Palermo Stake Annual Temple Trip

The Palermo Stake on the island of Sicily schedules an annual temple trip at the Bern Switzerland Temple. This year will be the last Palermo Stake Temple trip to Bern since the Rome Temple will be dedicated in March of 2019.  I saw the post on the bulleting board in May, it was in Italian but I could understand the main idea and immediately wanted to be able to take advantage of this opportunity.  Pirade Pappalardo was very helpful and made some calls for me and connected me with the people in charge of housing and transportation. By the time I worked out the translation and contacted the right people I was told the bus was full as was temple housing, so if I wanted to go I would be completely on my own. We decided to explore the options and see what could happen. I sent a message to the Military Relations Department in SLC; they were very supportive of our participating with the Palermo Stake so the next step was to clear it with our Mission President.  I sent the information I had received from the Military Relations Department to President Pickerd and up the flagpole it went to Elder DeFeo.  It was only a few hours before we had the answer that we were cleared to leave Italy and travel to the Bern Switzerland Temple. We booked a flight to Milan and reserved a car to drive through the Italian Alps to Bern Switzerland.  

Bus loading outside the Catania Chapel for the Bern Temple

Northern Italy is very different that Sicily.  I was amazed at the greenery, trees of all kinds everywhere, lots of lakes and rivers, rugged mountains-some with snow still in the tops and a very big city.  Absolutely beautiful little hamlets cleared on the mountainside and a castle in every village. It was exactly the architecture I expected to see.

The Bern Switzerland Temple was announced in 1952, ground breaking was 1953 and it was dedicated in 1955.  It houses some church art that I have never seen before, it is region specific and beautiful.  The Bern Temple, originally known as the Swiss temple, is also known for another first; it was the first temple to use a video presentation of the endowment ceremony. This was done, because the patrons of the Bern Temple speak a variety of languages. The films made it easier to meet the needs of those attending. David O. McKay originally dedicated the temple September 11th through the 15th 1955. Many in attendance at the dedication had traveled very long distances and wanted to be able to attend a temple endowment session, so sessions started the day after the dedication at 5:00 in the morning. By the end of the day, 22 sessions had been held in the temple at which 900 people had been in attendance. There were 40 members of the Catania Ward that attended the Bern Temple with us. Reed Raul Anderson, Garrett and Cindi's son, was born nine days early while we were in the Bern Temple.  We sure feel the blessings!

The flowers and landscape was beautiful on the temple grounds.

Still need work on the selfie skills, Paride Appaloardo.

Swiss Clock tower in Zollikofen, Switzerland

Housing on the lake in Bern, Switzerland

Einstein Museum in Zolliikofrn.

On the return we stopped in Bergamo, Italy where our friends Dave and Sharon Nielsen are serving as YSA Senior Missionaries. They gave us the whirlwind tour of the high points Milan. It is always great fun to exchange ideas and methods of missionary work.  One of our Rome missionaries Lorenzo Faronniti was from Milan, but we were unable to make contact with him during the short time we were there.

Lake Como in Bergamo, Italy

Milan Domo is breath taking.  We did the roof tour to see a close up of the spires!

Each individual spire is different all hand carved by artisans!

The spires are intricate and very detailed!

Huge panels of stained glass windows inside the Domo.

Tile floors inside  the Domo are worn around the designs. 

Dave and Sharon Nielsen at the Bergamo Church!

Motta Medievali Feste

Get ready to travel back in time! The Motta Feste Medievali (Medieval Festivals) bring to life the customs and spirit of the Middle Age. Travel back in time to revel in the atmosphere of medieval Sicily when this sunny island was under the Norman, Spanish and Muslim rules! Every summer, Motta is turned into a medieval village to honor an old tradition celebrating its past. The festival takes place within the three city Rioni (districts): Panzera (located along via Vittorio Emanuele and around piazza Umberto, southern part of the town), Vecchia Matrice, (castle area) and Giovani Maestri (upper part of Motta).

Each district has its own proud tradition and schedule of events that include medieval plays and performances.
This year’s festival, which celebrates its 13th anniversary, runs from Aug. 11 - 19 featuring a plethora of events such as medieval cooking, craft displays, music, jousting, jesters, minstrels and other street entertainers. 

Reed Raul Anderson

Reed Raul Anderson

August 16, 2018

Nine days earlier than expected by his doctors, Reed joined our family in Taipei Taiwan weighing in at 7.3 pounds.  He has lots of dark hair, he is handsome and arrived by natural childbirth.  Cindi is our hero, both she and Reed are at home and adjusting to being a family of four.  He rounds out our family with twelve grandchildren, six beautiful granddaughters and six handsome grandsons.  How could we be more blessed! We love this little guy and it is clear that Charlie is very happy to have a baby brother.  She will be the number one helper!

Straight from Heaven

Brand New!!

Four days old, at home and comfortable.

Sunday Dinner in Motta

Sunday Dinner at our apartment has become the essence of a Military Service Branch.  Assigned members are usually here for two-three years and all bring their families with them. We have TDY and Deployed members that simply just appear at Sigonella in addition to the regular assigned families and unaccompanied members.

I usually focus on the unaccompanied, singles and TDY/deployed members that randomly attend. They are rotated in and out from all parts of the world assigned to Sigonella for 30 days, 3 months, six months and even one year.  They have assignments all over the spectrum, they represent the Air Fore, Army, Marines, Navy and NATO, they are officers and enlisted, they are single and have families; one Air Force LT. has left a wife and eleven month old triplets in CA.  All represent what the military looks like for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints serving their country. Currently we have an endodontist from Rota, Spain, a Navy helicopter pilot that is assigned to a ship in the Mediterranean that flies a helicopter to Sigonella just for church on Sunday, an Air Force member from Mildenhall, England, and AF remote drone pilot from Beal AFB, CA, AF member from Ramstein, Germany and last Sunday we had a pilot from Tinker AFB, OK whose plane broke down enroute to parts unknown and they were waiting at Sigonella for parts to repair and take off again.  Conversations are never dull, theses people live amazingly interesting lives.  They have testimonies like iron and have attended church under the most unusual circumstances!

I am sure this is ONE reason we are here; we love supporting our military troops and have a deep appreciation and love for the sacrifices they make for us.

Our IKEA table is designed to seat six, but we often have more than six. I only have six placements so notice the designer placement added to the end of the table! Yes it is a copy of the base newspaper!  My mother would be so proud!

Fire Season in Motta Sant'Anastisia

It is August and it is HOT in Sicily.  We live in a small little town called Motta Sant’Anastasia just seven kilometers from Sigonella NAS.  It is an agricultural town with oranges groves, artichoke fields, olive orchards, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and all kinds of row crops.  They are all interestingly mixed together.  August seems to be the end of the first round of the growing season.  There are visible kinds of preparations for a second crop being prepared.  The most interesting piece of that is the burning of the fields, then begins the plowing some new trees have already started to appear. 

Last week the burning got out of control and we ended up with a full on city fire.  It came dangerously close to the city and our apartment complex.  Smoke was devastating as it blew into every crack and cranny of our apartment.  We smell smoke in everything, clothes, food, furniture, dishes just opening a cupboard or a closet brings back the flames.  Even my best attempts with Lysol and Refresh haven’t helped.  Yesterday when we drove to Sigonella there it was, yet another fire started in a field.  All over Europe there are unusually high temperatures and no rain in sight.  This far south has proved to be an exceptionally hot and dry summer so far.  I have a feeling we haven’t seen the last of summer fires in Motta!

My Neighborhood burn scare stops at the road!

The hill behind our apartment.

This is the street coming into the city and the housing area.

This is my walking trail!