Update on the Last Few Weeks

The last post I made was on April 21st, and it is now June 18th. I'm so sorry that I haven't posted since then, but on April 22nd my dear mother passed away.

I began my long flight of approximately 27 hours to Salt Lake City on the morning of April 22nd (that was still April 21st in Utah).  I was trying to rush home to be with my mother before she passed away. My flight in Johannesburg was delayed by 90 minutes and I had only about 90 minutes to make my connecting flight in Atlanta. I prayed that I would somehow make that connection and that the pilot would be able to make up the time we had lost. Before taking off, I received word from my mother's nurse that she believed my mother would still be alive when I arrived the next day. Also, my daughters living in Boston and Sacramento left their families and flew Utah to be with their grandma.  Half way through my flight, I had fallen asleep. I was awakened by a dream that someone touched my back three times and when I looked up I saw the face of my mother when she was younger. I woke from this dream and thought about my mother and hoped with all my heart I would be able to tell her in person how much I love her.

The pilot had made up some of the time lost, and I now had 60 minutes instead of 90 to make my connecting flight. However, when I landed, my husband called to tell me that my mother had passed away. Although the flight attendant would not let me get off the plane first, and with tears streaming, I hurried through the concourse and was faced with a long line of passengers waiting to go through customs. With the kindness of strangers, many let me go in front of them and I made my connecting flight with only ten minutes to spare before the closing of the plane's door.

I was deeply saddened that I was only a few hours away from making it to see my mother one last time. However, at the same time, I was so grateful and comforted to know that my two daughters were with their grandmother at her passing.  My husband had been inspired to call my daughters and ask them to have a prayer at her bedside before she passed. They listened to that advice. My daughters knelt at their grandmother's bedside as she struggled to breathe, and offered a sincere prayer of thanks and to offer her comfort that if she needed to go, that she could feel peace in doing so. As soon as they closed the prayer, my sweet mother took only two more breaths and peacefully passed away.

Yes, I had hoped to tell her in person how much I loved and appreciated her - but I felt it a tender mercy that her granddaughters could invite the spirit to guide and direct her to know that she was loved.

As we calculated the time that I had dreamed of my mother patting me three times, and I saw her beautiful young face - it was around the same time that she had passed away. I am convinced that this was no coincidence, but rather an answer to my prayers! I did see her one last time in a dream, and I'm convinced it was her spirit comforting me as well.

My mother was my best friend! She was the best mother that I could have ever hoped for. We were very close throughout my entire life. She was an enormous example of love, support, and service. I will miss her immensely - but I am so grateful for the knowledge and faith I have of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that we will be together again - and for this reason I am comforted. I was able to see my mother's body when I arrived, kiss her on the forehead, and tell her that I loved her before they took her body away.

After my mother's funeral, I went to the doctor in Utah with an infection. While I was there, I told him that my back had been hurting for several weeks, and that my heart had been racing (in fact I had been hospitalized in Durban for tachycardia and bronchitis) but it was getting worse. I received three different antibiotics as the infection I had was resistant to 17 according to the lab results - and finally, I found the right one that helped that issue! I also saw doctors for back pain and a cardiologist. Unfortunately, after taking oral steroids, having a steroid shot, and then an epidural steroid injection for my back - the pain became so intense that I could not walk for over a week. I also had to wait in order to walk to have an echocardiogram, and to do physical therapy. And then, wouldn't you know I developed shingles! The two weeks I had originally planned to be in Utah was turning into longer, and it was looking as if I might need back surgery.  I felt like Job from the bible - I didn't even want to count the number of plagues I was going through. With great sadness, the doctors thought that I would not be able to return to South Africa! Then, one Monday morning I awoke and miraculously I could walk more steps than I had walked in over ten days! I called President Thompson with the thrilling news!
He said, "Do you know why you are suddenly feeling better?"
I said, "No!"
"You are feeling better because you had at least 250 people, including missionaries, fasting and praying for you yesterday," he said.
Tears streamed down my face and I knew that I had just witnessed another tender mercy, even a miracle, in my life!

I quickly made arrangements to fly back to South Africa even though I had not got the clearance from my doctor yet and it had only been one day that I could take several steps at a time. I just KNEW that I was going back! A few days later, I went to my doctor and shared this experience with him, and told him that I needed to get back to South Africa. Although he was a little reluctant, he gave me the okay to come! At this time, I learned that the common denominator of all of my ailments was due to taking steroids! While steroid medication usually helps many with many illnesses, for some reason my body doesn't like them - which worsened all the symptoms I was feeling including the heart ailments. Once I stopped taking anything related to steroids, my body has been able to heal. And although I am still experiencing  some pain - I am more than thrilled to finish our mission in South Africa! I have learned so much and my faith strengthened ten-fold these past few weeks!

I am eternally grateful for this wonderful opportunity to serve for three years in South Africa and the ability to return to the faithful missionaries and members. And, although I've experienced a few challenges these past several weeks - I feel enormously blessed for the comfort, peace, and increase of faith!