Dear Family and Friends,
We know many, if not all, of you have been praying for me and my foot problems. Thank you so much. After our email went out last week my foot started getting better and better, which made it a little embarrassing by Friday when I had my appointment with the podiatrist and there wasn't anything wrong with my feet. Monday morning when I showered my heel hurt again and I could hardly lift it off the floor without crying out in pain. Last time I had that problem it took weeks to get it cleared up, so I got on the phone and found a podiatrist and got an appointment for Friday. My foot was feeling just fine by Thursday, thanks to all your prayers and those of several of the missionaries here in Alabama.
Monday we took a Book of Mormon to the librarian at the Demopolis High School for helping us deliver the bed board to Cedric last week. Of course they didn't let us into the library but allowed us to leave it at the front office. We spent some time at the church clearing up some clerk issues. I finally got through to Salt Lake. All five of my questions stumped the first person I talked to and they turned me over to another one. By the time we finished they had to address four of the five issues on their end and I could take care of one of them here. They said they would email me when they got all the problems solved. We went to the bargain box to look for crutches (since we don't have a chair with wheels for me to get around the house). They had a boot that they said I could get real cheap if I thought I needed it because they are really expensive if you have to buy one. They said they only wanted $5 for it so I thought I should get it. I asked how much the crutches would be and the lady said, "If you buy the boot you can have them free of charge with my blessing." So we bought the boot and a 25 cent puzzle and she said that would be $3.25. I was a little puzzled at the price and asked her about it and she said, "Oh, what did I tell you?" I said she said the boot was $5. So she changed it to $5.25. A pretty good deal even though I haven't used either the crutches or the boot yet. We went out to Greensboro to meet with Brother White. He is doing better and better all the time. He told us since he started leaving the collar off, that the doctor told him he should always wear except when he is sleeping, the pain in his shoulder has been getting better. We wanted to meet with him because he was baptized eight years ago the same time as Brother Borden. The Bordens went to the temple a year later but Brother White has never been to the temple nor received the Melchizedek priesthood. Stake Conference is November 10th. We hope we can have him ready to be sustained to receive the priesthood.
I was hoping wearing my old shoes would enable me to get to Zone Conference Tuesday. It worked though I hobbled just a little bit through the day. It was a great conference. We left Demopolis at 6:30 in the morning and the conference ended at 4:00 in the afternoon.
Wednesday was the monthly Relief Society meeting. The topic was Family History. We tried to get all the sisters signed up for their own account so they could start building a pedigree chart (see attachment #1). It went well. I even got to call Sister Cragun to get her help restoring the account for one of the sisters who couldn't access it because it had been so long since she last used it. She told me today at church that she was able to get into her account and has gotten some work done this week. Thank you Sister Cragun.
Thursday at Book of Mormon we found out that our non-member sister that has attended all along whose family won't allow to be baptized is suffering a lot of other things thanks to her family's neglect. The facility provides noon meals for $1.25. Her family instructed the management that they are not to let Deborah eat at that meal. So she sits out in the foyer or out in front of the building while every one else eats the meal. She has an open wound where her leg was amputated (she is diabetic) and they won't let her see a doctor. There are several other issues that the other people in the class were telling us about and all Deborah could do was sit and weep.
Well, then there was Friday. I got to spend about four hours of my birthday waiting in the Podiatrists office (attachment#2). It was quite the experience. My medical doctor's office gave me their name and address. I got the appointment and went to the address I was given. It was in the middle of a housing addition (very beautiful homes, by the way. Better than we have seen so far in the entire state). Her office was about 20 miles back the way we came. (I love Alabama) The visit was a waste of time. She just told me I have arthritis in my feet, it is caused by the gout, and I need to see my medical doctor to get bloodwork done to see what medication I need for the gout. But she assured me she can build a low profile orthotic for me and I can come back Monday for the diabetic shoe clinic and buy some shoes for $139. On the way home we stopped in Greensboro to visit the Department of Human Resources to advise them of the issues with Deborah from book of Mormon class. As we walked in the door we saw a display on the wall saying that it was national Elder Abuse Awareness day. When we sat down with the case worker I told her I was turning Sister Owens in for abuse. It was my birthday and she was refusing to make a birthday cake for me. It didn't do me any good. I still didn't get a birthday cake. We did tell them about Deborah though. We are pretty sure they are going to check into it and things will improve for her.
I have to tell you all that I told Sister Owens when we went to bed Friday night that I am going to quit eating sugar. After all day Saturday without any sugar, when I went to bed Saturday night there was no residual pain whatsoever in my feet, which the Doctor told me was just arthritis. Today I have been walking around with my new shoes that have no support and haven't been limping at all. I'm hoping they keep getting better.
Happy day. Brother White brought his whole herd with him today. Four of them all together. Two less active men and Christopher, who has kind of dropped off the radar as far as taking the lessons from the sisters. The two students from Livingston that the sisters have been teaching were both out of town seeing family this weekend. We are looking forward to seeing them next week.
Keep the commandments and read your Book of Mormon
We love y'all,
Elder and Sister Owens
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