Hello Everyone! What an eventful week it has been!!

WOW! Just thinking about everything that has happened in the past week makes it feel like it's been an eternity!

First of all, I want to apologize for my incorrect grammar and spelling. I don't have a lot of time on the computers so I type really really fast, and my mind is being brainwashed in Czech, so bear with me :)

So conference. Amazing am I right? It was sooooo good. I was actually really scared and nervous to sit through 10 hours of conference in Sunday clothes on hard plastic chairs, but it was actually amazing! All we really did all weekend was watch conference, eat, watch conference, eat, I'm pretty sure I gained like 5 pounds... I had heard from multiple people that the MTC is the best conference experience you can get aside from actually attending a session in person, and they were right! It was so spiritual! I could go on and on about favorite talks and things, but that would take forever and I'd eventually talk about all of it! One thing real fast though, DAD!!! YOU DIDN'T TELL ME YOU WERE GOING TO BE IN THE CHOIR IN THE PRIESTHOOD SESSION!!!!! Can you even imagine the heart attack I had when I saw you on the screen???? (Sestra B, Sestra R, and I watched part of the Priesthood session on Sunday). I can't even describe how I felt, it was a weird mixture of happy and sad and excited and what the heck? Haha so yeah... Give a daughter a little heads up next time, my companions were pretty freaked out. :)

Sunday night, we were supposed to have a devotional, but since we had been listening to talks all weekend, the MTC presidency surprised us with a special treat: VOCAL POINT!!!! They came and sang to us and beared(?) their testimonies of missionary work and it was AWESOME!

Monday I went to the podiatrist again and picked up my orthotics. They both help and hinder. When I wear them I can tell that they help the broken bone pain go away, but they kind of replace it with there's-a-hard-piece-of-plastic-in-my-shoe pain. They're going to take some getting used to, but I think they'll help a lot, and hopefully I won't need surgery, or at least until after my mission.

Another thing that happened on Monday, during companionship study at about 10am, I got a side ache. That's not too weird and I didn't think anything of it, except then it lasted ALL DAY. So after dinner we talked to the MTC doctor and he said to just go to the ER to be safe. So Sestra B and I went to the ER and that's where we spent the evening. They did multiple blood tests, a urine test, and an ultrasound of my entire abdomen, and didn't find ANYTHING. While that's a good sign, I was pretty disappointed that they couldn't tell me what was wrong. Also, they gave me this painkiller in the form of a shot in my butt, and it was probably the MOST PAINFUL THING I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED!!! GAH!

So the next day we went back to the MTC doctor, and he looked at the tests the ER did and decided to take some more tests. So they drew a lot more blood and did another urine test and still didn't find anything. So the doctor ordered a HIDA scan (no idea what it stands for but they're scanning my gall bladder I think) for Friday morning. So we'll see how that goes.

A really special thing that happened is that a few days ago, Bro. Knapp brought pictures from his mission to class. He showed us pictures of people and places and lots of things. He shared with us how much he loves those people, even if some of them may never get baptized, and it was just a really sweet experience. He bore his testimony to us and the spirit was so strong. I can't wait to get to the Czech Republic and meet real people, and help them change their lives. 

One last thing, we found out on Monday that our departure has been delayed. Instead of leaving on the 20th of April like we originally planned, we've been moved to the 23rd. I guess there is a mission presidents conference thing, and if we left on the 20th, Pres. McConkie wouldn't even be there when we got there. So we're leaving on the 23rd. 

Well that's pretty much it. I hope everyone is doing well and had a great Easter and Conference. I know this church is true, I've seen God's hand in my life soooo many times since being here! I can't wait to get to the Czech Republic and teach people the good news of the restored gospel. 

Until next week! I love you all!

Sestra Schaerrer

P.S. Here are some pictures, our district with the "presents" Sestra Bailey brought everyone from our trip to the ER on Monday, and the most I have seen of my dad in the past two (almost) months. Enjoy! :)

 

 

P.P.S. We got our flight plans!!! We leave the 23rd, our first flight is at 9am from SLC to Dallas, then a 3 hour layover, then from Dallas to LONDON!!, then a 3 hour layover, and then from London to PRAGUE!!! It will take two days of traveling to get there, the Dallas to London flight is overnight! So excited!! Love you all!

P.P.P.S. Sorry I forgot to put a subject for this email, I've run out of creative things anyway... haha