Bumps in the Road - March/April 2017

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Toward the end of March, Great Grandma had her first stroke. She ended up in the hospital in Grand Junction and I went over there to be with her the Monday after General Conference. It was so very hard to see her in that state. She could not talk very well, nor walk easily. She was also very sick due to being given a drug that she shouldn't have been given. We were so worried about her. The next day, she was improved and could talk to us a bit better and feed herself. On Wednesday, she went to a rehab center so that she could get ready to move into a new assisted living center the she was going to before she had her stroke. But that night she another stroke. She was unable to talk more than one or two words at a time or walk. She was very weak and could not feed herself. It about broke my heart to say goodbye to her, not knowing if she would still be with us when we returned from our mission. She has since continued to improve a bit each day. We don't know how far she will be able to come back but, providing she doesn't have another stroke, we are hopeful. During this whole time, I struggled with questions about why the Lord would call us on a mission at this time or if we were even supposed to go on this mission. I worried about leaving my sisters, leaving my mother. As I poured out my heart out in prayer, I finally received a sweet confirmation that the Lord had indeed called us to serve Him in Palmyra and that He was very aware of all of us. All of this was according to His timing and all was in His hands. I did not receive any confirmation about what would happen to my mother while we were gone but I felt such a feeling of peace come over me. Regardless of the outcome, all will be well. I also felt that He would strengthen and support my dear sisters while I was gone. The scripture keeps coming to my mind: "Trust in the Lord with ALL thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths."

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