Week 9

Ultimately had a great week last week.  Had several challenges and struggles, but that all leads to growth.

Sorella Knies and I started back with our language instructor, Eden Peterson, from Utah through Skype.  Prior to leaving on our mission she had been our instructor for several months.  We were not able to start back without the internet and as you already know we were without it for several weeks. As an introduction she asked how things were going.  I shared with her some of my frustrations and discouragement.  She responded by telling me that "I sounded like her" in the first several weeks of her mission here in Italy.  She relayed that after fasting and praying about it, she received inspiration to pray for "charity."  By the end of her mission, through the charity she had gained as an answer to her prayers, she absolutely fell in love with the people of Italy, the crazy drivers, the graffiti, the dirt and everything else that caused her to be discouraged.  She encouraged me to do the same.  As a follow up, on Sunday in our Sunday school class we studied the life of Gordon B. Hinckley chapter 14, "Losing ourselves in the service of others".  It is a shame that everyone else needed that lesson!  Anyway, President Hinckley wrote in his journal that he was very discouraged when he first arrived on his mission to England so many years ago.  He said he wrote to his father about his discouragement and his father responded in a short letter back to him, "Dear Gordon, I have only one suggestion: forget yourself and go to work."  He said that earlier that day in his scripture class they had been reading from Mark 8:35 which says, "Whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.'  So, its time for Anziano Knies to "take the hint" and he did.  Feeling wonderful and looking forward to each day, loving and serving the people of Italy.

Last week while running one morning, I had my headphones on listening to one of our "favs", Neil Diamond.  It was a song that I had not heard before, but immediately fell in love with.  Those that know me well, know that I don't have very many creative or inspirational thoughts on my own, but I do recognize those of others and I embrace them as my own.  I thought I would place them in this week's blog.  Sorella Knies said it sounds like someone that "is fixin to check out", but that is not the case.  I just love the meaning and it applies to my life with my precious wife and best friend and our precious children and grand children.  The words have been slightly modified and are as follows:

Heck Yeah

By Neil Diamond

If you're thinking that my life
Is a hoot and a holler
From the start of the day
To the dark of the night
And that its ringin' like a bell
That you only want to follow
Gotta trust me when I say
I'm just trying to get it right
Still I think about myself
As a lucky old dreamer
If you're askin' me to tell
Is it worth what I paid
You gonna hear me say

Heck yeah it is
And I say it loud
I loved it all
And I'm not too proud
I freed my soul...just let it fly
Heck yeah this crazy life around me
It confuses and confounds me
But it's all the life I've got until I die
Heck yeah it is

If you're asking for my time
Isn't much left to give you
Been around a good long while
So I gotta say it fast
Time is all we'll ever need
But it's gotta have a meaning
You be careful how it's spent
Cause it isn't going to last

I hear you wondering out loud
Are you ever gonna make it?
Will you ever work it out?
Will you ever take a chance
And just believe you can?

Heck yeah you will
You're gonna be okay
And you might get lost
But then you'll find a way
Don't go alone
Can't be afraid
Heck yeah
This life is here and it's made for livin'
And love's a gift that's made for givin'
You give it all away and have it still
And Heck yeah you will

I've been living in a bowl
With a lot of people staring
With my feet on shaky ground
And my head up in the sky
But it's where I want to be
It's a life that's made for caring
Got a song to pass the day
And a girl to share the night (and she's my best friend)

So if they ask you when I'm gone
Was it everything he wanted?
When he had to travel on
Did he know he'd be missed?
You can tell them this

Heck yeah he did!
He saw it all
He walked the line
Never had to crawl
He cried a bit
But not for long
Heck yeah
He found the life that he was after
Filled it up with love and laughter
Finally got it right
And made it fit
Heck yeah he did!
Heck yeah he did!
Heck yeah he did!

Neil says it GOOD!

Sorella Knies, is into her third of four weeks of intensive Italian.  4 hours of class each day followed by 2 hours of study at night.  I know when she is finished the next time we get lost she will be able to "talk our way back home."  

Speaking of getting lost, this past Saturday, we were out with the Thackers.  We went to Grotta Del Turco, (The Turk's Cave).  According to legend, the mountain cracked open at the moment of Jesus' death.  One Turkish sailor refused to believe the legend and to vanquish his disbelief, he was granted a special miracle: touching the rock he felt is soften like wax, and was able to leave the impression of his hand on it.  Pictures to follow.  On our way back home, Anziano Thacker was driving and "Tommy-Boy" stopped working.  He was not phased a bit.  I said, if that happened to me, I would be freaking out!!!  He headed in the direction home and eventually made it home.  On our way, we stopped at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial located in Nettuno, Lazio.  It is where 7,861 American military war dead are buried.  It was a beautiful, "final resting place" for our fallen hero's.  We stood on the grave of one such hero, Sylvester Antolak.  His citation is as follows:  

Near Cisterna di Littoria, Italy, he charged 200 yards over flat, coverless terrain to destroy an enemy machine gun nest during the second day of the offensive which broke through the German cordon of steel around the Anzio beachhead. Fully 30 yards in advance of his squad, he ran into withering enemy machine gun, machine-pistol and rifle fire. Three times he was struck by bullets and knocked to the ground, but each time, he struggled to his feet to continue his relentless advance. With one shoulder deeply gashed and his right arm shattered, he continued to rush directly into the enemy fire concentration with his submachine gun wedged under his uninjured arm until within 15 yards of the enemy strong point, where he opened fire at deadly close range, killing 2 Germans and forcing the remaining 10 to surrender. He reorganized his men and, refusing to seek the medical attention which was so badly needed, chose to lead the way toward another strong point 100 yards distant. Utterly disregarding the hail of bullets concentrated upon him, he stormed ahead nearly three-fourths of the space between strong points until he was instantly killed by hostile enemy fire. Inspired by his example, his squad went on to overwhelm the enemy troops. By his supreme sacrifice, superb fighting courage, and heroic devotion to the attack, Sgt. Antolak was directly responsible for eliminating 20 Germans, capturing an enemy machine gun, and clearing the path for his company to advance.  

Sgt. Antolak gave his life for the benefit of others, may we all think of others first, and lose ourselves in the service of others.  

Till next time, Caio, caio!

Love,

Sorella e Anziano Knies 

Black sand beach Mediterranean Sea

In front of Trevi Fountain

With our new friends, the Finns

Spectacular view overlooking Piazza del Popolo and in the background is

St. Peter's Basilica

Went to this lovely mountain top village for dinner, but they were on 

vacation.  we still got the view!

Mid-evil castle in the village

Martha loves sunsets.  She would really have loved this one.

Gaeta, Italy beach near  Grotta Del Turco

Grotta Del Turco

The Turk's handprint