{Survived}
14 years ago
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Several members of the L’Aquila Branch, where the earthquake struck so hard, attended our ward today in Rome. The first sister to bear her testimony said: “I promise not to cry but it will be hard.” Then she started to cry. She had lost her home in the earthquake. They have been living in a tent city in L’Aquila. “Jesus Christ is our Savior. I love to nourish my soul with His teachings. Nothing is more important than my testimony of Jesus Christ and my family.” Several others added their testimonies that they had learned much through this terrible earthquake. In just a few hours, there was sustaining help from the church and the people of Italy. They bore pure testimony of the Savior.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
This past week we had Christmas twice. Then today we enjoyed a White Christmas!
1st: The President arranged for us to choose a framed picture of the Savior to put on our office wall. What a difference it makes to the atmosphere there.
2nd: The mission home purchased new living room furniture and it arrived Thursday. We had dibs on the old furniture and by Thursday evening, the assistants had hiked up three stories of stairs carrying the used furniture: a couch and matching chairs. Our bare apartment living room is suddenly full. Wow! And is it comfortable! What a blessing!
White Christmas: You guessed it – a baptism. It was a darling girl, just turned 8, in the ward. We were privileged to sit in on some of the lessons the missionaries gave to her. There were many family members there to observe baptism by immersion, which they had not seen before. Giada (said: Jaw-da) was the only one being baptized, and the program was very well planned.
1st: The President arranged for us to choose a framed picture of the Savior to put on our office wall. What a difference it makes to the atmosphere there.
2nd: The mission home purchased new living room furniture and it arrived Thursday. We had dibs on the old furniture and by Thursday evening, the assistants had hiked up three stories of stairs carrying the used furniture: a couch and matching chairs. Our bare apartment living room is suddenly full. Wow! And is it comfortable! What a blessing!
White Christmas: You guessed it – a baptism. It was a darling girl, just turned 8, in the ward. We were privileged to sit in on some of the lessons the missionaries gave to her. There were many family members there to observe baptism by immersion, which they had not seen before. Giada (said: Jaw-da) was the only one being baptized, and the program was very well planned.
Even before our three Christmas experiences, we were involved in a full, exciting week. Missionary transfers happen every 6 weeks in our mission. Will and I coordinate travel arrangements for all who are moving to different areas. Sounds easy – it is actually much more involved than it sounds. This was our first time doing this totally by ourselves. The Lord made us equal to our responsibilities. 18 missionaries were returning home after serving honorable missions. We met with them at the Villa, had dinner, and said a fond farewell. The 5 new missionaries coming into the mission were also fed their first Italian meal at the Villa, then trained for our particular mission and found out who their trainer was for the next six weeks.
Mermaid Grotto
The Villa Georgiana is also right in the town of Tivoli. It has several beautiful waterfalls, a mermaid grotto and a hellhole in a kind of cave at the end where the water rushes over huge boulders and falls into a pit. So very beautiful!
Sunday, April 19, 2009
We began our Saturday adventure with Will and I being escorted out of the metro by the police. I was trying to take pictures for Caden, our grandson, for his school project. Then I wanted Will to take pictures because it’s quite dark underground on the metro and I knew we would get better pictures with Will’s camera. We quickly learned that you are not to take pictures there. We were approached by an angry policeman who abruptly motioned for us to go upstairs with him. We could tell he was determined to get us out of the metro. Upstairs, he motioned to a picture of a camera with a slash through it, and spoke in clipped Italian. Unfortunately we could not understand him. Will finally realized that what he wanted was for us to delete the pictures. Will deleted his pictures. I tried to delete mine, but didn’t know how. Finally, he indicated it was good enough and let us leave. You can take pictures in any church here, but not in the metro. Go figure! It was an honest mistake; we did not know.
We went on to the Castel Sant’Angelo – a military castle by the Tevere River. Admission was free because it’s Rome’s birthday this week. We basically spent the afternoon there, wandering through this huge castle and looking out over Rome. Afterwards we went in search of a famous Gelateria called the Old Bridge. Gelato is a mainstay here on any excursion. Close by we found an open-air market and purchased two ties for Will. One had to be purple stripped. I will always think of Rome when I see purple clothing. We also found a fine oil painting of Venice for only 15 euro.
