This week we worked with our replacements, the Griffiths, who are leaning much faster than we did, at least than I did. (He was a CPA, built a hotel for Marriott in Poland and was a mission president in Scotland a few years ago.) We also had 10 new missionaries arrive (4 on visa delay did not come) and 22 go home this week. It was a very busy week, to say the least. Sorella Hoopes' sciatic nerve was unhappy most of the week, but we got through it all. On Saturday, yesterday, we stayed in our apartment and let her back rest, which we are also doing today (Sunday). Here are some of the highlights of the week.
Former missionary, Kenny Mochelin, and his new wife, came by to visit. She is a Swiss and he is from France, where they live. She served a mission in Gilbert, AZ. He was an AP here and we got to know him quite well. It was fun to visit with them. I told them they could serve together as a senior couple in 40 years from now, and they could go to her mission in Arizona. She said they would visit us, and I said, okay, I will be 110 and you could visit my grave. They really look young, but are mature in the gospel, and will do well. He wants to become a policeman in France.
After training them on financial things, I took the new missionaries to the closest ATM to withdraw funds, to make sure their cards work. I pointed out that the bank, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, was founded in 1472. Its ATM is the most high tech in Opera. The tall missionary in back is Anziano Russell Shill, from Mesa, AZ. There is also an Anziano Tenney from Linden, AZ in the group.
Here the new AP, Anziano Miles Keller, observes Anziano Michael DaPonte, teach at new missionary training, after they were matched with their trainers. Sorelle Hoopes and Griffiths made the usual panini (Arabi=arab rolls I bought a bakery, ham, cheese, salami, tomatoes, lettuce, etc.), lunch, enjoyed by all. Myrna also made an assortment of cookies for dessert.
The match-up (new missionary to trainer) is always a spiritually touching experience. I bore my testimony, that I know that revelation takes place in the president's office when these significant decisions are made, and I am grateful to be able to be at least close to it, and see it plays out to bless the lives of both missionaries and Italians (although most of the people baptized now are Africans.)
We moved out of our apartment, No 7, for the last 18 months, into the one (No. 4) the office elders use on the second floor. (They moved in with the APs, who live in another nearby apartment building.) No. 4 is fairly big and has a bedroom with an Italian queen bed, and an air conditioner, which we appreciate. These pix were taken just as we moved in, and the place is sort of a mess, but we're working on it, as we decide what to take home, etc.
We cleaned up the bathroom and I installed a new toilet seat, which is smelly business.
No. 4 has 3 bedrooms, including this one normally used for laundry, a bunk bed, etc. On Wed. and Thu. we slept in the mission home, because new missionaries (Wed.) and those going home (Thu.) needed to sleep in No. 4. A total of 12 missionaries stayed in this apartment, which only has one bathroom. We washed and dried all the sheets, towels, etc. for them in this room in the tiny washer and drier, under the counter on the left in the pix.
This was taken in the dining area, looking into another bedroom, with a couch, on which Myrna rested her sciatic nerve.
The kitchen is small, but adequate. I cooked some rice, with which I made fried rice for lunch on Saturday.
From the kitchen (opposite wall to stove) there is a balcony, from which I watched a brother and sister (who are Muslim) who live in our building, play with a soccer ball, until it started to rain.
In the living area, which has 3 beds, I set up my Hauptwerk organ and spent quite a bit of time on Saturday playing. This has certainly been a blessed diversion for me.
We went to church on Sunday. I played the piano for Sacrament Meeting, because our regular pianist is in Scotland. Myrna's back did okay through Sunday School, but when we returned to the chapel for the third hour (5th Sunday), her back was unbearable, so we came home. She laid on the couch to ice her back and I went out to see a couple of nearby (both less than 2 km) ancient churches we have been to many times, to sort-of say goodbye.
This is at Mirasole. Last Sunday I copied the interpretative signs, which are only in Italian, and started to translate them into English, which I may give to the organization which now owns and operates the complex. I had never seen this ancient (and damaged) fresco of the Annunciation of Mary.
Or this on the opposite wall this one of Mary going to visit cousin Elizabeth.
The ceiling with the depiction of the four instruments of the passion.
I have walked on, but never read the inscription on the grave of the 18 year old nephew, for which masses are perpetually said.
This is the chapel, about which I wrote last week. This is an English translation I made of the interpretative sign to the left of the lady in the pix:
Between 1575 and 1576, the last Umiliati (order of
monks) Perfect (title of leader), Monsignor (title for priest) Marco Lanetta, had this chapel built, at his expense, and commissioned
the large painting of the nativity.
The frescoes above this chapel, in the four quadrants, are the instruments of Christ’s passion: the bitter cup, the whip, the crown of thorns and the cross. Over the arch the Lanetta coat of arms is probably depicted.
The frescoes above this chapel, in the four quadrants, are the instruments of Christ’s passion: the bitter cup, the whip, the crown of thorns and the cross. Over the arch the Lanetta coat of arms is probably depicted.
The depiction of the birth of Mary was destroyed in the early 19th
century while they were trying to make a window, which was closed during
restorations in the 1960s. The fresco on the right was the visit to Saint
Elisabeth and to the left is the Annunciation.
The large altar painting (in oil on canvas) of the adoration by the shepherds
was made by Cremonese painters, and is dated 1575. Within the painting, the person in white
(worn by Umiliati) is Marco Lanetta.
