Doctors Visit & Some Things to Look Forward Too:)

Missionaries from the Adriatic North Mission at Elder Josh Bell's Homecoming:)

It seems like the weeks pass by so fast:) I feel like I have just written a post and then it is time to do it again. Here is the update on McKenzie:

First of all we went to see the doctor yesterday. We go about every 4 to 6 weeks. She did more testing to see how the treatments we have been using have been working on the parasites.  She found that 90% of the parasites are gone:)Yay!!! That is good news. McKenzie has been having about 4 headaches a week this last little while. That is actually really good. They are smaller headaches and much more manageable. She is just using herbal medications to treat them which is also good:) We are feeling great about her progress physcially. The doctor feels like it will be about 1 more month to get things totally cleared up:)

Emotionally McKenzie also continues to do well:) She was able to go again to the TRC at the MTC this week, which was such a wonderful experience. She was able to see several other missionaries from her mission there as well. She was also able to attend Elder Josh Bell's homecoming. He also served in the Adriatic North Mission. It was wonderful to hear the stories of conversion from the mission. There was also a group of missionaries at his homecoming from the mission, so it was great to visit with all of them as well.

Also many of you know that McKenzie loves to sing. It is one of the things that makes her happy. Last week she found out about a new male/female acappella group that they were having auditions for at BYU. For those that don't know, McKenzie spent two years before her mission in a BYU female acappella group called "Noteworthy". She loved her experience in Noteworthy!!! When this new opportunity came along she was so excited.  She called the directors of the group and told them of her experience and they immediately wanted her to help them with the auditions for this new group and to help direct it.  So she is now part of the newest male/female accapela group at BYU called "Beyond Measure". She is so excited!!! Below are some pictures of the group:)

Being a judge for "Beyond Measure" Auditions

"Beyond Measure" up close:)

"Beyond Measure"

We are so grateful for all those that have been such a great support to McKenzie in this process.She is doing really well. She starts her job at the Monte L. Bean Museum on BYU campus today. Thanks to her wonderful bosses who have taken such good care of her. Next week she will be moving back to Provo. These new opportunities will be good for McKenzie as she continues to recover and move forward. Thanks again for all your love and prayers! We have learned that you never really know what your mission is, but the Lord does:)

Moving Forward & Making Some Decisions

At the MTC Training Resource Center with Sestra Pelton & Sestra Menjevar (both heading to the Adriatic North Mission)

Here's what's up with McKenzie:

The last couple of weeks have been filled with some emotional decisions as well as some sweet blessings.  McKenzie has continued to feel better physically and has been getting some of her energy back. She still had some days with headaches, but overall she has been feeling so much better. Her foot bath last week was black, which meant she was detoxifying her liver. Yay!!! haha.

The last week or so we have been working on the emotional part of all of this for McKenzie. As we have mentioned before, it is hard to have to come home from your mission because your body doesn't cooperate. Your spirit and mind are ready to do whatever the Lord needs you to do, but your body just won't:( McKenzie is a positive person, therefore she doesn't like to think about sad things or things that are hard. This experience has been very sad and hard for her. We have spent a lot of time talking about it and have tried to help her know that it is something she can't just jump over, or pass by. She has to deal with what has happened to be able to move forward.  That is the hard part. We have told her that even when it's hard to talk about or do certain things she still needs to do them to be able to heal from this experience and be able to move forward (I have learned a few things through the years being a psychologist's wife:) haha.

That's what McKenzie has been trying to do the last week or so. There have been some amazing blessings that have come from this. She even called me one night when she was out and said,  "Mom! I can tell that I am getting better!!!" She was so excited and happy. Sometimes all of this has felt so hopeless and frustrating to her. Here are a few things that have happened this week:

1-McKenzie decided to move back to Provo for the spring and summer. She wants to see how her body will do if she is living on her own and with a little more stress. She has her job back at the Monte L. Bean Museum at BYU, so she will working there. She is nervous about moving out, but feels like she needs to see how she does:)

