Friday Fireside

Last Friday, we had our third fireside, this month, at our house.  We love the students in our English class.  We love to spend time with them, and they love to be with us.  We showed the restoration video  and bore testimony of the Book of Mormon.  We had 9 non members there.  There were  6 new friends there.  4 were our age or older.  One retired couple, who have been meeting with the sister missionaries, came.  A few days later, they called the elders to come give a priesthood blessing to the man's brother-in-law.  The whole family was there, including the couple who the sisters are teaching.  The elders explained about priesthood keys and then about the blessing.  After the blessing, the man who received it, along with his wife, were both in tears and were so grateful for the spirit they felt.  

Here is our little group who came to the fireside.  Opportunities are opening up.

Our missionaries are all working so hard.  Elder Duffin is a really good cook.  His mom must be too, because he is using all her recipes.  He brings us samples to our District meetings most every week.  He is extremely organized and obedient. He is always looking for ways to improve and help. He is a good District Leader. His Italian has improved so much this past transfer.  Oh. and speaking of transfers....all our missionaries get to stay another six weeks!  Yea!!!  Elder Line is quiet and steady.  He always asks questions to find out about the people he is with, and that makes them feel important, and I see people opening up to him easily and feeling very comfortable around him.  He is a good missionary too.  His dad is an institute director at the U and his dad was Elder Duffins institute director before he came on his mission.  Elder Duffin said that Brother Line was his very favorite teacher.  

Several of our missionaries have parents who both served missions.  Sister Mitzvotai is one of 8 children.  Her sister is also serving a mission.  She is tall and graceful and so very kind.  She has been out for a year and she is a training sister.  She and her companion have such strong testimonies.  They get into more doors than anyone I ever saw, because of the sweet spirit they bring....and it also helps that they both are beautiful.  Sister Mitzvotai is a piano major at the Y and both she and sister Webster can play the piano whenever we need it at church.  Sister Webster is our newest missionary....only in Italy six weeks, but you would never know it.  She pitches right in and helps teach beautifully.  I am so proud of her.  She is fearless and she goes and does wherever and whatever she is prompted to do.

How could we be luckier?  I guess that I am the very luckiest, because I have the best companion of all.  His hair is turning whiter than greyer, with all the worry he does for the members of our little branch.  But there is not anything he wouldn't do to help whenever asked or prompted to do.  I admire his endurance and his compassion.  I love his smile and laugh.  He is becoming more sensitive to me and 

I feel closer to him than ever before.  I love him so very much.

Grand baby #18 made it safe to earth!

We were overjoyed to get a call from Tommy, on Friday morning, to say that Cam was in labor.  She was three weeks early, and she still has finals to go through at BYU, but he baby had other ideas!

William Jensen Scherbel arrived Friday morning, weighing in at 7lb. 6 oz.   And 20 inches long.  We were so happy to see some of his first photos!  You can definitely tell that Tommy and Cam are so excited.

Cam is expecting to go to two of her classes today!  Oh my.  She could have been a pioneer and had her baby by the trail and just have kept walking with the caravan.  

They are going to call him Liam.  We will get a chance to see all three of them in the Middle of May when they come to see us for a few days.  Our prayers are with them and we are so thankful to Heavenly Father for Liam's safe arrival.  XXXXXXOOOOOOOO

Liam is Pampa's 67th great grandchild and G&G Minson's 42nd (I think)

It's raining, it's pouring

We have had tons of rain this past week.  One day, as we were driving, a mini river was coming down the street we were about to cross.  Here's a peek at it.  A few minutes before this it was hailing like crazy, but I was so surprised that I didn't think to take a picture.

These are not great pictures, but I took them off a video.  The weather last week, all week, was cold by Italian standards.  We got quite a bit of snow in the mountains and it hailed several times in our town. 

The sun has come out now though and today it's sunny.  It's the kind of day that you want to get all your wash out on the line so it has a chance of drying, in one day.  In fact with a gentle breeze, if you hang up your sheets first, and then hang the rest of your laundry, the sheets will be dry by the time you finish hanging your other laundry.  That is a good day!  

