Death of Dengue

Family,

IM BACK AND FREE FROM DENGUE! Man, being sick for 2 weeks literally killed me. For those of you who didn't know, I had this thing called Dengue Fever. Dengue Fever is a virus that is carried by mosquitoes and it is literally the worst thing ever. Some people call it the bone crushing virus... it was honestly so terrible. For the first week I was just lying in my bed honestly just trying to live. I would just cry and try to sleep so I couldn't feel pain. Honestly, it was the worst thing I've ever had in my entire life. I had to go to the hospital everyday and get my blood drawn so they could make sure I wasn't going to die with my platelet levels too low. Luckily i'm fine and doing better than ever.

The first week was just straight up hell, but this last week I was just emotionally, physically, everything exhausted. So I have been resting and just trying to get back in the missionary mode. I was lucky because I started working just a little on Saturday and I was so happy. Man, not being able to work when your a missionary is like the worst thing ever. I was dying, but I worked and it was raining really hard and I was just like a fat kid with chocolate cake, I WAS SO HAPPY! :) So i'm doing so much better now. I'm still really tired and just trying to slowly get back into the missionary grove of things, but i'm doing really well.

Having Dengue, as awful of an experience as it was, I actually learned so much. I learned that Heavenly Father really loves me. He sent me so many people to look after me and take care of me. Wow, being sick so many people reached out at every opportunity to help lift me and make me feel better and it was amazing. It was so hard being sick not having mom around. Like SO HARD, but I had so many great people around me that it made it so much easier. As hard as life as a missionary is, when you are surrounded by people who love you, it is so much easier. 

I also learned how much my Savior loves me. The first week of Dengue my whole body was in so much pain. I can't even explain what it was like, but it hurt. I kept trying to think of things that just made me happy so I would stop thinking about how much  pain I was in. It was really cool tho because I think about the Atonement so much and I try to even understand a little bit. Being missionaries we do some of the same things Jesus Christ did in His mortal ministry. So we get a little taste of the Atonement in that way, but hardly ever have a felt the Atonement in a physical way. As I was laying in my bed struggling to even move my head because of the pain, I just felt an overwhelming feeling of my Saviors love. It was something I will never be able to explain, but if all I got out of having Dengue fever was being able to feel just a little tiny bit of something the Savior felt in the Garden of Gethsemane then it was worth it. 

The Death of Dengue is real and it was terrible, but now I am just that much more grateful for my health and for the ability to move without being in pain. Wow, it's crazy what can happen in just a snap of a finger. I'm so much more grateful now tho. Another thing I remember doing when I was in so much pain was just thanking Heavenly Father for eyes to see and ears that can hear. I was so grateful for the little things and I think that is one reason why we have trials and afflictions. In order to be grateful for the things we have, we need hardships. One great thing we have coming up (or you in America have coming up) is Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a time to give gratitude so everyday starting Nov 1 until Thanksgiving write somewhere something you are grateful for and I will do the same. I'm extremely grateful for the past two weeks that I have really struggled and have had a really hard time so that I can have more gratitude. I'm so grateful for all the people who have helped me and have lent a helping hand. I'm so grateful for you and for your prayers and support. I can't even express how much that means to me. I'm just so grateful.

Thank you all for everything you do for me. Hopefully next week I will have heaps of stories to tell you about this great work. We are going to Manila on Wednesday to attend MLC and I'm so excited. The work continues and I get to continue with it. :) I love being a missionary. I love this gospel and I am so grateful for all my ancestors who sacrificed everything they had for this gospel. We are so blessed. So let's just count our many blessings and move forward in the work of the Lord. :) Reading the Book of Mormon, choosing the right, and being an example and light for all those around to see. 

Mahal ko kayo,

Sister Barton  

PS. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! I loved the pictures of you in your costumes! You looked great :)