Random Beauty and Daily Wonder

It's probably clear that I'm thrilled with poppies.   Color!  It touches the spirit.  It lifts and encourages.  Not just color, but also color contrast.  Symmetry.  Shape.  Beauty.  

We are often put off by how very seldom the empty lots and the curbsides are trimmed; but then on the other hand, we're greeted with random beauty everywhere we go.  

Or in the case of the photo below, random beauty and calculated ugly...

But then, speaking of gracing the landscape:

To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure I took the bottom photo...I may have...We never get tired of seeing and pointing out the reflection of the statue of Christ right in the center of the temple, as seen through the front windows of the Visitors Center.  And as for the stream, I believe I may have referenced Ezekiel 47?

For me, it really is "life-giving" to enjoy these views and feel these feelings of joy and peace, every single day while working here.

Couldn't resist taking this photo of the rearview window of a van.  We had just left an open market; we visited three on our Pday, purchasing artichokes, a potted basil plant, and some jewelry.

I know I've posted photos of Carlo before.  Blaine and his companion Jack Ward left a little card with the church's address on it at the shop where Carlo worked in Rome, forty-six years ago.  Now we're old buddies.  His sister-in-law Maria may or may not have been amused at Blaine's efforts to be on a par with her.  She is a great spirit and a great intellect, even in a small body.  

The young single adults of Italy had a conference last week, and spent a great deal of time on the temple square site.  Carmen is the daughter of some of our dearest friends in Naples, Nunzia and Salvatore Tucci.  Wonderful to see her and other YSAs from around Italy.

You may have seen this caricature of Blaine and me; I've added it as my Facebook profile picture.  It was drawn by one of our multi-talented sister missionaries, Sorella (Sister) Deschine.  We have singers, musicians, multi-linguists...they're amazing.  Many of them performed in the Easter Concert that was presented last Friday and Saturday.  Both were very well attended, by Italians as well as by American tourists and others.  We're portrayed as if we're singing, but I think it's supposed to be us "flapping our lips", as Blaine likes to call it.  No, really, I have to say, he is such a dedicated, prepared missionary.  He's always willing and ready to discuss any principles, to assist the sisters, just to do whatever is required.  I'm so proud of him.  And of his precious tablet!  (His IPad is chock-full of topics with relevant scriptures, videos, maps, you name it.  Johnny-on-the-spot).

I am SO happy to say that we do get a chance to communicate with family often.  Two illustrations:  Abbey in a cool coat she bought on their Semana Santa spring vacation in northern Spain, which she told me about as we spoke with them via Whatsapp, as they were traveling home, then sent me a photo; 

...and Slate's baptism, in Katy, Texas.  He's shown here with his bishop, and with Andrew.  I am so grateful that we were able to participate.  It was wonderful to be part of this milestone in Slate's life.

I've been thinking a lot lately about miracles vs. normal, everyday life.  For one thing, as Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge pointed out in this marvelous talk at BYU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSEsLtwKzvw), EVERYthing about mortal life is a miracle - it's just so "normal" that we don't realize how miraculous it is.  "The healing of the withered hand is not nearly as amazing as the existence of the hand in the first place. If it exists, it follows that it can certainly be fixed when it is broken. The greater event is not in its healing but in its creation."

There's a wonderful series of videos in our visitors center, called "The Storms of Life".  One of the many take aways that have come to me from watching several times, is that when "miracles" happen, it's not as if we "live happily ever after."  When the tempest and the winds were calmed, there was still a boat full of water, which had to be baled out; the occupants were still wet through; they still had to navigate to their destination, etc.  

In other words, "normal" life goes on.  The wonder and joy continue, if we receive them.  I wrote in my journal recently, "I love Walter Rane's painting of the blind man whose eyes Jesus anointed with mud [John 9].  It's very awkward-seeming; not a miracle done with a flourish, but just very human, a little odd.  We all expect (or at least I do) to act and speak as if we're filled with spiritual eloquence and grace 'at all times and in all places.'  Instead...awkward, imperfect, normal, human.  That's how most things get done."

