This has been a very interesting, very busy week. We are moved into our new apartment. New to us – that is – and we are loving it. We cannot believe how quiet the neighborhood is at night, and how friendly the people are. In the evening, we can even see the sun set. We spent some time cleaning, and moving pictures and furniture around in the apartment to make it feel more like our home. Maray and Jim are arriving in Rome next Tuesday and we are so excited for them to come. We have asked them to bring our family pictures with them off our family room wall in Draper. Once we get them up in the living room, it will feel like home. We miss family greatly and we appreciate their sweet support in this calling.
On Saturday, from the balcony of our apartment, we saw them move a very large palm tree from one area of a property to another place. They are obviously building something new there.
Elder and Sister Pearson headed home early Saturday morning. Elder and Sister Burt, the new office couple are very nice and we look forward to working with them. Of course, we had a little party at the office for Pearson’s before they left. Pearson’s are next to us, and Burt’s are next to them. Brother Calabrese is the Stake Patriarch and he also works in the office.
This week, our Saturday jaunt took us to a small island in the Tiber River, where there is a church and a hospital. This is the hospital.
There are always ruins everywhere you go in Rome.
We actually saw a wedding going on in the church and two other brides and grooms having pictures taken in the same area. The elaborate ceiling is in the church on the island.
We got our Roman Forum (a newsletter about the mission) published for the president to take to Zone Conferences this coming week. Zone Leaders Conference and 3-month Conference were going on and so we had lots of missionaries in the office, picking up supplies, paying bills, eating cookies, and visiting. They love to come into the office.
