Week 33 - Finally some answers

They did it. They really did it. they found the problem. turns out, I just have bacterial infection all over my lower intestines! I was so excited ahhaha. We took quite a lot of time in different hospital places, and  one lady said prior to my x-rays I had to drink all of this stuff... I said, "Does it result in rapid bowel movement?" Why yes it does. NOOOOOOO! We walked out of there and I told my companion I didn't know if I could do it, and this flavor was supposed to be gritty and chalky. Miracle though! As I went out of the hospital the lady called and said never mind, come back we will use an IV instead. How grateful I was, she may never know. The only sad news, is that I left my antibiotics on Guam...
     I'm back on Yap. Which is weird, I'm not healthy yet but I'm the zone leader here with my companion Elder Jones (who was in the MTC district with me) We are in south, Weloy, which is an area neither of us have been in. We changed houses too which just happens to be a rather nice house, with washer and dryer! We are going to work really hard on our Yapese and try to become masters by the end of this transfer. We have a Yap day coming up next week which is a cultural celebration therefore, with all the lack of clothing, RED ZONE. Everybody here goes shirtless that day apparently, even the white people. That is March 1st so we will see what happens.

         Update on Elder Queroga - Transfers came at the end of last week but he is in good hands with his new companion Elder Owens. Before I left Guam we were able to go shopping and buy clothes for my companion to replace those ruined or lost in the accident.   We, bought him a pair of shoes (since he lost those after getting hit),  2 pair of pants, 2 dress shirts,  a tie, and a belt. After several purchases at our third store we had the card get declined while walking out of Ross which was awkward. Luckily we had other funds and were able to take care of it.                                 Elder Queroga is thankful for all the prayers in his behalf and we have truly seen miracles as he is able to walk, see and start teaching again. I can tell you out of of all the things we will miss it won't be the bikes!              I'm Gonna miss Guam Zone. They are a good zone and I really love having so many missionaries around for things and places to go and see. My district up North will stay strong, and probably won the Facebook competition for the past week cause they are so good. And also Elder Nascimento and Elder Wright are really good elders that I will miss hanging out with. 

Elder Nascimento talented in so many areas

Goodbye for now friends in North District 

                   

The truth is, the Lord gives a lot of variety in experiences. Sure we could just stay in one awesome place in life but we get sent from awesome place to awesome place. Trust the Lord and lean not unto thine own understanding. Even when, you think your understanding could be pretty good hahaha have a great week - Elder George

                                  

Week 32 - Hit by a Drunk Driver

    Thank you everyone for your support, this week was really hard. Monday I really just was in pain, and I was scared I was going to go home because they couldn't figure out the problem with my stomach. I prayed a lot, because if that's where I needed to be then I guess I would go. But, I really wanted to stay. My mission president said as long as I can handle this he would let me serve. Yes, we are still watching symptoms but they are minor and I feel will subside eventually. 

     So it was hard to begin cause I didn't know how I felt about my situation. But Elder Queroga and I wanted to go full throttle. Biking everyday, teaching everyday, regardless of our sicknesses. So we did, and it was amazing. We taught many, we found many people and hopefully helped someone. Then came the weekend.....(cont. at the bottom of the blog)

           I thought, "this guy is gonna kill us" and I swerved hard left into the brush and I remember my arm brushing the side of the car and then my back tire got clipped and I sorta jumped and rolled on the grass. As I turned I was initially ticked, but then I heard that movie car crash noise behind me... 

Elder Queroga is in a lot of pain, yet he does not complain or blame the driver.
He is happy to be alive and be serving his mission. 

The next day we returned to the scene of the accident to pick
up what was left of my companion's mangled bike. It was gone.
We also noticed the car's tires had all been stolen too. I guess it
doesn't pay to drink and drive. On a happier note Elder Queroga
said, "Oh look there is my missing shoe!"

     

            Elder Queroga "the tank" who won in the battle "bike vs car" and President Hicks. 

  

The name badge that protected his heart.
He's so strong, and a miracle. We looked back at these
crazy things that saved or protected him. I found his
name tag in the grass, and it had burned through the
plastic and smeared off the lettering. I also looked at
where his shirt was torn and where his chest wound
started. It started from the pocket, and his name badge
 took the first impact before it was flung and left his chest
wound very shallow. We brought Elder Queroga's kitty to
 to stay with him and keep him company while he heals.

See cut above the pocket

P-day Breakfast after a long long weekend. Thank you
 Pres and Sister Hicks for taking such good care of  us. 