(no copyright infringement intended)

May we SEE wonder in all things.  Alleluia.

Me and Maria Von Trapp

Not the best photo in the world, taken with my phone as we passed by.  This is Castello Aselmeyer/Grifeo.  I don't know anything about it, we just passed it yesterday returning from a dinner appointment in the Chiaia region of Napoli.  I read that it is neo-medieval, built at the turn of the 20th Century.

Three missionaries, Elders Parkinson, Pyper and Morril; one not-yet-a-member, Cono Riga; President and Sister Pickerd of the Great Italy Rome Mission; and a senior missionary couple, after lunch in our apartment.

Some sort of ear infection that kept me from a missionary zone conference...a family home evening before which 5-year-old Manuel sat by the front door for an hour waiting for Anziano Hyde to bring his games..."splits" with one, two or three missionaries...talking in Sacrament Meeting about Self-Reliance and seeing our friends whom we had invited, who are not members, walk in the door...standing outside an employment office or an elementary school as parents pick up their children, inviting people to improve their prospects by taking part in our Self-Reliance program...visiting with the wonderful coppia Simoncini and son Ether in our home (about Self-Reliance!)...receiving news that family will visit in March and April...seeing inroads created as a result of our holiday goodie runs...viewing a 10-day difference between the way an elderly brother looked before and after a priesthood blessing...finally being able to make some visits to two families after four months of trying to set them up...unusually wintry winter weather...so blessed to have a coat, a scarf and a hat...every day working with and learning from my sweetheart.

These are a few of my favorite things... well, not the ear infection...!

Provident living indeed

There is a referendum coming up for vote here in Italy this Sunday; it seems to be causing the same type of division as our presidential election.  Since it refers to a change in the basic constitution of Italy, it's a pretty big deal.  The people I trust most are saying they'll vote "no"; I don't know enough about it otherwise to opine.  It seems fairly clear to me that polarity of opinion is more and more the driver of this bus we're all riding; hence, life becomes more and more like Piazza Nazionale  - Blaine calls it Piazza Chaos - at rush hour.  

More and more there is the need for the simple things we continually speak of:  daily prayer and scripture study, attending church and taking the Sacrament, family home evening.  We can certainly testify of the results in our lives to this point - in fact we do, pretty much every day.  

 We have had some gorgeous days lately; sometimes it's too much for Blaine, looking out at the bay, with no sailboat to launch.  This day he contented himself with photos.

 

We were able to do a real American Thanksgiving, creds go to Sorella and Anziano Williams, another senior couple who work with the American military at Caserta.  This is the Great Napoli District, plus our guests Paulina and her husband Angelo.  The room is the foyer of the Napoli branch church building.  We practically carried our entire kitchen there!  We took time to talk about the things we're thankful for:  family, The Book of Mormon, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, their missions and companions, America, stuff we took for granted till we didn't have it any more.

Took this photo right before half the Great Pozzuoli District missionaries were transferred!  Sorella Hunter (to Rome), Sorella Crandell, Anziano Silver (to Reggio Calabria), Anziano Berger (to Napoli), Anziano Price (to Sicily), Anziano Draghi.  And those other two.

Happy to welcome the new sister, Sorella Bellomo, from northern Italy.  We know her papa' from our last mission, since he's the Seminaries and Institute Director for Italy.

We had the privilege of going on "splits" (acting as companions-for-a-day) with the missionaries of Battipaglia till their companions came in on the train.  Me with Sorella Wise and Blaine with Anziano Morrill.  Fun missionary day - although since Sorella Barnes came in at midday, all S. Wise and I did was study and get the house ready (she'd been with the sisters in Caserta for a week because her companion returned home before the new transfers came in).  Blaine and A. Morrill did some real-life finding on the streets.  

