Get down with the sickness

Which is how I feel.  This week has been bizarre, but good none the less.  But still bizarre.  And I'm glad it's over.

Well, who knows where to start.  I can start with the sickness, which, of course, I was again.  It really started with the fact that two saturdays ago I sprained my foot.  Yup, I limped around Caen for a week.  And then exchanges were this week, so I got really nervous that I would be dead weight in St Quentin with my foot; alas, I decided to call the senior missionary here who is a doctor and ask him what's what.  Well yes, I did sprain my foot.  And yes, I need to take lots of ibuprofin and ice my foot two or three times a day.  Super.  I'm so accident prone here.  WELL it gets better.  That night, during a lesson (that ended with me saying if she wasnt going to read thhe book of mormon after meeting with missionaries for several years, we were wasting each other's time), I realized that I was getting a fever.  Then during District meeting, I became certain.  We drug ourselves home from the church, my companion sick with a cold that I so generously gave her, and realized that we still had to clean our old apartment before giving the propriator the keys on wednesday, I almost cried.  I got changed quickly and we wandered over to "oldy" and started cleaning.  The elders came over to help us clean and get rid of some old things, and one of them told us that we were going to get a mini missionary next transfer.  That's when I cried for reals.  I was cleaning that STUPID toilet and realized that we would have another person sleeing on the floor (who knows where because i"m not exaggerating when I say there is no space), and another blue.  I am not ready for that.  Ugh.  We later figured out that that was his idea of a joke, and we are not getting a mini missionary (super bad timing on his part).  So i'm seriously dead here, and it's almost 9 and I still havent packed for exchanges, and I ask Sr Gappmaier when we're going to leave for the night.  And she says "when we're done."  I cried again, because there was no way we were going to finish at her pace (shes a ridiculous perfectionsist) and with me being sick.  She said fine lets go.  the rest of my night was worse.  I went to bed at 915 and woke up at 1045 with such a high fever my bed felt like it was on fire, even 20 minutes after I woke up and sat in the living room.  I woke up every hour and tried to drink some water, but everything i drank went right throughme.  It was really bad.  I had some fun feeverish hallucinations, and realized I was going to see Elder Draleau the next day, so there was no way I was calling the elder doctor twice in one day, especially if he was going to tell me that i had to stay in Caen.  So I sucked it up, cleaned for two hours the next day, went to a RDV, and took the train to Paris, where I saw (while waiting for the St Quentin Seours to show up for the switch) over HALF of my MTC GROUP!!!!  They were all there just getting back from Brussels and getting their Belge legality.  Oh I nearly died.  THey were doing SOOOO well!! I love how well they all treat me.  I saw Elder Gull and Elder Terry and said "oh I'm so happy to see You!!" and then I hear somone say "what about me?" and there was Elder Portwood standing there.  And behind Him, Elder Smith.  And behind him, Elder Burnside.  Oh it was better than Christmas.   And then, I got on a train to go see my BFF from the MTC.  It was awesome.
My whole trip to St Quentin was amazing.  I saw Elder Draleau mt first night.  I of course looked like DEATH, because on the train I started overheatin again and had no water to drink at all.  Then the busses stop running at 7 pm in ST Q (its a very very small town), so then we had to walk to this member's house to do service with the elders.  I was nearly dead when Elder D welcomed me into the house and I think I might have scared everyone when I practically collapsed on the couch.  But they got me water and, for some reason, cherries.  Then I spent the evening talking psychology with this member who used to be a counselor, and talking about missionary life/ work with elder draleau.  I'm really not a huge fan of his companion, but that's okay because my temporary companion is good buddies with him.  Then I got to see the elders again several more times the next day because we had to exchange materials, and then we saw each other on the street and took most of our dinner hour talking.  It was sooo amazing.  It was even better aith the work: all of our appointments were there, we had a boyfriend of one of our inactives listen to a lesson from the other room (cool beans) and found someone interested in the gospel while doing some contacting.  It was just a good misionary day.

Caen has been having some opposition.  There is opposition in all things, I know.  Well, we've been feeling it here in Caen.  The elders are acting weird again, and our ami with a baptism date had a melt down during our lesson (which she rescheduled three times-- that's really unlike her).  We were trying to teach the loi de chastité, which she has been taught like 5 times, and she was being ORNERY.  I didn't get it.  She kept saying things like "yeah, but..."  But what????  Well, she finally said what she thought about the law of chastity-- that it's okay to sleep with someone but not sleep around like a hooker.  I didn't know what to say.  SHe's supposed to get baptised in a month, and she still hasn't kicked her live in boyfriend out.  I testified that the law of chastity is for everyone, not just slutty women, and that if heavenly Father says it's what we need to do, then it's what we need to do.  Then she had a break down and told us that God abandoned her this week, and she didnt do anything wrong.  Why are there these trials in her life if she's doing what's right??  If her family is happy, then she'll be happy, she tells us, and that's all she wants out of life.  Oh man, I do NOT know what to do.  SO I sat there and cried with her (I cried a lot this week), and told her that the lesson to learn now is patience.  She said "I've done nothing wrong!  I've been praying for God to be with me, but He's not!"  We told her that Joseph Smith felt the same way.  We read the scriptures where Jospeh asks the Lord "Oh God, where art thou?".  I think it helpd, but only time will tell.  Satan has been working very hard on this poor woman.
On the other hand, the happy side of opposition, Yan is still progressing! We taught her the Word of Wisdom, and she accepted it!  I love how she accepts truth.  She said it would be hard, but she can tell it will be worth it.  Yes, Yan.  it will be.  And she came to church!!  She sat through all 3 hours and said she really really liked it, even though it got a little long at the end (we had the first speaker take like 40 minutes-- punk-- so we went past time).  She cant wait to come back.  She says she is converting and it makes me soo happy.

A funny side note: my SNCF (the french version of amtrak) reduction card has me named Kathleen Kacey.  when the woman read my driveer's license, I guess Kacey is never used as a name here, so she thought it was my last name.  Funny.  Kathleen Kacey.  Teehee.

Well the time is far spent.  there are other things to do.  Like go to the H&M down the street from my house.  I love you all.  Transfers are next week.  I'm probably staying in Caen, but who knows... maybe I'll get to move.

Okay... I love You SOOOOOOOOO much.

Love Kacey


PS-- MARK- I love your emails, but you better not think that will suffice.  I'm expecting a real live letter one of these days.  I just sent you one this last week, so now you really owe me.

MOM AND DAD- I sent a letter last week, and Im sending a small package with prezzies in it today, so look for them.  I have ZERO idea how long it will take