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Blaine joins us today; if you haven't received his email update, now you have the privilege!

Ciao!

I hope you enjoy following my mission with these e-mail updates.  I planned on setting up a Facebook page when I retired but have not had time.  We are at the halfway mark of our 18-month mission.  We are in full gear and loving it.

We continue to work with our young people here as our primary assignment.   We are also charged with strengthening the Stake in the Florence area.  This is a very broad assignment.  In addition to these, we have been given many specific assignments over the past few months.  Our mission continues to evolve.

We are adjusting well to the language and culture.  We can communicate effectively.  I have to listen with such concentration that after about two hours in a meeting, my head starts busting!  It can be very intense.  I find if you add “-ione” (ee-o-nay) or “-are”(ahr-ay) to the end of most English words, you can make an Italian equivalent. The other day I told someone to click-are on the computer and discovered that it was actually the word for “to click”.  I usually am not so lucky with my word creations. 

We are getting used to the different culture; it doesn’t seem so strange as it did 6-8 months ago.  There are a few things I will not get used to:  there is no salt in the Tuscan bread; in Tuscany (unlike southern Italy), the food is actually quite bland.  We overnighted in a home of a church member 3 hours away last month, and they offered cookies and cake (stuff like Twinkies) for breakfast.   All the Italians close their e-mails with “a big hug” or some other affectionate closing.  I still can’t do that- it just seems too weird. 

We live very simply.  We brought two suitcases apiece. I have a few shirts, pants and suits, and a couple tee shirts for around the house.   Some days I put on a white shirt and tie in the morning, and never leave the house (working on projects).  Some days we leave in the morning, pack a lunch and don’t return until near midnight.  We have no routine day.  I am very comfortable with routines, and like to set my life in patterns … we have very few here, I just go with the flow.  The other day I shaved with Linda’s mousse (instead of shaving cream) and didn’t know the difference till the next day!  We have become very flexible.  Our life is very simple and many things that used to matter don’t much anymore.

We have done a little sightseeing, actually very little.  We have checked out several towns built on the mountaintops hundreds of years ago.  They are always interesting with their walls, towers and ancient churches.  We have yet to visit Cinque Terre and Venice, which are both within a 3-hours’ drive.   

If you do a tour of Europe, look us up; we have an empty bedroom in our apartment and have put up a few guests already.  We are busy, so we will essentially ignore you, but it is an available place to stay just outside of Florence, Italy! 

We really have a great mission.  We get to do so many things.  I love variety.  Our main work is to strengthen and encourage young adults.  We are teaching several Institute religion classes during the week.  We organize and guide a weekly Sunday evening young adult, “home evening”.  We guide ward young adult leaders in planning and implementing their activities.  We spend much time visiting with and encouraging young people in four of the wards in the Florence Stake.  This entails many counseling situations: depression, unemployment, dating, engagements, spiritual problems, homesickness, physical illnesses, peacemaking, family problems and education.  We visit and closely nurture new young adult members of the church in the Stake.   We make visits and teach lessons to struggling less active young church members. 

In addition to working with young adults, we have been asked to work with the youth.   I was a Boy Scout leader for 25 years in Memphis.  We have been given an assignment as stake YM/YW training specialists.   We have done some very thorough stake YM/YW training.  We will continue with follow up training in the subsequent months.  Linda serves as the stake’s young woman’s organization secretary (which involves us in regular stake youth activities).   

One of the most exciting (and time-consuming) things we have done the past 3-4 months is to start up a BYU Idaho “Pathway” program in Florence for the Tuscany region (visit pathway.lds.org for more information). Pathway is a 1-year educational program sponsored by the Church Education System (and BYU-Idaho), that provides educational options to those that may otherwise not have good options.  It is comprised of on-line BYU-I classes and a once-a-week “gathering” meeting in our Florence chapel (which becomes an extension of BYU-Idaho campus for an evening).  It is an incredibly ingenious, low-cost way to offer a college education for those who lack confidence, time or money for a traditional on-campus experience.  We did the startup, recruiting and enrolling.   On an ongoing basis, we oversee administrative needs, organize, and attend the weekly Thursday evening gatherings, which are facilitated by the students themselves.  As “Pathway missionaries”, we have wonderful opportunity to study the course materials, to be prepared to facilitate gatherings.  In addition to this “Pathway” study, we also have daily time to study language, scriptures and prepare lessons. 

In our spare time, we support and encourage this side of our stake’s eighteen young missionaries in teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We have had some choice teaching opportunities with them.  Our job is to become friends with their investigators to help in the transition to church membership.  Sister Hyde and I periodically do park tracking just to help us keep focused on our message and purpose here.  We try to talk with everyone everywhere about the message of the restored Gospel.  We have had some wonderful experiences.

This area of Italy was the last district in Italy.  A stake was recently created.  As such, the stake presidency greatly values our experience and advice.  They tell us they understand branches and districts but have never been a stake before and do not know how one functions.  This is a very awesome responsibility as they frequently call and meet with us to ask for our consultation and assistance on a variety of subjects.  The fact they listen to us places a large responsibility upon us.  I speak very deliberately, not sharing anything unless I feel the sure guidance of the Holy Ghost.  We are currently assisting in training the Bishoprics in the Stake (I travel with a member of the stake presidency to select wards).  It is incredible how open and teachable our stake presidency and Bishops are.  We have become very close friends with many leaders.  We would have never imagined such a rare opportunity to share our experience and understanding of how the Lords kingdom works. 

We have had several opportunities to speak during sacrament meetings, (twice with only an hour’s notice to prepare).  I always carry a few talks ready in my heart, some notes in my notebook and a good Italian dictionary for such situations.  We have had many opportunities to give blessings.  This has been a very rich experience.

We love our mission. This is truly a wonderful and fulfilling experience, though not without its setbacks and heartaches, for in spite of our efforts, we see some young people make poor decisions.  For the most part, we see progress.  We have had numerous rewarding one-on-one experiences, where we felt we were able to offer encouragement.

In addition to working one-on-one, we participate in the strengthening of leaders and moving forward initiatives like Pathway, Young Adults, and YM/YW programs, all of which can bless many.   We could not think of a way in which our mission could be more interesting and rewarding.  As I said, I love variety.

We have spiritual experiences on a regular basis, where we see the hand of the Lord sustaining us in His work.  We are not here to enjoy, but to serve; it does not seem right that we are having such a good time, I expected to make some sacrifice!

We have made a hundreds of friends.  I feel we should be here at this place and at this time. 

We had an experience a few weeks ago which helped us gain a larger perspective of why we are here.  We took a 3-hour road trip north, to visit a man to whom I taught the gospel forty years previous (when I was a 19 year old on a mission to Italy).   I discovered the fullness that he has experienced as a faithful servant of God (as a priesthood leader in his wards and stakes), rearing a beautiful God-fearing family, and seeking consistently to lead others to the grace of Christ that he had discovered.   It was a moving experience.  Shortly before we concluded our joyous reunion, I was sharing some personal challenges in my life.  He listened, and then shared his wisdom and counsel for several minutes.  I was moved to tears as I thought how, forty years ago, a small seed had been planted and had grown into something rich, beautiful and productive, from which I was now eating the fruit. 

This is why I am here.  Someone planted a seed in my life years ago.  It is a good seed, and I desire to share it.  If you would like to know more about what I am doing and why, view my personal profile at www.mormon.org/me/GPBT/blaine .

Elder Hyde