First Christmas Away From Home

I had been in the mission field about a month when Christmas came rolling around. It didn't feel like it as walked drenched in sweat every day and no snow within thousands of miles. My health was fairly well for not being accustomed to another country. On Christmas day, however, we went to a members house to eat lunch with them. On the way I started to get a bad headache, and the sun wasn't helping much. I lost my appetite (which was bad because I didn’t want the family to think I didn’t like the food). They asked why I wasn’t eating and I told them I didn’t feel well. I laid on the couch and slept for a while. Elder Oliveira thought it was a little weird that I slept on their couch in the middle of the day. We had Dona Maria’s son pick us up and take us back to our apartment. That night we used her phone to call our families. Only on Christmas and Mothers Day were we allowed to call home. (And once on Fathers Day.) It was good to talk with them, but I had a sever fever and the chills. My body ached. What a way to spend Christmas Day. Away from my family and sick.