Sister Hicks said, "It’s a busy morning at the mission home! Since today is P-Day, the Guam Zone Elders spent the night at the mission home last night. They all wanted to stay here with Elder Queroga, who was injured in an accident. I woke up at 6:00 a.m. to find them playing basketball, eating breakfast, doing laundry, calling their families.... what great young men!"

    

The Chuuk Zone is sending love to Elder Queroga! 
This mission is filled with amazing missionaries!

Blain O'Neal, my legendary friend from 1st transfer who found
the church by following a raven is working for baptism soon.

So many Sisters and Elders to keep track of.

P-Day Corn-hole 2020 Tournament at the mission home!

Competition was tough.... but we were determined!

Guam Zone Corn-hole 2020 Tournament Champions
— Elder George and Elder Tacbobo!
We won 30 candy bars for Elder Queroga! 🏆

(We got hit! cont...) 
     Then came the weekend.....Saturday we left the house at 3. At 8:20 after knocking our last door we decided we better start biking home. Asked, "what are we gonna eat tonight?" "Oh we got spam and rice and ramen" we were so excited and hungry! We were biking fast past dogs and just talking about food and how sore our legs were. 
     Then we get a call from the Dededo North Elders and they tell us they have pizza. Elder Queroga was so excited for pizza, then I told them we didn't wanna bike home and it'd be a miracle if they wanted to pick us up. They said see you soon. 
     Two minutes later we pass Kaelas Mart and start biking up the hill. There's a grass trail next to the road that we bike on and this was unusual but Elder Queroga usually goes in front of me because he's the faster biker but he slightly braked at the top of the hill to let me go in front. As we start picking up speed down hill I see this car coming fast, like really fast towards us. As it got closer it passed the white line and aimed itself directly at us. I thought, "this guy is gonna kill us" and I swerved hard left into the brush and I remember my arm brushing the side of the car and then my back tire got clipped and I sorta jumped. As I turned I was initially ticked, but I heard that movie car crash noise behind me. 
     I just remember screaming Elder Queroga and sprinting towards him. I stumbled, a little dizzy. His bike was destroyed and had flown 30 ish feet behind him. He was unconscious on his back and wasn't recognizable, and even now it didn't seem real cause that just doesn't happen. 
     The driver is walking towards us saying, "It's not his fault, it's just dark!" I tossed my phone to him telling him to call 911. I put my head to his chest and his heart wasn't beating. My first thought was give him a blessing and as I laid my hands on his head the guy was asking me questions and I was telling him to be quiet. Elder Queroga started breathing (kinda) and I undid his shirt and tie to see where he was bleeding. He had a wound over his heart to shoulder area, abrasion on his neck and I was scared for his whole head. I took off my tie and tied it around his chest to close the cut. There was just so much blood, and his eye... Sorry for details. I took off my shirt and started applying pressure to the chest and head area carefully until the cop and ambulances arrived. 
     Everything just happened so fast, he only remembers waking up in the ambulance. We just rushed to the ER (the elders who were coming to get us, arrived 3 minutes after we got hit, they called president, and took me and threw by my bike in the trunk.) When we got to the ER the policeman explained the driver was arrested for DUI. The doctors called President and me back when my companion could speak. The saddest part for me was while he was in shock, he thought it was his fault. He just kept telling me sorry, sorry I didn't see it. But he'd done nothing wrong. 
     It was bad, the doctors said that he'd have sever head trauma, possibly lose his left eye, his leg might take a while to heal. We walked out and President said his mission was over. I wanted to cry, he had so many dreams about the mission. It'd take him months to come back. We went back again and gave him a blessing. President said he would stay with him over night and we could switch him out in the morning. 
     That night was hard. I just kept running it through my head, it could have been me if he'd just gone first. If we'd just waited, if I had just said something. I hardly slept, but I had a dream that night where he was in a wheelchair. He turned to me and said he was okay, that he was gonna be fine and that president said he could stay and serve his mission. I was very confused because that's not what I had seen the night before. 
     Well at 6 am we were back, and President says that Elder Queroga is gonna be okay. That he won't have to go home, that he didn't break anything, (no broken bones) his eye is good and he can see, he's all stitched up and will be wheeled out in a wheelchair for us to take him home...
     He's so strong, and a miracle. We looked back at these crazy things that saved or protected him. I found his name tag in the grass, and it had burned through the plastic and smeared off the lettering. Well I also looked at where his shirt was torn and where his chest wound started. It started from the pocket, and his name badge took the first impact before it was flung and left his chest wound very shallow. His helmet? If he hadn't been wearing it he would have died on impact. Only one of us was hit, not both and I feel that it would have broken me. President and Sister Hicks were on our island, and the other Elders got there to alert them because we had been on the phone with them minutes before. He didn't break anything, yet he smashed the whole car window in a head on collision at 50 mph. and in hours he walked out of there. 
     We spent the next night at the mission home with all the elders staying over for Elder Queroga. And he is so funny about all of it, not the slightest bit angry or upset. Quotes from him, "where are my pants? Oh they got rid of those.... What about the key? Oh don't worry they got that. How's the area are the people okay? Yes don't worry the people are fine. Man there's gonna be a Guam news report car vs. Bike who will win? My face really hurts, and I'm really hungry" he is a champ. 
     Don't ask why do bad things happen to good people, I feel it is a really poor question. It is a negative perspective, and that's not what we should look for. There were so many miracles that happened, and you might just say that it all could have been prevented but it's what we do when these things happen and how we react that matters. 
     Elder Queroga is in a lot of pain, yet he does not complain or blame the driver. He is happy to be alive and be serving his mission. Ironically that morning he told me when he woke up he had a lame dream where we were biking and he got hit by a car and died... then said later after all that happened, "But I didn't die." 
     No matter the circumstances, choose to be happy. Choose to serve, choose to enjoy and love experience. 
Elder George

