I leave ) and I was kicking the ball across the field, when another elder was tailing and kicked for the ball as well. Well his foot collided with my leg, right above the ankle on the inside of my right leg to be exact. I have used this example a lot, but it's is like a car crash. One car is going 45, the other 45, they collide and equal 90 mph of massive damage. At first my leg was just hurting like a normal bruise would. I heard the spirit tell me to get ice. So I limped off the field and got ice on it, then I was on my merry way. As the day progressed, it got worse. It immediatley began to bruise, and swelling. It was night before I could get take care of, but the front desk took care of me. I tried to get some athletic trainers to look at it, but they were gone because of the devotional that night. I waited till morning to visit the doctors. Long story short, and several visits to doctor Sampson and a visit to an Orthopedic specialist, I have been told it isn't broken and I just need to keep it compressed, iced, elevated and rested! I'll send pics later, but the bruise is the nastiest thing I have ever seen!!! The 2nd night (Wednesday night) I couldn't sleep at all, but last night I slept like a baby. They gave me crutches and a boot. I'm happy, positive, and hopping along haha!! No pun intended ;)

The weirdest part of the whole experience is that they let me call home. I called but mom wasn't there, she was at school. So I called Dad, and he answered with his loving voice : "This is Shane" and I replied this is your son! He was like "They let you do this!?!" haha I was pretty much sobbing the whole time because I was filled with so many emotions. I haven't heard any of your voices for 2 months.... Dad told me to quit acting like a baby and ironically I cried even more.. I miss his humor, and I was filled with so much love ;) I laughed, he said "Don't make me come down there and whoop you into shape" hahaha. I love you Dad, you mean the world to me. The call only lasted 4 minutes... they told me not to be too long. Mom I'm sorry I didn't get to talk to you. It probably would have been pretty hard to understand me, I would have been bawling my eyes out hahaha. I consider myself lucky though, I get to call you again in a week ;)

I'll let you know what happens between now and then, but just DON'T WORRY! Hopefully I'm out of here by Friday, but we will see. I have had a lot of opportunity to pout, and be depressed and unfruitful, but I have not let this situation get the best of me. I decide how I feel, and I choose whom I serve this day. Jesus Christ is my leader, my Savior, and Redeemer. I have said this many times now, but He leads me and all of us by the hand when we are in our times of deepest need. Yeah I could dwell on the past and let this make me angry, but I won't. I could fear for the following week, and what "Could happen", but I won't. I live in the present where faith conquers. When we live for the present moment, and have faith, we show our trust in the Lord and show him we can walk without sight. When we live for each moment with faith, there is no way anger or fear can hold us from progressing. We move forward with the Lord's direction.

May the hand of the Lord guide you in all things, and may you follow!

Until next time! Maybe I'll be in France, maybe not!

Elder Dusty Petersen