Eternal life is in a bowl of cereal

Bula Vinaka Family!!

haha everytime i say that here I still think of Dad running around the house saying bula bula bula haha. Well I hope everything is going well with you in Hawaii. It's still hard to believe that you are living there. I don't even know where to tell people I'm from anymore! haha. But saying I am from Hawaii would give a haole girl some street cred in Fiji. Apparently some of the areas I go to some of the children have never seen a kai palagi so I will definitely stand out. Thanks so much for the letters and emails! I will try and fill you in on what's been going on. The doctor called your phone because I had the fracture (which you already know) but I had a lot of tissue damage and still could BARELY walk even after a month so he wanted to send me to a specialist to see what was wrong. So I got there and he basically said not so good. I always try to sound optimistic, but there is still a VERY good chance I will be delayed. They will most likely tell me tomorrow. So at the specialist he basically said I have 10 days to be able to walk better or it means I tore muscles and would definitely need an MRI and probably even surgery. Which is not what I wanted to hear. He was kind of leaning towards an MRI on that day but I told him no. Give me a week and I will be walking. If not, at least I tried my hardest and there is nothing I can do about it. So this week was a hard week. It never really occured to me that I might really not get to go. I always thought that if I prayed enough, and had enough faith, that I WOULD be healed in time. So the process has been slow. Every day I get a little bit better, can walk a little bit farther, can walk with a little bit less of a limp, do a little more rehab. It has definitely taught me to be patient in all things.  Grant was the nicest brother ever because he knew I was having a really hard day this week, not just because of my foot and the news, but because my elder's are difficult to deal with sometimes, and so he suprised me by having his entire district write me really nice letters and pictures and Grant sent my favorite Dove dark chocolate in the mail box so one day I got 12 letters and everyone was so suprised!! It really made my week. It was really unexpected.Well, since being here I guess I notice the smaller things alot more.  Partly because I can't move very much, but partly because everyday is pretty much the same here so you look for things that are different.  For example, things that weren't funny before the mission now just seem funny. Like the cereal in the MTC cafeteria says "eternal life" instead of just "life".  Or people make jokes involving scripture references. Or yesterday when I was doing some bike rehab in the gym and a group of guys were reciting D &C 4 military style while they were running around the track.  Or that people make up dances because they are so excited its "P-day eve". The most ridiculous one is everytime we watch the Testaments on Sunday and the characters kiss everyone whistles and claps. Onely in the MTC I swear. I also joked around with the girls that were in our dorm saying quotes from Nacho Libre or doing funny voices. Our room is pretty quiet now that the four of them left for their English speaking missions. Its really cool how you can meet so many people here and be instantly friends. For example my companion Sister Amituanai going to Samoa and I are really good friends. She said for sure I can visit her in Australia after the mission. She is so funny sometimes! 

Well, nothing too new happened this week. I had to play the piano in Sacrament meeting even with my bad foot so that was a little interesting.  I'm also getting alot better at teaching which is good. I love being here because it has taught me so much! I know that I will be a better person because of it. I love that I get to share what makes me happy with other people. This week when I was waiting in the hospital room, this lady came up to me and started talking to me because she saw my nametag. She then asked if my parents made me come on a mission. I laughed a little and said "of couse not!! It was compeltley my own choice! haha" she seemed suprised.

Well anyways I hope everything is good. Good luck in school Tucker!!

Love Sister Longley