That's the only line I can remember from that song from way back when...It's amazing how much you forget on your mission! I've chosen this as my title, because that was my first thought when I took a look at my right foot this morning...
Let's backtrack to last P-day and not having time to complete my letter:
Liz did not get baptized. In fact, she is wanting us to meet with her mother now and start teaching her the lessons. Liz thinks it would be wonderful to have her mother get baptized with her! This little girl has so much faith, it's absolutely amazing!
Tuesday we were actually heading to go see Kerly and we got onto the bus that we normally do. I had taken it upon myself to start changing. I'm tired of keeping my mouth closed! So I turn to the ecuadorian woman next to me and start talking to her. For quite some time, she doesn't really respond...just polite, yes's and no's here and there. As I'm teaching, this old Italian woman keeps interrupting me like I'm talking to her...but I'm really not. Ugh! It was so frustrating at the time, but it is such a joke now! Anyway, as I am talking to this Ecuadorian woman I just get down to the point and bring out the Book of Mormon and testify of the first vision. All of a sudden I see this hand reach from behind me and a young voice say, "Can I see that book please?" And I immediately turn, it was almost like a vaccuum to her! This bright, 26 year old girl from the African Cameroon Islands starts flipping through the Book of Mormon and says " I have to have this book. I have been searching for answers and I KNOW that I need this book. Can I please have it?" Then the Italian woman pipes in and says that it was condemning to read another gospel. You have study the right one! And she goes to say that if this girl is feeling empty (Like she explained to me from going to the Catholic church...she goes to mass every day to try and feel something and nothing is coming..She is tired of having her faith fall and rise...she wants consistency) she needs to go see the nuns! And then this beautiful girls says "Well, their tag says they are from Jesus Christ...that means they work for Him, and that works for me!" ANd the woman says, "NO! You can't! THey are Evangelists! They teach false doctrine!" And then I had this power surge within me, like when Iron Man pumps up to blast his enemies...yeah like that! And I turn to her and say " No! Signora! We. ARe. Not!" And she just looks at me and hushes...she has been interrupting the whole time...so she finally got the hint. But we made an appointment with the young lady and we were so excited to see her on Saturday...but Friday night comes around... I have these shoes. These cute little Dansko shoes that...like to be a little wobbly sometimes. BUt anyway, after getting ANOTHER scheda for our phone and having Lina Salazar activate it for us, we had to run for the bus...a brand spanking wonderful welcome for Sorella Smith into Genova. As I am running for the bus, I hop the curb, and the next thing I know, I hear a snap and out goes my right leg. My whole body fills with this paralying pain that I literally cannot lift myself. My leg feels like a gigantic brick. So there I am, sprawled in the middle of 3 bus lanes, and this little Italian woman stands in the street so the busses don't hit me. Sorella Smith picks me up and helps me hop to the curb, where the little lady gets me a box. I start shaking like crazy and just start trying to make phone calls. NO ONE IS ANSWERING!! And we can't call emergency because, well, I don't know what the number is, (I don't even know if it's 9-1-1) and I finally ahold of President and say, sobbing, "President, this is sister bowman. Please call the Anziani so they will pick up their phone. I'm at Brignole Station and I've broken my leg." End of story. I look at my foot and it has swollen to the size of an orange and so Sorella Smith removes my shoe. People pass by, willy nilly, not thinking anything, not willing to even help. It made me so sad...UNtil this one Romanian man asked me if someone had called the ambulance, I said no and laughed a little. He looked at our tags and said "You work for Jesus Christ?" And I said, Yes! We're missionaries (As I sound like I'm in labor) and he goes "That's wonderful. You two are doing soemthing great for this country. I keep Christ right over my heart...and he pulls his shirt down to show us a tattoo of Jesus! I say "That's great, it's good to keep Him near" and he wished us luck and boarded the bus. Finally the Anziani show up and Anziano Fulcher (Australian) just starts talking to me, trying to get my mind off of things. I explain everything to Christian Salazar and Anziano Mina and we decide to take me to the ER and get me x-rayed. Jokingly, I laugh and mention that I sound like I'm in Labor and I don't think the elder's knew what to do with that...oh well...it's better than crying! So we get to the hospital and Christian says I need to start crying again, they won't treat me as fast if I'm laughing. So they set me on a stretcher and the first thing I see "I've ripped my tights! My mom is going to kill me!!" And then Christian sees that I split my knee and ripped the hole bigger! DAH!! THESE ARE THE NICE ONES!!! But, I ended up taking them off and cutting the legs for knee highs...sad day. SO they do the x-ray and nothing's broken...for a while we thought I had a fracture...they didn't really treat me well. The x-ray guy didn't put a lead vest on and then when he checked for a break, he grabbed the top of my toes and SHOOK THEM!!! DO YOU REALIZE HOW MUCH PAIN THAT IS?!?!?!??!? ALOT!!! But, Christian bought me a popsicle and placed it on the swollen parts..and then Anziano Fulcher had to take his turn....ugh I was so embarrassed..in the winter, you don't shave your legs...OR CARE ABOUT YOUR FEET!! Needless to say, Sorella Smith gave me a pedicure the next day...still working on the shaved legs part...but it's coming. So, they wrapped me up in a sticky ace bandage and sent me away...luckily I didn't have to pay. Christian felt that we needed to go see his wife, Lina and have her look at it. And it's a good thing too because my leg started reacting to the sticky ace-wrap. Needless to say, they re-wrapped me and gave me some pain killers and all was well. They have been taking care of me ever since!! CHristian and Lina came a few days ago and he did some "trrrreuhk trrreuhk" for my foot, and now it's popping normally. But, I have some really nasty bruising going on and I am still swollen. So for the past week I have been doing a LOT of sleeping and a lot of just trying to walk again. Sorella Smith and I have had some re-touching and a great study on the word of wisdom...heh heh heh..in the bible it says..no blood. But that's besides the point. So it's a few more days being at home until I'm back to normal. I get pains all the way up my calf and spasms at night because it's so cold. But it's all for some reason....President thinks the whole mission is on the brink of some outburst because a LOT of missionaries have been having problems of SOME SORT...the adversary just knows where to get us...I guess I just fall into the category of being so stubborn that the Lord has to get my physically...the Lord or the Adversary...probably the latter, but I have turned to the Lord to guide me through it all.
I know the church is true and I know I'm supposed to learn something here. I feel like my mind has been reswiped and recharged for my last stretch. I just need to keep it that way. Dad, I know what you mean....you got my letter and I am proud to say that I am ready to spring forward and not fall back. I am taking things I am learning on my mission now to use for the rest of my life...and how excited I am to be a changed person!! LOVE IT!! So until next week, I salute you all from my bed!!
love,
sorella bowman
p.s. the ward has been helping me so much! I have never received so many calls and meals...ever!!!
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