We NOW have curtains in our apartment in the bedroom and the kitchen. Sister Pearson has a sewing machine so I could remodel some sale curtains I found. AND, we have a picture on one wall – our new oil. It’s a bare canvas without a frame, but it’s great to have a picture up to enjoy. When Will went back to Utah, he brought back some pictures to frame and hang. Giuseppe, our Italian friend, insisted he would take them and frame them. We are not sure when we will see them again.
We are into missionary transfers again. 18 missionaries are going home. 5 new missionaries are coming to the Italy Rome Mission. Many companion-ships are being changed. We are in charge of setting up travel schedules in and out of Rome for all this movement. Last transfer, we were working with others – learning; this time the responsibility falls squarely on our shoulders. It is going to be a busy week!
We went on to the Castel Sant’Angelo – a military castle by the Tevere River. Admission was free because it’s Rome’s birthday this week. We basically spent the afternoon there, wandering through this huge castle and looking out over Rome. Afterwards we went in search of a famous Gelateria called the Old Bridge. Gelato is a mainstay here on any excursion. Close by we found an open-air market and purchased two ties for Will. One had to be purple stripped. I will always think of Rome when I see purple clothing. We also found a fine oil painting of Venice for only 15 euro.
We NOW have curtains in our apartment in the bedroom and the kitchen. Sister Pearson has a sewing machine so I could remodel some sale curtains I found. AND, we have a picture on one wall – our new oil. It’s a bare canvas without a frame, but it’s great to have a picture up to enjoy. When Will went back to Utah, he brought back some pictures to frame and hang. Giuseppe, our Italian friend, insisted he would take them and frame them. We are not sure when we will see them again.
We are into missionary transfers again. 18 missionaries are going home. 5 new missionaries are coming to the Italy Rome Mission. Many companion-ships are being changed. We are in charge of setting up travel schedules in and out of Rome for all this movement. Last transfer, we were working with others – learning; this time the responsibility falls squarely on our shoulders. It is going to be a busy week!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Written: 12 April 2009
Yesterday was such an excellent day. We had an Easter miracle. It was our Preparation Day and we were waiting at the bus stop to go to downtown Rome. We were meeting the other office couple at the church. A Filipino lady approached us and said she was a member of the church but was inactive. She had been thinking a lot lately about coming back to church. Fatima was on her way to work, but she rode the bus with us to the church to see where it is. She lives on our street – Renato Fucini. She had been ready to leave for work a half hour earlier, but was slow in leaving her house for some reason. We showed her the church and gave her an English Book of Mormon – the one I had been marking – and invited her to our scone night on Monday night. Afterwards, we were upset that we hadn’t gotten her phone number and address. But we felt strongly that the Lord’s spirit had prompted our encounter.
The day was spent pleasurably in downtown Rome. We had an Italian man with us who helped us understand much of the history. He took us to specific famous works of art and sculpture. After lunch we left Giuseppe and the Pearson's and hung out at Nouvana Square and Trevi Fountain people watching. It was a very relaxed day. We took a different bus back to Termini and then decided to take a different bus home than we usually take. As we walked to the bus stop, we realized that Fatima was there. Incredible! She rode the bus home with us, visiting together the entire way. She showed us where she lived and gave us her phone number. We showed her where we live. Fatima is going home to the Philippines for one month and when she returns, she has promised to go to church with us. The story is much more involved that this, but the important part is that she recognized the Lord’s hand in meeting us.
Yes, I am making scones for about 20 missionaries and investigators at our apartment tomorrow night. It will be interesting to see who actually shows up. I will make about 4 batches of dough and hope that is enough for everyone to eat their fill. Of course, we will have honey butter and jams for toppings and milk or water to drink.
Today is Easter Sunday and we had 6 of the missionaries in the district over for Sunday dinner. It was a fun afternoon and evening. I think they were all glad to have an Easter dinner appointment.
Love, the Sommerfeldts
PS Our Internet has been down and I couldn't post the blog. Everyone went on Easter Vacation - even our Internet.
The scone night went great and Fatima showed up, for which we were thrilled! It's Tuesday night and we are madly baking cinnamon rolls from left over scone dough. I made 6 batches instead of 4. If I can keep Will out of the cinnamon buns, it will be another miracle. The missionaries coming into the office are really getting spoiled.
