well... one day we were strugging to sleep while enduring the oppressive heat, and the next... we are enjoying the cool breezes that seem to find ther way through every open door and window.
Monday is the day we enjoy lunch and district Meting with the elders and sisters. I was out earlier that morning to gather food for the traditional weekly meal and chose to stop at our favorite fruttivendolo. It's been fun to watch their offerings gradually change as different things come into season. We have tried many new things... some only once... others of which we don't know how we will live without. Monday I was after fixings for a salad, along with the usual bag of peaches. The day was warm but pleasant... almost cool. Strangely, the cooler weather brought out some of the smells of Italy that I had not experienced in thirty years. Have you ever had a smell play that sweet trick on your mind? As I reached out for a handful of miniature tomatoes, a slight breeze delivered a nostalgic perfume. Suddenly I was transported back to Palermo as a junior companion, shopping for our noon meal. I just stood there for a minute, enjoying the journey.
And in fact, we did travel to Palermo last week. It was fun to visit familiar streets. We found a family we baptized thirty years ago. They were as warm as ever and invited us back for dinner the next time we are in town. Slowly, as the friendship rebuilds, we will invite them back to Church.
We also spent a wonderful pranzo with the other senier couple - the Norths. It was good to exchange ideas and experiences about the same work we are doing on opposite sides of the island of Sicily.
As we left their house, I heard the electronic navigator announce that we were turning on to Via Serra di Falco. Suddenly I knew exactly where we were. I looked up to find us directly in front of 156, the Abbate family's home. They were baptized, I believe, June 8, 1980. At the time they were a family of four, but have since grown to six. They now live in Verona, but we have maintained contact... a friendship that most assuredly existed before any of us came to earth. Michael stopped the car and I leaped out to take a picture of this special house, the place where I, as a missionary, learned much more about conversion than I shared. I love them dearly.
Tomorrow Junae starts Italian public school. Today we enjoyed clothes shopping together. Her backpack is loaded and she has written a list of Italian questions she can ask in case the Italian she has already learned isn't enough. I am so proud of her! This grand adventure surely would have been too large for me to attempt at her age.
You will do great, Junae... and when your children ask you about fifth grade, will you have a story to tell!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Changing Season
From Michael...
My appreciation and love for you and you support grows every day. I hope
you are all well and happy.
The summer months are winding down and the evidence is everywhere: more cars on the road as people return to their jobs, more businesses open, slightly
cooler temperatures, very tanned people everywhere, fewer loud parties
running into the morning hours in the neighborhood, tomatoes on sale, and
more.
The work here is ever present and ever pleasant. Always someone to talk to
and somewhere to go, and something to do. We have so many roles to fill, I
often worry about doing any of them well.
The sister missionaries referred the elders to an apartment of male refugees
from Nigeria. Stanley and Emanuele showed interest from the first day, and
we left a Book of Mormon. Their mother tongue is still a mystery to me,
English is second and Italian is third; since our elders are from Peru and
speak perfect Spanish and near perfect Italian, I teach. Any refugee will
have a tough time getting a job here, and they are no exception. Stanley
was an electrician back home, but the vocational training to qualify here
would begin clear back to a middle school diploma. Because of this, he and
his friends take on menial labor jobs with long hours and low pay. Even if
he were certified, the competition for the few skill jobs available would be
daunting- not much different than any other country. The fallout of this is
fewer opportunities to teach them. We'll see how it goes. Others contacts
come and go as our lives intertwine and the butterfly effect reaches around
the world.
GA application accepted! We got an email two days ago indicating our
application process for a Young Single Adult center was approved and we are
full steam ahead. The first center on the east side of Sicily will be in
the biggest city here, Catania. This means a greater focus on the program
and some extra funding from the area center in Frankfort. We are hopeful
that we can progress one or more of our other five cities (Siracusa, Ragusa,
Gela, Messina) to the point of lift-off in the next year.
Junae begins school Wednesday. All our practice, encouragement, exposure
and hopes for her culminate here. She will do fine; it is nearly a force of
nature as she cannot go too long without talking to SOMEONE! She really is
understanding nearly everything, which means our secrets now actually have
to be whispered.
Institute begins the first week of October. Old Testament lesson plans are
developing. I am excited for my learning curve and know all involved will
benefit. Well, I will anyway.
Patti begins seminary Thursday. White knuckles time for both of us as the
year really begins in earnest and our schedules lock into a fairly constant
routine.
First day of school in this zone. The walls of buildings echo even small
sounds here as in other parts of the city, and here in this city as in other
cities. There may be a Cosa Nostra secret combination in Italy, but in
familial matters there are no secrets. Right now I am listening, against my
will, to a hot and lively conversation between a teen age daughter and her
mother about what will be worn today. A pan is dropped, a door slams, then
quiet. Something was resolved, and peace returns. Somewhere down the
street a worker begins his labors tapping on something in an even rhythm
interrupted every so often by a rest and comment to a coworker. We love
Italians and Italy! And we love this work.
My appreciation and love for you and you support grows every day. I hope
you are all well and happy.
The summer months are winding down and the evidence is everywhere: more cars on the road as people return to their jobs, more businesses open, slightly
cooler temperatures, very tanned people everywhere, fewer loud parties
running into the morning hours in the neighborhood, tomatoes on sale, and
more.
The work here is ever present and ever pleasant. Always someone to talk to
and somewhere to go, and something to do. We have so many roles to fill, I
often worry about doing any of them well.
The sister missionaries referred the elders to an apartment of male refugees
from Nigeria. Stanley and Emanuele showed interest from the first day, and
we left a Book of Mormon. Their mother tongue is still a mystery to me,
English is second and Italian is third; since our elders are from Peru and
speak perfect Spanish and near perfect Italian, I teach. Any refugee will
have a tough time getting a job here, and they are no exception. Stanley
was an electrician back home, but the vocational training to qualify here
would begin clear back to a middle school diploma. Because of this, he and
his friends take on menial labor jobs with long hours and low pay. Even if
he were certified, the competition for the few skill jobs available would be
daunting- not much different than any other country. The fallout of this is
fewer opportunities to teach them. We'll see how it goes. Others contacts
come and go as our lives intertwine and the butterfly effect reaches around
the world.
GA application accepted! We got an email two days ago indicating our
application process for a Young Single Adult center was approved and we are
full steam ahead. The first center on the east side of Sicily will be in
the biggest city here, Catania. This means a greater focus on the program
and some extra funding from the area center in Frankfort. We are hopeful
that we can progress one or more of our other five cities (Siracusa, Ragusa,
Gela, Messina) to the point of lift-off in the next year.
Junae begins school Wednesday. All our practice, encouragement, exposure
and hopes for her culminate here. She will do fine; it is nearly a force of
nature as she cannot go too long without talking to SOMEONE! She really is
understanding nearly everything, which means our secrets now actually have
to be whispered.
