January 16, 2006

Thanks to all my family, friends, and ward and stake members for all of your kindness and support these past three and one-half weeks. We've had some trouble keeping up with the blog site due to a urinary tract infection we are fighting with antibiotics that I receive every twelve hours through an IV. I've had medium grade fevers over the last week during the night which make it difficult to get enough sleep.

Saturday was mostly a resting day, as it always is, because of the preceding week of therapy. We were able to have a pizza party on Saturday night with Aunt Kalle, Parker, Nathan and Madeline, Whitney and Justin's family and were privileged to have two full-time Elders from the Denver South Mission join us. Their names were Elder Stelter and Elder Costley, two outstanding missionaries who have visited me three times now, thanks to Tom Thompson who asked them to come see me at Craig when he noticed them outside of Craig Hospital. At the end of our get-together, Elder Costley shared a spiritual thought including singing the first verse of "I Am a Child of God". It was a very nice way to end our day.

On Sunday morning Brother Dedrickson, the Elder's Quorum President of the Auburn Hills Ward and my home teaching companion and friend, came to visit me for a couple of hours. It was great learning and laughing about some of his mission stories. I had been thinking Sunday morning and the day before about serving a mission in a wheelchair and about giving Books of Mormon to several people I have met at Craig Hospital. It was interesting as I had my mind focused on missionary work even before President Dedrickson came. He told me that he and the Bishop felt inspired by the Lord to extend the calling of Preaching the Gospel committee chairman to me. I accepted with a smile but was also very shocked that the Lord would answer my desire to preach his Gospel so quickly and in such a profound way. I feel that my current condition will not deter me from fulfilling this calling. I will rely heavily upon the Lord and my family and other ward members as I magnify this awesome calling. Later that day, the Elder's Quorum Presidency came to see me. First they administered the Sacrament to me and my parents, then Brother McConkie shared a spiritual thought about what it means to take Christ's name upon us. After this I was set apart in my new calling. Brother Dedrickson and Brother Ream also gave me a healing blessing that I would be able to fulfill my new calling and that the Lord would strengthen me as I did so.

Today, my cousin Ashlee and her husband, Bob, and sons, Peter and Andrew, stopped by to see us on their way back to Utah from accepting a new job in Oklahoma. It was great to be able to thank Ashlee in person for the quilt she made for me. (When you come and see me, please sign the back of my quilt.)

Today in physical therapy I practiced finding my center of balance while I was sitting on the mats. We also worked on slide board transfers and my brother-in-law, Justin, helped me. In occupational therapy, I worked on the computer. I have very little strength in my fingers but I was still able to navigate around on the internet. I also did some weight lifting with my arms and then wrote my name and address using a marker. It looked almost as bad as my penmanship before the accident.

I'm looking forward to having the young men and young women come to visit me tomorrow during Mutual and I'm anxious to share some of my thoughts with them. I look up to them and appreciate them just as I do all of my family and friends. I love the Gospel and I see how it improves people's lives every day. Please take advantage of the wonderful opportunity that we have to learn about Jesus Christ and his teachings.

Love, Ryan