Temple Model is Now on Site.
The model of the site has been kept at the mission home for the past year or so and now has a new home. David has wanted to bring it here for some time now feeling it would be a good thing to help the work here. So the AP's helped David load it into the mission van and carefully transported it across town. It is nice to show the site workers what the site will look like when it is finished. They seem very interested and it helps to start so many conversations about the church. It was made as part of the announcement and presentation of the temple to the city and has kind of traveled around in the past years... We love having it here!
A View of the Temple from across the street.
Two of the very capable hardworking men here with Elder Fenn
In a member's home... Families are Eternal... I loved it
A Countryside Lunch
Life here really is different than what we are used to. Some of it is hard, but some of it is a true adventure... for instance, take this lunch at the countryside home of the owner of the construction company who is building the temple. Now this was authentic!!
Their home is situated on a slopping hillside overlooking a beautiful Lago Bracciano. We asked if the lake was man made and the answer was... this lake has been around since prehistoric times. Kind of like a lot of the buildings here. Just kidding... But you can see the setting from this picture. Very serene and lovely. The other side of the slope was covered with Olive trees from which he produces his own olive oil... Somewhere around 600 liters a year. A good "hobby" and gifts for friends. I can't believe I didn't take a pictures of the trees. They were very pretty. The pool was pretty simple compared to a pool of this nature at home, but he was quite proud of his "Infinity Pool". It was very lovely and open to the kids to just climb and play around... something that you would not see at home either.
Lunch was 5 courses... Starting with Italian cheeses , bread and green olives... We ate those until we were full....
Then the 2nd course was you guessed it... PIZZA! Cooked in their outdoor brick pizza oven :)
The pizza's just kept coming and coming and coming... it's customary ;) to try every kind. I wonder if we will still want to eat pizza after we get home... will we be sick of it? or will we expect it...? I think I already know the answer to that...
The 3rd course... Grilled steak, bacon, sausage, ribs.....
After that a Green Salad, which was mostly lettuce with some vinegar and oil. I think we do that part right in America... who wants a bowl of lettuce at this point? But it's about the only green I've ever seen at a meal and they say it helps you digest your food.
No pictures of the lettuce or the dessert which was Italian pastries and cookies. But it was an adventure for me... fun to watch the way they keep the food coming!! I DO miss the balance of an American meal, but was most grateful for their hospitality and generosity in having us to lunch!!
But to me the best part of the day was meeting his wife. I noticed she was passing out books to some of the ladies and I asked her if she was the author. She said yes would you like one of my books? YES! She didn't give me one because she wants to get me the first one in her series and didn't have it there... so I said, this is cool I'm meeting a real live author! She said, don't be too impressed, but I do sell out.
Dresden and I decide she could be "Joan Wilder". When she brings me her book, I'm going to trade her for a Book of Mormon. ;)
And an Old Castle: "Orssini"
It's kind of fun what you just run into while driving around this crazy country!! We planned to come out and find this castle but its just sitting there right on the edge of a little town. Like it was no big deal... just part of the town.
It was amazing... the tall carved beds and fancy, but very old bedding, the big rooms and fireplaces. Beautiful in it's own way, but so dark and cold. The weapons room was a little overwhelming...I tried to imagine putting on an armored suit and I just couldn't do it!! Indeed grateful to live in the times we live in.
The castle Prison
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