I'm alive and well!

 November 25, 2013

(Josh hand wrote a letter and had someone take a picture of it and send it to us to send out to everyone. He and his companion cannot leave their house yet as they are still recuperating from Dengue fever and they can't risk getting it a third time. So they will be there until they are reassigned, which we are told should be early this week. Thank you all for your prayers for him.  We'll see where they send him this time.)

Hey guys!

So this week I have learned so much with all the time I have had.  I finished the Book of Mormon again, read about a year’s worth of Liahonas, and learned about 10 hymns on the violin and learned to play the ukulele!!  I sorta knew how to play the violin before but I don’t really know where I learned to play like I can???  It’s weird!  I was just watching Elder Soto play for awhile, and then after that I played everything he played.  And then I opened up the hymnbook and could play those, too!!  Elder Soto doesn’t believe I only took lessons for a year in 6^th grade!  The Lord has blessed me with a gift to use in my time of boredom!!  When I get home, I hope I won’t lose it!! This gift could have an expiration date!!  Either way, it’s weird but I love it!!

        

         I’m alive and well but still can’t leave the house.  So lame!! That’s why I’m writing like this. Hopefully I will be off to a new country in a day or so!!  Love you all!! 

Elder Dennis

Reasigned

November 24, 2013

Elder Dennis ha sido reasignado a la misión Texas Houston South.  El viajará a esa misión el día Lunes 2/Diciembre.

 

Out of the Hospital

November 19, 2013

Hello e Dennis get out from the hospital yesterday! They need a week of rest, before any physical activity. They are doing fine, Prest will contact you to talk about what will happen.
Sincerely
Hermana C

Update

November 17, 2013

Hello!! Today elder Deniss plaquetas 115!!! Maybe your letters were magic for him😊 will keep you informed.
Hermana C

Hospital

They like their nice room with a/c. They will be ok.
Hermana C

Note from Josh

November 16, 2013

Hello Everyone,

Attached is Josh's letter to everyone for this week. His mission president took a picture of it with his I-pad at the hospital and sent it to us.  Also attached is a picture. They say he's looking much better and is in good spirits. He's not pale anymore and the fevers have stopped. He will still have to be in the hospital until his platelet levels come up to normal, but he does look good. Thank you all for your prayers; they are working. We really appreciate them!

Hospital

November 16, 2013

Right now, he looks much much better, not pale and in good spirits! We are so happy!!

Elder Dennis in the Hospital

 November 15, 2013

Here's the latest update.  His platelets went down really low, but hopefully they will continue to come up. Sounds like his companion is not sick anymore.  I hope it won't take him long to fully recover.  I've read some people's experiences in which it's taken weeks or longer to get their energy back. 

Tell everyone there hello for us!  Love you!!

Good afternoon President and Sister Dennis, here is an uptade on elder Dennis health:
His plaquetas went down to 42, and white cells to 2,200
Yesterday his plaquetas came up to 54, and today they drop again to 49, his white cells today were 9,000
Since the virus its still in his system this is normal, he does not have fevers anymore and looks good, doctor said it will take a few more days in the hospital until his plaquetas come up to 150, his doing fine and elder Oliva is taking good care of him. Tomorrow will visit him.
Thats for today, hope you are doing fine in the mission.
Love,
Hermana C

Josh has Dengue Fever

November 14, 2013

Hello everyone,

I don't know if all of you have heard yet that Josh is in the hospital with his second case of Dengue fever. We didn't know he had it in September because he didn't tell us. But because it's worse each time you get it, this time he and his companion (who also has it) had to be hospitalized and they were just transferred a few days ago to San Salvador to the best hospital in the country because Josh's platelet levels dropped quite a bit. He has to have IVs to replace the fluid levels in his body as well as drink 6 liters of water a day. It seems he wasn't drinking enough because he didn't like the taste of the water, but they've convinced him that he won't recover very fast unless he drinks lots.  We talked to him Monday night on the phone for awhile and he sounds good.  His Spanish is great!  He's sad because he was going to be a trainer and because he loves his mission and doesn't want to have to leave. But because of the risk of dangerous complications (internal bleeding) if he gets Dengue a third time, it looks like he will have to be reassigned to a mission where Dengue isn't a problem.  Both he and his companion will have to be moved.  But that is better than having to go home as one of the sister missionaries in his district had to do and who is still in the hospital. Even though he's very sad about it, he has a very good attitude and trusts the Lord.

His president wrote us with an update on his health a couple of days ago and sent a picture which I put up on Facebook. He told us Josh is an excellent missionary, very hard-working and obedient, always willing to do whatever he is asked and that he has a great heart.  He will do well wherever he goes, but hopefully he continues to be able to work among the very poor who he has come to love so much because he can feel the Lord's great love for them.

Please continue to pray for him and for his companion, Elder Oliva.  I know he feels those prayers.  We will let you know what happens.  Hopefully he is able to e-mail from the hospital tomorrow, but if he can't, you will know why.

Thank you so much for your love and support for Josh.  Our family really appreciates it!

Anette Dennis 

we found a golden investigator!!

November 8

this week was awesome!!! first off

service! we went to cut the lawn of the primary president and we got there and found out that we had to do it with machettes!! haha that was fun!!! 

we found a golden investigator!!! first lesson he accepted to be baptised and he already has 2 church attendances!!! soo cool!!!

this week we also had a really cool experience for which im soo gratful to be on a mission!!! 

this guy named m---- found us and we went and taught him and he started crying in the middle of the lesson begging us to help him stop drinking and holy cow the most powerful lesson i have ever experienced!!! he came to church!! he didnt have money for the bus so he walked!!! after he went home inviting everyone to come with him!!! this morning he came to our house and brought someone he said needed our help!!!! he brought this guy who was just crying and saying that he felt soo alone!! he doesnt have any family or a house!!! it was a cool experience!!! this guy is being a missionary for our church and he isnt even a memeber yet!! he is aawesome!!! i gave the guy he brought a blessing and after he said that he didnt feel sad anymore!!! 

bad news my comp has dengue again

good news im training this next change!!! soo stoked!!! little bit nervous!! i dont feel ready but obviously the lord thinks im ready!!! 

love you alll!!!

This week was great!!!

November 1

hey everyone!!!

This week was great!!! E---- came to church again!!! he has sich a desire to follow christ and do what is right!!! he is soo excited for his baptism!!! the only problem is he has a super bad addiction to alcohol!!! he has been drinking for like 40 years!!! its super bad!!! he used to get drunk everyday but since we have been teaching him he has stopped drinking a lot and only been drinking a tiny bit so that his stomach doesnt hurt!!! he is super addicted but he is progressing!!! This week we had a super cool activity at mutual where we set up a representation of the plan of salvation!!! we set up an airplane simulation and everyone dies in it and then moves through the different steps of the plan of salvation!!! it was super cool!!! 12 non-members came so we got some good references!!! this week we also had our 2nd Multi Zone conference in 2 weeks!! i have learned soooo much about how to make our efforts show more results and how to plan better!!! its great!! we have started doing some new things that really help a lot!!! it is sweet!!!  

sorry this week is going to be short because i forgot to plan on what i was going to write about this week!! oh well!! we have 2 baptismal dates lined up so november will be great!! hopefully we can get people into the gates of heaven!!! 

love you all!!! thanks for all your prayers love and support!!! 

-Elder Dennis