Amalfi PDay

We had a delightful drive up the Amalfi Coast with Elder Line and Elder Duffin. They certainly didn't want to stop and take pictures as often as the sisters have liked to in the past, but we stopped a couple of times.  The views are always so spectacular and there are always different things that stand out that I didn't notice before.  

My pictures are not very clear because it wasn't very light due to the fog.  My iPad seems to take much better pictures when there is a bright sunny day. But to give you a feel for the coastline, here are some of the vistas we enjoyed.e

In the picture above, I think that the little hamlet of Torello is in the forefront.  In the background is the town of Minori.

The picture below looks like a magical place.  I hope we can get down there one day.  It's  called Furore Fiord where the road crosses a bridge suspended between the walls of a deep gorge.

Lunch in Maiori

I am sorry that I caught Paul just after taking a bite of his yummy panini, but you can at least see that we stopped by the sea, the beautiful sea, to eat lunch in a little town called Maiori.  The elders enjoyed feeding the pigeons and eating a good lunch too.

I was a little sad that it was too foggy to get clear pictures of the coastline.  But the weather was nice and we certainly can not complain!

Atrani

This past Monday afternoon, we drove the Elders up the Amalfi coast.  Even though it was a bit foggy, we had a nice drive and spent some time taking pictures in Atrani.  We like this little coastal town because of the old Roman arches that support the narrow windy road, just above the Mediteranean Sea.

Here is Elder Duffin and Elder Line

The little restaurant on the bottom left of the picture above, had such old wind and sun worn wooden tables.  I took a picture of them from the road above them so you can see how close to the sea everything is built.

All the buildings are either built right into the mountain to the right, or else they are built right up to the Sea below.  It's pretty incredible.

I have it easy...why do I stress

Yesterday, as we were going over our weekly planning, Paul told me about three appointments that I didn't know about.  A couple of them were either right before or right after some other appointments.  I didn't know how I was going to get food fixed for the company we were having Saturday-Sunday, plus prepare for the appointments we already had.  So of course, I started worrying about things.  

And then I read my scriptures!!!!!!!   The answer was right there out of the Old Testament. I didn't have to worry about a thing.

     In 1Samuel 28:20, 21, 22 & 24, it says:

And Saul had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.

   And the woman came unto Saul.... And said unto him.....

      Let me set a morsel of bread before thee; ......

           And the woman had a fat calf in the house, and she hasted and killed it, and took flour, and   kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread.

Do you see why this was a timely message just for me.  Why am I worried about making a simple meal.  I certainly don't have to kill the cow and get it cleaned out and then cook it and then make bread!  I have got it easy!  

I am certainly glad I live now.  We have microwaves, grocery stores near by, and freezers to pull out a previous made meal from.  I will just be thankful that I don't have to go kill the chicken, or the cow, or go catch the fish if I want to eat something special or feed company.  I am blessed!

  

Right Makes Might

I have been reading the Old Testament this year and I love it.  Right now I am in Joshua.

I just finished reading about Caleb when he was 85 years old. (That is how old my Dad just turned 2 weeks ago.  I can imagine him saying this also.), 

Caleb said, in Joshua 14:10-12.  "....and now, lo, I am this day  fourscore and five years old.  As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: (he was 40 then) as my strength was then, for war, both to go out and to come in.  Now therefore give me this mountain."

And Joshua reminds the children of Israel in Joshua 22:5:  "But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of The Lord charged you, to love The Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways,  and to keep his commandments, and to cleave to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul."

I think that if we are right before The Lord, then we will be mighty and strong, even as Caleb was, even as my dad is, even when we are 85 years old.  

Broccoli Rabe or bitter greens

Tis the season for Broccoli Rabe sometimes called bitter broccoli.  When we first arrived in Italy we had a branch lunch after church and we were each served a whole plate full of this stuff.  It looked awful and I was really surprised to find that I liked it.  Paul was not so fortunate.  He hasn't acquired a taste for it yet.  But I have learned how they prepare it, and today, I went to the store and bought my first bunch of the season.

The stems are really the only thing similar in taste to the familiar type of broccoli which also grows well here, but comes out later in the season.