Yesterday was such an excellent day. We had an Easter miracle. It was our Preparation Day and we were waiting at the bus stop to go to downtown Rome. We were meeting the other office couple at the church. A Filipino lady approached us and said she was a member of the church but was inactive. She had been thinking a lot lately about coming back to church. Fatima was on her way to work, but she rode the bus with us to the church to see where it is. She lives on our street – Renato Fucini. She had been ready to leave for work a half hour earlier, but was slow in leaving her house for some reason. We showed her the church and gave her an English Book of Mormon – the one I had been marking – and invited her to our scone night on Monday night. Afterwards, we were upset that we hadn’t gotten her phone number and address. But we felt strongly that the Lord’s spirit had prompted our encounter.
The day was spent pleasurably in downtown Rome. We had an Italian man with us who helped us understand much of the history. He took us to specific famous works of art and sculpture. After lunch we left Giuseppe and the Pearson's and hung out at Nouvana Square and Trevi Fountain people watching. It was a very relaxed day. We took a different bus back to Termini and then decided to take a different bus home than we usually take. As we walked to the bus stop, we realized that Fatima was there. Incredible! She rode the bus home with us, visiting together the entire way. She showed us where she lived and gave us her phone number. We showed her where we live. Fatima is going home to the Philippines for one month and when she returns, she has promised to go to church with us. The story is much more involved that this, but the important part is that she recognized the Lord’s hand in meeting us.
Yes, I am making scones for about 20 missionaries and investigators at our apartment tomorrow night. It will be interesting to see who actually shows up. I will make about 4 batches of dough and hope that is enough for everyone to eat their fill. Of course, we will have honey butter and jams for toppings and milk or water to drink.
Today is Easter Sunday and we had 6 of the missionaries in the district over for Sunday dinner. It was a fun afternoon and evening. I think they were all glad to have an Easter dinner appointment.
Love, the Sommerfeldts
PS Our Internet has been down and I couldn't post the blog. Everyone went on Easter Vacation - even our Internet.
The scone night went great and Fatima showed up, for which we were thrilled! It's Tuesday night and we are madly baking cinnamon rolls from left over scone dough. I made 6 batches instead of 4. If I can keep Will out of the cinnamon buns, it will be another miracle. The missionaries coming into the office are really getting spoiled.
Monday, April 6, 2009
This past week has been very different. Last week Will was asked by President Acerson if he would be willing to fly back to Utah with an elder who was ill and needed to return home. Of course Will said he was happy to help however he could. It was all a little vague and we weren’t sure if it would happen or not. Then, Tuesday evening, about 9:30 the assistants showed up at our door and said that Will would be picked up at 6:30 the following morning so he could be taken to the airport. We had been at English class at the Church and also our cell phone wasn’t working. As it turned out, the elder had a seizure the next morning and so even though Will was picked up at 6:30, I still wasn’t sure if he had left for the states until I arrived at work.
The flight home was a little insane as Will and the other elder had to change planes in New York. City. Actually they had to take a taxi to New Jersey to continue on their flight home. The other elder was so weak when they arrived in Salt Lake that Will wheeled him out in a wheelchair to meet his family. His mother burst into tears when she saw him. This elder, a super missionary, is 6’1” and weighs 95 lbs. He is a very sick young man.
Will didn’t fly out of Salt Lake to come back to Italy until Saturday morning. Needless to say, he has been a bit tired since his return. He was in Utah just long enough to try and get his internal time clock changed to Utah time and then flew back across the world. He was able to talk to Bret on the phone and see several of his own children and grandchildren. In fact, they had a traditional family Easter Egg Hunt on Friday. Will was also able to attend an endowment session at the Draper Temple with Jim and Maray. No one was more surprised to see Will than our sweet little neighbor Norma, who lives across the street from us in Draper.
While Will was away, I had a P-day and Cam Ballantyne was in town with some friends. Cam is Peter’s brother. These four young adults were good enough to put up with my company during Saturday. As I traveled downtown to meet them, I was kicked off the bus twice because there was a Communist demonstration going on downtown. When I finally did meet up with them, we took a tour of the Coliseum and the Roman Forum. The tour guide was very informative, even though you had to listen pretty closely as he was speaking fast, broken English. It is really warming up here and the day was a gorgeous one. After treating everyone to gelato at the end of the afternoon, rain clouds were sputtering and I rode the bus home while Cam and his group returned to their lodgings for a nap before their night rendezvous.