Institute begins the first week of October. Old Testament lesson plans are
developing. I am excited for my learning curve and know all involved will
benefit. Well, I will anyway.
Patti begins seminary Thursday. White knuckles time for both of us as the
year really begins in earnest and our schedules lock into a fairly constant
routine.
First day of school in this zone. The walls of buildings echo even small
sounds here as in other parts of the city, and here in this city as in other
cities. There may be a Cosa Nostra secret combination in Italy, but in
familial matters there are no secrets. Right now I am listening, against my
will, to a hot and lively conversation between a teen age daughter and her
mother about what will be worn today. A pan is dropped, a door slams, then
quiet. Something was resolved, and peace returns. Somewhere down the
street a worker begins his labors tapping on something in an even rhythm
interrupted every so often by a rest and comment to a coworker. We love
Italians and Italy! And we love this work.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
The Spirit testified today...
Tonight I had the privilege of participating with Sorella Stebar and Sorella Nufer as they shared another lesson with a woman they are teaching. This was the second time they had invited me to teach with them. I knew the Spirit had prepared this woman to hear the gospel when I met her last week. She is so eager to know the truth. We had a great lesson about the Word of Wisdom and she accepted everything the sisters taught and agreed to strive to live it. Sorella Nufer made a promise to her that she would not speak any English for the entire week to show her support. I felt impressed to make the same promise on behalf of Sorella Stebar and I (without consulting Sorella Stebar :) ) and we had a great week. I know that speaking only Italian here at home helped our family.
This evening when we taught, we introduced priesthood authority, the Atonement, and baptism. The Anziani were with us and gave her a blessing of strength. She was touched by the power of it. A while later, she began to recount to us how she had asked if the Book of Mormon was true and how the Spirit has born witness to her that it is. The Spirit was so strong while she spoke and we were all moved by her first testimony. I sat there thinking "Wow, why am I so fortunate to be sitting here like this, witnessing this incredible miracle transpire?" It was a VERY emotional meeting. She shared that she suddenly felt like she wanted to shout to the world her joy and peace. I waited until we got down the stairs and to the car before I shouted for joy :)
Our new nametags have been ordered, but may take a while to arrive because of ferie.
We played soccer with the YSA group in Siracusa last week. we are all a little sore, but we had a great time.
The bishop called a new Ward Mission Leader - Cristian Rosano. He is awesome and will help us move the work forward.
We spent Ferragosto with the Gibilisco and Caraffa families. We enjoyed, so much, getting to know them.
Yesterday we passed the evening with Bishop Grasso. He loves the members of the ward and we enjoy his friendship. He was called for this time!
We finally got DSL this week, thanks to Fratello Miranci, so you can call us at (801) 277-5433. It's a Vonage number so you won't pay any long-distance charges to Italy.
We love this work. Some days now as I drive around town, the sites are so familiar that I forget we are actually in Italy. Then I will read a sign, or see something very Italian that brings me back to the astounding reality that YES, we are missionaries serving in Italy!!! ...and I am amazed! Blessings to you all...
Hurrah for Israel!!!!
Sorella Patti
This evening when we taught, we introduced priesthood authority, the Atonement, and baptism. The Anziani were with us and gave her a blessing of strength. She was touched by the power of it. A while later, she began to recount to us how she had asked if the Book of Mormon was true and how the Spirit has born witness to her that it is. The Spirit was so strong while she spoke and we were all moved by her first testimony. I sat there thinking "Wow, why am I so fortunate to be sitting here like this, witnessing this incredible miracle transpire?" It was a VERY emotional meeting. She shared that she suddenly felt like she wanted to shout to the world her joy and peace. I waited until we got down the stairs and to the car before I shouted for joy :)
Our new nametags have been ordered, but may take a while to arrive because of ferie.
We played soccer with the YSA group in Siracusa last week. we are all a little sore, but we had a great time.
The bishop called a new Ward Mission Leader - Cristian Rosano. He is awesome and will help us move the work forward.
We spent Ferragosto with the Gibilisco and Caraffa families. We enjoyed, so much, getting to know them.
Yesterday we passed the evening with Bishop Grasso. He loves the members of the ward and we enjoy his friendship. He was called for this time!
We finally got DSL this week, thanks to Fratello Miranci, so you can call us at (801) 277-5433. It's a Vonage number so you won't pay any long-distance charges to Italy.
We love this work. Some days now as I drive around town, the sites are so familiar that I forget we are actually in Italy. Then I will read a sign, or see something very Italian that brings me back to the astounding reality that YES, we are missionaries serving in Italy!!! ...and I am amazed! Blessings to you all...
Hurrah for Israel!!!!
Sorella Patti
Saturday, August 6, 2011
The Spirit of God Like a Fire Is Burning...
The words to this hymn have never been more relevant. And although I am certain that this is only the beginning of what we have yet to see in the Lord's work in this part of the vineyard, I am overwhelmed at the miracles and blessings that we are seeing poured out from Heaven here in Sicily.
First I want to explain the photo. It was done by a dear brother here in Siracusa. I have known of him for years. I taught his brother's family in Palermo thirty years ago. I know his son in Salt Lake City. In March of this year I met him and his wife for the first time. We have gotten to know them well since arriving here in Siracusa. We enjoy and value their friendship. We love them. Last Sunday he presented this amazing piece of work to us. I could not hold back the tears. A snapshot from my iPhone does not do this piece justice. The image is burned in wood. Did you ever have a wood burning tool as a child? Well, I did. I had fun with it but my designs were elementary at best. Each line, dot, element of shading, is carefully burned into the wood. It takes many many hours to complete a picture. The amazing thing is that this dear brother is afflicted with cataracts. He will have surgery later this year to correct the cataracts, but for now he uses a huge magnifying glass to see his own work. When we leave Italy in two years (I hate to even think about that), I will carefully carry it home on my lap. I am sure it will solicit comments from other passengers. What a great way to share the gospel :) I would carry it on the streets of Siracusa and share it with all who would like to stop and admire it, but I am afraid of it being damaged or lost. Hmmm... there is an idea.... a display of some of his works in a square somewhere... street tracting! Michael likes the idea.
We are working closely with the awesome missionaries here. Anziani Quiroz and Migliori are from Peru. Sorelle Stebar and Nufer are from Georgia and Utah. I have been out working with the sisters several times and feel as though we are just a threesome of sister missionaries.
We LOVE working with the Young Single Adults! We are amazed at their love for the gospel and their strong testimonies. Their enthusiasm is infectious! This last Wednesday was our third FHE with the Siracusa group. There were sixteen people in attendance! (including the missionaries, of course) It hardly seems like missionary WORK. They are so fun to be with and their faith is inspiring.
