Cell-o you've got a bass

So how is everything going on west of the Mississippi?... well that's sounds great everything here is going pretty good. this week has been kind of slow but it's definitely not been a slow week, so lets start of at the beginning, a very good place to start.

so the stage is set, Me and Elder Butikofer come back to the apartment after having a great dinner on Post (Base) and visiting a couple of people as well. so as we stumble back into the apartment we get ready for bed, when Elder B. start to itch everywhere, and he starts having hives break out all over him. well he just thought that it's just a random thing and he'll get over it during the night.

the next morning he wakes up and is miserable and doesn't feel quite like himself, so he goes to the store early in the morning and gets some Benadryl and that should take care of the problem. right? ummm..... not so much so he continues to take the pills and now his body is well covered in swelling and full of red marks that are on his arms and elbows and hands and waist and knees and so on. note Elder Butikofer has been betrothed to a girl back home named bridgette and i've heard nothing but good about her, and he also has a ring from her like a wedding band. so monday he continues to deal with swelling and the itching and calls the mission nurse and she gives him some more ideas. and all this time we are trying to figure out what is going on and why does he continue to break out and itch so bad, and we think that it's a food allergy or maybe something else, we are shooting a moving target in the dark.... so monday night comes and B. starts breaking out again and it just keeps getting more and more swelling so again we think that in the morning it'll get better. we go to sleep or at least i do, then about 3 am i wake up and pee, nothing new there, and Butikofer walks to me and says hey this isn't getting better, at this point we agree at the same time it's time to go to the doctor. so we jump in the car and start heading to the hospital, right now B's hands look like they have been inflated and or look like sausages with a ring that doesn't want to come off. the hand looked like it was eating the ring. we get to the ER and look and... nobody was there, so we get in and he is getting treated immediately which was such a great relief, he went in and it only took about a half an hour for them to get him a Benadryl shot, and cut of the ring, which he hasn't ever taken off for about a year. so we came back home to Elder Cox just chill'n on the couch reading and Elder O'niones comes out for a drink of water while we are just on the couch and he is taken back that this is happening and just heads back to bed, i'm still wired so i read a little bit before i realize that i'm falling asleep, which is happening quite a bit. well anyways we wake up the next morning and go to work and we take it easy just so we don't make it worse still not knowing what's going on. this continues for the next couple of days that Butikofer breaks out for some reason. we were able to get a prescription so that he wouldn't break out but i don't think it work. so anyways the days go by and we finally just tough it out till we get to Zone Conference, which was a very special meeting and everybody who needed something to get answered got the answer through the holy ghost. that was a very very good meeting and the best news that i got was that I'm on the right track and i'll be alright i just need to set and keep the pattern here on the mission so i become a new person when i get home.

with all that we also got some more enlightenment from Sister Summerhays who has become our nurse and she told us what to do to get rid of the breaking out, the interesting part of this is it wasn't until we got back to the apartment the Elder B. broke out so we think as of right now that it's something in the apartment which is making him break out well we got everything working the way it's supposed to and all that other stuff, and even called the mission doctor and he gave us the best information about it that it's probably just a virus that made him break out with hives. so that was the really neat thing about this whole trial that it was going to be alright be that we needed to rely on the lord, even though he wasn't going to take away the illness he was going to comfort us and help us through the trials so that we may know how to help other people and how to get through the hard times and also to make us not whine so much.

well that's the exciting things going on in the Ozark area, we have been having a great time and this week looks a lot better with no illness in the forecast, just a lot of thunderstorms which are my favorite. by the way thanks for the photos Robyn

Mom, you're the best how else can i say it.

Toni, could you do me a favor again... i ran out of stationary but only if you want to.

Jan, you'll have to tell me where you guys are so i can send some letters or stuff.

Jethro, Great letter and on sugguestion, if you come with a question to church it'll will get answered, but you have to pay attention, also i'm jealous of the playing with the kids and drawing.

John way to go! now the hard thing is not having you parents try to stop by while your there but you know you'll stay focused, and being in a states mission is so much better than you'll realize. one word Wal-Mart and is joe really almost home? and kick richard for me i don't know why just do it.

Dad it's good to hear about the new meds i'm glad your feeling alright just take it easy for a while ok, don't go to hard you might hurt yourself more than is necessary.

well all is well here because of the peace i feel through the Atonement of Christ. he makes everything feel right.

Love
Elder Matthew Gillespie