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.