Health Update/Trip to Mayo Clinic

We spent last week at the Mayo Clinic at Jacksonville, Florida, about a three hour drive from Lake Talquin where our RV is parked. We are so blessed to have such a fine medical facility to get the answers we needed. The good news is that the odds that my pain is caused from cancer are very low, a suspicious looking lesion is nothing to be concerned about, and there is a new medication just approved for the treatment of fibromyalgia which may help with some of my chronic pain issues. So there is nothing really life-threatening unless you consider the fact that I continue to be a danger to myself. I am told I have to slow down, pace myself, work within my limitations, manage my stress better, and get restorative sleep. Nothing new here! Physical therapy is also prescribed to address the pain in my pelvis and back. We haven't figured out how we can pull off three trips each week to Tallahassee and still do our missionary work. We already go once a week to district meeting , so maybe we could add one more day and call it good.

The bad news is that the new medication can cause internal bleeding if taken with n-saids which I need for pain. Nothing new here, either! The side-effects of everything are often worse than the "cure." Still have to figure this one out . . . Maybe I'll wind up at the alternative approach before this is all over with.

Through all of this, I am reminded of how much I still need to learn in life: more patience in adversity, more faith in the redeeming power of the atonement, moderation in ALL things (even in missionary work), and more gratitude for all of which He has blessed us. We don't get to choose our trials, and I am trying to let go and let God help me cope with and adjust to whatever He sees fit to allow. We are trying to take one day at a time, hoping for brighter days ahead.

Elder Z is my rock. I am so blessed to have him as my eternal companion. We already had a great relationship, but serving this mission has brought us closer. He is so patient, kind, and wise.

An added bonus at the Mayo Clinic was meeting a member of the church there who is an expert in ergonomics and also serves as the ward mission leader at The Beaches Ward. We had a wonderful visit in the lobby as we were leaving. He told us his very inspiring conversion story which took place in Germany. After reading the bible, he had many unanswered questions, such as why aren't there prophets and apostles today and continued revelation from the Lord. About two years later he met a young LDS woman who shared the gospel with him. He said everything just fell into place for him. He looked up the phone number of the church, found a stake president on the other end of the line, and told him he wanted to be baptized and become a member of the church. The stake president explained he would have the missionaries teach him, to which he replied, "Oh, no, I don't need the missionaries. This church is what I've been searching for."

His ward in Jacksonville set a goal of 50 baptism for this year and they already have 27! He e-mailed us his very impressive power point materials and the process the ward went through to meet these very optimistic goals. Hopefully they will also help us in our work here in Quincy.

We thank everyone for your continued prayers and concerns on our behalf. We have faith that with these interventions we will be able to finish the work the Lord has for us to do in the Florida Tallahassee Mission.

Love to all our family and friends,
Elder and Sister Zabriskie