Miracles: Big and Small

You know I believe in miracles.
I love to find miracles and I see them happen every day.
I try to share them here every once in awhile.
I HAVE to share Friday's miracle.


I was driving from an appointment back to the office.
It was only a 10 minute drive max and I was in a hurry.
For some reason ;), I had a feeling I should call my friend Amber.


"Hey Amber!  How's it going?"
"Well, it's been a rough morning."
"What happened?"


Amber had just gotten off the phone with her son TYLER (Yes! <- the OTHER half of the Bonehead Brothers!  Garrett's twin by another mother.  The EXTRA son who LIVED here for nearly two years.  And by HERE, I mean IN THIS house 24/7)

Tyler's been serving his mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Ukraine for the last 19 months.

Missionaries only call home on Christmas and Mother's Day
And it's not one of those holidays.
So it can't be good!

Amber explained that a few months ago,
Tyler mentioned that he was "itching."
It was a casual mention that he didn't know what was wrong but he was constantly scratching.
The end.

But when he called Friday,
he told them that he was itching day and night for almost six months and that it was so bad he was awake most of the night scratching.
His skin is raw and he is trying to survive on 3-4 hours of sleep a night.
He has gone to the doctor in the Ukraine.
They couldn't find anything and they hinted that perhaps it was mental.

The adult leaders recommended he come to the mission office and call home and prepare his family that he might be sent home early.  No one in Ukraine could explain this itching and they asked Tyler to meet with a psychologist.

He told his mom it was NOT mental.
He has the language down.
He loves his mission.
He feels great mentally.
They are teaching more people than ever
and he DOESN'T want to come home.

But he can't survive on 3 hours a sleep.
And he can't continue to scratch his skin off.

Amber told all of this to me.
Hmmmm...........I was skeptical.
I knew there was more to it.
It wasn't mental.
I didn't tell her I would, but immediately after hanging up,
I called my brother.

I knew he was working in the Pediatric ICU.
I NEVER call him when I know he is at work.
I KNOW he can't answer his phone.
But I called.

He answered with, "Is it emergent?"
"No. But Tyler has............."
I told him everything in less than 30 seconds and he said, "It's Scabies.  I'll call you back."

In a whirlwind of events and phone calls at 2 am,
My brother spoke with the leaders in the mission office, Tyler's parents, Tyler, a doctor in the Ukraine and a pharmacist.
Long story, but it IS scabies.
They are unfamiliar with scabies in the Ukraine.
It can be easily and quickly treated.
There is NO reason to "live" with it.  And there is NO reason for Tyler to come home.

Within 24 hours, he went from miserable and returning early from his mission to ecstatic and ready to ROCK the last five months in the Ukraine.

Why did I call Amber at a random time when it was not convenient and I didn't have time to talk?
Why did Amber tell me the whole story instead of just saying everything was fine?
Why did Jared answer the phone even though he was in a meeting with his attending?
How did Jared know without seeing Tyler and from my extremely limited description what it was?
How did they get all those people on an international conference call?
How is it that the ONE pharmacy that has the scabies medication is JUST DOWN THE STREET from Tyler's apartment?

God's hand is in the miracles.
We can be instruments in his hands.

I know miracles happen every day.
We just have to notice them.

Have a fabulous Sunday!
Gina