August 27, 2012

Monday August 27, 2012

Dear Dad, Mom, Liz, Kirstie, Ashlynn, McKay, Family and Friends,

This past week was a week full of a roller coaster of emotions, as it

was my trainer´s last week with me, as he went home today. It feels

now that a part of me is missing, I love Elder Evans like the older

brother I never had. He truly taught me how to be the best missionary

possible and fulfill my true potential. It is amazing how close you

can get to one person in just a matter of eight weeks. This mission is

truly amazing and the Lord is helping me endure and overcome the

obstacles and pains that have come upon me so far as a missionary here

in southern Brasil.

This past Friday I got my stiches taken out at a old little health

clinic in a neighborhood in the area I serve. You may be wondering why

I had stiches to be taken out of my head. That is where my Brasilain

soccer and hospital story comes in.

Two weeks ago today I was playing soccer, in the rain on an outdoor

court at the stake center, the main LDS church here in Paranaguá, with

the other elders in my zone. I was playing goalie and I was running to

get the ball in the corner of the court, where there was an extra

slick part, as a defender was coming at me. I don´t remember much

after that, but I slipped and smaked my head on the concrete as I was

running to pick up the ball. After squirming in pain and grabbing my

head, I saw that my hand was covered in blood, that is when I started

going in and out of conciousness and my arms and legs were tingling.

The next couple hours consisted of going to the hospital by ambulance,

getting x rayed and then after seeing that nothing was broken they

gave me 4 stitches and wrapped my head in gauze. I ended up walking

out of the hospítal looking like a soldier from the civil war, as the

wrap they put on my head looked pretty ridiculous. Attached should be

a photo of how I looked the night of the accident. The best part of my

brazialian soccer and hospital experience was that all the medical

care andf ambulance ride were free due to the brazilian health care

system.

After about a week and a half of pretty bad neck pain and headaches, I

am feeling pretty normal for the most part, aside from the scar on the

back of my head and the occasional neck and back pain and headaches. I

know that the Lord blesses us as we keep his commandments and that as

a representative of Jesus Christ I was and am still being watched over

and protected from not being injured more seriously.

Thanks for your prayers and support.

Love,

Elder Jonathan Hokanson