Sunday morning, Will arrived about 8:30 at the airport. He slept on and off a good part of the day, trying to get turned around the right direction once again. In the evening, we invited the other mission office couple over to the house to watch the Saturday morning session of conference on the computer and have dessert with us.
Then, early this morning, about 3:30 we experienced an earthquake here in Italy. The epicenter was about 70 miles from us in L’Aquila. Our missionaries there were not harmed, but many lives were lost and much damage sustained. We felt our entire apartment building swaying back and forth for about a minute.
So you can see that we do not lack for adventure. Hope you enjoy the pictures and are maybe even checking out a little Italian history.
Love and Hugs,
The Sommerfeldts
The flight home was a little insane as Will and the other elder had to change planes in New York. City. Actually they had to take a taxi to New Jersey to continue on their flight home. The other elder was so weak when they arrived in Salt Lake that Will wheeled him out in a wheelchair to meet his family. His mother burst into tears when she saw him. This elder, a super missionary, is 6’1” and weighs 95 lbs. He is a very sick young man.
Will didn’t fly out of Salt Lake to come back to Italy until Saturday morning. Needless to say, he has been a bit tired since his return. He was in Utah just long enough to try and get his internal time clock changed to Utah time and then flew back across the world. He was able to talk to Bret on the phone and see several of his own children and grandchildren. In fact, they had a traditional family Easter Egg Hunt on Friday. Will was also able to attend an endowment session at the Draper Temple with Jim and Maray. No one was more surprised to see Will than our sweet little neighbor Norma, who lives across the street from us in Draper.
While Will was away, I had a P-day and Cam Ballantyne was in town with some friends. Cam is Peter’s brother. These four young adults were good enough to put up with my company during Saturday. As I traveled downtown to meet them, I was kicked off the bus twice because there was a Communist demonstration going on downtown. When I finally did meet up with them, we took a tour of the Coliseum and the Roman Forum. The tour guide was very informative, even though you had to listen pretty closely as he was speaking fast, broken English. It is really warming up here and the day was a gorgeous one. After treating everyone to gelato at the end of the afternoon, rain clouds were sputtering and I rode the bus home while Cam and his group returned to their lodgings for a nap before their night rendezvous.
Sunday morning, Will arrived about 8:30 at the airport. He slept on and off a good part of the day, trying to get turned around the right direction once again. In the evening, we invited the other mission office couple over to the house to watch the Saturday morning session of conference on the computer and have dessert with us.
Then, early this morning, about 3:30 we experienced an earthquake here in Italy. The epicenter was about 70 miles from us in L’Aquila. Our missionaries there were not harmed, but many lives were lost and much damage sustained. We felt our entire apartment building swaying back and forth for about a minute.
So you can see that we do not lack for adventure. Hope you enjoy the pictures and are maybe even checking out a little Italian history.
Love and Hugs,
The Sommerfeldts
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Greetings from Roma
On March 23rd, Will and Karen celebrated their 2nd Wedding Anniversary by Karen receiving a gorgeous bouquet of lilies and red roses from Will at the office. We spent the evening picking up the Mission President’s daughter from a play practice. Will is certainly learning his way around Rome with the car. There is not a straight street in all of Rome, so this is a challenge, but one he is handling well. We have been lost a few times, but have always found our way home.
The week’s work continues to be busy at the office. We receive many referrals every week that we must forward on to missionaries all around the mission. Some of them are from our missionaries and have to be sent to other missions. I am learning how to go on google maps and determine where a particular city is and who is serving there so that the referral is forwarded to the correct zone and district. We received one this past week that was Golden, Golden. The man had received all the missionary discussions, had attended church 4 weeks in a row, and wanted to be baptized. Then he and his family were transferred to another area to live. He was wanting the missionaries to contact him so that he could be interviewed for baptism and so his wife could continue to be taught. I hope we can find them again. Sometimes all you have is a cell phone number that you hope is correct. In this case we also have the name of a town – or street – we aren’t sure which, and so the plot thickens in the looking process. You feel a great deal of pressure to do your part in finding the family once again.
The weekend took us to Caserta, just outside of Napoli, where we stayed overnight with the Warner’s, another missionary couple in our mission. WOW! Do they have a castle compared to us: 2 bathrooms, 3 bedrooms, a kitchen three times the size of ours, a patio that is half the size of our house in Draper, and real furniture. They were having DDM on Saturday morning and we attended that and got to know the four elders in their area. Such great guys! The Warner’s are retired military and so they could get us on the navy base in Caserta to grocery shop at the commissary. That was an experience in and of itself. So fun to shop in a grocery store where you can read what is on the label and know what you are getting. It resembles and carries many of the items that you would find in a super Walmart in the US.
