Just a lil' insight as to the why I came home & what's going on with this body of mine! My body is going down a similar route as my mother's. Long story short: genetically modified food is like drinking poison for her - my body began mirroring in varying degrees. As missionaries, we eat most of our dinners at members of our congregations homes - a different home every night. You eat whatever is placed in front of you because they are sacrificing their money & time to serve you.
After three months of serving in Aurora, my body was already taking a visible toll - but I ignored it because there are missionaries fighting tapeworms in Cambodia... I can handle Velveeta casseroles & hot dogs every night for dinner! When I headed down to Parker for my second assignment, because my my gut had already been injured for three months, my body began reacted badly to food that shouldn't have hurt it. My eyes would swell up every night (google "Rocky beat up", take away the blood & you've got me). Skin patches began forming on my scalp, eyes, chin, cheeks, back, & torso (my gut essentially couldn't handle the crap in the food, so it dumps it onto another organ, our skin, to cleanse - essentially), & I was in the fetal position every night due to pain. Things got a little better for about 2.5 months, until I was in Westminster, hitting my seven month mark of being a missionary. My body began rejecting food that was fed to me from dinner, but I could keep in my organic food on my own time. This went on for about a month. I scrambled to try & fix what I could on my own. During this time, I got a UTI & the flu - which beat my body down even more when it was already down. I was receiving promptings or signs from God that I should go home from my mission early, but I didn't want to hear that! That would dash my dream of three years to serve this mission! So.. I did the idiotic thing of shoving aside His counsel (I know, I know... just remember all the other times I was a smart cookie, alright?).
The Monday before I came home, it began rejecting all food. I progressively got weaker. I couldn't keep anything down - not even my organic food. My body was treating any food as poison. It would come up within seconds of going in. That week I was blacking out every five minutes and shaking really bad. I wasn't getting any nutrients, the only thing that stayed in this body of mine was H2O. I knew this was God whacking me over the head. I let go of my pride, I quit fighting His will & gave up mine. I prayed to know what it was He wanted me to do. That Thursday at the temple, I received my answer. I heard the clear words, "Let your body heal." I knew I was going home, but I still didn't have peace - the thing I so desperately needed at this point. I notified my Mission President the next day & we arranged for me to go home the following day, Saturday. He gave me a priesthood blessing. I received confirmation & peace that this was what needed to happen.
God let me know through prayer & individuals that I had served my full-time mission, not full-term, but that I had served full-time for the duration of what He intended for me from the beginning. I know everything happens for a reason, I have no idea why right now, but I'll know someday. I know I'm supposed to be home, even if it's not what I had planned. I cherish my time I had to serve the Lord as a missionary for the people of Denver. It brought me closer to Christ in ways I never imagined, & in ways that would I couldn't have obtained without serving. I can truly say He's my dearest friend after these short 8 months.