Among the shepherds is a friar in a black dress: he is the nephew of Lanetto, of whom we know
nothing except that he died as a young man, in whose memory his uncle paid for
this chapel and that masses will be said for him perpetually.
On the floor is the tomb of this nephew,
named Angelo Francesco Lanetta, who died when he was 18 in 1586.
The back of the church, which never got a pipe organ, probably because the original Umiliati were poor, and since then, it has been owned by a hodgepodge of owners, including a hospital in Milano.
The wooden ceiling of the church.
One of two wooden confessionals, where the penitent kneels and the priest sits.
I took more pix of things in the museum, including this showing life of the Umiliati (literally humiliated) monastic order, who worked in wool and knew how to make felt.
Last week I didn't take pix of the old bell, which is not in the tower, probably because it is not stable enough for this heavy piece of bronze, made in 1674--it is fairly new.
It has writing (Latin) on it, which was easier to see in this pix than in real life, because of the lighting.
The empty bell tower, to the side of the church, where the bell once was.
Some of the decorations on the pillars were interesting.
This priest may have been a visiting tourist, chatting with the couple who are now the caretakers of the abbey complex, who have been nice to me.
A parting shot of the emblem of the Umiliati, the sheep from which they got wool to work.
This is to remember the website recently made for the abbey.
Leaving that abbey, my car is the one on the right, with corn and rice fields all around.
I then drove out to Santa Maria alla Fontana, whose tower can also be seen from the mission home. It is at the beginning of a small stream that flows into the Fiume Lambro.
There were fresh flowers (I touched them) on the altar today.
And some very old frescoes.
From the back of the upper church.
And the stone steps leading down to the large chapel below the church
And another visitor showed me that if you kneel at the altar you can see down a hole, with a glass front,
and if you look down that hole
You can see another fresco of the Madonna holding the Child, which is from the original spring, e.g., the Madonna at the fountain.
Above the altar is a newer painting of the Madonna and Jesus, which has been copied and put on post cards and other things, which were in a basket with a sign that said you could make a donation and take something. I put €1 in the basket to take a souvenir, a little pix of this pix along with a prayer saying: "God of peace bless and keep our family and make us capable of doing your will in all of our actions, and increase in us that which will make us welcome home, Amen." written by Pope John Paul II.
On both sides of the altar were "thank you" offerings from people who prayed and had their prayers answered, which is common in these so called pilgrim churches.
To the right side of the church was a gate leading to a hidden room, down by the spring, where the Knights Templar currently have their secret meetings. It is interesting to Google Knights Templar to read about this ancient organization.
Outside the church there are more old frescoes. This one shows a castle, which once existed in this area, but I have not yet learned where this one was. It may be destroyed, as many have been.
Next to the church is a large dairy barn, with many cows eating lunch.
On the way back to the mission office I snapped this pix of the third church, whose tower can also be seen from the mission office. I tried to go in this church at 12:10 pm, but the doors were already locked. So I went back to our apartment and made lunch for us (hamburger gravy on small whole potatoes with a side of steamed (frozen) spinach, fresh tomatoes and a corno (like bell but long), green pepper. Myrna was icing her back with a bag of frozen veggies for minestrone, and after eating I kneaded her back, starting above buttocks on the left side down her leg (the right side was hurting), which she read about on YouTube, which seemed to help.
This week on my early morning walk through the park I saw our six office anziani (3 APs and 3 office, until Anziano Hogan went home and Anziano Brooks back to Brescia) out playing basketball.
At least a couple of them played in high school, and are pretty good, and very competitive
Anziano Hogan, who went home two days later, hurt his ankle, and it was still hurting when he went home to Laguna Beach, CA. The first thing he wanted to do when he got home is go surfing (his brother is a professional surfer), but, he probably couldn't, because of the ankle.
It was garbage day. Italian law requires separating plastic, paper, glass, and metal.
The City of Opera contracts with this company, and this one man in this truck comes by our apartment building about 7 am three times a week, each day picking up different things.
I pass by my favorite back yard garden, the guy has re-planted and has been harvesting for several months. I want to try to grow tomatoes on poles like he does.
Luca Santoro and his sister came from Bari, to see the new and departing missionaries, and made panzarotti (a southern Italian treat, also sold at Luini in Milano, my brother Fred's favorite place) for us at the mission home. She made the yeast dough, without a recipe, letting it rise only for an hour, which she had the anziani roll out in circles.
Putting a mixture of mozarella cheese and fresh tomatoes, with olive oil, salt and pepper inside the circle, fold it over, and crimping the edges with a fork. (I suppose you could put anything you would put on pizza inside, and even put a sauce over them before serving.)
And then fry them in hot oil (she used corn) until golden brown. They were very soft and fluffy and easy to cut with a fork, unlike some Navajo tacos I have had.
We ate them with salad that Sorella Allen made. This is Luca and his sister, who served a mission also in Milano. They were on their way to the temple in Zolikoffen.
The Griffiths, our replacements were there, with Anziano Kewene-Hite (who is lactose intolerant, so he had a focacca bread from the bakery, without cheese).
This is Anziano Miles Keller, our new AP, who is from Salt Lake City.
For dessert we had panzarotti filled with Nutella, with a scoop of crema gelato. They were pretty dang good!
Ciao for now
