Our first month here!

I finally feel a bit settled here after our first month.

I am not only driving, but know for the most part where I’m going and how to get there. And, if I don’t, we have a GPS in the car with us to help. However, at times she doesn’t make the best decisions for us, so we turn her off occasionally. The Rhein’s had a name for her that we couldn’t remember, but did remember that it started with “P,” so we decided to call her “Pandora.” I know where four good grocery stores are and am familiar with the most friendly people at the market where they sell the fresh produce. I even found a kind woman at a “tavola caldo” or “hot table” which is kind of like a small cafe where you can get pizza and pasta, who offered to take me to a kind of Costco for restaurants and organizations to buy in bulk. I now have 25 kg (a little more than 50 lbs.) of flour and sugar!! So now I can bake lots of rolls, cinnamon rolls, and pancakes for these missionaries and I found out how to get a membership of our own because the church is an organization here.

It’s unbelievable to me that this is truly the first time I have had to give an update of what’s been happening. It is so very busy and just as you’re finishing with one thing, the next one is looming around the corner and you have to prepare a lesson or dinners, and wash a lot of laundry! One missionary asked me if we keep the missionary hours (up at 6:30 a.m. and to bed by 10:30 p.m.). I said with a smile, “I wish!” Many times we have had four or five hour night’s sleep as we travel around for zone conferences and interviews.

So we had our first transfers! I knew from our friends who were serving a mission that this was a very busy time, but I had no idea what a tender and emotional time it would be. The departing mssionaries come in on a Tues. and have their departing interview with Pres. Acerson. They then have a final testimony meeting together in our home. What strong testimonies and tender feelings are shared. All those mixed feelings of relief at having faithfully done what they were asked to do, wanting to remain and continue to work, and yet wanting to return to their families! What amazed me the most was how much love we felt toward these missionaries that we had known such a short time — I really didn’t want to see them go! You look at these strong and experienced missionaries and wonder how the mission will survive without them!

If they have family coming to pick them up, they come right after the testimony meeting. It was so sweet to see family members be reunited with their missionaries. They are so proud of them and their service and are so very excited to see them again! After visiting a bit, we have a big traditional dinner of salad, lasagna, green beans, crusty Italian bread, and tiramisu (made with chocolate milk instead of coffee). We are joined at that dinner by the Helquists, the assistants, and Brother and Sister Calabrese. She is a beautiful and sweet woman who has raised some remarkable and talented children and is becoming a dear friend.

Some of the missionaries then stay the night and fly out early the next morning while those with family leave after dinner. We took lots of pictures and said our good-byes with promises to see each other at a future missionary reunion before taking them to the airport. We then took another trip at about noon to pick up the new missionaries. How exciting! Unfortunately, things did not go as planned and all their luggage was lost. They stood in a 3+ hour line to fill out forms, cancelling our plans for a quick tour around Rome. After we got them home, we fed them the same dinner as the night before (again, tradition) and were going to let them go to bed, but some had renewed energy and went to visit the Trevi Fountain and get their first gelato (ice cream). After a good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast, they had an interview with Pres. Acerson, got their pictures taken, and had a couple of hours of orientation. They were then able to visit the property owned by the church where the hope is to one day build a temple of the Lord and then dedicate themselves to the missionary effort here in Italy.

When they got back, their trainers started arriving. We had lunch, the trainers received some training, and then we all met together for their “Golden Transfer” where they were matched up with their trainers and found out where they will be serving! It was a lot of fun as each set of missionaries hugged and cheered and found their new home on the map. We then sent them off with a prayer–but no luggage.

Fortunately the next week was filled with zone conferences and we were able to deliver all the luggage with the exception of one that remains lost to this day.

Now imagine this: You have just sent the missionaries off and have about 15 sets of bedding and 15 towels and many dishes to clean and put away and the assistants have you sit down with them to plan the zone conferences for a couple of days later! So you take a deep breath, start cleaning (thank goodness for all these wonderfuly children we have here — they have been a huge help!) and plan your talk/training while doing your house work. We’re loving it though. You realize just how much you have to rely on the Lord to help you and give you those moments of inspiration that will help you as you help Him.