Last evening we were in Messina with the young adults there. We had an activity on the beach. Besides the beautiful surroundings, we were blessed to get to know some of the good members in Messina. We were having a great time with the young adults, and were later joined by several of the adult couples - Adriana Lanza, the Calipristis, and the Maggettis. It was especially fun to see the Maggettis again, as I had known them 31 years ago in Palermo, when they lived there.
We have a game we like to play with the young people that involves toilet paper and helps us all get to know each other. Soon after the game started, it turned into a testimony meeting. We heard such deep, heartfelt, sincere, and profound sentiments about their love for the gospel and for the Savior and His atonement. As I sat there on the dark beach (a patient young man held up a lantern the entire time so that we could see each other's faces), occasionally looking upward at the beautiful stars, and hearing powerful testimonies, I was made acutely aware that I was the one being blessed by this missionary service. I still can't believe I get to be a part of this.
Tonight we are traveling back to Messina. A 13 year old boy is being baptized. His brother was baptized two weeks ago. They live in the same building as the Elders and admired them. They wanted to know more. One night at 10:00, their father knocked on the Elders' door and asked if they could teach his sons!
Miracles are happening here in Italy. We just have to find them, or notice them in the moment they are occurring. The greatest blessing is when we are privileged to participate in them!!!
I still cannot believe sometimes that our prayers were answered and we are here. The gospel is true. Missionary work is the greatest, second only to raising a family - which is actually missionary work to the people closest to you!
Until next week...
Hurrah for Israel!!!
Sorella Adams (officially)
The passing of Elder Marion D. Hanks
Michael and I just heard of the passing of Elder Marion D. Hanks. Although we have not seen him for several years, due to his failing health, he is in our hearts as a great leader and beloved friend. Several years ago, when we were heading our school, Deseret Academy, we discovered we were neighbors and our fondness for him blossomed.
We had established a pattern of training our teachers every summer, on our philosophies of education. Elder Hanks, or "Duff" as he was called by his friends, was always a great teacher and we used much of his ideology in training our teachers. One summer, after our first day of training, one of our teachers who lived across the street for the school, shared with us that Elder Hanks was her next door neighbor. She suggested we invite him to come to the school the next day and share his thoughts in person. Imagine our excitement when, the next day, we spied him crossing the street to join our training! The meeting was a feast and our friendship was born.
He was always good to offer encouragement and support during a difficult time for the school. We decided to dedicate our building and he agreed to offer the dedicatory prayer - blessing our building as a place for our students to feel the Spirit of God and to have peace as an environment of learning. It was an evening never to be forgotten.
Several months later I was being plagued by daily intense headaches that were no longer responding to medication. I sensed something serious and finally consulted a physician, who concurred with the possible seriousness of my condition. Without going into personal detail, I would like to share only that Elder Hanks offered a priesthood blessing. The power of his lifelong worthiness and spiritual confidence were, in a few moments, concentrated on my behalf. I feel I owe my healing and my life to his willingness to share the priesthood of God. Within three days, the headaches were completely gone and I have been symptom free ever since.
Elder Marion D. Hanks was a true example of "enduring to the end." While he was physically and mentally able, he gave and blessed - in innumerable ways. We will miss him, but we know that freed from his well-worn mortal tabernacle, he will be able to wield an even greater influence for our good - and the good of many others, from the other side of the veil. I will continue to work to be more like him.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Some observations of Italy, thirty years later...
It’s great to be back. What can I say. Italy is beautiful no matter where you go. Since leaving the mission field, I have had the opportunity to visit a couple of times. I always swore that no place could be more beautiful than Sicily or the Puglia. But when I toured my husband’s mission with him a few years ago (the Padova mission), I found a new Italy. Siena is beautiful and I think Firenze must be the most beautiful city I have ever seen.
Still, it’s good to be back in Sicily. Its personality has evolved some over the past thirty years. Some changes have been for the better, other lost elements will be missed.
What has gone the way of progress? Well, there are less buses roaming the streets. The missionaries in Siracusa don’t even take the bus; they walk everywhere. Routes have been decreased as car ownership has increased. Fortunately we have a car. I can’t imagine being even marginally productive today without one.
If you happen to take a bus, gone are the matriarchs wearing black clothing - in lutto (mourning). This sad tradition has fortunately faded with time and the older mothers and grandmothers wear bright colored clothing when the season permits. Dark colors are still popular during winter months. I remember teaching a 28 year old woman in Palermo. She had lost her husband and was left to raise four young children by herself. She always wore black - she said it was socially required, even at her age. I always felt so bad about that. I found her last summer. She is remarried and is wearing colors again!
The cities don’t seem to be as clean as they once were. I remember waking up early in the morning in Taranto to go jogging with my companion, and seeing elderly men dressed in black, out in droves, sweeping the streets with their handmade brooms. In some places, trash is not picked up for days and it piles up around the dumpster. Some say this is because Italy went to the Euro, which some believe, was not good for Italy. So there’s no money to pay for public service. Others say it’s because of government corruption. I don’t know which it is, but it is sad and I keep trying to think of ways to get people to clean up. We plan to hold a street party in our neighborhood and get everyone on our block to clean up our own piece of the world. Who knows? Maybe it will catch on. Panhandlers are everywhere, too. I only mention this because I think they can be part of the solution. Some will start washing your windshield when you're stopped at a light whether you like it or not; some try to sell you something; others just ask for money - going from car to car until the light changes. Last summer while we toured together, Presidente Gambarotto (my mission president) always insisted on giving them some change. Although I admire him for his charity, I would rather see these people at the side of the street - where it’s safer - picking up TRASH! I’d stop and donate money for that! Maybe they could designate one person to wear an orange vest and carry a sign telling motorists what they were working to do. He could collect donations that would be distributed amongst whomever was working. There is work everywhere! You just have to find it. Ok - I’m stepping off of my soapbox.
And the graffiti!!! It’s everywhere... on every sacred piece of antiquity in Italy! So sad. Teen unemployment is high and they have too much time on their hands. Put them to work scrubbing it off. I haven’t figured out the logistics of this yet.
Things I miss seeing... men wearing caps... almost non-existent. They don’t often carry borsas anymore either... or walk down the street together, arms linked. But in Sicily they do still greet each other with a kiss on both cheeks. Sicilians are as affectionate as ever. Decorated Sicilian carts are rare. I’ve only seen two since I’ve been here. The STANDA is all but dead and occasionally you will see an UPIM, but now they have Auchen, an Italian version of WalMart. I think we visited Auchen every day for the first ten days we were here. The supermarkets have pushed out some of the specialty stores. You have to hunt a bit for a panificio, macelleria, or cartoleria, and I have yet to find a latteria anywhere. We have found a great open market here though, and were excited to find (first by smell) a pesceria. We buy our fruit there from the fruttivendolo because it’s grown locally and costs less.
