Friday, February 16, 2007

Fire from the sky and other lesser miracles: April 20, 2005


Hey - the Lord takes care of His servants. I was running to catch the "Metropolitana" for an appointment with a really "bravo" (all the words in Italian will be surrounded by '') man, and I slipped running down the stairs. I turned my right ankle and landed on its side. The buzzer for the train soon sounded, and we had missed it. Sad, and my foot hurt a lot. It was already swollen when I hopped over to a bench. After arguing adamantly with Italians and others around that seemed to want to push me into an ambulance ("vietato" - prohibited unless truly an emergency - the cost is atrocious here). We took the metro to the last "fermata" which is "Piazza Dante" - the appointment we were missing was actually at Pellegrini Hospital with a doctor to teach the Gospel. We tried calling him, but he wasn't there... We took a cab and went to Pronto Soccorso (after calling President's wife, of course - mission rules) where I will never go again. Perhaps the details of the inside of an Italian hospital will be good for after the mission. They didn't charge us anything, put what is called a Dynacast on my foot (a soft cast that they dip in hydrogen peroxide or something "così" and then it becomes hard - cool concept), and the doctor prescribed two shots (literally) of medication for 'blood flow', pain medication you dissolve in water, and to come back for another appointment. We called a member and she drove us home. That night the other "Anziani" gave me a blessing and I woke up throughout the night in pain - but they were sleeping, so I didn't wake anyone up until 7:00. I took some acetaminophen - they don't have it here in Italia... And stayed in all day. I did scambi with the new missionary (in our apartment) - our replacement for the last elder. He's really bravo and has ears like an elf (always his joke - like my companion is a giant and one elder is bald) - and the other Anziani went to move to our new apartment. They came back hungry, frustrated, tired... normal day in Napoli! We aren't moving after all, ever! Pretty simple, huh? The best place to send packages, though, is still the mission office.

Whew! Now that that's out of the way, I can finish my story. Saturday night we had a Pioneer activity (late "festa" for the anniversary of the Relief Society) and I went - hopping on one foot - we sang "Home, Home on the Range" (for some reason everyone wants me to do musical numbers... and so I always have to find American songs or something - Home on the Range was inspiration!) - always catching a ride with a member (Italy has way too many "colline" - hills - and hopping for miles is not fun...). Sunday morning our ride never showed up - I decided to walk, and after Church we did our normal work. Less then two days after the fact, and there was no pain, and I could walk normally! Wow - "Il Signore ha fatto un miracolo!" - The Lord has done a miracle! Sunday night it absolutely poured rain. We were drenched.
Because we are not moving, we are absolutely changing this apartment so that my companion and I can unpack our luggage (I really thought to myself, "What is the noi form of 'can'?" - scary). We are buying bunk beds and new dressers, moving the washing machine, reorganizing the kitchen, throwing away all the stuff we don't need - and, of course, you know that in the middle of massive reorganization everything is a mess. That is right now. Soon, though, we hope to have the "più bello apartamento" in the mission (or something like that).
And the spiritual moral - the Lord works miracles, great and small, every day! A great way to help become more grateful is to pray each morning to see the miracles that the Lord is already accomplishing in your life and the lives of others.
I love you all!
Anziano Peterson

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