Lots of Americans in our branch here in Pozzuoli means a big Thanksgiving bash in church before Thanksgiving!  Good folks.

Don't ask Italian men to come to an American celebration on the same night as an SSC Napoli soccer game, and expect them to just sit there...

Our two new anziani, Anderson and Parkinson.

We spent a good part of the day last Monday with these good folks, the Williams.  She's the mission nurse; she gave us our flu shots (we bought them at the pharmacy and not wanting to do the honors ourselves, went running to her!).  We ate lunch on base at the bowling alley!  Sooo American - except for the Italian accents of our servers.

So here is Blaine, waiting outside Fortuna's house, where we had been invited for Family Home Evening and dinner.  Fortuna's doorbell didn't work and she wasn't answering her phone.  I finally reached her via Facebook!

Even though I wish I had taken a picture of Rachele and Antonio along with the rose from her garden, I am pleased to post this gorgeous beauty.  We love visiting Rachele and Antonio, they are so genteel.  And her sister makes the best rustic pizza in the world...

What a clever way to keep the dogs and feral cats out of your garbage!

And last but not least, hurrah for Christmas time!  We were in the open market buying fresh fruits and veggies, when we were treated to this musical gem:

They represent the shepherds who hastened to the manger.  

Ooooo, it's great to be here!  We love this place!  We love these people.  We love you!

Treasuring up

Every time I go to an appointment, I put my trust in God to help me say the right thing for this person, at this time.  That pretty much dictates my thoughts and, mostly, my actions.  I still spend too much time on Facebook.  It's an ongoing battle.  I'm getting better at it, though, by God's grace.  I do my best, but still stumble (and not just as it relates to time spent on Facebook).  My all time favorite piece of counsel from the Church's wonderful addiction recovery manual is, when you find yourself dealing with the same ol' crap and not succeeding in overcoming it, submit AGAIN to the will of the Lord.  Say, "I place my life and my will in Thy care."

So, I'm a flawed person, accompanying my husband to visit and strengthen another person.  Who am I to think I can succeed at THAT?  I just put all those doubts on the back burner and remember this verse from The Doctrine and Covenants (6:36):  "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not."  He in His divine "somehow" takes my little lump of an offering and magnifies it, giving me "in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man" (D&C 84:85).  It is a marvel.

We come home every day edified.  It is such a privilege to be here, doing what we are doing.

And now a few photos:

 Ok I admit it, this is another one from the balcony of the church!

I took this because our Jared has a story from his days in Provo, of the "nine-foot couch".  This is modular, so it doesn't really count in the one-up category.  It's at the home of our Young Men's president Brother Warner.  Their apartment is uncharacteristically large for Italy.  We had a youth "fireside" there Sunday.  Blaine and I presented ideas about talking to their friends about the Church, then the sister missionaries modeled a conversation, then we had the kids practice, with the missionaries and the leaders.  We were happy with the response.  Then we put the couch back into manageable portions.

 We had a little Family Home Evening with Mimmo and Patrizia, and Elders Draghi and Price.  Blaine has made several gospel-oriented board games.  This one has to do with the Plan of Salvation, and is very diverting while also being instructive.  "A good time (and a good learning experience) was had by all."

So look closely at this car.  It was rained on, as were all the other cars in the whole Napoli area including ours - and rendered extremely dirty as a result.  Blame it on the sands of Northern Africa!

 So apparently this is what you get when a baby is given a name and a blessing in Sacrament Meeting...the candy inside was baby blue heart-shaped with chocolate inside.

New do.  Now that the experience is in the past, I can laugh about it.  They did a great job, very indelicately - meaning my head was crying afterward.  Speaking napolitano the entire time, with no interest in my efforts at conversation.  A hole-in-the-wall family enterprise.  Very reasonable.  In about three months, I may be ready to go back.

We love this place.  Have I said that before?