When You Don't Get What You Want, You Just Might Learn Something

A year ago today, I was taken to the hospital in Santiago, Chile at the tail end of my full-time mission in Viña del Mar. I was passing out several times a day, had a hard time eating, was constantly dizzy, couldn't hear or think well, and a bunch of just feeling sick. I'm not gonna lie, I was a little bit scared, especially because of the number of people on my mom's side of the family that have had holes in their heart and have had similar symptoms. The amount of tender care I received from my fellow missionaries, ward members, doctors, and especially my mission president and his beautiful wife (in the picture with me), is immeasurable. My poor companion that had to watch me sink to the ground over and over again. Seriously, Tawsi Rohner, you're a saint and a soldier for getting us both through those two weeks. I was carried half-consciously out to the car and again into the hospital. The doctors ran every test possible. I'm not kidding: bubble echocardiograms, MRI, CT, X-rays of my chest, deep venous ultrasounds, angiograms... you name it, they did it. And nothing came up...

I was released from the hospital, and with the help of loving missionaries and wheelchairs I was able to make it through four flights and make it home.

A year and continued doctor visits later, I still have no idea what causes my symptoms that randomly appear again. Luckily, they are gradually fading (hopefully they'll continue to fade).

On this Thanksgiving Day I am so grateful for the life I have been given and for the lessons that my Heavenly Father teaches me; especially the inexplicable, super hard ones. I'm grateful when I have nothing to rely on but faith in Him and His Plan for me. I have a wonderful family, who is the motivation behind everything I do. I am gaining a wonderful education as I choose to be a diligent learner and stay motivated to learn for learning's sake, and not just for a grade. I have endless resources to continue learning about the Gospel, always accompanied by the Holy Ghost to guide me. I have amazing friends and colleagues that are supportive, kind, and keep me laughing through life. I live in a country that protects my rights of religion and expression.

Most importantly, I have a Savior who is the perfect teacher, who chastens me when I need it and shows me the better way. That way always brings me closer to Him.

One of my favorite phrases in the Book of Mormon is Nephi's humble response when faced with a question he doesn't know the answer to, "I know that [God] loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things" (1 Nephi 11:17). When there are situations in my life that I don't know the answer to, I search and pray for answers, and at times when the answer doesn't come I tell myself that same thing. There's going to be a lot of things that we don't understand, and a lot of unanswered questions, but I know one answer is always sure--that God loves His children, and that "all things shall work together for [my] good" (D&C 90:24).