This Little Piggy Went to the Doctor????

Elder C INSISTED that I go see a doctor! I finally decided this week to give in and go see a doctor about my ingrown toenail. I decided to call a member and ask her for a referral if she knew of any good doctors. She quickly gave me the number of her family doctor and I called and set up a redezvous with her for the very next day at 12. Elder C and I were very surprised that she could see me so soon. She told me that before coming in I would need to take belladona and a sulfer medicine. Both I didn't recognize. We ran to the pharmacy which was just across the street and got the belladona but the other I would need to come in the next day to pick it up. I immediately took the belladona and I'm not sure if it was a side effect or what but I got a normal head cold soar throat, eyes watering and nose running immediately the next morning before the appointment.

We went to the appointment prepared to get a little operation on my toe done. Once we arrived we knocked on the door and a doctor answered in a lab coat with nice furry boots on that normally a 15 year old girl would wear to high school. I decided not to judge her-- maybe this doctor was different than all the other testimonies of missionaries with scissors left in them, infections coming from the surgeons etc. So we walked in and sat down she had a diploma or something like any other normal doctor on her wall that said her name and underneath Homeopath. I had remembered hearing that word before but I couldn't figure out when or where or why. Quickly there after she started asking me questions like... Are you stressed? Are you worried about your future? etc and I quickly realized I was giving the first lesson that God is our loving Heavenly Father and I find peace from keeping the commandments of God etc and really just bearing testimony to this doctor about the love of God. After about 15 min of this, I asked her if she would like to see my toe and she said yes. While I was pulling off my shoe and sock, she pulled out a HUGE medical book and started reading. Ingrown toenails often caused by extreme amounts of anger, stress and anxiety. My colleague Elder C is a really big joker and quite a few times he would play along with her and have to stop himself from bursting out laughing. It was as though I was in a dream a surreal moment. She then proceeed to do normal doctor things aka checking ears, mouth, nose a little pat here on the back a little push there on the intestines etc then after a few minutes of that she pushed on my toe causing quiet a bit of pain and then asked me while pushing my toe tell me what thoughts come to your mind when I do this? I almost lost it but said simply pain. After that she continued to prescribe plants and herbs for me to take etc it was a little out of hand. I then said to myself, there is no way I am going to fill this prescription.
But wait the TOE STORY continues...

I then said to my comp I am never going to see a doctor here ever again and he rationalized persuaded and exhorted me that I just had to. We then realized that Irving our investigator, who is from Mexico, who we were going to see, was a doctor. Throughout his rendezvous I didn't want to bring it up but I knew Elder C was and did. Throughout the rendezvous I still had my head cold with eyes watering. nose running. and soar throat despite this things it was a miraculous meeting and he came to church for the first time yesterday. After we had closed the meeting, he asked me if I wanted a vitamin C for my cold and I willingly accepted Elder C could not help but bring up my toe and next thing you know Irving who is a legitimate MD doctor started poking my toe etc He pulled out a prescription and wrote some medication down. He really encouraged me to go right then to get the prescription and go to the hospital and get it removed.

We had a rendezvous so it was not possible. Later that night we got the prescription and went home to call old investigators and everyone to come to church for Sunday I popped the allotted pill and started working. Quickly thereafter, I started feeling really weird... like really really weird. Like I was in the movie Horton hears a who weird. My colleague tells me later that I started saying things like... I feel like the world is dancing should I dance with it... and all sorts of really weird things. Elder C then laid me down in bed and started doing some research on the medicine I just took. He found that I had just taken really extreme pain killer medication. We then made the connection that Irving thought that my eyes watering were not from my head cold but rather the pain from my in grown toe nail and therefore thought I was really in extreme pain.

There will probably be another chapter of this toe nail story next week because my collegue is persistent in getting me into the doctor to get it cut off.

In other news, I went on an exchange to Nimes this week and really got to work cleaning their apartment and organizing there ward list and less actives part member families etc it was tons of fun. I really have found a joy in organization and helping the ward be more organized with their ward list. We gave a blessing to a ward member who is a professional rugby player in the ward here in Montpellier from Fiji. It was great definetly a challenge to do it in English.

Directly after that the soeur missionaries called us telling us that one of the soeurs has a sprained ankle we went over right than and gave her a blessing in french which was much easier.

I love being a missionary! The Lord has really used Elder C and I this past week and we both feel the satisfaction and joy that comes from being the instruments of the Lord.
Love,
Elder G

Video to Watch

Please check out this great video today. I loved watching it.

http://lds.org/pages/power-of-god?lang=eng

Elder Garlock

Street Singing

I wish I had more time to elaborate all of this weeks crazy events but in a nutshell...

I think I found out how to pay for my new suit... (Just Kidding :))

This week with the other missionaries, we are contacting all together. With 7 missionaries it's pretty effective and can get crowded so I learned Amazing Grace and Nearer My God to Thee on the guitar and I play that for hours literally--- hours on end and improvise my lyrics about the people walking by in French, English and Arabic :) so far over 20 euros have been offered to me in change... but I always reject it and give them a brochure instead. It has been an awesome experience!!

The people-- Catholics particularly, recognize Nearer My God to Thee and start singing it with me while walking down the road. In fact, one man stopped me mid belt and told me to start over!!! I did. Then he sang with me all 4 verses!! As he left, he said the Lord's prayer. It was quite the experience.

Speaking of prayer, we had a rendezvous with a man from Martinique who loves the bongos and decided he really, really, really wanted to play bongos during our prayer to bring the spirit more fully it was great.

We went to Lyon this past week for zone council. The group of missionaries and the president just make it the coolest spirit and atmosphere.

I wish I was capable of writing more eloquently to describe daily events and experiences and the profound love that I have for my eternal family!
love,
Elder Garlock

Transfers...but not for me!

6 months in Montpellier and almost 1 year in the same zone! I love this awesome warm climate! OOOO YAAAAA! Montpellier will also be receiving 3 sistars yes in deed 3! Meaning there will be a total of 7 missionaries to 1 ward which is the largest ratio in the mission! I'm thinking the Lord kept me here to be the grandpa in the ville. Full of wisdom with the buses, trams and neighborhoods.

I was meditating today about this past year of 2011 and really thought if someone were to walk up to me right now and say in the first 10 months of being in a foreign country you need to be fluent in the language and be the best french speaker out of your companionship and not only that but also teach to others the MOST important thing they will ever encounter in their lives effectively. I would have laughed and continued to watch sports center :)

I decided for 2012 it's the GRATEFUL YEAR oooo ya! Gratitude all around! On a serious noteI am very grateful for the scriptures, prayer and the chance each week to take the sacrament. These three vehicles have really helped me receive the Spirit of God and follow its prompting whisper, anchoring my decisions in order to guide me closer to our Heavenly Father.

There weren't very many members at church on Christmas or New years eve so we have been singing for sacrament meeting and passing the sacrament. I Love serving!

love,

--
Elder Garlock