Pat and her husband Pete usually attend the Saturday night meetings at Eastminster.  She is also a local elementary school teacher in the area.  During the summer of 2003 Pat and Pete flew to Greece to enjoy the country and try to find Pete's ancestral home.  The trip didn't go exactly as planned.  We caught up with Pat and asked her for some details on the Greece trip.

So Pat, how was this trip to Greece?

After twenty-nine years of marriage, Pete and I were very excited to be able to finally visit the birthplace of both of his parents.  This was to be the greatest trip.  We were so excited.

Ok, you left the in June of 2003.  You wanted to see Athens and the islands and enjoy all that good food, right?
Yes that’s right.  We would be in Greece for two weeks.  We would see Athens and then spend three days just cruising the Greek islands.   I was really looking forward to finally seeing where Pete’s family grew up. 
 

So what happened?

Well, on a beautiful morning in Athens I was coming down from the 7^th floor of our hotel room.  The circular stairs were made of that wonder slick marble.  I was annoyed that I felt a bit woozy.  I guess it was my tendency to get motion sickness.  As I got to the landing, I tripped on that one last cranberry marble step that blended in with the floor.  I never saw the floor coming.  It happened so fast.  As I looked at my ankle, I instantly realized that it was broken.  I didn’t move.  The bone was poking out under the skin.  Pete was right there with me all the time. 

Ohhh, Did you cry and get real mad?

Although it did hurt, I only remember the ambulance attendant working to support my leg and asking all these questions in Greek!   I just looked at Pete and said, “It’s Greek to me.”  I don’t remember getting mad.  It just happened so quickly.

So off to the hospital instead of the boarding dock.

Yes, That’s about it.  You know I was so grateful for Pete and his support.  His childhood native tongue really came to the surface.

Oh, that’s right.  You did say that Pete could speech some Greek.

He could and this really worked out great.  We arrived at the hospital and I informed them through Pete of course, “that they could just hurry and put a cast on my ankle, we would be off and then later come back right after the cruise to get it all checked out!”.

Way to go Pat.  An American tourist telling a Greek doctor how to treat a broken ankle.  Did it work?
Not quite.  This is where I started loosing it.  After an x-ray and consultation with the doctor the decision was SURGERY.

Yuk, bad word. Not exactly what you wanted to hear

…and what made it worse is that the hospital looked as old as the Parthenon we had seen in Athens the day before.  The large windows were open without screens in the emergency room.  I looked at Pete and told him we needed to pray and pray with the people at Eastminster.  You know the call in Pray Chain we have here at Eastminster.  My mind raced with thoughts.  Mostly things I would not be able to do now.  Pete and I joined hands and prayed.  As I was wheeled into the operating room I remember thinking that my bottom line request to the Lord was that, “I wanted to live to see my grandchildren.”
 
and the surgery…

I came through it with flying colors and a wonderful big new white cast on my left ankle.  There were other couples that had flown in to go on this cruise.  They stopped by the hospital to see my new trophy.  Our three-day cruise of the Greek islands became our “three day immersion in the Greek culture, at the hospital.”

So that was a real down time I bet.
Yea, but you know we met a girl in the hospital bed next to me named Maria.  We believe now that she was an angel, sent to encourage me.  Maria and her family treated Pete and I like family.  Time passed and I remember that morning when the doctor made the rounds to check on my progress.  He said all looked well and the stitches needed to come out on Wednesday.  Well true-to-form I asked him if Friday would be better?  In his broken English he said, “Dear lady, so how do you propose touring with a broken ankle?”  I said, "Pete could push me in a wheel chair and we could rent a van and see this beautiful country! "

Did it work that time?

Yes it did..., the doctor smiled and agreed.  So we’re off.  Well kind of that is.  Somewhat at a slower pace.   We were joined by Jan, a missionary with Eastminster who lived in Europe.  She arrived shortly after we got back to the hotel.  Jan was full of questions about my recent “tour,” of the Greek hospital. 

So now the modified Greek holiday plan was this; we would rent a van, Pete would drive and Jan would be the tour guide in the front seat.  I would prop my leg up on the back seat in the van and off we went…,well that is after first taking my Dramamine.

That’s quite a story!
Well hold on, the best part is yet to come.  God had so much in store for us.  The real highlight of the trip was when we got to Pete’s family’s residence in the town of IURRA. 

IURRA!  Isn’t that the sound you made when you broke your ankle?  IURRAAAA!
 

Stay with me here……. In IURRA we were greeted by a Greek Orthodox Priest in a full black dress outfit.  Yes it was a hot day!  The more we talked about Pete’s family the more the Priest said he remembered them.  He took Pete and introduced him to another local man named of all things, Pete Stellakis!  Pete and Pete, made their way down a path where the ruins of his family home was located.  As we stood there with the warm Greek sun shining down on us, we all realized that this was a very special day. The timing for us to be here might not have been possible if the events of the previous week had happened as they did.  We held hands, shed a few tears and prayed.  We realized that it was initially our desire to see Greece, but our real need was to feel his presence in this place with these new friends.  What a great day that was.

In closing this all brings to mind the verse in the Bible, Romans 8:28 that says,

     “All things work together for good for those that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.” 

It doesn’t say all things are good … but it does say all things work for his good.
 
Great story Pat.  Be sure to look Pat and Pete up when you visit.