It's been 10 months since leaving Taylor at the MTC to begin his mission in Cambodia.
March 30, 2011
Much has happened since that day. He's met new friends. He learned a new language. He's eaten strange food..... and lost a lot of weight. We look back at the pictures from the day he left compared to more recent pictures he sent home. He looked "fat," but he wasn't? When we've talked to people who've asked about him and his well being we've mentioned the weight loss. Everyone said, "he didn't have anything to lose?" Which was true.
December 2011
During the months of seeing these pictures we would ask him about his health and well being. He would tell us of times that he felt sick, but never mentioned that it was something he actually dealt with on a daily basis.
Well, as parents of a missionary, we have put all our faith and trust in those who are responsible for him now. He is doing the Lord's work and we have to let him do it without distractions of home. Yet at the same time, we have grown accustomed to having him gone and only hearing from him through email once a week. We never expect to hear from him at any other time and we definitely never expect to hear from his mission president. So, when an email from someone like the mission president's wife comes..... it stops your heart. At least, it did mine.
On January 22nd I got this in an email from Taylor: "I love you to mom. And I'm happy and healthy."
The next morning I woke up and checked my email. There was a message in my box from the mission presidents wife. I knew it was her because I certainly recognized the name. And it took my breath for a minute and I was a little afraid to open it. Though, the thought that went through my mind was.... "Be calm. If it was anything too serious you would have gotten a phone call."
Basically the email explained that Elder Nielsen had been at the mission office that morning and had been talking to her about his weight loss. She instructed him to go to a doctor at the hospital clinic. She also warned him that he might end up having to stay overnight. Which he did. She let me know that he had been sick at the mission office and then again at the hospital. They had set him up an IV and were doing blood tests.
Then later another email came: "A small report on your son. He does have an amoeba. It is one that comes flrom vegetables. They put him on medication last night." This email went on to say that they expected him to maybe leave the hospital that afternoon.
Then another email told us he was staying a second night.
Then yet another email said: "Elder Nielsen might have some kind of colinitis. I called the doctor this morning and talked to him. He is GI specialist he thinks there were two problems. One was the bacterial infection and the other the amoeba. Amoebas can do some damage if they attack the colon. Since this one has probably been in the colon for quite awhile, it might have done some damage, but not permanent and he will recover......... He is doing okay and might get released tonight."
By now I had already been up and down with my emotions and tried really hard to just keep them in tact. I think I did a pretty good job. But my insides were going insane. I appreciated all the updates from the president's wife, but I wanted so much to just talk to Taylor. Since Christmas he has told us of some scary experience. They have really done a number on his mind set and now with being sick he just needs to be uplifted. Maybe he just wanted his mommy?
I should also mention that having your son in a Cambodian hospital sounds like a scary thing. I suppose having your child stay in any hospital in a 3rd world country sounds like a scary thing. However, we have been comforted to know that this hospital is a very good hospital that is something of a branch of a hospital in Thailand that is actually ranked as the worlds best. So, believe it or not, I'm glad that since he had to be in a hospital, he is in the city of Phnom Penh rather than somewhere not so ...... "modern."
As more emails and updates came we were informed that after two nights in the hospital he was finally released. He spent the first night at the mission home and was being cared for there. He is slowly but surely getting better. He is finding out what foods he can and cannot tolerate. We were told that he would need a colonoscopy because he continued to have pain. But then the pain subsided some and as of Sunday after church they did more testing and the results showed there was no more amoeba left in his system. He no longer needs a colonoscopy. What a miracle! I truly believe this is a result of Priesthood blessings he had received and the many prayers being said on his behalf.
At this point I still had not heard from Taylor. The last update I received from the mission presidents wife came about 45 minutes before I FINALLY got email from him!!!!
Here is a small portion of that email: "I remember very clearly standing in front of the hospital feeling so weak. So faint. So much pain. I just stood and looked at the hospital. I'd never been hospitalized before, nor did I think that it would happen on my mission. We walked into the hospital and the nurse put me into the emergency room to lay down. There was so much emotional stress, it was all just building up I remember thinking very clearly. Ï'm in a Thai hospital, in the middle of a 3rd world asian country." Which brought up two thoughts 1st Pretty cool that i was in a thai hospital on my mission in cambodia. 2nd the last place I ever want to be is in a hospital in a 3rd world country. A nurse then came and asked me If I could go get my height and weight checked. I agreed, stood up and the next second I was somehow in the bathroom throwing up. They then laid me on the bed, and hooked me to an I.V. Never in my life had I been hooked up to an IV. But nonetheless there I was. With a needle in my arm..............which I am not a big fan of. I spent the next 3 hours in a hospital room just looking at my arm thinking "Taylor, you have a needle in your arm."
I was in the hospital for 2 nights which details I really just don't want to go into anymore, I'll write them in my journal and share them with you when I'm home. But it was a very scary hospital visit for me."
I have to admit.... I had tears as I read this email. I wished so badly that I could have been there for him. Plus, I was so glad to finally hear from him. But as all his emails go, no matter what the circumstances of the week had been, he always ends his email with a positive outlook:
"Cambodia is a very unforgiving country, and is a very sad sad place. The church is holding strong, the work will go on. No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing, all us missionaries, have a calling, and that calling is more great than I ever imagined a year ago preparing to enter the temple. I am a representative of Jesus Christ, He called me here not to be a failure, but to succeed. I intend to rise from this, I now intend to remain out for 14 more months, after all it's already been 10 months to the day that I even entered the MTC.
In this last conference, Pres. Uckhtdorf told us that we are all great in the eyes of our God. And that he has created the entire universe for us to reach our potentials. So lets reach our potentials. And you want to know a secret? The universe is constantly expanding.
Elder Nielsen III"
He's not completely better yet. But he IS getting better. We have already seen and heard of the healing he is experiencing and we KNOW he will be better. It may take some time. He does need to gain some weight back. He's lost a total of 68 lbs. in the last 10 months. None of which he needed to lose. But he is gaining in maturity, strength, wisdom, patience, love, compassion, and a stronger testimony of this gospel.
We are continuing to pray for 100% recovery in his body and his mind. He's been through a LOT this last month, some of which is even more traumatizing than a stay in the hospital.
As much as I miss him.... I love him more.