I love walking down the street and smelling MOST things - even bus exhaust has it’s sweet memories. There are no more boom boxes though. Of course not. Everyone has an mp3 player, but I miss hearing Italian music blasting up and down the streets or in the open market where vendors blasted tunes to advertise their black market cassette tapes. This was how I discovered Italian music (from the boomboxes, not from the bootleg tapes). “Gloria” by Umberto Tozzi is now an oldie, but it’s still played on the radio once in a while. Thankfully there’s YouTube and I can still find out what’s new in Italian music.
We can go to the beach :) Yes, we have been to Mondello in Palermo and to beaches in Taranto and Siracusa. Beautiful!!!
You will be happy to know that arancini, pizze, panzzerotti, foccacia, gelato, Fanta, etc, are as delicious as ever - even Nutella tastes better in Italy. They even have Pringles if it’s something you just can’t live without.
As for the work - we still hear “no c’e’ nessuno”. That one was always a puzzle to me.
The south is warm - in temperature and kindness. The members are awesome. Leadership is well prepared and strong. But there is still plenty of missionary work to do and it seems we are needed just as much or more now. Life’s experiences have hopefully taught us a few things about sharing the gospel. We are certainly more grateful to the Lord for the blessings in our lives and we are more at ease in sharing it with strangers - who hopefully will not be strangers for long. We love being here. We hope to do some good. The temple in Rome will push the work along rapidly and we will have the opportunity to participate in and witness miracles - I am sure.
Vi vogliamo bene! Hurrah for Israel!!!
Still, it’s good to be back in Sicily. Its personality has evolved some over the past thirty years. Some changes have been for the better, other lost elements will be missed.
What has gone the way of progress? Well, there are less buses roaming the streets. The missionaries in Siracusa don’t even take the bus; they walk everywhere. Routes have been decreased as car ownership has increased. Fortunately we have a car. I can’t imagine being even marginally productive today without one.
If you happen to take a bus, gone are the matriarchs wearing black clothing - in lutto (mourning). This sad tradition has fortunately faded with time and the older mothers and grandmothers wear bright colored clothing when the season permits. Dark colors are still popular during winter months. I remember teaching a 28 year old woman in Palermo. She had lost her husband and was left to raise four young children by herself. She always wore black - she said it was socially required, even at her age. I always felt so bad about that. I found her last summer. She is remarried and is wearing colors again!
The cities don’t seem to be as clean as they once were. I remember waking up early in the morning in Taranto to go jogging with my companion, and seeing elderly men dressed in black, out in droves, sweeping the streets with their handmade brooms. In some places, trash is not picked up for days and it piles up around the dumpster. Some say this is because Italy went to the Euro, which some believe, was not good for Italy. So there’s no money to pay for public service. Others say it’s because of government corruption. I don’t know which it is, but it is sad and I keep trying to think of ways to get people to clean up. We plan to hold a street party in our neighborhood and get everyone on our block to clean up our own piece of the world. Who knows? Maybe it will catch on. Panhandlers are everywhere, too. I only mention this because I think they can be part of the solution. Some will start washing your windshield when you're stopped at a light whether you like it or not; some try to sell you something; others just ask for money - going from car to car until the light changes. Last summer while we toured together, Presidente Gambarotto (my mission president) always insisted on giving them some change. Although I admire him for his charity, I would rather see these people at the side of the street - where it’s safer - picking up TRASH! I’d stop and donate money for that! Maybe they could designate one person to wear an orange vest and carry a sign telling motorists what they were working to do. He could collect donations that would be distributed amongst whomever was working. There is work everywhere! You just have to find it. Ok - I’m stepping off of my soapbox.
And the graffiti!!! It’s everywhere... on every sacred piece of antiquity in Italy! So sad. Teen unemployment is high and they have too much time on their hands. Put them to work scrubbing it off. I haven’t figured out the logistics of this yet.
Things I miss seeing... men wearing caps... almost non-existent. They don’t often carry borsas anymore either... or walk down the street together, arms linked. But in Sicily they do still greet each other with a kiss on both cheeks. Sicilians are as affectionate as ever. Decorated Sicilian carts are rare. I’ve only seen two since I’ve been here. The STANDA is all but dead and occasionally you will see an UPIM, but now they have Auchen, an Italian version of WalMart. I think we visited Auchen every day for the first ten days we were here. The supermarkets have pushed out some of the specialty stores. You have to hunt a bit for a panificio, macelleria, or cartoleria, and I have yet to find a latteria anywhere. We have found a great open market here though, and were excited to find (first by smell) a pesceria. We buy our fruit there from the fruttivendolo because it’s grown locally and costs less.
I love walking down the street and smelling MOST things - even bus exhaust has it’s sweet memories. There are no more boom boxes though. Of course not. Everyone has an mp3 player, but I miss hearing Italian music blasting up and down the streets or in the open market where vendors blasted tunes to advertise their black market cassette tapes. This was how I discovered Italian music (from the boomboxes, not from the bootleg tapes). “Gloria” by Umberto Tozzi is now an oldie, but it’s still played on the radio once in a while. Thankfully there’s YouTube and I can still find out what’s new in Italian music.
We can go to the beach :) Yes, we have been to Mondello in Palermo and to beaches in Taranto and Siracusa. Beautiful!!!
You will be happy to know that arancini, pizze, panzzerotti, foccacia, gelato, Fanta, etc, are as delicious as ever - even Nutella tastes better in Italy. They even have Pringles if it’s something you just can’t live without.
As for the work - we still hear “no c’e’ nessuno”. That one was always a puzzle to me.
The south is warm - in temperature and kindness. The members are awesome. Leadership is well prepared and strong. But there is still plenty of missionary work to do and it seems we are needed just as much or more now. Life’s experiences have hopefully taught us a few things about sharing the gospel. We are certainly more grateful to the Lord for the blessings in our lives and we are more at ease in sharing it with strangers - who hopefully will not be strangers for long. We love being here. We hope to do some good. The temple in Rome will push the work along rapidly and we will have the opportunity to participate in and witness miracles - I am sure.
Vi vogliamo bene! Hurrah for Israel!!!
More Updates From Patti
Dear Family and Friends,
We are finally settled in Siracusa. Every morning when I wake up, I have to pinch myself... am I really here? We love our home, we love the work, and we love the people here. So far, our work is as follows:
We are working with the Young Single Adults and the Institute and Seminary Program. Our leaders are Maurizio Bellomo and Felice Lotito, Michael's Mission President. We had a training with both of them the first week we were here and have met again with Maurizio (Pres. Bellomo). Michael has been called as the institute Director for eastern Sicily. This includes Gela, Ragusa, Siracusa, Catania, Sigonella, and Messina. We travel a LOT back and forth and it is so fun to get to know the members in ALL of these areas. This year Italy moves to a daily seminary program instead of once a week and I will be teaching daily seminary in Siracusa. Wow, what a stretch!! Although I have taught seminary before, I have never done in in Italian! The language is slowly coming back, though. I hope it arrives before classes begin in September :) Michael will be teaching an Institute class. We will both be teaching the Old Testament. I am excited!