The way they cook it in Italy is:

Heat 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet.  Add a chopped garlic clove or two and then add a pinch of peperoncini ( hot red pepper flakes).  Heat til almost smoking hot.  Then add your washed  ( no need to dry) bitter broccoli and stir fry for  5 minutes or so and then add a few tablespoons of water, turn down the heat to low medium, cover and steam for 15-20 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Add salt if you like at the end of cooking time.

The Italians don't put butter on their vegetables.  And there is no need to.  This is really good.  I hope I can find bitter broccoli in the states.  They also add cooked bitter broccoli to their pizza along with mashed potatoes and sausage.  It sounds weird but it's my favorite type of pizza.

Strawberries have just come to the stores this week too.  So here is my lunch today.  I say  "my lunch", because Anziano Scherbel would never eat this unless he was being served it by a non member!

The container of nuts, that you see on my kitchen table came from an investigator family who grow everything.  These are a combination of walnuts, hazel nuts and almonds.  The lemons came from our landlord, and the pumpkin and oranges came from another family we know.  The produce is amazing here in this part of Italy.  We are very blessed to eat so well!

Busy Week

This past week has been really busy.  Last Saturday we had a branch activity which the young missionaries organized and carried through successfully.  They called all the Inactives and active members to tell them about it.  They invited their investigators and our English class students.  They planned three games, a spiritual message with a video, and great food.  We were very happy with the 30 people who came.  There were 8 active branch members, two totally inactive members who came,  us six missionaries and the other 14 people were all non members.  We all had a very fun evening.  Everyone stayed until the party was over.  We played the baby picture guessing game, and the cookie on the forehead that you have to wiggle down to your mouth with out using your hands game. We sang and mingled and the missionaries did such a good job with their spiritual message.  

Sunday, I gave the 50 minute primary lesson, on Noah and the flood, all in Italian.  That is slightly stressful to me.  We have one little boy who is 9 years old who wants to move around and hit people constantly.  So that is the most difficult thing for me, because I love to have a perfect environment for me to give a lesson in my very bad Italian.  But we got through it!  

Monday, was Pday and the missionaries went on a beautiful hike and picnic, in the morning at our nearby mountain and medival castle ruins.  It's so close to our home that it only takes a couple hours to get there and hike it and take pictures.  This allows the missionaries to get their email, their shopping, and laundry all done and get to do some recreating all on the same day.  

Monday evening, we took the sisters up to the mountains above Avelinno to Flavia's house.  She is a darling young woman who joined the church last year.  She lives with her non member relatives; her aunt, uncle, cousin and nonna.  We pray and pray that they will have a desire to join the church too.  We have taught them many lessons, and they feel the spirit, but don't have a desire to change religions.  We feel that her cousin does have a desire to learn more, but his mother won't allow him to come to church.  He is only 12.  But when he gets older, we pray he will chooses to be baptized.  For now, we visit and teach a little more.  "Piano piano," as they say in Italian, which means "slowly slowly"

Her whole family loves us and the missionaries, and they listen to everything we say.  This week, even her uncle stayed for our message and read and reread the scriptures we were going over.

Wednesday, we got up at 4:30 am to get ready to leave by 5:15 so we could drive to ?Salerno and catch a train to Rome at 6:00 am.  We had a good conference in Rome and hurried back for an appointment in Salerno with a non member.  We were challenged to talk to everybody we meet about the gospel.  Sister Mitzvotai talked to the girl she was sitting next to on the metro, and got her number and gave her a pass a long card, and sent the referral to the Rome sisters.  Both sisters talked to a man on the train that they sent his referral to Tatanto missionaries.  I sat next to a lovely young lady who I hope to connect with again.  I gave her my email and she said that she would email me.  

Thursday, we had the missionaries over to lunch, and planned the graduation party for English class for that evening.  We got the certificates signed and games set up.  The party went well and we had a good turnout.

Yesterday, we took the sisters to get their permissos started.  Last night, we had about 10 investigators over to our house for a discussion about our church.  These were all students from our English course.  Several have had one or two discussions with the missionaries, one has had many lessons, but more than half have not agreed to have the lessons before, but they agreed to come all together to hear more about our church.  Anziano Scherbel gave a very good lesson. The spirit was there and more questions were asked by everyone.  We ended the night with a pancake dinner along with the egg and sausage casserole I make for Christmas morning.  They stayed for a total of three hours and all would like to come again.