A Few Firsts: Christmas Away From Home and Malaria

A compilation of emails and pictures the Monday before his first Christmas away from home, 

December 21, 2015:

We had heard from Chris' mission president that he was "fatigued" at the recent zone conference.  It wasn't until we received his emails a few days later that we learned he had contracted Malaria (he mentions it in his email to Lucy below).  

During our phone conversation later in the week, on Christmas Day, I asked him if he had been taking his Doxycycline.  He said he had been taking it but awoke one morning to 47 mosquito bites on his arms.  He was told he had a mild case of Malaria because he had been taking his Doxy.  

Throughout these emails, his head was hurting terribly.  A few communications weren't completely coherent so the best are included here.  

This was a hard time for Elder Morford.  I told him if he can make it through his first Christmas away from home with Malaria on a mission in a third world country...he can do ANYTHING!  :)

Suami

From Lizzy:

M: What do you want to say to Chris?

L:  I love him!

Nastia: Do you want to say something about Christmas?

L: Me love Christmas tree!

M:  What else do you want to say?

L: I love you, Fris On a Mission (that's your new name)!  I love dinner!

(That was all I could get out of her while she was climbing up on a chair and doing flips over the back of the couch over and over.  But, she did run over, breathlessly, to say these things to you.)

Lizzy-isms for the week:

*Lizzy was lying next to Patty on the green couch.  It was quiet for a while, then Lizzy said, "Patty, no you good blanket!".

*She fell off Patty's mattress (which was on the floor, so it wasn't far) and said, "Ow, dat painful."

*Oh, and Chase would like me to tell you that she got ahold of some scissors while Dad was sleeping and no one else was paying attention and cut her hair (in several places) and our dining room curtains.  It was sort of funny and sort of traumatizing at the same time.  Ah, toddlers!

Love you,

Lizzy, Mom and everyone else who contributed :)

Response:

 I love that little girl. :) Snuggle her for me!

I believe a trip to one of the few KFCs in the Kumasi area was a "Christmas" outing.  Christmas isn't celebrated there so the Americans do what they can.!

From Lucy:

Dear Elder Bro,

I'm really excited for Christmas because I'm getting candy. I am really excited because I'm going to unwrap my presents from the one who has me. I don't know who has me...I hope somebody does!

How are you feeling?  I heard that you got sick.

James got baptized.  I'm really happy because we got to watch him.

We celebrate Christmas because it's Jesus' birthday.

I love you Chris, Elder Bro!

Love,

Lucy 

Response:

Haha, I love candy and Christmas as well! It's so amazing! 

I am still sick... with malaria. It's not fun, at all! But other than that, I am feeling fine. :)  I love that James got baptized! It's a great thing that has happened in our family. :)  I hope you choose to be baptized just like your brother. :)

I love Jesus and I celebrate it to remember Him as well. :)

Love you, Lu.

Elder Bro

Laundry time!

From James:

Hi Chris!

We are going to carol tomorrow at the Pioneer Village.  We are going to dress up in pioneer clothes and sing songs in the hymn book.  There are camp fires and there are fires and stoves in all the homes, too.  And after we carol we are going to the Festival of Lights.  

I know that Jesus died for us.  Christmas is about His birth.  

I love you!

Love, 

James :)

Response:

I know that Jesus died for us too. :)  Christmas IS about His birth, which is the most important thing that has happened in history.  Make sure that that is what Christmas is about.

I love you buddy, and I thought you would like this... :)

and there is a little bit more for my artist brother! XD

Take care buddy. Merry Christmas. I wish i could be there, but ill call you guys then ok? :) Till next time.

Elder Bro

Art work sent for James

From Chase:

Hey Chris!!!

Carly the dog got in a fight a few weeks ago during dog carting.  It was a small bite but by the time she had run home she had ripped it open five times its size.  She has had to stay home from dog sledding.

We had our MCO performance right after the dogs left and it was AMAZING...except that I couldn't sing for half the performance because my throat hurt, but I was glad I was able to be there.

I love you sooo much!!!  

Love, 

Chase

Response:

Hey buddy.

I feel bad about that dog... I know what it's been going through though because I have seen many many injuries in my years as a dogsledding. I just hope that she will be ok.

I wish I could be there for that performance man... I am sure it was amazing.  I mean, it is EVERY single time, so I wouldn't be surprised if it was... ;D  

Bro, there have been times on this mission that I just kinda wanna stop and come home for a while... but this is a mission I have been assigned to and I have been called before even we came to this earth... I know it's supposed to go forward.

I love you buddy.

I hope you continue being strong.

Love,

Elder Bro

Ummm...yeah.  Typical posture for an 18-year-old boy!

Elder Hill and Elder Morford finally meet!  Elder Hill's mom and I have been great friends for months now.  Our families have spent time together and we organized a large project for the Kumasi missionaries together...but it took all this time for our sons to meet in person.  They were good boys and sent these pictures to us. :)  Chris is holding his Christmas present and the replacement shoes he needed.

With his new companion, Elder A, who is a native Ghanaian from the Central Region of the country.  He loves this guy!  Elder A is the district leader and they are having a great experience together.

Good boy...he sent his momma a picture of all the stuff we sent to the mission home.  His new pair of shoes, a bag of peanut M&Ms, a box of crackers, a summer sausage and a small box of something I don't remember about...understandable since it was sent in October.  :)

Merry Christmas, Elder Morford!