First P-day!

Hi Everyone! 

Wow, It's kind of weird being on the other side of these emails now. I've read so many of them and now I'm writing them. (Dad, I apologize in advance for the bad grammar;)

I just finished my first 3 days of online MTC! It's been good. Even though I sit all day, I've loved learning the ins and outs of being a missionary. I've had the thought that teaching isn't about filling a quota or performing, it's about sharing your testimony and helping people come to Christ! That's my purpose. It makes me excited. 

 It's been so cool to wear the missionary tag! I love the feeling of being a missionary, and I love being able to focus on the Gospel throughout the day. 

Yesterday I was able to get to know my companion and my district better! They're all really good people. We're going to have fun:) 

As some of you know, I've had a hard time hearing in my left ear since a trip up north in July. It felt like the ear pressure from the drive never released, and it's steadily gotten worse over the past few months. I went to the doctor, and what they had me do didn't work. So I went to an ENT and he had me take Flonase for a month, and then said if the flonase didn't work we could put tubes in my ears before my mission and I would be fine. We had the appointment to put the tubes in scheduled for Tuesday (4 days ago), the day I got set apart as a missionary. When we went in, the doctor took a look at my ear and said that I had something much bigger going on than we originally thought. He thinks I have what's called a cholesteatoma. It's a growth in my ear that erodes the hearing bone and can cause facial paralysis, meningitis, and permanent hearing loss. It requires 2 surgeries that are pretty intense. We found out about this just hours before I was set apart as a missionary. I have an appointment with a specialist on Nov. 24th. I've decided to be a missionary for as long as I can. I know that it's all in Heavenly Father's hands! We've already seen tender mercies come from this experience, and I've learned that Heavenly Father often uses us to help others in ways that we don't expect! I'm grateful to know that He knows my circumstances. I want to continue to serve Him as a missionary and help others feel the joy that I feel that comes from the Gospel. I'm still holding out hope that I'll be able to do that for 18 months. I know He is aware of each of us and has a plan for us. 

I'm looking forward to learning more this week! I hope you all are doing well! 

Love you guys, 

Sister Ross