Che Bella Vita: November 2017

November 16, 2017

Way past due for another post, since my last one was in late October. This job has been a lot busier than Cynthia or I EVER imagined and by the time we get home all we want to do is eat and go to bed. That is very uncharacteristic for me! We are very much enjoying the work however and looking forward to each and every day. Tonight, while lying in bed I gave Cynthia a hard time because she was falling asleep so early, only to be waked up to her phone ringing around 9:45. She answered it and then said to me that my job ends when I leave the office and hers, as proof by the phone call goes late into the night. 10 minutes later my phone rang from a missionary needing help with an apartment problem. She laughed and said that somehow, I must have planted that call.

Since our last post Chandler and Liz came to visit us. We had an absolutely wonderful time. We did many of the same things that we did with Mathew and Kristin and Manly and Kathryn, as well as a few new things. The things that we double and triple up on are still very much fun and we get to experience them with our children. One new thing we did with them was to visit the city of Orvieto, which is the city we visited with the Spragues and I spoke about in our last post. Chandler and Liz loved it! Me too. We also drove down to the Amalfi coast and saw “God’s handiwork” first hand. It was breath taking. As with the other four, we had a delightful time and then tearfully said farewell. We did have an unexpected treat. Chandler thought their plane flew out on Friday night, which meant we had to get them to the airport around 8:00, but when Liz looked at the tickets she realized they didn’t fly out until the next morning. So, we got to eat Chinese food with them which has become our major “comfort” food. Whenever Cynthia feels a little homesick, we make a beeline to the Chinese restaurant. Initially we were eating there up to 3 times per week and we are now down to no more than one time per week.

Two weeks ago, we had an “All Mission Tour” where one of our Church Leaders came to the Mission to visit all of the missionaries. It was over a three-day period and I was in charge of the travel for everyone and Cynthia and I had to arrange a lunch for 160. We provided a HUGE hamburger for all of them and they LOVED them. Even the sister missionaries scarfed down the burger. It was a very busy week for the two of us, as well as everyone in the office. The Mission President and Sorella Pickerd are busy ALL THE TIME and they were super busy that week. The message presented by our Church Leader was amazing and everyone came away feeling closer to the Savior and more committed to Him and His work.

A couple of weeks ago we took a biking trip on the Appian Way Antica with our friends, The Thomas'. It is a highway that the Romans started construction on in 300 B.C for their army to use, to leave Roma for battle and return home as victors. It was a fun, leisurely trip that I VERY MUCH enjoyed. It is so amazing to think that 2000 years ago, the Roman Army marched on this very road, eight across and here we are today, biking it! A week later, the Assistance to the President, Anziano Vance and Campbell and I ran on the Appian Way. That was not so leisurely. We got out to about 4.25 miles and I asked if they were ready to turn around. Naturally they wanted to go out another .75 miles to make it a "round 10" miles. Youth does have its advantages. I mean ME! Cool, cool, cool!

Yesterday I had one of the most difficult days of my life. I could write a book about what happened, but I will give you the “Cliff Note” version…sort of. One of my responsibilities is to inspect several of the missionary’s apartments for safety and cleanliness. Two of the cities I visit are in the mountains and often are difficult to get to. The round trip was going to take me approximately 13 hours so I left at 7:00 a.m. My first two cities were non-eventful other than having wonderful visits with these precious young people. I then started my way to the third city, Ascoli, and expected to arrive there around 2:00 p.m. I made my way up to one mountain town and my navigation system, Tom-Tom (affectionately known as “Tommy-boy”) told me to turn right. Unfortunately, that town had been severely damaged by the earthquake approximately one year ago and so I could not turn right, so I was forced to turn left and Tommy-boy re-calculated my travel and only added 1 kilometer to the trip. I continued to make my way when approximately 20 minutes later Tommy-boy told me to again turn right. Again because of damage I could only turn left. Then the re-calculated trip was increased by 24 kilometers. I should have taken the hint, turned around and went home, but I was determined. The GPS then estimated my time of arrival to be 2:30 p.m. Still not bad. Only this pathway led me up a mountain where the roadway had been damaged and several parts were only wide enough for one car to pass. That was ok, because there were no other cars on the path, going or coming. Should have been a hint. I said a prayer asking for help and protection. Anyway, I got off of that mountain to the valley below and traveled to a point where there was a sign that pointed to Ascoli 48 kilometers and my GPS said the same thing. I was relieved to see that sign as a confirmation so I followed its directions only to be lead up another mountain and said, "Lord not another mountain." This one was higher, had snow on the road, the temperature was dropping and it was getting later. It lead me to the summit only to find that that road was completely blocked and I had to turn around and return to where I had previously been. Now it was heavily snowing and I was becoming very nervous (to say the least) and saw my gas gauge was getting a little low. Again, I said a prayer and traveled on. I saw a town on the top of a small mountain and traveled to it hoping to find fuel. When I reached the town, I found that it was completely abandoned due to the complete damage that it had sustained from the earthquake. Now I was feeling really desperate! I said another prayer and saw a trailer and looked inside to find two Italian military personnel that were guarding the town from looters. I exclaimed, “I am a lost American, I can’t speak Italian and I need fuel! They didn’t speak English, but we were able to communicate and they told me to travel to a town 24 kilometer away and pointed the direction. I put it in the GPS and it confirmed and I traveled on only to find that it retraced my original path. I had to travel up and down that same mountain that had sustained such damage. The good news is that I made it to that town, got fueled up and determined its time to go home and off I went. I said another prayer and headed home. I have never felt so helpless and lost in my entire life! Looking back, I do see the hand of God in my experience. The day before, I was forced by the Mission to have snow tires put on my car, which I thought was a waste of time and money, only to be so thankful the next day as I traveled through the snow. Another tender mercy was going to that town and finding those Italian military gentlemen. They gave me the name of the town that I could program into my GPS and get me home. Had I not found them, I could have taken another wrong turn and ended up on another mountain top out of gas. My daughter Sarah asked me last night if I ever felt peace after offering my prayers. I told her that unfortunately I did not, BUT I never doubted His presence and his protection. Another tender mercy. I love the Lord and I know He loves me and you and will NEVER abandon us in our times of need. We ARE His children and He wants each one of us to succeed and ultimately to return to Him. That is why He sent His Son, whose birth and life we celebrate at this time of year. May you all feel His love now and always.

Till next time. Ciao, ciao.

Love

Anziano e Sorella Knies

In the caves at Orvieto they discovered an ancient well, approximately 240 feet deep. It is big enough for one man to fit in. You can see the foot and hand holes on each side of the well. Don't know about you but I wouldn't have wanted that job!

Along the Appian Way it is "littered" with ancient sites. This was a "Circus" used for chariot races. Surrounding the perimeter are the remains of the stands where over 10,000 spectators would view the events.

In the middle of the arena, the center area that the chariots would go around.

1700 year old picture

The Appian Way. 2000 plus years old!

Chandler, Liz and I took a night time tour of the Coliseum. This is in the basement where the gladiators would await their "games". The original blocks, wedged together, with the "keystone" holding them in place. Amazing engineering!