Week 3  (Sorry for the delay)

Our dearest friends and family,

We have completed week three and are beginning week four of our mission journey.  Last week was our first amazing week in Rome and our heads are spinning!!!!  We have met several other senior missionary couples, but two in particular, the Guercio’s and the Thacker’s have REALLY taken us under their wings.  We can’t begin to thank them enough!  We feel their sincere love and love them in return.  Their selfless and kind acts of service have helped make us feel at home and have helped soften “the blow”.  We did not expect the adjustment to be as hard as it has been, since we are here each with our best friend.   The separation from the rest of the family and being in a new place where communication is so difficult, has proven to be a major challenge for us both.  We KNOW however that we are where the Lord would have us be, at this very time, serving His children in Italy whom He loves so dearly.  We feel His comforting and reassuring presence.    

The Italian people are lovely, extremely gregarious and kind.  They speak by singing with both their mouths and their hands! It is delightful to observe.  We just wish we could understand what they are saying.  We have both determined that the language we have been studying for the past several months has been something other than Italian!  The Church provides a tutor, if we want/need for an additional six months.  HELLO!  That would be yes.  This time we are going to be more specific and insist that they teach us Italian. 

Cynthia is now receiving calls from the missionaries in the mission and she is providing loving care for each one of them.  The Lord will be using her skills that she learned in school and developed in the hospitals over the past 15 years plus adding to that, the most important ingredient of all, His guidance through the Spirit.  Since most of her patients in the past have weighed in the range of 1-5 lbs.  she is having to make some adjustments in the care she delivers.  Fred is being trained in the office utilizing the vast I-T skills he has developed over the years…NOT! 

Also, driving will be a SIGNIFICANT challenge!  This is not meant to be a slam to the Italian people but they drive CRAZY!  The streets zig and zag in each and every direction with a traffic light every 35 feet.  The motorcycles are coming at you from behind, in front, and from all sides.  Horns are honking, lights are flashing and some are yelling.  The pace of Italian life is very slow until they get behind the wheel.  Then things CHANGE!  The traffic laws seem to apply only to the foreigners who are trying just to survive.  “Everyone says, just be patient and you will get it.”  We are hoping and praying so! 

For Fred’s birthday on Friday night, we walked to the subway station and headed off to a special destination.  As we exited the subway station what did we behold…The Colosseum!   It was magnificent.  We did not have time to tour it, so we just walked around and imagined what was going on in the very place that we were standing 2,000 years before!  YIKES, in America we think 100 years is old! 

Saturday the six of us headed out for a day road trip with our final destination the town of Tivoli.  It is magnificent, at least 1000 years old and sits up on the top of a mountain.  Unbelievable!

As stated above, this is the Lord’s work and we are so privileged to be part of it.  We thank Him every day for His innumerable blessings.  Until next time…Ciao! 

Love

Fred and Cynthia

Anziano and Sorella Knies

Just seated on the plane to Roma

First stop upon arrival to Roma was in front of our Temple, rainy but wonderful!

 With our Mission President his wife, Sorella Pickerd and Brother Bassett, who is the third person?

 Driving crazy, parking even crazier!  This is how they park.

 Another shot.

 On the subway to the Colosseum

 Coming out of the subway station, this is what you see!

 A "facey" in front of the Colosseum

 Amazing Italian Pine Trees

 Service project on Saturday, cleaning a walkway from the mall leading toward the Temple.

 Finished product!

Olive tree orchard.  The trees are amazing and it reminded me of the allegory of the olive tree found in the Scriptures.

One of the many breath taking views we observed on our way to Tivoli.

A beautiful lake-view.

Just like House Hunters International!

Typical view in the old towns located on top of the mountains.  This town is over 1000 years old and people still living there.

Our new found friends, the Thacker's and the Guercio's.  

The city of Tivoli from afar.  We visited the interior and will be back for a

Cynthia is not quite ready to buy, but she is getting there.

When we arrived in Roma airport.

 Fresh made spaghetti we purchased on our way to Tivoli.  WOW it was delicious!

The city of Tivoli from afar.