Catania Zone Conference - July 2013

July 8, 2013

President Waddoups served in Catania nearly 45 years ago.  It was his last city.  He hadn't been back there since that time.  It was my first time in Catania.

It's a good thing we are experienced flyers.  We flew from Sardegna to Rome, got a clean set of clothes and flew to Catania on the island of Sicily.

It's so fun to meet the missionaries.  We have seen their pictures on line, but many of them look so different in person; their hair looks different; they have aged a year or more; some of them have gained weight and some of them have lost weight.  Most of their hair is still the same color  That's a plus.

The atmosphere is a mixture of excitement to meet the new Mission President and a little apprehension because they don't know what to expect.  Thus far I think everything has turned out good.

We are still really new in the mission and each day brings a new challenge and a new miracle.  Catania provided me with a major new experience--one I hope to never repeat.

The Zone Conference in Sicily was one of the most difficult for me.  Prior to Zone Leadership Council (which now includes sisters), I was talking to some of the missionaries while President Waddoups was doing interviews.  A couple of anzioni (elders) came running into the church and said the sorrelle (sisters) needed me.

Three of the sisters in Catania had been to the church for interviews and then left to go meet with an investigator.  A lady stepped in front of them and the sister driving slammed on the breaks to avoid hitting her.  The car behind them didn't stop in time and hit them from behind.

Miraculously the car didn't even have a dent.  Unfortunately the three sisters inside were pretty shook up and a couple of them experienced some whiplash and all three of them were in a bit of shock.  The elders didn't miss a beat.  They immediately took out their consecrated oil and proceeded to give each of them a blessing.  I spent all afternoon at the hospital with the three sisters in the car wreck.  Remind me never to go to an Italian hospital again.  I was grateful one of the elders that went with us was native Italian and understood the system and spoke the language.  Two of the sisters were pretty shaken up.  The other one was still shaken up but doing better than the others.  At the hospital they put the two worst sisters in wheelchairs and left them sitting in a hall for a long time.  One of the wheelchairs only had one foot rest and the other one didn't have any.  If we trust the xrays, nothing was broken and they put neck braces on them and told them to come back for a checkup.  I think not!  No way are they going in there again.  We are arranging for them to have follow up care with a different doctor if necessary.  In spite of it all, some good came out of the situation.  First, the car didn't have any damage.  It should have been smashed.  Second, the one sister who was the least injured managed to pass out 4 pass-a-long cards and gave out a video on the restoration and a Book of Mormon.  Standing for long periods of time paid off spiritually.  As we were waiting to get the sisters in the car to go, they were giving the hospital attendant a pass-a-long card.  The sisters were sore and wore their neck braces to Zone Conference, but they still attended and had a positive attitude.  (They joked they were going to write mormon.org on the neck braces so everyone would see it.)  Sometimes bad things happen, but the Lord never leaves them with a negative.  He always leaves them with a positive.  Who knows what might happen because of the pass-a-long cards and Book of Mormon.  I am grateful to the elders who immediately gave priesthood blessings.  This is a training field for these young elders and sisters.  These experiences--good and bad--will prepare them for what the Lord has for them in the future.