This week we had a little bit of an adventure: we had to go back to Coimbra again!
Want to know why? Because of a broken nail, haha.
Last week we were passing the soccerball back and forth, when I missed and kicked the pavement with my toe. It hurt so badly, but I didn´t think too much of it. Later I looked at it, and underneath my toenail was all purple. The next day it kept hurting as we walked, and my companion told me to call Sister Roque. But I thought "I´m a big boy, I´m not going to call Sister Roque just because of my toenail" haha.
So I put it off another day and my toe started getting all red and swollen, so I finally bit the bullet and called her. She asked me a few questions and then told me to rest my foot in a bucket of hot water and salt before leaving home and before going to bed. If it was worse the next day, she said to call and I should go to the hospital. I did as she said, and the next day it still looked gross and was hurting so I called again.
We then went to the hospital in Castelo Branco (the emergency room so they could help me "quicker"), but they don´t accept the church´s insurance there, so we had to travel to Coimbra. (The emergency room in Castelo Branco was kind of sketchy, and I could imagine them ripping my toenail off in the back room, haha).
When we got to Coimbra, we went to the hospital, waited a long time, and then they did an x-ray on my foot. The bone wasn´t broken, and neither was the nailbed, just the nail. So they just gave me some medicine to prevent the infection that was appearing, and sent me away. The doctor didn´t seem to really care that much, haha.
So after two bus rides, twenty phonecalls back and forth to Sister Roque, walking around with a normal shoe and a flipflop (on sister Roque´s orders!), and waiting in two hospital waiting rooms, I´m back in my area:
all because of a broken toenail, lol.
The tender mercies: the day we wasted in Coimbra was the only day that we didn´t have any teaching appointments scheduled already; and despite losing a day of work, we were able to find several new people to teach last week. But it sure was embarrassing, haha!
Something that I am realizing on my mission is that despite good intentions, despite many prayers, despite good planning, in the end everyone always has their agency. I am learning to be more patient with investigators that cancel an appointment at the last moment, or that don´t go to church, or members that don´t follow up with what they say, etc.
And something that I realized is that as we learn to be patient with people making their own choices and mistakes, we are able to feel a little bit of what Heavenly Father must feel as we make mistakes here on earth. He knows what is best for us, and when we choose the opposite or don´t do what is right, He must feel sad, but must have so much patience for us.
The past few weeks several people have acted surprised that I speak Portuguese after "only" 11 months. I still feel inadequete in my language speaking skills, but it makes me feel good when complete strangers act genuinly surprised with my Portuguese. I know that all is possible with the help of the Lord, and if we do our best, He will help us.
I love being a missionary here in Portugal! I love being able to see my investigators progress and recognize the spirit! I love you all, and I hope you have a great week!
Love,
Elder Barker
P.S Next week is my "1-year-mark" !
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