We are assisting in setting up an official Outreach Center for young single adults in Catania. The Franceschinis are the official head couple there, but they leave the mission field in October. Most of our time is spent in trainings, traveling between cities and YSA activities, meeting with bishoprics, and searching out inactive young adults. It is such a sweet experience when we get one of them to agree to come to an activity and be with the other young people.
We also find time to go out with the anziani e sorelle. There are two of each here in Siracusa. Last week we attended our first Zone Conference which consisted of Ragusa, Siracusa, Catania, Messina, and Reggio Calabria. About 14 missionaries in all - 16, counting us. What an amazing experience it is to be involved with this work again on a full-time basis!!!
Last week we had our first YSA activity in Siracusa. They have had them before, but this one put us on the path to an official Young Adult Center. The purpose is to provide a place where the young people can come together in an environment that is spiritually uplifting and gives them the opportunity to meet others of their faith. Too often they marry outside the Church and struggle to maintain activity. We are so impressed with all of them. They are strong and have burning testimonies. This is such a critical age and the Church wants to do all possible to keep them strong, as they will be the future leaders of the Church.
Today I am in the house with Katie. A trip to a beautiful beach here in Siracusa the other day resulted in some serious sunburn, so we are recovering a bit. :(
We love you all. Hurrah for Israel!
Sorella Patti Landes Adams
We are finally settled in Siracusa. Every morning when I wake up, I have to pinch myself... am I really here? We love our home, we love the work, and we love the people here. So far, our work is as follows:
We are working with the Young Single Adults and the Institute and Seminary Program. Our leaders are Maurizio Bellomo and Felice Lotito, Michael's Mission President. We had a training with both of them the first week we were here and have met again with Maurizio (Pres. Bellomo). Michael has been called as the institute Director for eastern Sicily. This includes Gela, Ragusa, Siracusa, Catania, Sigonella, and Messina. We travel a LOT back and forth and it is so fun to get to know the members in ALL of these areas. This year Italy moves to a daily seminary program instead of once a week and I will be teaching daily seminary in Siracusa. Wow, what a stretch!! Although I have taught seminary before, I have never done in in Italian! The language is slowly coming back, though. I hope it arrives before classes begin in September :) Michael will be teaching an Institute class. We will both be teaching the Old Testament. I am excited!
We are assisting in setting up an official Outreach Center for young single adults in Catania. The Franceschinis are the official head couple there, but they leave the mission field in October. Most of our time is spent in trainings, traveling between cities and YSA activities, meeting with bishoprics, and searching out inactive young adults. It is such a sweet experience when we get one of them to agree to come to an activity and be with the other young people.
We also find time to go out with the anziani e sorelle. There are two of each here in Siracusa. Last week we attended our first Zone Conference which consisted of Ragusa, Siracusa, Catania, Messina, and Reggio Calabria. About 14 missionaries in all - 16, counting us. What an amazing experience it is to be involved with this work again on a full-time basis!!!
Last week we had our first YSA activity in Siracusa. They have had them before, but this one put us on the path to an official Young Adult Center. The purpose is to provide a place where the young people can come together in an environment that is spiritually uplifting and gives them the opportunity to meet others of their faith. Too often they marry outside the Church and struggle to maintain activity. We are so impressed with all of them. They are strong and have burning testimonies. This is such a critical age and the Church wants to do all possible to keep them strong, as they will be the future leaders of the Church.
Today I am in the house with Katie. A trip to a beautiful beach here in Siracusa the other day resulted in some serious sunburn, so we are recovering a bit. :(
We love you all. Hurrah for Israel!
Sorella Patti Landes Adams
Thursday, July 14, 2011
We have arrived in Italy!!!!
Not only have we arrived, but we have been here for a month now. Our first post in Italy comes from Mike:
Ciao Tutti,
One month in Italy. The time has flown. Flight over was pretty uneventful, just exhausting. Two days in Rome (need at least 10 to see anything, but can come back); two days in Firenze (lots of mosquitoes); three days in Taranto; lunch with Salvo (the great young man who daniel baptized)in Crotone and on to our new home in Siracusa. Not much grass growing under our feet two days later, as we head to Palermo for our first training with our area coordinator from France. It was great to see my former mission president, Felice Lototo, and one of patti's elders, Maurizio Bellomo. They are both leaders over the program we have been assigned to and we will be working with them from here on out. I am now an institute director for the east side of the island. That’s good, right? I will teach classes. In Italian. I even took some of them, a LONG time ago. In English. The Lord qualifies whom he calls. There’s going to be an awful lot of qualifying going on around here, folks. Patti will be teaching seminary to the students in Siracusa. they are moving from once a week to five days per week.
We are getting settled in the apartment. Sometimes it seems like our calling is really to shop for the missing utensil in the kitchen, or straighten out the cell phone (lots of that). America has some kitchen tools we miss. We have had trouble finding a cheese slicer and potato peeler.
Cars are little here. A Chrysler PT Cruser is a big-ish car, and the occasional Dodge mini van is just in the way. No place to park it. Nearly everything is turbo diesel. 40+ mpg is normal town driving. And they still go 100 mph. Not that I have tried it or anything… We traded in the expensive Peugeot 5008 and are now in a FIAT Punto. Interesting info on Wiki, if that sort of stuff absorbs you.
We visited Messina today. Good people doing good things. The bishop is in his mid-thirties and a fireball. We went over the list of YSA and identified the active, less active, already married, about to marry, moved out, and other categories. A BBQ- beach activity was planned and institute (see above) classes discussed.
There is a similar couple in Palermo, the Norths. She served her mission a few years before us, and is doing well. Her husband knows Spanish and is coming up to speed quickly. They recently finished a mission at the Mormon Battalion center in Old Town San Diego where they had their two pianos shipped for performances. He sang in the Mormon Tab choir for years and she is a concert pianist. I can sing Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree if you give me a starting note.
The girls are still nervous to even go and buy something. Junae has had three years of us quizzing on vocabulary, and is just now feeling the pinch. We had a large YSA (Young Single Adult) conference this past week, and she was relieved to find many who had gone on English speaking missions and could converse with her at length. The kids downstairs from our apartment are great to make her feel at home and teach her vocabulary words. I hope she is picking it up! School starts soon.
Mt Etna has been a little active lately. Nothing we can’t run from. Yet.
Lots of windmills and photovoltaic panels here. We are way behind on that sort of stuff. Likewise, much more fluorescent and LED light usage here.
Patti and I go out finding daily. This entails contacting the YSA in their homes and friend shipping them first, then inviting to participate in activities and institute. The members here are much different than 31 years ago. In our day, we taught them to pray, the word of wisdom, chastity, etc. Today they run the wards and stakes like pros, but in a different language. The gospel discussions are mature and deep. The auxiliaries are run efficiently. The people are well versed. Still, they are happy we are here to lend a hand. We have been out tracting and finding less-active members. The responses from those who want to be left alone have not evolved in 30 years. And our desire to help them has not changed either. The Catholic church has a little less influence on them today (good and bad), but the traditions remain strong. But We’ll keep plugging away. Training and conferences and meetings and prep for teaching round out our time.
