September 21, 2015

Well mom, as disappointed as I am that you have no stories for me this week, I can't exactly say that I did any better.  Actually I can say with confidence that I'll share less stories with you than you did with me, because I literally have zero stories.  If I had to give a break down of my week I would break each day down as follows:

Sleep:  12-14 hours

Time on the toilet:  10-12 hours

That's about it!  If you haven't figured it out by now, I had the worst week long bout with a stomach bug that I have ever had.  I'm still trying to get over it, and I haven't had a desire to eat since two Sundays ago, which has lead to massive and probably unhealthy amounts of weight loss (I think I might have started my wedding diet just a little too early...oops).  Remember how I said that I was feeling a little ill last week and that I was hoping that I would be past it soon?  Well I was wrong, literally the most I've eaten in the last 8 days in a single day was a few crackers and a drinkable yogurt, and as previously stated, I've still been spending 10-12 hours on the toilet.  I actually managed to get up and go to church yesterday, but my stomach was in pain from that single easy action alone.  We're still trying to find out what is wrong, because I still really have no desire to eat, but I'm still perpetually tired because of it so we sorta have a chicken and an egg problem on our hands.  Hopefully at some point soon I will just be hit with a massive desire to eat, and then we can get up and get back to work, because honestly there has been nothing more unsatisfying, than wanting to work, and just having to sit on your behind until you're able to get back up on your feet.  It's actually given me a lot of time for reflection in between waves of toxic sludge trying to escape my feeble and crippled version of my former self, of just why would I get this sick at such an untimely moment?  The work was FINALLY starting to gain some steam in the area, we had found some great potential investigators and one awesome investigator with whom we'd been working with, and all I could think is why would the Lord want so that we have to just stop in our tracks?  I don't know why, I didn't receive an answer for that, but I did think a little bit about why did Joseph Smith have to endure so much pain in life?  Now I'm not comparing my week long bout with a stomach bug to the life of Joseph Smith, but I did think about how trials are what refine us and help the Lord make us into the types of instruments that he needs us to be.  I know that as we try and find out more completely that what the Lord wants from us, and as we try to more fully become that what the Lord needs us to be, our lives will be blessed and we will be able to be made better than we were.  Anyways family and friends, I'm taking off now.  Thanks for the prayers/good thoughts/vibes/well wishes you all send my way, they're felt and appreciated greatly :)!  Oh also, the tally so far is I've lost 28 pounds, 20 of which I have lost this week alone, so also pray that I'll also start eating food again sometime soon, I'm already a far too small 235 pounds haha, plus I'm not ready to buy a whole new wardrobe 3 months into my mission.  Anyway, I love you all have a great week!  Love you mom, dad, and siblings!  Talk to you soon!

Love,

Elder Christopher Belnap

CAB & Elder Hinkel in elevator being Nacho Libre.

I was very concerned about Christopher's health so I wrote to the mission office:

Dear Sister Colton:

I just received our son's, Elder Christopher Belnap, letter and it sounds like he has been very sick for more than a week with diarrhea and some sort of bug.  He said that he has lost 20 pounds in a week (he's a big boy).  Anyway, i just want to make the office aware of his and his companions situation in case Christopher should be seeking medical attention and hasn't. 

Thank you in advance for anything you are able to do.

Sincerely,

Lorinda Belnap

646.320.7702

Sister Belnap

We are aware.  Sunday when we saw him we suggested he contact Dr. Taylor, the Area Medical Advisor in Moscow.  Whether he has contacted him, I don’t know.  There’s a nasty flu bug going around and many of the missionaries, including my husband and I have had it.  My husband had it worse than I did.  I’ll follow-up and see if he contacted the doctor. 

Sister Colton

Dear Sister Colton;

Thank you so much for your quick response.  So sorry to hear that such a bad flu bug is going around the mission!  In a way, however, it is comforting to know that it may just be a flu bug and nothing worse.

Thanks again!

Sincerely,

Lorinda Belnap