My Companion Has Rabies and Moving On......

Here is the email we received today, October27, 2008. Pray for his companion!

Hello everyone
What a week. first off my companion has rabies. And is currently receiving shots in his stomach. Wouldn't want to be him. What happened is on Wednesday morning we were walking down a street and these two boxers came and started to bark at us. I walked up over onto the sidewalk but Cachique stayed in the street and they started to jump on him so he started to kick them to get them off. Then they started to try to bite him. One got his sweater and the other got his hand. I saw it all from the sidewalk. I threw some rocks at them ,but i wasn't about to hop in there and try to get the dogs off and risk getting rabies. Anyways a neighbor came out with a broom and got the dogs off. The next day we went back and we tried to talk with he owners, but the only person home was the grandma who only spoke quetchuwa or whatever, but the neighbor told us the dogs both died the day before. but of course my comp didn't believe them and he tried to find every excuse that the dogs were still alive. He ended up waiting 3 days before going to the clinic to get the shots. And when he went they got real mad at him and told him that it is almost impossible that it will have any effect now, and that it would take a miracle if he really does have rabies. But at any rate he is in quite a bit of pain now, and no one is really doing much. If i was him id probably be on a flight home to spend my last days in somewhere other in Lima, and to try to save my life. But what can you do. Guess well know in a few days if he is still alive or not.
Anyways, on Wednesday Elder Christofferson of the quorum of the 12 came here and we have a conference in the CCM and listened to a talk from him. All the missionaries from the 4 Lima missions who were in Lima were there, so i got to see everyone from Cochabamba which was great. My trainer elder Brinton was real happy to see me. The best part of the whole day was that about a half hour before it was going to start President and Sister Tenorio walked in! Everyone was so happy to see them. We all got a chance to give them a hug and say hi. They brought two suitcases full of letters and packages too for all of us and i just got handed about 15 letters this morning that got sent int hose suitcases. So thanks for all those. They didn't say when wed be going back or anything, but hopefully soon. But i think we all have a new hope that we will be going back and are all a lot happier after seeing them. It was just what everyone needed. The president of the Santa Cruz mission and his wife were there too.
Today is changes, and both Elder Cachique and i are going to another area. We will find out this afternoon in the meeting, but all my stuff is packed up and ready to go. Until now I've been in a different country every 6 weeks. That would happen to me. Its kind of a bummer we have to leave bc we are teaching a few really great people including a family, but what can you do.
anyways got to go. love you all. thanks for all your letters and love.
justin
How great for Justin to see the missionaries from the Cochabamba mission. Especially his last companion, Elder Brinton and President and Sister Tenorio. Sounds like it really lifted his spirits! Continue to pray that they will be able to return to Bolivia. As Justin said, with the whole church praying for countries like Bolivia, miracles can happen.
By the way, when I asked Justin if he ate the chicken foot in the soup, he said "heck no, you couldn't make me! But other than that, the soup was good."
And WHAT ELSE can happen to his poor companion! He obviously is doing well enough to be transferred today. That is a good sign I hope.