The good news is that I'm better! I finished my second round of
antibiotics as well as the steroid and the bronchitis seems to
officially be gone! (Knock on wood!) I spent most of the week totally
exhausted though and everyone made me keep resting. So on Tuesday I
convalesced at a member's house and she made me some yummy soup and
gave me more vitamin C. I also had my follow up appointment that day.
In the meantime, Sister Baker went to work in Pasadena with both
Pasadena sisters. So Sister Salisbury was my companion and the Sister
Lund was my companion because she's the one that picked me up and
brought me to the hospital in Glendale. The rest of the week I rested
and then started doing planning type things and making calls and what
not.
On Wednesday we were on exchanges again so that I could rest, this
time with the South Pas sisters. And I got a surprise visitor! We hear
a knock on the door (which has been happening frequently with people
bringing me food as well as the apartment manager coming to look at
our poor shower wall). So I open the door and Sister Fjeldsted is
standing there! I just about died with happiness. Haha. She is moving
in with her aunt in San Clemente which is only about an hour and a
half away from here. So she dropped in to pick up some stuff she left.
It was so nice to see her, especially since I've been so down lately
because of being so sick and so weak. So that was wonderful.
I actually went out somewhere on Saturday though.
Which is where the bad news comes in. I think I wrote before about the
lady that we are helping to reactivate who has a mom with Parkinson's
that was able to come to the primary program with her nurse. Well
Saturday morning we got got a text from the bishop's wife telling us
that Janice died on Thursday. At first I was just kind of in shock.
And I didn't want to make a fuss or anything, so we kept going with
companion study. But then I started to say something about whatever we
had just read I Preach My Gospel, and I just started bawling. I cried
for 5/10 minutes, re-composed myself and then started calling people
to drive us over to see how Susan was doing.
I haven't seen Susan since Sister Fjeldsted's last week because of me
being sick and everything. Last Thursday we stopped by and it was just
Janice and her nurse home, so we said hello to Janice and asked her if
she wanted us to read to her (usually when we go over and Susan wasn't
there, we would read a chapter or two in the Book of Mormon to Janice,
sing her a song and say a prayer and then go. We started doing that
because Janice asked us to read to her one night when we went over.)
she said no. Which was a first. So I just gave her a hug, said "I love
you and I'll see you later" and we left. That's the last time I saw
Janice. It was a huge blessing though 1. because I got to see her once
more before she passed, and 2. because the bishops wife was with us
that night, which meant that she knew to tell us about her passing
away. Otherwise we may not have found out until much later and we
needed to know first.
So we got dropped off over there (because no one is letting me bike
yet, which is probably smart, but I miss it!). Susan was on the porch.
We walked up and I just gave her a huge hug. She kind of whispered "do
you know?" So I told her yes and explained that Janice's active
brother called Bishop to let him know and so I found out through
Sister Christensen. It was perfect because honestly guys, me and
Sister Fjeldsted are pretty much all she's got I'm realizing. Her
daughter and grandson (who has been meeting with missionaries in
Carpinteria) were there and her non member boyfriend was there, but
we're pretty much Susan's only friends as well as the only people that
had even seen Janice recently, let alone went to visit her
specifically and spend time with her.
So we just talked to Susan and her daughter for a while. Susan wants
me and Sister Fjeldsted to sit at the funeral and I'm quite positive
that Sister Baker and I will be very involved in the funeral
arrangement process. We are pretty much Susan's only connection to the
ward besides her very faithful home teacher, so we are her connection
point to the ward members who will be vital in arranging everything
for the funeral. It will be held out the ward building; that's what
Janice wanted. So much of my time in he coming weeks will probably be
helping Susan and trying to find time to practice singing with Sister
Fjeldsted (who I obviously am still refusing to call by her first
name, haha). Which works out because I'm still having to kind of take
things easy as much as possible because my body is so weakened. We're
going to bike to and from the library later though, so we'll see how
that goes! I'm so excited! I just want to be out and working again!
But yeah, the whole thing with Janice had been kind of hard on me. I
absolutely loved her and will miss her sweet spirit. But I am happy
for her. She must be much happier now. She was so aware of the
horrible condition that she was in and it just broke my heart. So she
is in a much better place now and having a blast I'm sure.
Anyway, I love you all so much! Thank you so much for all of the
prayers on my behalf!
~Sister Kretchman
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