Missionary update

For all those interested I thought I would give a quick update on the very special missionaries in my life....my mom, my dad and my sister!

I just got a message that my parents visa's are in for Mongolia! All the fretting about if they would be delayed, how long they would be delayed, if they would have a mission call change, etc is over! They are in fact going to Mongolia. All I can think is that they have some very important work to do over there! As of right now, they are scheduled to fly out of Salt Lake a week from Sunday--August 22. What an adventure this next 18 months will be for all of us. I can't lie, I will miss them horribly. Even the past week since they've been in the MTC has been a bit of an adjustment since I can't just call and talk to them whenever I want, and I still have been able to talk to them a few times! But I know they are needed in Mongolia more than I need them right now, and I also know that our entire family will be blessed for their service and sacrifice! Please keep them in your prayers as they prepare for the very long journey to Mongolia and as they serve the Lord for the next year and a half.

Kristin is not doing well health wise. She has been transferred to a new area and is with a new companion that she just loves. However, she had to have emergency oral surgery last week. Somehow she got an infection in her jaw and the infection just continued to spread down her entire jawline. I guess she finally went in to the Dr/Dentist and he was worried the infection would go down to her windpipe and cut her breathing off. She has been in a great deal of pain from the surgery. From what I understand she had to have her entire jaw cut open and she had horrible infection cleaned out down her entire jaw-line as well. The pain medication they gave her is not working well either so she is really struggling.
On top of this, she is having some fairly severe stomach issues. She is going in for a stomach scope and ultrasound on Wednesday to find out what is going on, but the Dr. is pretty sure it's either gallbladder, pancreatitis or ulcers, but they haven't been able to determine which one.

Kristin is loving her companion (Sister Stoehr), and she loves her new ward as well. They are having wonderful success, but she is discouraged at the moment because she simply doesn't feel good and she is in a lot of pain. Please please, keep her in your prayers. From personal experience, it is SO hard to be sick when you are a missionary. There is nothing quite as discouraging as not being able to do what is expected of you, and feeling guilty for it...though I think she and her companion are staying pretty busy despite everything!

So, that is the update for now. I know there are a few of you who read this that know my family, and I also like to have a little journal to look back on--and this blog is the best thing I have since I am a horrible journal writer!