The drive home took us up the coast line of the Mediterranean. Hope you enjoy the pictures. The day was overcast but it was still very beautiful. This is our last weekend with the car for a month. We will riding the bus again during April.
Don’t be afraid to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone you see. It’s true!
The week’s work continues to be busy at the office. We receive many referrals every week that we must forward on to missionaries all around the mission. Some of them are from our missionaries and have to be sent to other missions. I am learning how to go on google maps and determine where a particular city is and who is serving there so that the referral is forwarded to the correct zone and district. We received one this past week that was Golden, Golden. The man had received all the missionary discussions, had attended church 4 weeks in a row, and wanted to be baptized. Then he and his family were transferred to another area to live. He was wanting the missionaries to contact him so that he could be interviewed for baptism and so his wife could continue to be taught. I hope we can find them again. Sometimes all you have is a cell phone number that you hope is correct. In this case we also have the name of a town – or street – we aren’t sure which, and so the plot thickens in the looking process. You feel a great deal of pressure to do your part in finding the family once again.
The weekend took us to Caserta, just outside of Napoli, where we stayed overnight with the Warner’s, another missionary couple in our mission. WOW! Do they have a castle compared to us: 2 bathrooms, 3 bedrooms, a kitchen three times the size of ours, a patio that is half the size of our house in Draper, and real furniture. They were having DDM on Saturday morning and we attended that and got to know the four elders in their area. Such great guys! The Warner’s are retired military and so they could get us on the navy base in Caserta to grocery shop at the commissary. That was an experience in and of itself. So fun to shop in a grocery store where you can read what is on the label and know what you are getting. It resembles and carries many of the items that you would find in a super Walmart in the US.
The drive home took us up the coast line of the Mediterranean. Hope you enjoy the pictures. The day was overcast but it was still very beautiful. This is our last weekend with the car for a month. We will riding the bus again during April.
Don’t be afraid to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone you see. It’s true!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
The Mediterranean!
A typical week at the office: compiling the “Roman Forum” – a monthly newsletter for all the missionaries, submitting a monthly supply order to Germany, putting together supplies to be taken to the missionaries in each district in the mission, purchasing boat tickets for the missionaries to come to Rome from the Island of Sardegna, and making preparation for the Rome Zone conference to take place on Tuesday. Every week is busy, different and full of challenges.
I purchased a large plastic container for a cookie jar. It sits in the office for when the different missionaries come in. There is a note on the top. It says:
Cookies for missionaries
What a treat!
2 is the limit
For each one to eat!
Otherwise the cookie jar
Will register defeat!
I may or may not be able to keep it stocked, but I will try.
Saturday, on Preparation day, after cutting Will’s hair, we headed out in the car to see the Mediterranean Sea. We had not seen it yet. The colors in the water are so beautiful. The day was cool, but we walked along the sand that stretches for miles down the west coast of Italy and ate our lunch of meat, fabulous cheese, and green peppers on hard, flat bread by the sea. The drive to the seashore is about one hour from Rome. We enjoyed seeing the more rural countryside. Everywhere we saw rows of covered tomato plants and large greenhouses. I commented to Will that I was surprised that we hadn’t seen any vineyards. We literally rounded the next corner and there they were, rows upon rows of them. They have not leafed out yet. We look forward to seeing them when they are full of grapes. We are hoping we can participate in a grape harvest and an olive harvest while we are here. Our drive took us across this beautiful land, over the mountain and back to Rome.
By the way, some people do live in houses here – in rural Italy: individual farm houses and large well groomed villas. It is just in the cities that it seems every person is an apartment dweller. Even that is not true, but it seems that way.
I purchased a large plastic container for a cookie jar. It sits in the office for when the different missionaries come in. There is a note on the top. It says:
Cookies for missionaries
What a treat!
2 is the limit
For each one to eat!
Otherwise the cookie jar
Will register defeat!
I may or may not be able to keep it stocked, but I will try.