For pictures, see our individual Facebook pages. Anziano Adams (Mike)
Ciao Tutti,
One month in Italy. The time has flown. Flight over was pretty uneventful, just exhausting. Two days in Rome (need at least 10 to see anything, but can come back); two days in Firenze (lots of mosquitoes); three days in Taranto; lunch with Salvo (the great young man who daniel baptized)in Crotone and on to our new home in Siracusa. Not much grass growing under our feet two days later, as we head to Palermo for our first training with our area coordinator from France. It was great to see my former mission president, Felice Lototo, and one of patti's elders, Maurizio Bellomo. They are both leaders over the program we have been assigned to and we will be working with them from here on out. I am now an institute director for the east side of the island. That’s good, right? I will teach classes. In Italian. I even took some of them, a LONG time ago. In English. The Lord qualifies whom he calls. There’s going to be an awful lot of qualifying going on around here, folks. Patti will be teaching seminary to the students in Siracusa. they are moving from once a week to five days per week.
We are getting settled in the apartment. Sometimes it seems like our calling is really to shop for the missing utensil in the kitchen, or straighten out the cell phone (lots of that). America has some kitchen tools we miss. We have had trouble finding a cheese slicer and potato peeler.
Cars are little here. A Chrysler PT Cruser is a big-ish car, and the occasional Dodge mini van is just in the way. No place to park it. Nearly everything is turbo diesel. 40+ mpg is normal town driving. And they still go 100 mph. Not that I have tried it or anything… We traded in the expensive Peugeot 5008 and are now in a FIAT Punto. Interesting info on Wiki, if that sort of stuff absorbs you.
We visited Messina today. Good people doing good things. The bishop is in his mid-thirties and a fireball. We went over the list of YSA and identified the active, less active, already married, about to marry, moved out, and other categories. A BBQ- beach activity was planned and institute (see above) classes discussed.
There is a similar couple in Palermo, the Norths. She served her mission a few years before us, and is doing well. Her husband knows Spanish and is coming up to speed quickly. They recently finished a mission at the Mormon Battalion center in Old Town San Diego where they had their two pianos shipped for performances. He sang in the Mormon Tab choir for years and she is a concert pianist. I can sing Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree if you give me a starting note.
The girls are still nervous to even go and buy something. Junae has had three years of us quizzing on vocabulary, and is just now feeling the pinch. We had a large YSA (Young Single Adult) conference this past week, and she was relieved to find many who had gone on English speaking missions and could converse with her at length. The kids downstairs from our apartment are great to make her feel at home and teach her vocabulary words. I hope she is picking it up! School starts soon.
Mt Etna has been a little active lately. Nothing we can’t run from. Yet.
Lots of windmills and photovoltaic panels here. We are way behind on that sort of stuff. Likewise, much more fluorescent and LED light usage here.
Patti and I go out finding daily. This entails contacting the YSA in their homes and friend shipping them first, then inviting to participate in activities and institute. The members here are much different than 31 years ago. In our day, we taught them to pray, the word of wisdom, chastity, etc. Today they run the wards and stakes like pros, but in a different language. The gospel discussions are mature and deep. The auxiliaries are run efficiently. The people are well versed. Still, they are happy we are here to lend a hand. We have been out tracting and finding less-active members. The responses from those who want to be left alone have not evolved in 30 years. And our desire to help them has not changed either. The Catholic church has a little less influence on them today (good and bad), but the traditions remain strong. But We’ll keep plugging away. Training and conferences and meetings and prep for teaching round out our time.
For pictures, see our individual Facebook pages. Anziano Adams (Mike)
Sunday, April 3, 2011
We have a home in Italy!
I returned a week ago from Italy. The plan was to secure a home and enroll Junae in school. Mission accomplished... with a few adventures thrown in for fun. I traveled with a friend and we arrived in Rome at about noon. We got lost looking for the mission home but our wanderings took us right to the Colosseum. Later We had the privilege of meeting President and Sister Kelley, presiding over the Rome mission. The mission home is beautiful and lunch was delicious. We enjoyed learning about the Rome mission and the great missionaries serving there.
That evening we drove to Florence and met Vittorio's family. He is a foreign exchange student who has been staying with us this year. The next day we toured the city. I love the hike up to the top of the Duomo where you can see the entire city.
At about four the next morning we set out for Taranto. The plan was to arrive by 9:00. It took us a bit of time to find the autostrada, but after we were on the road, we felt confident that we would make good time. A couple of hours outside of Taranto I noticed we had half a tank of gas. I felt fairly sure that it would get us to Taranto, given that we were driving a fuel efficient Volkswagen Polo. Well... thirty minutes outside of town.... the car slowed to a stop. We waited nearly five hours for help. The experience included pushing the car a couple of kilometers, waving at a farmer for help - who waved back and drove away, and a tow truck driver - who when he found out I was looking for a home, announced that he was newly divorced and I could live with him. He was excited to tell us that the city he was driving us to - 30 km in the opposite direction, was the birthplace of Rudolf Valentino. That was supposed to make us feel better. Anyway, we finally got our car back and arrived hungry, tired, and not too much worse for the wear at the home of Tonia Delle Foglie, who took tender care of us after a very long day.
The next day we headed to Crotone, to see Anziano Kinzie, my son who is serving in the Italy Catania/Rome Mission. We arrived in Crotone at about 4:00 pm and shortly after I leaped out of the car, Daniel received the biggest hug of his life! We had a great time together. There was a Family Home Evening being held in the chapel and it was so fun to meet all the members, especially Salvatore, the young man he recently baptized.
The next day we headed for SICILY... our new home. I was thrilled to board the ferry which crosses into Messina. It was also nice to not have to pay anymore road tolls. We arrived at Siracusa at approximately 8:00 pm. President Nudo, the new stake president in Sicily, and his wife, took us to their home where we were treated to a delicious dinner. The next morning we set out in search of a school for Junae and a home for our family. Sister Nudo was invaluable in covering as much territory in the shortest amount of time.
That evening we drove to Florence and met Vittorio's family. He is a foreign exchange student who has been staying with us this year. The next day we toured the city. I love the hike up to the top of the Duomo where you can see the entire city.
