Irmã Ricchio
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Recent pictures!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Happy halfway mark!!!
Monday, July 25, 2011
A letter and some pictures! (before the frightful surgery)
Update on Sister Ricchio . . .
PATTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i am alive!!!!!
here is the story:
so last monday i was feelin g a little bit sick.....but thats normal for americans because lets be honest, the food here can be scary at times! LOL so i went along and a few days later i felt super sick like i had the flu......i had a major fever and felt like death........so on wednesdayi tried to carry on like normal with our appointments, but after lunch i told my companion that i needed to lay down and take some medicine because the pain was super bad! so i took 2 advil and layed down,......but i couldnt sleep! SO...my companion said she wanted to call president, but i dint want to because i didnt think it was that serious because when you call president you better be bleeding out your eyes......so i said no....so she called a nurse thats a memeber in another area and the member had my comp do some tests on me and then i heard the memebr say .....she needs to go to the hospital now!!!!!!! i instantly started balling my eyes out because i was super scared and the pain wasnt gettng any better......then my comp called president....who was about 8 hours away....brazil is huge.....lol and he said to go immediately........so here begins the fun......i went to a general hospital, and sat there for about 6 hours before i was checked out.....apparently there was a problem with my mission insurance card.....because the federal police station still was holding onto my paperwork for immigrational purposes and so nothing was processed for my insurance......great!
...so then the doctor started asking me questions....but of course i cant explain medically.....i know how to speak a little.....but the pain and the whole situation was hindering me from saying a word....so my companion jumped up and said shes an american and cant speak portugues, so i will translate for her.......the doctor at that point laughed and said,,,,in potrugues....no, let her speak english and we will try to understand......PATTY i couldnt believe it....the doctors were mocking me! anyways....my comp was mad and started talking to them.....and then they said okay we need to take some blood and urine samples........after that i waited for another 3 hours......then the same doctor came back to talk to my companion....and i underswtood everything she said.....she said that my blood had infection in it and that she is hesitant to treat me because of the insurance issue and because i am american,,,,,,like, if something was to go wrong.......geez........THEN my president arrived and tried to get things straightened out.....they then put me on a bed and i layed in the corridor for almost the whole night and my president was right there with me! But they couldnt give me any meds because they said that they didnt want to mask the pain when i would go in for surgery....so they gave me fluids.....which was basically water in a back that hung above me........i was then at about 5 in the morning i was rolled into a room with about 18 people....you could literally touch the patient next to you....we were shoved into this room.....on one side a woman was vomitting......and the other, an old woman taht has problems, tried to grab my pillow from me......seriously patty i am traumatized.......hahahhahahaha im laughing but i seriously am!!!! then at about 12 noon the next day they rolled me in for surgery and of course i was balling my eyes out because i was so scared...i had never had surgery and iam in brazil for heavens sakes!!!!!!!!!!!!! so i had surgery and then layed in a room for about 2 days until they would release me....they said i had to poop.....well because they had me fasting for 2 days without food or water....pooping wasnt an option...hahahahahaha OH! i am a noob....when i saw the blood from my wound i almost fainted....hahahaha when i stood up for the first time i seriously vomitted and swallowed it....and then when i went to the bathroom and saw blood dripping from my gown i started freaking out.....i called the nurse.......EU PRECISO AJUDA!!!! AJUDA, AJUDA......that means.....i need help....help....help! hahahah patty you would haved died laughing.....but i know that the medical field is not for me!
oh! my incision is huge....and that not an exageration....hahaha apparently my appendics was super inflammed....still not sure if it burst....but my incision is about half a ruler in diameter....possibly a little bit more!!!
So now i am here in my presidents home trying to recover quickly! patty this house is legit....i have pictures....hahahaha if i show you youwould die....its like a palace resort! and i laugh when i look at pictures from my area because its such a big contrast!!! anyways....patty, i just love my prsident and his wife....seriously they have been so good to me and help me with everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i want to give them a gift or something to thank them for helping me.....
other than that i am doing fine....its litterally torture to sit here and do nothing....no music, nothing.....i study, sleep, sleep and sleep....and eat crackers occasionally! hahahahahaha i really dont have an appetite because i feel bloated....and littlerally like im carrying twins.....no joke patty thats the feeling.....my stomach is very heavy, bloated and sore.....i am dead serious that when i have kids its going to be a problem because i never want to go to another hopsital again......ill just have my kids in the bathtub....hahahah call me a drama queen but patty i am traumatized :(
emergency appendectomy!!!
Friday, July 8, 2011
New mission president and BLOOD
Friday, June 10, 2011
meat, meat, and more meat
Monday, May 23, 2011
day one in brazil
Things take about a week to dry....no drying machines so we have to hang EVERYTHING up outside....and its still not dry! haha so things are a little wet when we go out
Sunday, May 22, 2011
letter from the mission president
Sister Jackson and I were delighted to welcome Sister Ricchio to the Brasil São Paulo Interlagos Mission on Tuesday, 01 Feb 2011 . Please be assured that she received an enthusiastic welcome from her leaders and fellow missionaries. Pictures should arrive shortly by e-mail or conventional mail of Sister Ricchio with Sister Jackson and me, her companion and her CTM group.
Sister Ricchio has been assigned to labor with Sister Kaliandra Alves Sampaio in the Cocaia Ward of the Grajaú Stake. As you can imagine, those who receive the assignment to train new missionaries are among the most faithful and dedicated missionaries in the mission.
Sister Ricchio has been asked to write you each week on Preparation Day (Monday). We would ask you to write her weekly as well. The importance of a letter each week from those she loves cannot be overstated. Please remember to share family news and personal experiences that will help her focus on the work of the Lord and increase her desire to serve with all of his heart, might, mind, and strength. Given the time difference with the United States, e-mail correspondence should probably be sent by Sunday evening. Packages and correspondence sent by conventional mail should be addressed to the Mission Office as follows:
Sister Vanessa Elizabeth Ricchio
Missão Brasil São Paulo Interlagos
Rua Euzébio de Souza, 121
Jardim Londrina, São Paulo, SP
CEP: 05638-100
Brasil
We look forward to our association with Sister Ricchio as we work together to build the Kingdom of God in Brazil. We are so impressed with her desire to serve and feel sure that she will be a blessing to her companion and to our entire mission. If you have any questions or concerns, please don´t hesitate to contact us.
President Christopher G. Jackson
Brazil São Paulo Interlagos Mission
she made it to brazil!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
a mother's day video chat!
Monday, May 2, 2011
the visa is on it's way!
Friday, April 15, 2011
oh "hey church ladies"
Monday, April 4, 2011
double baptisms
Just last night the bishop's wife told us to come over to her house after the baptism....we though she wanted to give us some of her delicious bread that she makes for sacrament. So we swung by and she said to come in and sit down. So we talked to her for a minute and she said, okay now we can come to the table and eat, and the Bishop came from a room and we all sat and ate dinner. Apparently missionaries hadnt been over to the bishops house in awhile (just hearsay) but apparently its because the bishop hadnt been too happy with some of the missionaries that had been in the ward previously. That made me really think about our conduct and work as missionaries and how upsetting that was to hear. So we ate dinner and talked about some things in the ward and before we left i shared on of my favorite stories in the bible and being examples of the believers. It was an awesome experience and i was very happy that we have gained the bishops trust and hopefully will continue to do our best and work hard!