Remember Me and I Will Remember You

Pietru Ursuleasa is one of the workmen on the temple. A couple of months ago he came into our office to pick up a picture David had taken of him while he was working. While he was there David took him in to see the site model. He really loved seeing the model of the temple and took some information home to read.

Pouring the second level floor of the temple

 Later David asked him if he had read it and he said he had and would love to come to church with us. Since he started he has not missed a Sunday. 

From the beginning he told the missionaries, if this was true he would be baptized. On Saturday evening that happened. :) Pietru got baptized.

During his last discussion and while we were planning his baptism, we were talking about  the sacrament and the importance of remembering Christ and our covenants.  And Pietru kind of stopped everyone and said... Well, it's like the Book of Mormon says, "Remember Me, and I will Remember You."

 So I decided to title this post after his words. :)

To us, the Temple itself has had it's first baptism... He is the first of the workers on the temple to accept the gospel.

It's been a pleasure watching the conversion process and seeing Pietru gladly accept the gospel. He loves it and is very active. 

Pietru, Bishop Celestini and Anziano Fenn

Happy Mother's Day to Everyone.

Much Love, David and Carolyn

2 Visits!

 Logan and Dresden came to visit... with a suitcase full of goodies.  Yes!!

 We had such a great time having them here. We really took advantage of evenings and weekends so that we could see Rome together. It is really easy to get down town with a bus/metro ticket which costs 1 euro. So we can catch the bus just down from our house... OK, tiny apartment.. and ride about a half hour to the metro, then hop on that to get into the heart of town. Each ticket lasts 75 minutes so we can travel round trip for 2 euro.

 2 really cute faces!!!

They also saved my bacon. Dresden spent a day with me on my computer helping me learn things I really needed help with. Logan got Davids computer all cleaned up and got us functioning so much better. Can't even say what a help they were to us!! 

David, Logan and Dresden standing in front of the Pantheon. Lots of walking to get there!

Me and Dres in Bracciano a little village we all walked through for about an hour enjoying the quaint houses built on top of each other.

Romantic... YES! but remember, you can't stop at a 7-11 on your stroll. Bring water and eat before you leave the house.    One more.....

and another :)

Before we knew it Dres and Logan had come and gone, but we made some memories that will last a life time. 

Love You Two!

You can read all about their trip on their blog here

The temple construction is going along . We are still at lots of concrete and rebar stage, so I don't have a lot to say that 's new. Lot's of cement trucks everyday. :) Elder Fenn greets and talks with the workers daily and has made some good friendships. Many of the guys have questions about the church and he is able to talk with them in an easy manner. Next time I have a story, but it has to wait.....

PIETRA SANTA

Elder Fenn went on a very fun adventure last week. He loved every minute of it. The contractor rented a van and hired a driver to take the Rome team,  and the architects and design team from Salt Lake City to the stone company where the exterior and interior stone for the temple is being fabricated. They drove north for 3 hours. Pietra Santa is located west of Piza near the coast in Tuscany. The drive was beautiful.

A hillside view of Pietra Santa from SAVEMA the stone supplier. The church is always taller than any other structure in town.

                                                                  

Savema fabricates stone from all around the world. The stone in the temple will come  from Spain, Bolivia, Brazil and Italy. The exterior is from Italy. whoot whoot! I had to say that. It was a very productive trip. Final decisions were made for interior and exterior stone that will be used.

Large saw cutting through marble. One cut can take up to 24 hours.

Maybe these pictures can give you a feel for the place. While he was there he saw the stone that is being prepared for the Freedom Towers in New York. He thought that was fun.

and one more...

How many Mormon's does it take to choose the stone for a temple.....? I guess we can't post the selections yet. So I won't but they are beautiful. David found this trip fun. He is a friend to all here on the site and they rely on his translation for so much. Not just with the language but he helps to tie the cultures together and helps them understand each other.

What? You want another picture of the little village?  Ok, but just one.

We send our love to all.  Elder and Sister Fenn.