At about four the next morning we set out for Taranto. The plan was to arrive by 9:00. It took us a bit of time to find the autostrada, but after we were on the road, we felt confident that we would make good time. A couple of hours outside of Taranto I noticed we had half a tank of gas. I felt fairly sure that it would get us to Taranto, given that we were driving a fuel efficient Volkswagen Polo. Well... thirty minutes outside of town.... the car slowed to a stop. We waited nearly five hours for help. The experience included pushing the car a couple of kilometers, waving at a farmer for help - who waved back and drove away, and a tow truck driver - who when he found out I was looking for a home, announced that he was newly divorced and I could live with him. He was excited to tell us that the city he was driving us to - 30 km in the opposite direction, was the birthplace of Rudolf Valentino. That was supposed to make us feel better. Anyway, we finally got our car back and arrived hungry, tired, and not too much worse for the wear at the home of Tonia Delle Foglie, who took tender care of us after a very long day.
The next day we headed to Crotone, to see Anziano Kinzie, my son who is serving in the Italy Catania/Rome Mission. We arrived in Crotone at about 4:00 pm and shortly after I leaped out of the car, Daniel received the biggest hug of his life! We had a great time together. There was a Family Home Evening being held in the chapel and it was so fun to meet all the members, especially Salvatore, the young man he recently baptized.
The next day we headed for SICILY... our new home. I was thrilled to board the ferry which crosses into Messina. It was also nice to not have to pay anymore road tolls. We arrived at Siracusa at approximately 8:00 pm. President Nudo, the new stake president in Sicily, and his wife, took us to their home where we were treated to a delicious dinner. The next morning we set out in search of a school for Junae and a home for our family. Sister Nudo was invaluable in covering as much territory in the shortest amount of time.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Our First Assignment
This weekend we awoke to a new email from Presidente Nudo. After much prayer, he feels that our first assignment should be Siracusa, not Palermo. I have to admit that at first I was a little disappointed. Palermo was my first city in the mission thirty years ago and there are several people I taught back then who are no longer in the Church. I had hopes of working with them while there. However, we told Pres. Nudo that we would put everything in his hands, as he would be directing our work, so I am grateful that he has been prayerful and has made this decision.
So... Siracusa. Although it was an open city while I was serving there, I was never assigned there. Everyone who did serve there enjoyed it immensely! Strangely, Michael has felt for over a year that we would be serving in Siracusa. We will discover the city for the first time together, and that will make the adventure all the more exciting.
We will be working with the YSA program there. It is called GANS in Italy (Giovanni Adulti Non Sposati). We will find young adults to teach , reactivate, assist the younger missionaries in teaching young adults, support the center where they will congregate, and assist in planning activities that will help them serve in the community and grow in friendship. It sounds very much like some of the work we did at Deseret Academy. We held service projects for the high school students once a month and conducted three-day younth conferences twice a year. The experiences we had there will help us trememdously in Italy.
I leave for Italy March 12th and will be there for ten days. I will use the time there to find a house and enroll Junae in school. A dear friend is traveling with me and it will be fun to show her Italy.
I am enjoying my calling here in Manti so much. I am a ward missionary and am learning so much from the great people I work with. Terry Bradley is an incredible ward mission leader. I wish we could take him with us to Italy, but I plan to take as much of his enthusiasm with me that I can. We love our life here in Manti... our family... the good friendships we enjoy, the caliber of leadership in our stake... it will be difficult to leave this for two years. We will miss you all!
Prior to leaving for Italy, we will be speaking in Sacrament on May 29, at 12:50 (they are not called farewells anymore). We invite you all to come. Jessica's baby girl will likely be blessed that day, too. We look forward to seeing you!
So... Siracusa. Although it was an open city while I was serving there, I was never assigned there. Everyone who did serve there enjoyed it immensely! Strangely, Michael has felt for over a year that we would be serving in Siracusa. We will discover the city for the first time together, and that will make the adventure all the more exciting.
We will be working with the YSA program there. It is called GANS in Italy (Giovanni Adulti Non Sposati). We will find young adults to teach , reactivate, assist the younger missionaries in teaching young adults, support the center where they will congregate, and assist in planning activities that will help them serve in the community and grow in friendship. It sounds very much like some of the work we did at Deseret Academy. We held service projects for the high school students once a month and conducted three-day younth conferences twice a year. The experiences we had there will help us trememdously in Italy.
I leave for Italy March 12th and will be there for ten days. I will use the time there to find a house and enroll Junae in school. A dear friend is traveling with me and it will be fun to show her Italy.
I am enjoying my calling here in Manti so much. I am a ward missionary and am learning so much from the great people I work with. Terry Bradley is an incredible ward mission leader. I wish we could take him with us to Italy, but I plan to take as much of his enthusiasm with me that I can. We love our life here in Manti... our family... the good friendships we enjoy, the caliber of leadership in our stake... it will be difficult to leave this for two years. We will miss you all!
Prior to leaving for Italy, we will be speaking in Sacrament on May 29, at 12:50 (they are not called farewells anymore). We invite you all to come. Jessica's baby girl will likely be blessed that day, too. We look forward to seeing you!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
VISAs Approved!
Yesterday I received an email from President Nudo. He is the president of the Sicily stake and will be directing our work in Italy. He has made all of the necessary arrangements for our VISAa, which I understand, have been approved. There has been a lot of work done on our behalf there in Sicily to make this happen for us. Grazie, Presidente Nudo!
This week Junae's registration for Italian public school was approved. The school is very near the sister's house where I lived when I served as a missionary there thirty years ago. We chose the neighborhood because the school is a very good one and the area seems conducive to families. We are grateful to Giuseppe Abbenante, who has been a tremendous help there. I met Giuseppe while serving in Palermo. He was a newly returned missionary from the Rome mission and was assigned to assist us missionaries. The thing that always impressed me about him was that he WAS always there to help, especially with baptisms. He would help fill the font, make sure the water was warm and that there was clean baptismal clothing, open the chapel doors early, and stay after to close up. He was always in the background, waiting to help. I know the Lord appreciates that kind of help... when we quietly serve without a lot of fanfare (not to be confused with enthusiasm, which is so necessary). We reconnected on Facebook and he has been a blessing to our family.
Speaking of which... Junae received several Italian grammar tools for Christmas this year. She is doing quite well and last week she finally mastered counting. Yesterday Giuseppe was calling me on Skype so that he could update me on her registration. She is normally shy about talking to him, but yesterday... "Mom, Giu' is calling. Can I answer?" I tried not to show my surprise, "Sure, Junae..." When I came in a few minutes later, he was teaching her more counting and they were communicating comfortably. After she left the room I asked him about their conversation. He told me she asked how he was doing, and among others things, he was able to find out what she had been doing, what she had for lunch,and a few other things. "She'll do just fine in Italy..." he told me (in Italian, of course). Wahoo!!! I really want her to enjoy this adventure.
This was a big week. My International driving permit arrived as well!!! I can legally drive in Italy! :) :) :)
Michael, Junae, and I are taking a Missionary Preparation class Wednesday evenings, at the Ephraim Institute. I am enjoying it immensely! Elder Winkel is our instructor and there is a trememdous Spirit in our class. Last week he asked us to stand before the class and share what we are doing. It is always a pleasure. I hope it gives others the idea to serve. There are always creative ways accomplish what we want to do. It is also great to hear from the young people in class. They are so strong! I am amazed at their level of understanding and grasp of the gospel. They inspire me to study harder. The mission field throughout the world is in good hands.