We have seen two baptisms! The first in Rome and the other just a few days ago in Napoli. Both were very sweet. The one in Rome happened two Sundays ago. A good and humble man was taught by one of the missionaries who had just left at transfers. He decided to be baptized after the Elder left to do some traveling around Italy with his father, but wanted the missionary to come back to perform the baptism. The other Elders found him and he was there dressed in white ready to perform the baptism just a day before leaving Italy. It was so wonderful to have this Elder be able to come back and share in his joy and also to have his father be there to see some of the fruits of his son’s mission.

We were told about the other baptism at the Napoli zone conference. It was to take place that night in another chapel in Napoli. We took the assistants and a couple of the missionaries with us and found the church. She was a beautiful woman from Peru who had had some contact with the church when she was 15 and had met the missionaries now years later in Italy. Just before she was baptized, she could hardly contain her excitement and as she came up out of the water, she had such relief and joy on her face and just started crying. She hugged the branch president who had just baptized her and sobbed. There was not a dry eye in the place then or later as she bore her testimony. I wish you could have all been there to see it. It was wonderful.

I am so impressed with these missionaries and their hard work and dedication. An example: just as we had found the church, I realized that we had about an hour before the baptism and worried about getting the Elders (and us!) fed before the baptism because I knew that we would not be getting home until about midnight. As I asked them about a place to eat, they kindly and patiently looked at me and basically said, “You’re on your own because we are going to take these copies of the Book of Mormon and go out and find people to bring to the baptism.” Other missionaries said they were going to prepare a lesson about Joseph Smith and the First Vision that would be taught while the sister being baptized was getting dressed. Needless to say, I have a lot to learn from these missionaries. They work hard and don’t think about eating until they get home about 9:00 or so. They talk about the work and not about home. We know them as missionaries and yet during zone leaders conference (yesterday and this morning), I learned that they are accomplished pianists, star athletes, and extremely smart students, many with scholarships waiting for them when they get home. But we learned this from other missionaries. They don’t want to be that person right now. They have set that aside for now and want to be missionaries. They are great and we feel blessed and honored to be serving with them.

Other news of interest: Mark and Scott got to be in a parade in Pistoia! The branch pres. wife got them costumes and when we got there asked if they could join their daughters in the parade. It was Mark’s 23rd birthday that day and one that he will never forget: dressed as a prince and escorting a beautiful girl in two separate parades and was part of the “pre-show” that evening before some fun jousting games by knights on horses! Scott was a flag bearer and led the parades!

Kimberly, on the other hand, turned 21 the next week and spent it as a scullery maid mostly serving food and doing dishes during transfers. I asked her if we could make it up to her and go shopping the next day, and she said, “Mom, I’m in Italy — on my birthday! What more could I want?” What a great girl. Mark and Kimberly have returned to Utah in time to get things settled for school. Mark is completing secondary applications to medical schools (keep you fingers crossed) and Kimberly is designing a dress and learning the choreography for her solo number with the BYU Ballroom Dance team this year!

Scott and Marianne just returned from a week-long trip to the Switzerland Temple with the youth and other adults from the Rome Stake. They made some new friends, learned a little Italian, did baptisms on four different occasions, and, as Marianne put it, “Had a great spiritual experience!”

Lisa and Stephanie remained here with us and helped us clean, went to the Firenze zone conference with us, and played with the cat. (Did we mention? Callie is our new calico cat that the assistants found in the park. While tracting, they found a young boy and grandfather who were trying to give the cat away and they knew Stephanie needed a pet, so now we have an energetic 2+ month old kitten who is a lot of fun.) They have both been a great deal of help to us and Lisa is cooking some of the meals as well!

Our friends, the Magelby’s came to visit and we had a nice dinner with them the night before transfers. We really loved seeing them and having a rest after cooking all day for transfers! It was fun to have a little piece of home brought right here to Rome and we loved every second of it. I’m sure they were glad when the evening was over because I know I talked their ear off!

Coming up soon: Pres. Acerson and I will attend a Mission Pres. Seminar later this week and then I will be bringing Scott, Marianne, and Stephanie home for a couple of weeks or so to get their visas finalized. We look forward to seeing friends, relatives, helping with the storytellling festival, and shopping for hard-to-get items to bring back in our large, empty suitcases! I hope we will see many of you while we’re there.

Much love and hugs to you all!

Sorella Acerson