Week 31 - Pressing Forward

      So this week was a strange week. Monday night, I had a soreness that I was warned I would have following the procedure so just stayed home.
      Wednesday morning we had breakfast, service, and lunch because MLC(missionary leadership council) was cancelled. We don't want to bring all the missionaries in from the zones with the Corona virus and all. So Guam got a lot of food.  Strangely enough, I felt full. For the first time in 2 months I felt full.
      Now everyone, this strange miracle may seem simple but if you have ever gone 2 months without feeling full after you eat, it is quite a strange feeling. I wasn't missing out on much, being full is kinda painful hahaha but I enjoyed it thinking it might go away after that day. The rest of the week we went out and taught. All day. My companion Elder Queroga did have several bathroom experiences, we don't know what his sickness is but praying he gets better.
     If you all want to know I am feeling slightly better this week. No I am not all better, but I think the colonoscopy may have reset my body. Won't put my hopes up too high yet but you should know by next week! Elder George

The mustache I got to play the villain at the fireside. Elder Nascimento played batman. Twas awesome

I called the Guam Zone out on misusing their phones. It was
 great, and they know how to use those tricky phones better  
 than before! You'd be amazed at the clever ways missionaries
would find to "fill" time with a phone.

Tuesday, I gave a tech training to the zone
 and let me just say, I love training

We are working to be unified as a zone.

The Three stages of Elder Queroga's hair cut!

Micronesia Guam Zone

Week 30 - Fifty hour fast!

That golyetely? Nasty!....I finally finished it.

Well this week wasn't too eventful but it ended with a splash! (a full account of my proceedings whilst in my time of affliction  has been kept by the records to my family, and whether they see fit to share them I know not)
     The highlight really is having my first colonoscopy and endoscopy today. They put me under and did what needed to be done (sadly I didn't wake up loopy) . The night before was much worse. That golyetely? Said it was pineapple flavored, and yes it was, but it couldn't hide its true flavor. Cup after cup...trip after trip... until at around 9 i just took the gallon jug with me to the bathroom to chug! Chug! Chug!

First ride on a gurney

     Meanwhile, no food only water and that nasty stuff. From 12 pm Saturday till 2 pm Monday I did fast. Yea, and it trieth my soul even unto much prayer and fasting and scripture study.
During this time, I wanted to spend some time in the book of Mormon. The beginning to the end, I felt glad I had the whole day to read. At home I feel that to set aside that much time would be unrealistic for me, but this was a special circumstance that gave me a unique experience.
     I took notes along the way that were thoughts that came to mind while I read. For example Jacob 1, there were no Samanites. Sure we had Lamanites, Zoramites, Ishmaelites, Lemulites, Nephites, Josephites, and Jacobites.
     Mosiah 2, this time as I imagined king Benjamin's address I thought of President Monson, and how in his last address he was much like king Benjamin. He knew what he wanted us to hear. The spirit strengthened his body to stand and bare his testimony even when he had to grip the pulpit to deliver his message. And they both served the people, with "all the faculties of their bodies and souls". I'm grateful for them, and their examples. I love the Book of Mormon, for its stories and examples. I hope we can all look to the book of mormon, and find the power it has to change us.     Elder George

Technology training.Team teaching with the sisters.

                                   

President and Sister Hicks invited us for dinner.
Unfortunate, I was on the 50 hour fast. 😢 

When we're helping we're happy...I think that's how the song goes

 

The Guam Zone Service Project - Elders and Sisters gettin' it done.

         

It was an amazing last supper burger. Just wreaks havoc on getting missionary work done.