Where we live.

I thought I would post a few pictures of our neighborhood to show everyone what it is like here in Opera, Italy. Opera is a small town south of the main freeway the circles the city of Milano. It is rather quiet, but still very European in nature.  We are currently living in the assistants to the president's apartment which is just down the street a half block from the office.  We live on the 7th floor in a nice two bedroom apartment. 

Our apartment is on the top floor just right of the middle in this building. 

All of the homes and apartment buildings here are inside of a locked gated fence. So you end up with a key to the gate, a key the building and a key to the apartment. All of the apartment buildings have small garages that are under the buildings and sometimes under the grounds that surround the apartment building. Not all apartments come with a garage. Our current one does not. 

Our current apartment is nicely landscaped, with small trees, some flowers, and grass that they mow about once per month.

Here is a picture of a wonderful hydrangea in our front yard we walk by each day.  It is about 5 feet tall and very beautiful. 

Here is a shot looking south down our street, Via Antonio Gramsci.

And here is one looking north up our street.

We only have a short walk to the office each day.  People are quite friendly and greet each other on the street as we pass by saying "Buon Giorno". Most of the natives just say "Giorno".  They are very courteous and say "Prego" when opening a door or standing to the side. This means "you're welcome".

Here is a picture of the front door to the mission office. Inside there is the mission presidents office, a store room, 3 offices with 2 computers each, a small conference room, lunch room and 2 rest rooms. Very nice digs.

Here is a picture of the building with the office on the ground floor and apartments above.  We will be moving into this building on Thursday of this week when the couple we are replacing fly out on August 1st. Also living in the building is the other office couple, the Molinari's who come from Rose, just outside of Blackfoot ID. They got here almost 2 months before us.  The office elders also have an apartment in the building. 

As I take more pictures, I will write more. 

A grand adventure!

Buon Giorno!  We are busy, busy, busy trying to learn all our new  responsibilities from the soon to  depart couple.  We  have weathered our first arrival of new missionaries and transfers.  29 new missionaries arrived yesterday so we spent all day preparing and changing plans as their plane was late, some luggage did not arrive, and we had to shorten some of the new orientation info for them. We also called their parents to say they had arrived safely and who their new companions would be and which city they would go to.  The calls were so very touching - some cried and we got teary as well.  They entrust their precious children to the Lord and us and we want to take care of them and love them too.  They are amazing young people - full of the spirit, enthusiastic, tired, and struggling to speak Italian.  We had a lovely dinner with them all last night and they were so cute and funny.  One young elder - having tasted his first gelato (Italian ice cream) said that he knew he would already really miss gelato when he left for home in two years.  He was beaming all during dinner and saying "I am really in Italy".  What a blessing this calling is to work with these rare and awesome missionaries.

We are getting used to Italy as well.  Just figuring out the cost in euros is an event.  Finding things in the supermercati is an adventure.  Nothing is coordinated really in the stores - like products are  not necessarily placed by other similar products so it is kind of like a treasure hunt. Milk is all shelf stable and not refrigerated.  Eggs are sold 4 in a carton or 6 or 8 or 10 but never any more.  Most items are in much smaller packages than at home.  But we have fun finding new things in the stores.  We did just find brown sugar (kid of tan brown and bigger granules).  We even  found some tortillas and tortilla chips.  But the bread is so good here who needs them.  You have to take all your own bags for the groceries.  Italy is very recycle focused and they take it very seriously.  Marv takes a walk  every morning early and stops by the local bakery for fresh goodies.  Today he  picked up focaccia with ham and cheese for our lunch - yum!  One morning we had apricot croissants for breakfast and in the hospital I got chocolate croissants.  Travel is ok as we have access to a car.  Marv has already driven but I have no desire to battle with Italian drivers.  

We had a grand experience when I ended up in the hospital for some kidney problems.  The hospital and emergency room were much better than 40 years ago.  Everyone was very kind and efficient.  The Urology dept. head was my doctor and he studied in St. Louis Missouri and spoke English.  He was really great.  I had a private room but in the emergency room you are treated in a waiting room for patients - not the visitor's room.  NOT PRIVATE.  Thank goodness my time there was brief.  But I have survived the experience and am sure my experience may help when another missionary gets sick.  

It is hot and humid but our office and apt. has air conditioning!  Hurray!!! Italy is lush with greenery everywhere, lots of flowers and lots of crops blooming all around Opera.  Just waking up and looking outside is a treat - we are really here in Italy!  

We are so blessed to be here.   We will get to travel to several cities soon to do apartment checks and to go to Torino, Padova, and Verona to see the places I served in on my first mission.  We can hardly wait!   We are having the time of our lives.  We do miss our loved ones but with Skype we can still "see" them regularly.  Happy Birthday to our Lu - already 6 years old!  Already back in first grade - she goes to a year round school.  

Well time to go for now - work to do.

We are in Italia

Wow!  We are really here.  It doesn't seem possible, but it has finally occurred!  Friday we flew from Salt Lake to Chicago, then to London where we found our last flight was cancelled. So we got to wait in London Heathrow for an extra 7 hours. We were rescheduled on a flight to a different Milano airport. And surprise, they did not loose our luggage. 

