Karli's last week at the MTC...

Hello everyone!

I've been delinquent at posting the news about Karli, so I thought I'd give a little update before posting the email we got yesterday.

Karli had a bit of a rough week last week.  As you know, she's been struggling with her knees. She had been going to physical therapy 3 times a week for a month and had not felt any improvement.  The doctor gave her cortisone shots in both knees, and she was hopeful that would improve things, but it only seemed to make the pain worse!  She was understandably quite discouraged.  And she was experiencing the usual "franticness" most missionaries feel as they realize they only have a week left in the MTC, and they don't know as much as they thought they would!  She was also feeling bad because she had spent so much of her study time having to go to physical therapy.   

Knowing Karli like we do, we knew she was "venting" in her email, and her discouragement would be temporary... But we still all sent letters of encouragement and wanted her to know that we were proud of her and rooting for her!

Karli mentions in her letter below a story Jared shared with her.  I'm including it here because he experienced the same problem with his knees while serving in Mexico City, and at one point thought he would have to come home for treatment.  It was a difficult time for him too. Here is what he told her:

"In regards to your knees, I do know how you feel and how it is frustrating. I struggled with knee pain for about 6 months on my mission, but thankfully, after priesthood blessings, it gradually improved with exercise.

I struggled for a long time with feeling like it was holding me back from doing my best. I remember that I kept thinking to myself: "this is my mission!" This is when I should be 100% and going full speed! I had an experience that put it in perspective and helped me a lot. I remember sitting in the mission van at an intersection feeling down because I felt my knees were not letting me do what I wanted to. I just kept thinking "...this is my mission..." Just at that moment, a guy in a wheelchair wheeled up to my door selling little earth globe keychains and I felt or heard  a distinct phrase in my mind that said, "It's his mission too." It hit me pretty hard. That really helped me to be grateful for the overall good health I had. It helped me realize that we weren't all guaranteed that our "mission" (our 18 month mission or our mission to earth) would be pain free. I took away from that experience to do my best with what I had and to keep my head up and be grateful for my health, even though it wasn't perfect. "

Mar21,

Aloha family.

ONE DAYY!!! Can you even believe it? I feel like I am going to vomit all over this keyboard. I wish I could stay here for a few more weeks. I AM looking forward to the warm sunny weather however. Yesterday I tried to come up with an "MTC top ten" but it wasn't totally successful.... but- here are some of my favorites:

-Relief Society each Sunday with a whole gym full of sister missionaries. I especially like the conversion stories... each week they have a convert to the church share their conversion stories. It is really neat to hear how the gospel came into their lives, and makes me excited to get to Florida to share this great gospel! with everyone else. oh and yesterday they had all the sisters that were leaving stand up... that was so fun! ah it is real. i can't believe it

-Mailbox #141: I got at least one thing in the mail almost every day! Thank you for the love and support. ESPECIALLY FOR THE PACKAGES-  Sue- thanks for all the goodies- and the cupcakes! I loved all the snacks! Nice to get some healthy stuff. Ty and Lauri, emma, and mya! Thanks for the GREEN package! It was so fun... the box was festive too! We shared all the snacks during companion study today! MOM: you have outdone yourself once again! Thanks for the package!! The clothes were perfect. Love the shoes- the shamrock doughnuts... everything! Thank you so much!

-BYU Creamery chocolate milk on tap. :)

-Choir

-Zone 1. I loved getting to know everyone in my zone, and we had a slow start, but it will be fun to see them all when we are back... (and hopefully all fluent in spanish :))

-Everyone saying "hello" in their mission language. It is truly amazing how many languages are taught/learned here. I wish I could learn all of them. It is so neat.

-My great teachers- Hermanos Krueger and Shulca

-Hosting new sisters- I got to do that this week. It was so fun to welcome them here... but also a good reminder of how far I have come :)

-Learning more about the gospel

-Becoming a latina

-GROWING CLOSER TO MY SAVIOR. I am so thankful for the opportunity to come to know Him better, and as I continue to learn and study, that relationship will grow even stornger.

Knee update: I had an MRI done- (there was increased pain on the medial side of my knee- rather than just the patella) the doc wanted to make sure there was no structural damage or anything. I went to the doc this morning and everything looks ok- nothing major. There is some joint effusion (sp?), but he gave me some heavy anti-inflammatories to help with that. Hopefully with the combination of those and my exercises it will eventually get better. He asked if i wanted to go home for a few weeks to wait and see if it gets better or not- HAHAHAA - I said no way! I am ready to get out there... and it would be rough to have to go home and them go back. I am thankful for all your prayers... hopefully it gets better soon. I feel the Lord is blessing me, and testing my faith but as i am diligent in my exercises and do what the doc ordered I hope I will be ok.

I am so grateful for what I have learned here at the MTC... THANK YOU for all your support. I miss you all and can't wait to talk to you. I am guessing I'll call in the morning around 6-6:30 ish. So have the home phone around... if not i will call in Detroit.  Thanks for everything! Love you

Jared Ty Mom Dad Les Lauri- thanks for the letters of encouragement. And everyone- thanks for the prayers. Those were an emotional couple nights reading them, but I really felt your support and prayers from everyone. Thank you for the advice. Jared- especially about the story from your mission about the man in the wheelchair. Yesterday in our last district meeting one of the Elders shared a scripture about how we need to bear our afflictions and adversities (D&C 121:7-9) and then he said that we need to remember that our friends are supporting us. We have friends all around us in the field- fellow missionaries- and also our families at home. In 121:9 it says "Thy friends do stand by thee". Although everyone is not standing right next to me, I feel your support. I know you are cheering me on and I appreciate all of you so much. Family- you are my friends... my best friends. The more I have been away, the more my love and appreciation for all of you has grown. Families are central to God's plan, and now that I am away from you all, I realize even more, how important you are to me. I know the Lord is watching over and blessing all of you, and I have recieved blessings from your prayers in my behalf. Thank you. I love you and miss you all.


I will write who I can today- but I will be busy packing and cleaning. Send mail to the mission home from now on. No more dear elders to the MTC... but family can email
xoxox
Adios!
Hermana Tyson


Karli called this morning from the SLC airport, but we were only able to talk for 5 minutes before she had to board the plane.  She said the security line was so long, it took forever to get through.  So she called again a few hours later from Detroit and we had about 15 minutes to talk.  She said it all felt so surreal... she didn't know what to think!  But she sounded great and excited!  It was SO good to talk to her!
Keep her in your prayers!
Sandy