Saturday, on Preparation day, after cutting Will’s hair, we headed out in the car to see the Mediterranean Sea. We had not seen it yet. The colors in the water are so beautiful. The day was cool, but we walked along the sand that stretches for miles down the west coast of Italy and ate our lunch of meat, fabulous cheese, and green peppers on hard, flat bread by the sea. The drive to the seashore is about one hour from Rome. We enjoyed seeing the more rural countryside. Everywhere we saw rows of covered tomato plants and large greenhouses. I commented to Will that I was surprised that we hadn’t seen any vineyards. We literally rounded the next corner and there they were, rows upon rows of them. They have not leafed out yet. We look forward to seeing them when they are full of grapes. We are hoping we can participate in a grape harvest and an olive harvest while we are here. Our drive took us across this beautiful land, over the mountain and back to Rome.
By the way, some people do live in houses here – in rural Italy: individual farm houses and large well groomed villas. It is just in the cities that it seems every person is an apartment dweller. Even that is not true, but it seems that way.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Life in Italy on P-day
Another really rough P-day! Yesterday we felt the need to get out of the city and see the countryside. Will was tired of our concrete jungle. It was beautiful and green and the sun was shining. With the other office couple, we traveled by car to Orvieto about 60 miles north of Rome. (Towards Florence.) Part of the town is down in a valley and the old part is on top of a small mountain. It is quaint and looks like a medieval town. There are narrow, cobblestone streets throughout the town and most of the streets are so narrow a small car can barely drive down. There is a fort on top of a sheer cliff with an stunning view.
Of course, there was a church there that was famous and a must see. We were told it was erected around 1200 A.D. The interesting characteristic of this church is that it is constructed of alternating rows of black and white marble blocks – both inside and out. Each row is approximately 12 inches wide, and the effect makes one think of a zebra. The detail on the front of the church is incredible.
Elder Sommerfeldt, even though he was dressed in P-day clothes, managed to find people to talk to about the church, and actually placed two Books of Mormon with Jen and Alicia, two girls from the United States who are living in Orvieta on a study abroad for four months. One of girls said she had had a friend who was LDS and she told him that one of the things on her to-do list was to read a Book of Mormon. So, we will put our testimonies and a picture in each book and send them out to the girls.
Sister Sommerfeldt says that she learned today that she should always have a Book of Mormon in her backpack ready to give away. It’s a learning experience, but we are getting better at what we are supposed to be all about right now.
We were just thinking about a promise that was given to us by Elder Mask from the Quorum of Seventy. He promised us that there were people being prepared for us even before we would arrive in our mission field. We just never know when we might be at the right place and the right time to touch lives around us. Who knows, maybe these girls are some we were meant to meet. Missionary work is sooooo fun. It can even be fun when we are having fun. So, yes, we love what we are doing.
Love and Hugs,
Elder and Sister Sommerfeldt
Of course, there was a church there that was famous and a must see. We were told it was erected around 1200 A.D. The interesting characteristic of this church is that it is constructed of alternating rows of black and white marble blocks – both inside and out. Each row is approximately 12 inches wide, and the effect makes one think of a zebra. The detail on the front of the church is incredible.
Elder Sommerfeldt, even though he was dressed in P-day clothes, managed to find people to talk to about the church, and actually placed two Books of Mormon with Jen and Alicia, two girls from the United States who are living in Orvieta on a study abroad for four months. One of girls said she had had a friend who was LDS and she told him that one of the things on her to-do list was to read a Book of Mormon. So, we will put our testimonies and a picture in each book and send them out to the girls.
Sister Sommerfeldt says that she learned today that she should always have a Book of Mormon in her backpack ready to give away. It’s a learning experience, but we are getting better at what we are supposed to be all about right now.
We were just thinking about a promise that was given to us by Elder Mask from the Quorum of Seventy. He promised us that there were people being prepared for us even before we would arrive in our mission field. We just never know when we might be at the right place and the right time to touch lives around us. Who knows, maybe these girls are some we were meant to meet. Missionary work is sooooo fun. It can even be fun when we are having fun. So, yes, we love what we are doing.
Love and Hugs,
Elder and Sister Sommerfeldt
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
The real work has begun!