The Mission President was the to meet us and drive us to Opera - our new home. We went out to eat then got back to the apartment about 10:30 pm Saturday. This was over 32 hours since we got up Friday morning.  We are staying in the AP's apartment for two weeks. The Lynch's will then leave and we will then take over their apartment on a permanent basis. 

here are a few pictures from our present apartment-  

Looking east out from our patio

Looking west out of the bathroom window

Also looking west from the bathroom window. 

It is beautiful and we are very happy to be here.  

The adventure has begun!!!

Well after a five month wait, the big day finally arrived.  We spent our last weekend in the Salt Lake valley. Friday we left our car with Gordon, Marv's brother in Pocatello and drove down with Sam.  We had a very eventful trip.  Just at Tremonton, Utah, we came on a terrible car crash and Sam jumped out of the car and became the EMT/firefighter professional he is and began saving lives.  He was checking one victim when the victim died. Then he hurried to another victim in the rolled over truck and then sped to the third victim (the second victim who was ejected from the vehicle) and opened an airway and kept the kid alive til the ambulance arrived.  He and a fellow firefighter from his team then rode to the hospital with the victim.  It was amazing to see our son doing his job and doing it so well.  We drove to the hospital and picked up Sam and we went on to Park City. 

Sam and Brandon (his teammate) and four other members of Sam's crossfit gym were running a Spartan race in Heber on Saturday.  We spent the night with my sister in Draper and we all attended the race.  It was super hot that day - 100 degrees.  I don't know how the competitors managed to finish.  It took most racers about 4+ hours to finish.

Sam and his group at the start of the grueling 14 mile event.

Sam rolling and sliding down 100 yards of mud under barbed wire

 

Sam near end of run going over muddy slimey wall

 

 

  Sam and parents after the Spartan run

Then on Sunday we rested (just watching the race wore us out) and enjoyed my sister and her husband.  Then bright and early on Monday they drove us to the MTC. 

Bags all packed and ready to load up for our trip to the MTC

What an experience!  Everything is so well coordinated.  Over 100 senior missionaries converged to begin this wonderful adventure.  There are couples going everywhere in the world.  The MTC is huge - over three thousand young single missionaries are here with more coming every week.  Of course, groups leave too.  There are exercise facilities, laundry facilities, a HUGE cafeteria, classrooms, etc.  There is a travel office, post office, medical facilities, a whole city in itself.  Yet all are happy, busy, and kind.  These young missionaries are amazing and inspiring.  They are wonderful.  It makes us old fogies feel tired just watching them run around. 

We get all sorts of "senior perks" around here - from getting cuts in  the cafeteria lines, to lots of time to mingle, rest, and do things.  Our teachers are phenomenal and so kind.  We laugh and learn a lot.  We have a beautiful room on campus at the MTC (Missionary training center) and a "for seniors"only elevator.  When we arrived there were young and enthusiastic missionaries to get us and our luggage to our room and settled in. Then we were whisked off to register and get our schedules and study materials. 

We had a wonderful devotional tonight - they bussed us oldies to the Marriott Center (where BYU plays their basketball games) and had a very inspiring evening.  The main speaker read us some excerpts from his missionary journals - they were pretty funny and inspiring.  He served in the 1980's and shared some tender moments with us.  His lovely wife also spoke and both speakers kept us riveted to our seats.  The missionary choir sang - over 1600 voices strong.  Wow! What fantastic youth we have going out to serve their Heavenly Father.  It is a pleasure to sit with them at meals and they are so fun and bright and caring. 

This week we are studying about sharing the gospel with others.  Things have not changed much in the last forty years in some ways but in other ways everything is new.  Technology is very much different and missionary work is taking advantage of the digital age.  Our niece who is on a mission in the Tennessee mission is now spending some of her time on line with blogs, facebook, and referrals.  Our missionaries will also now give free guided tours of all our local buildings. 

Next week we will learn the office computer systems we will be using in Italy in the mission office.  Teaching me (an old dog) new tricks will not be easy.  But with the help of the Lord and a lot of  our sweat and effort, we will succeed.  Our teachers (newly returned missionaries mostly) are very patient and keep us entertained and loving every minute. 

We keep busy studying, preparing, and practicing in our spare time.  Marv is really doing well in Italian and amazes me at how much he has learned in such a short time.  He is so diligent and determined to master the language while we are in Italy.  He is a great companion and makes me want to be a better person.  Being together all the time has been easier that I thought it would be.  It is true that we can be apart during the day (unlike the young missionaries) but we seem to keep pretty close by most of the time. 

This adventure is truly great.  While we are missing our loved ones a lot, we know that we are in the right place at the right time and doing the right thing.  We wouldn't trade this experience for plain old retirement.  We feel young at heart again and ready to be useful, productive, and active.  I wish everyone could have this opportunity.  It is one of those life-changing events that make earthly life a treat.

Well, time for me to stop rambling.  We are healthy and happy here in Provo.  We miss all of our families and friends.  We are loving life though.  We do wish to thank all of you who have supported us, helped us, driven us, shared with us, played with us, and loved us.  You are all in our prayers daily and we appreciate you all so very much.  Please stay in touch and come and see us!!!