If anyone is still reading this blog, I love you!

At the bottom of this post you I write about how every day in this mission is so amazing and  gratifying.

First, here are random photos and videos.  

I took the following photo because it felt like even the weeds along the street were celebrating Christmas.

There were (still are, because the holidays aren't over until tomorrow, Epiphany - the celebration of the visit of the Magi) several Christmas trees in the visitors center, along with a display of Nativity scenes.  Three of them were in the general area, and the rest were in the room you can just barely see on the right in the following photo.  This nativity scene, or presepe, and the one with the blue background were made by a member here in Rome - a true work of love.

This is the previous one, up close.  The holy family is on the bottom right of the house.  This nativity is of the "profane" variety, because it shows the holy family in the midst of everyday life as practiced in medieval times.

  

The following nativity is of the "sacred" variety because it isolates the holy family in order to emphasize the holy nature of the birth of the Savior.  Every detail tells a story.

Gimme a break - I know it's blurry, but it really was a charming Christmas-decorated Roman street!

This is the refrigerator in the breakroom of the visitors center, where we missionaries take our meals.

Can't say enough how much we love these darling, endearing, joyful, strong young women!

And finally, a celebration of family.  We have been so blessed to enjoy basically every Christmas of the last six years with Amy, Lawton, Abbey, Aidan, Olive and Ian.  We are feeling a little sad that this may be the last time for quite awhile, since they remain in Barcelona and we may not be back.  We loved having them here to celebrate the wonderful spirit of celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, and its attendant activities.

I adore these people!

Every week we spend six hours a day, six days a week, at the visitors center, a place where the spirit of peace and joy rests in abundance - especially, we found, during the Christmas season - supporting the most amazing, sweet, intelligent, humble, inspired young sister missionaries as they meet and share with others - people who are not members of the church as well as people who are - what makes this place so unique and joy-filled.  

Every day we work to get to know our visitors, discern their needs/desires, and share spiritual messages catered to those needs, specifically focusing on the basic message every missionary shares, of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the points of His doctrine, and of the Restoration of His gospel in the latter days through the Prophet Joseph Smith (included in that message is an invitation to study and pray about the Book of Mormon, the proof of our message).  

We have wonderful experiences doing this.  I said we support the sisters, because we try to give them the opportunity to take the lead in these discussions.  By so doing they strengthen their own conviction, as well as learn to share the message more effectively.  Sometimes if there are more visitors than there are missionaries, we lead our own discussions.  

Because people come to the visitors center out of curiosity, or perhaps a friend has invited them to come, they are already open to what we have to share, so there are rarely experiences where contentions arise.  This is not to say that every person who walks through the door becomes an instant convert; that is not even the goal.  We are here to minister to people, to share the message and to build relationships.  So, we only go as far as people are willing to go, and we encourage them to return.  Sometimes they want to go as far as they can, sometimes they accept a copy of the Book of Mormon, sometimes they come back.  Nearly always, they leave with a positive experience. 

It's pretty fulfilling.  We just wish there were more visitors!  This will come with time.  We are happy every day.  

We use the rest of the day for study, chores, communicating with family and friends, etc.  Oh - and transportation, which can be major sometimes.  Occasionally there is an activity sponsored by the visitors center, like a concert at the church (located on the same piazza), so we usually attend those as well - a sample video is below.

We have a "Pday" every week; "P" stands for preparation.  For the young missionaries, this means cleaning and laundry, shopping, calling/writing home, sightseeing, etc.  For us, it's just time to take a break, maybe do some sightseeing.  Sometimes when family comes in we take an extra Pday by rearranging the schedules at the visitors center with the other two couples who work there.  With our normal Pday plus one, we usually borrow the director's car and take our guests to Naples, Pompeii/Herculaneum, and the Amalfi Coast.  We encouraged family to visit us especially during this mission, since it may be our last to Italy, and several have taken us up on the offer.  We have really enjoyed the visits; every time things have gone so well and everyone has had a great trip.  We feel very grateful for that.