11 March 2009
Will and I have been extremely busy the last few days. It is transfer time in the mission (this happens every 6 weeks) and we are in charge of seeing that all the missionaries get moved around where they should be. That process is bigger than usual this time as 8 missionaries are returning home after completing their missions and 18 new missionaries are arriving on Thursday. Many of the ones going home have been in leadership positions. Also, each of the 18 kids (new missionaries) must be assigned a trainer. Of course, the assignments are all made by President Acerson. However, just because of the sheer numbers, the movement in the mission has been busier than usual. We have learned how to prepare trunk sheets, buy boat tickets to get missionaries off the island of Saradegna, assign new cell phones, and coordinate bus and train schedules. It is challenging, but we are learning - quickly, I might add.
Tonight we were privileged to attend a wonderful Italian dinner at President and Sister Acerson's house. The mission home is large enough to handle all these missionaries, and Sister Acerson is a wonderful cook. I have never tasted better lasagna in my life - made from fresh pasta. We ate a yummy dessert named Tira masu and she said she would share the recipe. Tonight was for the returning home missionaries and the office staff and assistants.
Afterwards, two of the missionaries sang "I Am A Child of God" in Italian, with gusto and harmony. It was beautiful. Elder Auna, a missionary returning to Hawaii, accompanied them on his ukulele. Then Elder Auna and Elder McKee sang a song they composed while serving together about the gospel. Both were good singers and the song was a wonder. All 8 missionaries sang the mission song - which is a delight to hear. We were then excused to go home and they were going to have a testimony meeting together. What fine young men and one sister.
Our goal is to work on our Italian once again. But, this transfer was of highest priority right now of course.
A thought was shared at our DDM meeting a week ago. It was a simple thought about doing missionary work. Open your mouth! Don't be ashamed to open your mouth and share the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Love, Karen and Will
Will and I have been extremely busy the last few days. It is transfer time in the mission (this happens every 6 weeks) and we are in charge of seeing that all the missionaries get moved around where they should be. That process is bigger than usual this time as 8 missionaries are returning home after completing their missions and 18 new missionaries are arriving on Thursday. Many of the ones going home have been in leadership positions. Also, each of the 18 kids (new missionaries) must be assigned a trainer. Of course, the assignments are all made by President Acerson. However, just because of the sheer numbers, the movement in the mission has been busier than usual. We have learned how to prepare trunk sheets, buy boat tickets to get missionaries off the island of Saradegna, assign new cell phones, and coordinate bus and train schedules. It is challenging, but we are learning - quickly, I might add.
Tonight we were privileged to attend a wonderful Italian dinner at President and Sister Acerson's house. The mission home is large enough to handle all these missionaries, and Sister Acerson is a wonderful cook. I have never tasted better lasagna in my life - made from fresh pasta. We ate a yummy dessert named Tira masu and she said she would share the recipe. Tonight was for the returning home missionaries and the office staff and assistants.
Afterwards, two of the missionaries sang "I Am A Child of God" in Italian, with gusto and harmony. It was beautiful. Elder Auna, a missionary returning to Hawaii, accompanied them on his ukulele. Then Elder Auna and Elder McKee sang a song they composed while serving together about the gospel. Both were good singers and the song was a wonder. All 8 missionaries sang the mission song - which is a delight to hear. We were then excused to go home and they were going to have a testimony meeting together. What fine young men and one sister.
Our goal is to work on our Italian once again. But, this transfer was of highest priority right now of course.
A thought was shared at our DDM meeting a week ago. It was a simple thought about doing missionary work. Open your mouth! Don't be ashamed to open your mouth and share the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Love, Karen and Will
Saturday, February 28, 2009
On Tuesday we received a spiritual feast as Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of 12 Apostles was visiting our mission. He was on an 11-day swing through Italy, Romania, Frankfurt, and the Netherlands. Part of the reason for the Rome stop was to talk to government officials about the building of the announced temple in Rome. He said the meetings went very well. But he also asked the church membership here to pray in every prayer that the hearts of government officials would be softened so this work could proceed forward. He was anxious to have a stop in Romania as he has a grandson serving a mission there.
We were able to enjoy Elder Oaks great presence for a missionary meeting in the afternoon, and then for a fireside in the evening for members and investigators. If the elders and sisters had an investigator, they were invited to stay. As office missionaries, we were also asked to stay. About 20 minutes before the hour when the afternoon meeting was to begin, Elder Oaks came into the chapel and President Acerson (our mission president) announced that Elder Oaks wanted to shake every missionary's hand. He specifically asked the 4 couples to go through the line at the end. Elder Oaks was not at all rushed. He spoke to every one individually. He has such a cute grin and winning smile, we all loved him.