Till next time... Ciao
PS - Daniel's Homecoming is scheduled for Easter Sunday. I hope you can all come.
This week Junae's registration for Italian public school was approved. The school is very near the sister's house where I lived when I served as a missionary there thirty years ago. We chose the neighborhood because the school is a very good one and the area seems conducive to families. We are grateful to Giuseppe Abbenante, who has been a tremendous help there. I met Giuseppe while serving in Palermo. He was a newly returned missionary from the Rome mission and was assigned to assist us missionaries. The thing that always impressed me about him was that he WAS always there to help, especially with baptisms. He would help fill the font, make sure the water was warm and that there was clean baptismal clothing, open the chapel doors early, and stay after to close up. He was always in the background, waiting to help. I know the Lord appreciates that kind of help... when we quietly serve without a lot of fanfare (not to be confused with enthusiasm, which is so necessary). We reconnected on Facebook and he has been a blessing to our family.
Speaking of which... Junae received several Italian grammar tools for Christmas this year. She is doing quite well and last week she finally mastered counting. Yesterday Giuseppe was calling me on Skype so that he could update me on her registration. She is normally shy about talking to him, but yesterday... "Mom, Giu' is calling. Can I answer?" I tried not to show my surprise, "Sure, Junae..." When I came in a few minutes later, he was teaching her more counting and they were communicating comfortably. After she left the room I asked him about their conversation. He told me she asked how he was doing, and among others things, he was able to find out what she had been doing, what she had for lunch,and a few other things. "She'll do just fine in Italy..." he told me (in Italian, of course). Wahoo!!! I really want her to enjoy this adventure.
This was a big week. My International driving permit arrived as well!!! I can legally drive in Italy! :) :) :)
Michael, Junae, and I are taking a Missionary Preparation class Wednesday evenings, at the Ephraim Institute. I am enjoying it immensely! Elder Winkel is our instructor and there is a trememdous Spirit in our class. Last week he asked us to stand before the class and share what we are doing. It is always a pleasure. I hope it gives others the idea to serve. There are always creative ways accomplish what we want to do. It is also great to hear from the young people in class. They are so strong! I am amazed at their level of understanding and grasp of the gospel. They inspire me to study harder. The mission field throughout the world is in good hands.
Till next time... Ciao
PS - Daniel's Homecoming is scheduled for Easter Sunday. I hope you can all come.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Onward & Upward...
January 9, 2010
The days are flying by. We have done much to get ready, but there is still much to do. I have installed a countdown application to my iPhone. As of this moment we have 21 1/2 weeks; 150 days; 3,603 hours, and 216,210 minutes until we depart. The day may change slightly as we get closer to leaving, but the scheduled departure date is June 14th.
Did I say Katie and Junae are BOTH going with us? Katie is our twenty year-old daughter, Junae is ten. Katie hopes to take some classes and learn the language. Junae will be attending Italian public school.
Christmas was great this year. We had Jessica, Jared, and Zoe with us and Jordan came up from St. George. We also had our foreign exchange students Vittorio (from Italy) and Murillo (from Brasil). A friend of mine from my mission is staying with us, too, and it was nice to have her here. The area presidency gave the missionaries permission this year to call us on Christmas Day, using Skype. What a treat that was to hear AND SEE Daniel, our missionary son serving in Italy. He is doing well. We were also able to meet the young man he recently baptized.
A few days before Christmas we went Christmas caroling with the sister missionaries. On Christmas Eve the Sisters and Spanish speaking Elders joined us for dinner. Later that night, Michael shared the story of Luke 2 and shared some extra insights about the story which he had acquired from a good brother in our ward. It made the evening very sweet.
A few days later we traveled to St. George to see Bryan, Toni, Jordan and Katie. Toni is growing so big and learning to read.
On New Year's Eve, we decided to trek up to Ikea, a home furnishings store in Salt Lake. The store has locations all over the world, including Italy, so we plan to buy much of our furniture there. We invited our good friends, the Claysons, to join us. Pauline is Italian and Justin served in the Great Italy Catania Mission. Here is a photo journal of our fun day choosing our mission furnishings at Ikea:
I'm not sure what he's measuring here...
Mike's new favorite chair... a "must have"
Table for ten! It will be so fun to share our table with friends in Italy.
Even Zoe seemed to have a good time.
Did you know you can save on square footage by stacking your sofas on the wall? What a concept! :)
Junae likes this one!!
Justin Clayson taking a rest. This was HARD WORK!
They had everything... including my new kitchen sink :)
The days are flying by. We have done much to get ready, but there is still much to do. I have installed a countdown application to my iPhone. As of this moment we have 21 1/2 weeks; 150 days; 3,603 hours, and 216,210 minutes until we depart. The day may change slightly as we get closer to leaving, but the scheduled departure date is June 14th.
Did I say Katie and Junae are BOTH going with us? Katie is our twenty year-old daughter, Junae is ten. Katie hopes to take some classes and learn the language. Junae will be attending Italian public school.
Christmas was great this year. We had Jessica, Jared, and Zoe with us and Jordan came up from St. George. We also had our foreign exchange students Vittorio (from Italy) and Murillo (from Brasil). A friend of mine from my mission is staying with us, too, and it was nice to have her here. The area presidency gave the missionaries permission this year to call us on Christmas Day, using Skype. What a treat that was to hear AND SEE Daniel, our missionary son serving in Italy. He is doing well. We were also able to meet the young man he recently baptized.
A few days before Christmas we went Christmas caroling with the sister missionaries. On Christmas Eve the Sisters and Spanish speaking Elders joined us for dinner. Later that night, Michael shared the story of Luke 2 and shared some extra insights about the story which he had acquired from a good brother in our ward. It made the evening very sweet.
A few days later we traveled to St. George to see Bryan, Toni, Jordan and Katie. Toni is growing so big and learning to read.
On New Year's Eve, we decided to trek up to Ikea, a home furnishings store in Salt Lake. The store has locations all over the world, including Italy, so we plan to buy much of our furniture there. We invited our good friends, the Claysons, to join us. Pauline is Italian and Justin served in the Great Italy Catania Mission. Here is a photo journal of our fun day choosing our mission furnishings at Ikea:
I'm not sure what he's measuring here...
Mike's new favorite chair... a "must have"
Table for ten! It will be so fun to share our table with friends in Italy.
Even Zoe seemed to have a good time.
Did you know you can save on square footage by stacking your sofas on the wall? What a concept! :)
Junae likes this one!!
Justin Clayson taking a rest. This was HARD WORK!
They had everything... including my new kitchen sink :)
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