Surgery and recovery in Bratislava

Elder Ferrell didn't write yet today but we spoke with him by telephone and he indicated to us that his surgery went well.  His spirits were high as he expressed his desire to get back out on the streets.  He wants everyone to know that he is enjoying every minute of his mission and he encourages those vascillating over the decision to go or not, that he is loving what he is doing.  We will speak to him again in about 3 weeks on Mother's day.  He said that President McConkie spent the entire day with him before, during and after his surgery.  We greatly appreciate the president taking time from his busy schedule to be mother and father to our son.  After surgery, Preston was advised by the medical team to stay overnight in the hospital but declined.  Pres. McConkie helped him to the car and drove him back to his apartment.  He was supposed to return to the hospital the next day to remove a chest tube.  When he writes this week, we will post his letter.  Until then, I hope you like some of the photos that Sister Jones posted last week in her blog.  We have greatly appreciated Sister Jones, (see her blog, "Liahona, guide me home") who has been in the same district with Elder Ferrell for his entire mission.  This has allowed us to receive twice the news and many more photos of Elder Ferrell, his companions, and his districts.  We wonder where they will be transferred (together) to next.

Here is his letter:

Well, this week went by rather quickly actually, I spent a lot of time resting so that was probably the main reason for it, but it was cool. The beginning of the week we worked pretty hard so that we could make up for the rest of the week which we knew wouldn't be as amazing, but unfortunately the week was pretty slow because it rained mostly the whole time. The two days that it didn't rain was of course Wednesday and Thursday, the 2 days where I was completely inside all day and Elder Boysen was gone to Prague. I wound up going outside after around  1 on Friday and we did some light contacting, it was fine and it kind of wiped me out. I kept getting calls from President and Sister Mcconkie and them telling me to take it easy and go to sleep whenever I wanted.  It was rather funny. Elder Boysen's birthday was on Friday so he got a lazy day for a present, and then I also had saved the cake mix and the frosting that Taylor sent me and we made that together for Elder Boysen's birthday and he loved it, he ate half the pan by himself haha. I think he had a good birthday. At least I hope that he did.  But I mean how good can it be when you're on a mission by yourself.   It's rewarding work but the holidays just kind of suck.  They just don't feel like holidays, it's really funny though, and really fun with a group of missionaries as big as the one that we have in Bratislava. We haven't gotten the car yet, but we will be getting it this week-end and then I'm currently working on getting my license taken care of, they had everything except 2 pictures with my signature because one of the pictures was lost, but I sent it today. So it should be in the works here soon  and then I'll be able to drive with Elder Boysen because he just got his license last thursday.

So, as far as my surgery here is everything about it. I went to the hospital Wednesday morning at 7:30. President Mcconkie came down with his wife and children because they had Progression training for the new missionaries in Brno on Thursday. I only saw him and his wife on Tuesday and he gave me a blessing the night before which was really cool.  It's always great to see him give blessings to people, he just does it with such power and authority, it's great. So we went there and they told me that I would be second and that they had a hernia to do, and so it would be around 10 started on the surgery, so they take me to a waiting room and have me put on the awful gown without a back tie but I was able to keep my bottoms and then I waited in a bed for like 2 hours or so. Then they took me into the surgery room and strapped me down on a table and strapped my arms in and started putting stuff everywhere. They put a blanket on me and a bunch of sensors and then put the IV in me, and they don;t really tell me anything just kind of asked where I was from and a couple thought I was Slovak.  Then just during the turmoil of everything a woman grabs my face and says, "okay night night", and then she just looked at me and for like 15 seconds just looked  confused and then looked around and then I fell asleep. I woke up, and they get to me and then they have me sit up and I'm really groggy at this point and they wrap me up in a bandage and there just a tube sticking out of the bandage with blood in it, and they tell me why it's there (in Slovak) and then not to move it or pull it. Then I texted President Mcconkie that I was awake and they told him he couldn't visit me for like 2 hours or whatever and the McConkies started pushing buttons.  Then were able to get past the door, and they walked in and found me, and then the nurse started yelling at them telling them they need to have sanatized clothes and stuff like that but they were able to see me for like 30 minutes or whatever.Then we got driven home and I laid down and that's where I stayed for the rest of the night. I then had a meeting witht the Doctor in the morning at 7:30 because | didn't want to stay in the hospital and they needed to take the tube out, so President drives us there again and then takes off to Brno. While at the Doctor, they took off the bandage and then started pulling on the tube a bit and the tube was tied to the stitch in my chest. I saw where the tube was and it was in the side of my chest not the hole where they made the cut. He then cut the stitch attached to the tube and started to pull the tube out and that was a lot of pain. I could see the tube getting pulled out of my chest because I could see where the tube was underneath the skin and as it straightened out, as it was a foot long, I saw it come out and that hurt a lot. Then they had to push on the wound and all around it in order to get all the old blood out of the wound, which is common. It really hurt, then he ripped the bandage off of the cut in my chest and cleaned the wound, redressed it and put a bandage back around me, and by this time I was light headed. I hadn't eaten breakfast, so they gave me some water and chocolate, which was great because I got free choclate. That was my experience with the hospital, and now, I can't get it wet and it's doing pretty well. I go back to the Doctors to get it check up on and then again next Monday I go back to get the stitches taken out.

Other than that major experience it was Easter this week and they get a whole week off for it, from Wednesday to Wednesday. So church was really cool, we heard some great talks and we had some great lessons it was fun and then the tradition here is for Woman to give out eggs to Men, candy eggs and real decorated ones. They also have a traidition on the Monday after to buy these little whips made out of sticks and what they do is guys whip the girls until they give them candy or something. I never saw it happen but I suppose that it does haha. My chest has been doing fine and now we're getting back into the swing of things yesterday was the last day of real rest that I think I'll need.  I've finsihed the antibiotics and wound up only taking 3 pills of the painkillers that they gave me. But we're back to work and contacting and going for the 200 goal, we think it's very much possible and even with this last week, we believe it's a very obtainable number. We've been teaching many new people and looking for those elect that are very interested in the message that we're sharing. We still teach everyone but no one is really willing to meet with us more than once a week so it's hard, but we're going to keep searching. We're going on an exchange with the Nitra elders today and we're excited to show them what we're doing and see what they like about it and what they don't. We're hoping to really pump these guys up and pump up the rest of the zone and we're expecting great things.

Well that is my week this week and it was a big and adventurous one here in Slovakia and

it has taken l long time for me to type up. Since Monday is a holiday here we couldn't email that's why this is getting sent on Tuesday but I'm fine and there's no need to worry.  But I love you all and am so excited to skype with everyone and I'm excited for Joie with everything that is going on with them, and happy that she is doing well and that all the kids are doing great too, I love you all and pray that you're all safe. Thanks for all the support!

 

Elder Ferrell

 

Their last week together

Walking through the woods

At a restaurant on top of a building overlooking Bratislava