Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Tasting the fruit

Hmm...I think I'm just going to post photos and talk about them...

  Elders Berger and Silver got matching ties and had to show them off.



Every Tuesday and Thursday in both the Napoli and the Pozzuoli branch, a free English class takes place.  The missionaries do it as a service - and it's also true that several baptisms have occurred by this means.  The above is obviously a special Halloween English class, at Pozzuoli.  The very American looking treats are thanks to the branch president's wife, Becky Trimble.  Over the top!


Wednesday we celebrated Anna's birthday (the one on the left) with her friend Antonella, who has been studying the Church for awhile, at Gilda's house.  Gilda was here when we were here back in the day, 43 years ago - and she is one of the most gracious people you will ever meet.
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A baptism in the ocean.  I love this photo.  The newly baptized member is Fabian, second from left.  He was baptized by Elder Gay, to his right.  The ones on the outside, Elder Spencer and Elder Ridd, were witnesses.  Afterward, Fabian gave Elder Ridd a big hug, lifting him off the ground - and the waves took them both down!  Since he was already soaked, Fabian then turned to Elder Spencer and slam dunked him in.  Elder Gay had already embraced Fabian, so he was spared the full douse.  It was a brisk, windy day; those elders were all chattering by the time we got back to our cars.  They didn't change till we got back to church!  It must have been an interesting sight for other people, both at the beach and on the street by the church in Naples!


 Elders Youngblood, Gay, Fabian, Elder Spencer, Fabian's friend Lucy, Elder Ridd, and those other folks.


I can't stop taking photos from the church!  But look at the sun on the sea!  It's like liquid gold.


We spoke in Sacrament Meeting at Pozzuoli Branch Sunday.  Afterward, we went with Sisters Hunter and Crandell to eat lunch with Imma and Peppe.  These are fun folks!  And Imma is a true Italian mamma - we ate pasta - don't know how they make just plane pasta and sauce so good, but it is SO good; fat sausages with oven baked potatoes and a side dish of field mushrooms and tomatoes (Blaine raved about it so much that they gave me their precious field mushrooms and told me how to make it.  They're in the freezer, I'm waiting for the opportune time); then, when we were quite satisfied and thought to have finished, along came potato croquettes (mashed potatoes formed into a tube around a piece of mozzarella, rolled in bread crumbs, and fried) fresh out of the pan, followed by arancini (rice balls with peas and ham, same process).  Oh. my. goodness.  Poor Sister Hunter is Imma's pet project; I guess she wants to fatten her up.  The rest of us took our own portions, but Imma took charge of Sister Hunter's plate herself!  After that came fruit, then cookies from the pastry shop.  We felt to roll ourselves out the door and down the stairs.  It was such a delightful time, though, they really are delightful people.


Sorella (Sister) Crandell's birthday was the 29th and Sorella Hunter's is today; in celebration I made this pear-rosemary pie with cheese crust.  We took it, along with Blaine's "famous" sandwiches and other picnic items, to the Amalfi Coast Monday, the missionaries' PDay (P for preparation, during which they have time to do touristy stuff, along with laundry, shopping, writing home, etc.).  We ate on the beach at Vietri Sul Mare, where the drive to Sorrento along the famed coast begins.  The following photos were taken on that drive, and of our picnic.




 The Mediterranean on a beautiful autumn day; Anziano Hyde thought more than once about what it would be like to be sailing.


 The three sorelle - me, Sorella Crandell and Sorella Hunter


Three sorelle and one anziano, in front of "The two brothers", a Vietri Sul Mare landmark.


IF I remember correctly, this is Amalfi...




This is ... Minore?
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This is what happens when you have to take a "shortcut" to the autostrada (freeway) from the Amalfi Coast highway.


I already posted this on FB, but it deserves a re-post.  Saw this rock that had the form of so many Madonna-and-Child images I've seen, so I brought it home and gave it its true identity.


District meeting this morning in Naples.  Blaine, Anziano Stratton, Anziano Youngblood, Anziano Ridd, Anziano Bellini, Anziano Gay and Anziano Spencer.   Book of Mormon, Alma 57:27.

Just this evening we had a lovely family home evening with a couple from Napoli Branch, and two sisters, our newly baptized sisters also from that branch, along with the 8-year-old son of one of them.  I don't know if you can get a feel from my posts of the joyful spirit that this missionary work brings, but I must tell you, it is there, and it is sweet!

Yeah, we love this place.

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