Rome

Do you recognize this? 

I didn't either at first. 

Apparently this is how they store their blenders in Italy. 

How smart is that.

The blender is actually on John and Suzanne's 

kitchen counter in Rome.

(my brother and sister in law)

Because of the pandemic, 

they'd been on stand by to serve their mission in Rome, 

for months now. 

The day finally arrived this month!

And best of all, 

here's what John had to say about their first week on their mission. 

I hear they are planning to stay at least a year. 

Week One—Rome Mission

After 19 hours

Total travel time

We arrived in Rome

Yesterday at 10:30am

We were on a Covid-free flight

So we were all tested three times

The first two were alright

The third poked a hole in our brains

Taken first to the mission home

Where I spent a night 46 years ago

It was built in 1924

And includes a wine cellar

Rome is hot, muggy and beautiful

Our apartment is on the third floor

What they call here the second

Piano terreno (ground floor), first, then second

Suzanne loves it

Marble floors

Blackout shutters

Two foot thick walls—quiet and dark at night

There is an elevator

Rated for 4 persons

But the paper sign says

One at a time

We have a washer and racks to dry clothes

With both room air conditioners on

The washer has already blown the fuse twice

Down to the basement to flip a master switch

The other senior missionaries

Are all very nice

They operate the visitors center

The Temple, Institute, etc.

We have our first client appointment next Tuesday

With MEDU—Doctors for Human Rights.

We are already funding about 5 projects for them

Mobile medical and psych clinics mostly

All of our work is for refugees

Many from the Maghreb

That includes Libya, Morocco

And some pretty rough neighbors

They arrive by the thousands

Each year

Coming by human trafficking boats

To Lampedusa or other parts of Italy in the south

In mid July we fly to Sicily

To meet with 7 partners there for a week

And to visit old friends in Monreale

Near Palermo

Tomorrow we meet up with our in-country boss

Ether Simoncini who lives in Verona

He will be passing through on summer leave

And has a new computer for us

Monday will be our first attempt

At residency permits

They take three appointments and up to a year

To obtain

Then it’s off

To get an Italian registration number

Monthly bus and subway passes

And eventually we are to be assigned a car

At the Mall in Rome today

We had the best Cornetto

With Pistachio cream

For one Euro

That’s about $1.20 US

It’s all about the food here

Even the smallest market

Has great stuff

In addition to writing up grants

And giving our funds to other NGO’s

We visit, photograph facilities

Interview and supervise the proper use of funds

We also anticipate working

In the temple every two weeks

Holding a calling in our Ward

Like maybe teaching a class in English for temple prep

Helping the President’s Wife

cook for the incoming missionaries

And generally doing whatever

Needs to be done—all with stomachs full of gelato and pasta

Listen to 12 seconds of what they get to hear from their balcony at 5am. 

Turn up your volume.