2-She went to the TRC (Training Resource Center) at the MTC to be an investigator for the Croatian speaking missionaries. She has wanted to do that since she got home, but it was a hard emotional thing for her to make herself do, since it reminded her of where she was wanting to be. The blessings poured out on her as she entered the MTC. As she was walking in the door, she came upon  two sweet couples who were in her branch presidency there at the MTC,  the Hendersons and the Briscoes. She was so grateful to see them.  Next she headed to the TRC and met up with one of her MTC teachers, Sister Carter. Another amazing blessing:) Then she was able to be an investigator for two sisters going to her mission that she had been able to talk to before they had left for the MTC. (Sestra Pelton & Sestra Menjavar) It was an amazing experience! Now she wants to go every week:) (It was after visiting the MTC that she called me to say that she knew she was getting better:)

McKenzie with the Hendersons at the MTC.

McKenzie & the Briscoes when she was in the MTC:)

3-Also her mission president's wife (Sister Rowe) and son (Colton) called her the other day. It was so wonderful for her to talk with them. McKenzie loves Colton who is like a little brother to her and Sister Rowe is such a great friend and example to her.  Sister Rowe caught McKenzie up on everything that was going on in the mission and told McKenzie to make sure that she was finding ways to serve, no matter what they were so that she would feel useful. She thought it would be great for McKenzie to move to Provo and be able to serve in her student ward:)

4-On Sunday McKenzie was also finally able to share her mission experiences with our extended family. We had a little FHE and she was able to tell them about her experiences as a missionary.

5-Also Elder Bell came over to visit McKenzie. He just got home from the Adriatic North Mission 6 days ago. It was great for her to visit with him about the mission. He plays the piano beautifully. They were able to do a musical number at the Chirstmas Conference last December. Of course while he was here they had to sit at the piano and play and sing:) It was awesome!!!

Elder Bell and McKenzie

We are so grateful for the progress we are seeing in McKenzie. We are grateful for the ways that the Lord is blessing her and showing her that he knows her and that he loves her.  Thanks again for all your prayers in her behalf:)

Week 11: Sweet Blessings

Siblings at the RSL vs BYU soccer game:)

Here's the update on McKenzie for this week:

McKenzie has continued to feel good this past week. Yay!!!  The headache only appears once in a while which is such a relief. She continues to have more energy and is doing much better. Her foot bath this week turned the water yellow which means she is detoxifying her bladder, gallbladder and her fatty tissues. (she loves that) haha.  It's always so interesting to see what her body needs to detoxify each week:)

All McKenzie's herbal supplements and meds! She feels like a senior citizen:) haha

Here are some of the sweet blessings she received this week:

1. She spoke in church on Easter Sunday. She was able to talk about her mission and about the struggle she had in coming home even though she knew she was sick. She talked about how through the enabling power of the atonement, she has been able to make it through this hard time. She also talked about how hard Satan is working on her to make her feel like she's not good enough, or that she just couldn't do it. Any of you who know McKenzie know that she is not a quitter, but Satan knows just what buttons to push:( She also talked about her testimony of the atonement being strengthened by this experience. It has definitely been hard, but she know's it's all for a purpose. She did a great job and we are proud of her. It was good for her to share her thoughts and testimony about her mission and about this experience.

2. This week she also received word that a sweet sister that she and Sister Rowe (mission president's wife) had taught when she was staying at the mission home was baptized.  McKenzie was so excited. She got to be part of a  baptism:)

3. Also a darling sister in our ward who has three young daughters and is pregnant, called to see if McKenzie might be able to help her out and be her nanny for the next month or so. It is the perfect thing for McKenzie:) It is not full time, just here and there, but provides her with an opportunity to feel useful and earn a little money. McKenzie also loves kids, so she is enjoying playing with the girls. This sister who hired her said, "This is such a blessing for us!" We told her that it is really a blessing for McKenzie. 

4. It was spring break this week, so we were able to take our family to St. George for a few days. It was so great for all of us to be together, minus Jordan (McKenzie's older brother, who is about to graduate from UVU!!!)  We enjoyed playing together in the sun and relaxing!!!

Loving on little brother Noah:)  He love's it!!!

Relaxing by the pool.  Yay for the sun:)

We are all excited for General Conference this weekend. Thanks again for your continued support:) Things seems to be getting better each week!!!