(A fun little aside: after shaking everyone's hand, he used hand sanitizer. "This is how we stay well," he laughed, and then added, "What an opportunity to be in your presence today.")
Sister Oaks was with him and what a special lady she is. She served a mission in Japan and was there when the Tokyo Temple was dedicated. She said that when the temple was dedicated there, people changed and were ready to hear the gospel. This is about to happen in Italy, she said.
She spoke to the singles for a minute and told them not to give up. "I married Elder Oaks when I was in my 50's," she said. When Elder Oaks spoke afterwards, he elaborated. "I am almost 77 years old. Single is temporary. I was married for many years. I was single for 2 years. I have been married now for 8 1/2 years. I've tried single. I've tried married. Married is better."
As you can imagine, his message to the members was about the temple. First he spoke about tithng. He said his mother raised 3 children, and he was the oldest. When he was 10 years ld, he saw his mother paying tithing as she did every month, and knowing that they were very poor, he asked, "Why do you give all that money to the Bishop?" Her answer: "When people are rich they don't need to pay tithing. We need to pay tithing because we are poor. The Lord has promised to bless us and we need His blessings."
Then he asked the members, "Who do you think are going to be workers in the Temple when it is built in Italy? Do you think the Lord will send angels? No, he will call Italians!"
Elder Oaks talked about what happens in the temple. There are three things: 1. teachings - we receive knowledge, 2. covenants - they tell us what to do with the knowledge, and 3. promised blessings. You need to prepare yourself for those blessings.
This was where Elder Oaks asked us all to pray daily that the hearts of the government officials would be softened. Pray for the temple! This will frustrate the devil who opposes us. Do not criticize other religions. Elder Faust was a great mentor for Elder Oaks. Elder Faust would say, "Let's bring spiritual power to this solution."
At the end of his talk, Elder Oaks blessed us to remember the teachings of that meeting and left his apostolic blessing with us.
We were able to enjoy Elder Oaks great presence for a missionary meeting in the afternoon, and then for a fireside in the evening for members and investigators. If the elders and sisters had an investigator, they were invited to stay. As office missionaries, we were also asked to stay. About 20 minutes before the hour when the afternoon meeting was to begin, Elder Oaks came into the chapel and President Acerson (our mission president) announced that Elder Oaks wanted to shake every missionary's hand. He specifically asked the 4 couples to go through the line at the end. Elder Oaks was not at all rushed. He spoke to every one individually. He has such a cute grin and winning smile, we all loved him.
(A fun little aside: after shaking everyone's hand, he used hand sanitizer. "This is how we stay well," he laughed, and then added, "What an opportunity to be in your presence today.")
Sister Oaks was with him and what a special lady she is. She served a mission in Japan and was there when the Tokyo Temple was dedicated. She said that when the temple was dedicated there, people changed and were ready to hear the gospel. This is about to happen in Italy, she said.
She spoke to the singles for a minute and told them not to give up. "I married Elder Oaks when I was in my 50's," she said. When Elder Oaks spoke afterwards, he elaborated. "I am almost 77 years old. Single is temporary. I was married for many years. I was single for 2 years. I have been married now for 8 1/2 years. I've tried single. I've tried married. Married is better."
As you can imagine, his message to the members was about the temple. First he spoke about tithng. He said his mother raised 3 children, and he was the oldest. When he was 10 years ld, he saw his mother paying tithing as she did every month, and knowing that they were very poor, he asked, "Why do you give all that money to the Bishop?" Her answer: "When people are rich they don't need to pay tithing. We need to pay tithing because we are poor. The Lord has promised to bless us and we need His blessings."
Then he asked the members, "Who do you think are going to be workers in the Temple when it is built in Italy? Do you think the Lord will send angels? No, he will call Italians!"
Elder Oaks talked about what happens in the temple. There are three things: 1. teachings - we receive knowledge, 2. covenants - they tell us what to do with the knowledge, and 3. promised blessings. You need to prepare yourself for those blessings.
This was where Elder Oaks asked us all to pray daily that the hearts of the government officials would be softened. Pray for the temple! This will frustrate the devil who opposes us. Do not criticize other religions. Elder Faust was a great mentor for Elder Oaks. Elder Faust would say, "Let's bring spiritual power to this solution."
At the end of his talk, Elder Oaks blessed us to remember the teachings of that meeting and left his apostolic blessing with us.
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