This is a random "video" which is more of an "audio", taken with my phone, which has a cracked screen, rendering the camera lens rather filmy.  But I did it to record the birds.  The temple site is very "green", and often wildlife, particularly birds and insects (but I did see a cat walk across the back steps of the visitors center today), abound.  I was so taken with the birdsong this particular evening that I had to record it.

So - 13 months in, and it has been a dream!  We will actually be going home a month early, since the couple who is replacing us will be here at the end of April.  Visitors center training is conducted at the MTC once every six weeks, so it was either they come two weeks after our departure date - which is not doable - or four weeks before.  Ergo, we leave the first part of May.  After spending a couple of weeks in Barcelona, we will arrive back in the States sometime toward the end of May.  

Don't really want to think about all that right now...

See ya next time I see ya!  Keep the faith.

Their Story Is Our Story

TSOS - if you haven’t heard of this organization, check it out:  https://tsosrefugees.org.    We had a wonderful occasion to work with them recently.  Their crew, all volunteers, flew in for one week to videotape, draw, interview, and otherwise “capture” the stories and images of refugees in Greece and Italy - perhaps elsewhere in Europe as well.  

Our wonderful humanitarian missionary couple, the Herways, put them in touch with us for the Naples area.  We spoke to our African friends, who spoke to theirs.  We had from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 pm, on one certain Wednesday.  We publicized, we worked with them to find a suitable place for interviews...we and they did all we could.  At a certain point you just have to turn things over to the Universe and ride with it.

The bed and breakfast they booked - the terrace of which was designated as the interview place - said it had been booked for the next day.  Was not willing to make any allowances.  We were up the proverbial creek.  Enter Keti (Katy) the angel.  She let us invade her tiny apartment while we waited to re-direct interview-ees.  In the meantime - during which we were treated with the greatest civility and care, and offered every delicacy and comfort within her grasp - we heard her own engrossing story of having to flee Soviet Georgia in 2008.  Her story will also be included in this project.

Keti and Keti - both refugees from Georgia - apparently there's a fairly large community in this area. The one in who's home we took up a short-lived command post is on the right.

For more information just google "Georgia 2008"

The little street upon which we sat, with no success, waiting for refugees to come for interviews.  That's us on chairs.

Keti's tiny apartment, where I sat with Twila, the chief editor, writer and book designer of TSOS.  A very devoted, driven, compassionate person.

 Blaine went with half the crew to find a new place...nobody came...He suggested changing places to a nearby neighborhood where we know there are lots of refugees.  Here are fellow members of the crew, with Blaine,...waiting...

There’s a member in that neighborhood who’s a barber, Blaine figured maybe he could line some of his friends up.   He wasn’t there...but his barber partner is a refugee and was anxious to tell his story.  Blaine went back to the first place to get the rest of the crew, took a shortcut, and ran across another of our African members, who had initially not liked the idea of being interviewed.  Before Blaine knows it, he’s joined by the two crew members he’d left behind - who for whatever reason felt they should follow him - and they convinced our friend to come.  He said he’d be there by 2:00 with a bunch of folks.

We joined them about then, and we all waited...  No one came...  The crew had to leave at 5:00 to make it to Rome for another interview.  At 3:30 a dozen people showed up.  Most did not want their pictures taken for fear of reprisal.  Eventually most agreed - although it is never a requirement.   Some asked that their faces/voices be distorted.  All the stories were heartbreaking.  There was only one woman there.  Her story was so horrendous that the interviewer thought maybe she was exaggerating...until she heard later in the day from reliable researchers that her story is, in fact, typical of what goes on in Libya.  We have heard enough stories over the last two missions to know that ourselves. The interviews and the photos/drawings took place in a kind of a cul-de-sac, crowded with cars and comings and goings. The crew finished with everyone's stories, in the nick of time. We all felt uplifted and edified, as if in the larger sense, everything had gone exactly as it should have.

Our responsibility as missionaries is to strengthen the Church, specifically these two branches of the Church, and specifically the Italians themselves.  Therefore, we have felt a little dubious about the trajectory our work is beginning to take.  The many serendipitous events of this day showed us that the Lord’s hand is in this trajectory.  Somehow, perhaps as new branches strengthen the roots of an old tree, the growing presence of refugees in the Church here will bear fruit, even among the Italians themselves.  We're starting to see that.

