I am finally over being sick!

The last few months have been really hard despite the fact they have also been wonderful. I have been sick most of the time. I only missed a couple of days of work the whole time. Anziano Marcucci has also had his time with illness and we now feel the worst of it is over. His malady was more serious and he was probably probably 2 days away from surgery. Mine was more chronic and lasted the whole time. So at the moment, I feel like I've been run over by a truck.

In the meantime we have ordered supplies, checked the mileage on all the cars and seen that the repairs have been made, began managing the cell phones and referrals as well as tracking baptismal statistics, conducted the grand tour of Rome with "dignitaries", fixed and found apartments for the missionaries, delivered carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers all over the mission, taken missionaries to the doctors and helped fix meals for new and departing missionaries and zone conferences, delivered supplies  all over Italy, done English classes, trips to the airport and taught lessons. I am sure this is not a complete list, especially since new tasks come up nearly every day. 

A New Missionary Apartment

As the work goes forward from time to time it is necessary to close one apartment and open another. The missionaries assigned to work in the Ostia area, a sea-coast city some 35km south or Rome, were living in an apartment near the Vatican. They were traveling to and from their work area by train and bus which used up over 2 hours per day.

In Italy, when you rent a place you have a choice of ammobiliato (fully furnished - which we normally do not do), or non-ammobiliato  (completely empty)  – possibly no kitchen cabinets, sink, appliances, etc.

An apartment was found in a more convenient location, only a 10 minute ride to their work area. This new apartment had been just restored (cleaned, painted, etc.) but had no light fixtures - just live wires dangling from the ceiling in each room. The kitchen was an empty room with pipe stub-outs for gas, water and a vent pipe for an exhaust fan. 

We acquired the necessary fixtures, appliances, kitchen sink and cabinets and went to work. The results are shown below.

It was an enjoyable process and the Anziani learned much about what it takes to set up a new apartment. Hopefully they can draw upon their newly acquired skills when they have homes of their own someday. A more immediate benefit might be the enhancing of their respect for their present living quarters.  

Busy Week

11 new missionaries came in this week. They bring such energy to the office. Though it makes for a very busy week we love it. But by the end of the week we let out a loud collective sigh!!! The senior missionaries are "all about" transferring their luggage, meeting them at Termini station (which is really where all roads lead) getting them together with their new companions and back on the train to wherever they are supposed to be. They all know where the pickup place is and they guide the newbies who are exhausted from the flight and look like deer in the headlights. Parking at Termini station is like everywhere else in Rome ... non-existent. So Anziano Marcucci just keeps circling the perimeter until they come out. I went into the station to "make" them get a move on which of course didn't work, because they are seeing each other after a long absence. There was a flurry of old and new companions. They have so much love each other. It is hard for them to drag themselves away. There were probably at least 30 people there, including the new missionaries, their new trainees and their trainers and their old companions. Needless to say there are endless details and people to manage. At least half of the new arrivals we had not met before, but somehow it all gets done.
The next day the Missionaries that are finished go home. President Kelly Interviews them all - old and new. Sister Kelly fixes all the meals - breakfast, lunch and dinner (Do you know how much Elders eat????) for the missionaries and sometimes friends and family. She never knows how many are going to be there. The pictures show all the comings and goings. You will recognize Grandview's very own Sister Miller who finally got to the city of Rome for her last transfer.

Bernini

Yesterday we spent three hours with an art teacher whose thesis was on Gian Bernini. Our teacher's family has spent several centuries in Rome. We studied two pieces of art.The ecstacy of Saint Teresa found in the church Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome sculpted in 1652 and the Triton fountain in Berberini square.Bernini like so many of the Italian artists was sponsered by various Popes and wealthy families. He became a "rock star" of art. He was well known in his own day. When he came into various towns the townsmen filed along the roads to catch a glimpse of him. He was a child prodigy creating masterpieces at the age of eleven. Bernini was very much influenced by Michaelangelo who was a renaisance painter. But Bernini went a step further and created a whole new school of art known as the Baroque. His figures were energetic, the bodies were active and appear to move. He was able to catch their emotions The statue of Saint Teresa was commisioned by a very wealthy family. In their time the way to immortalize your family was to build a chapel. In this case no expense was spared. The gold rays that are behind the angel are pure gold. This work memorialized the point of death of Saint Teresa who was in religious ecstacy at the realization of being raised to heaven by the angel. The rarest and most expensive marbles were used. It was an incredible experience to view this beautiful piece of art.

Christmas Season in Rome

This Christmas season is one of the calmest we've ever had. No gifts to buy, no rushing around. The Elders and Sisters drop by the office and all are happy and bring such fun with them. I remember when my kids were out in the mission field, I worried about their Christmas - if they were being taken care of, etc. - but now I realize they were busy taking care of others and were completely happy in doing so. We had a new bunch arrive and a few going home. Posted below are the "newbies" and the "old folks". 

Rome is all dressed up with lights that are beautifying an already beautiful city.

I have also added some pictures of Christmas Eve open house with the missionaries singing, playing games and of course eating.

YM/YW singing at Ward Christmas party

Christmas day at Crawfords. Dinner fixed by Elder Sapio

New missionaries

"Adult table" Sorella Marcucci and Crawford Anziani Cardiff & Crawford ,Ryan Kelly,Sorella Kelly,Anziano Burt

Missionaries playing Christmas  Chimes

Sorelle singing Christmas Carols

Christmas in Italy

“La Befana” is  an old witch lady with a big red nose and slight hunch, dressed in a jacket of colorful patches. She is often pictured with a broom. Every year, on the night of January 5th, “La Befana”, will travel on her magic broom, to every house in Italy in search of the baby Jesus bringing gifts. Climbing down the chimneys, she brings candy (“caramele”) or fruit to the children that were good and black coal (“carbone”), onions or garlic to the children that were naughty.   The children will leave out their stockings, and even their shoes, hoping to awake on the morning of January 6th to some “caramele”.   Similar to the Santa Claus tradition, many of the children will write notes to “La Befana” and even leave out food  for her (sausages and broccoli in some parts of Italy).   It is a tradition that is still strong in Italy with many stores selling stockings, mostly red, but sometimes even sand-colored, for the children to leave out for “La Befana”.   It is a fairy-tale story of the good witch / bad witch, depending on how you behaved during the past year.   After her arrival, there are many parties and Italians will celebrate going from house to house celebrating the bonds of family and friends.  

Villa d'Este, Tivoli

I sometimes hesitate to put pictures on the blog where we have been in Italy because it looks like we are on a vacation. Believe me a mission is work, fun work but work. much more than 40 hours a week) But because Italy is so beautiful. I have to show you the photos or  I would never post.

Recently we went to Tivoli a small town northeast of Rome. While there we toured a Villa d'Este. Villa d'Este was built in 1550 for Cardinal Ippolito d'Este, the son of Lucrezia Borgia and Alfonso d'Este. It occupies a stretch of hillside below the town of Tivoli, with spectacular views over the plain towards Rome. Built around an earlier monastery, the building is lavishly decorated with frescoes, reliefs and literally thousands of beautiful internal fountains. The most striking part of the Villa d'Este, however, is its garden; a terraced extravaganza of shady trees and show-stopping fountains.

Other highlights include the Fountain of the Dragons, a many-breasted sculpture of Diana, the long path of the Hundred Fountains and the massive cascade below the Water Organ. The Water Organ periodically offers musical entertainment to visitors.