Now for photos from the last six weeks or so. Lots of photos.

The drum circle waxes and wanes. This one was super.

 

If you saw a recent Facebook post, you saw a video of our Napoli missionaries eating African food, fufu and a "soup" of meat, okra and other vegetables.  We had the same privilege, thanks to Richard, one of our many Nigerian friends and an awesome missionary in his own right.  You take a clump of fufu, ball it up with your fingertips, dip it in the soup - and swallow.  No chewing.  It was a great cultural experience!  And good food.

A baptism is always a wonderful experience.  This one was extra special!  The sister missionaries taught Susan, and she asked that Blaine baptize and confirm her.  She's wonderful.

Okay, these next few are so fun!  We missed our old friend and Blaine's long-time coworker Milt Canovan, but were able to host his wife Kathy and her friend Mary for a couple of days.  We were able to take some time off to enjoy Naples and Sorrento together.  It was a real refresher.

The ferry ride to Sorrento was refreshing in itself.

We happened upon a wedding processional in Sorrento.  

This sweet elderly gentleman, Gaetano, makes beautiful inlaid wood creations.  

Blaine masquerading as Pulcinella

In the middle of town, a slice of history:  "In the town of Sorrento ... there's a deep canyon, also known as 'The valley of the mills'. There, [among] thick vegetation [is] the old mill, functioning since the beginning of the 900's and used to produce flour. The mill was abandoned around 1866 when the creation of Tasso square isolated the mill from the sea, provoking a rise in the humidity, which soon forced the mill's abandonment."

Recently we took the missionaries (all five, thanks to a member in the branch) hiking near Formia, up the coast an hour or so.  It was a perfect day for a very picturesque jaunt.

I took this photo because it was as if some sea rock made a nest...little fledgling sea rocks...

These two crack me up!  I am not a Halloween lover, but I couldn't resist them!

And our dear friends the Williams are finishing up their mission this week.  For one last visit together we went to Sant'Agata de' Goti, one of those medieval mountaintop towns that are so fascinating.  This one did not disappoint.

We dined at the Osteria del Conte; the two guys ate wild boar.  I had some of Blaine's, it was divine.   Now that's a cultural experience.  We were led to this place by a sweet, chatty elderly woman named Anna.  I am not a tall person.

The inn-keepers (they have a bed-and-breakfast too).  They were eating their dinner when we entered; it was still early for dinner by Italian standards.  But they hopped right up, cleared up their repast despite my remonstrations, and served us a fabulous 3-course meal.

And speak of fabulous meals!  A young couple in the Napoli Branch, Nicola and Antonella, brought us fresh-caught (that very day) mussels, not farmed!  It was the first time I'd ever fixed mussels all the way from fresh.  When I did it before, several had to be tossed because they were already open - not this batch.  And I don't like clams, oysters, mussels that much ... but these were taaastyy.  We ate them all in one sitting!

Occasionally we are called upon to repair or install stuff in missionary apartments.  Here Blaine is installing a shower curtain, which had to have a wire come down from the ceiling to support an angle in the rod.  We don't always know when we'll have the time to do this sort of work, so he wasn't exactly dressed for the occasion.  He improvised with a kitchen apron and a plastic bag.

hanging on a wall, looking glorious.        Ciao y'all.

proof positive

Wonderful thing for Sunday, March 29:

Sometimes I don't know how much to share about a person's life.  Suffice it to say that the young Nigeriana the sisters have been teaching has had some pretty serious issues.  In the process, however, she has chosen to be humble, faithful, and teachable.

In her presence, I feel that even though we are sharing precious gospel truths with her, we are priveleged to converse with an angel.  I love to see someone who is being true, no matter the history, no matter the pressure, no matter the distractions, no matter the appearances.

We feel humbled to have this privilege to see her soak up every truth of the Gospel.  It reminds us that we can be more faithful too, like her.


Fun thing:

To say I felt intimidated by the thought of directing half the Young Women of the stake in in an activity, by myself, would be putting it mildly.

I'm glad I girded up my loins, knowing that the Lord always comes through.   Imagine writing it as my fun thing!  What beautiful young women, every face a shining light.