Rome Italy Temple Trips

About 35 years ago Craig came home in Salt Lake City with an opportunity to attend Air Command ad Staff training in Montgomery, AL. My enthusiasm must have been dampened in that I was expecting #4 (Garrett) just two months prior to the time we would need to pack up and leave for Alabama.  I remember my response being, well, the schools in Montgomery are not accredited, my baby will only be 2 months old if all goes as planned, that seems like a huge undertaking for this little family.  You go ahead and have a great time; the kids and I will be here when you have finished the training! As time unfolded, our house was rented to a great young University of Utah couple, Craig found us a home to rent in Montgomery, the moving van was schedule to pick up our household goods and we were loading Kaci, Mike, Ashley and Garrett in to our Volvo station wagon for Montgomery AL. Yes, we made the drive with all four kids seeing the country as we crossed the U.S. We arrived a little worse for the wear and very happy to see the home we would be occupying for the next year. 

We met Von and Glenda Memory in our Montgomery Ward and that has made all the difference. We have traveled together on a number of occasions, gathered in both Montgomery and Salt Lake City our kids still keep in touch with each other over all these years.  Von and Glenda arrived in Rome, Italy on January 31 to see the sights of Rome and the Rome Italy Temple.  We flew to Rome on Monday, February 4 and spent the day on the Temple Piazza with them, they accompanied us back to Sicily to check out our experience in Sicily. 

They were such great sports; we had an InDoc briefing that we are assigned through the Chaplin’s office on Tuesday morning, then our usual Hot Dog lunch with the troops at the USO.  Finally after lunch we were able to head toward Siracusa.  It was pouring rain as only island rain can be and the temperature dropped to 40s.  But we knew that there were only a few days to spend so we were committed rain or shine. Not everyone was that committed, however, San Giovanni the church where Paul preached was closed, the main Duomo on Ortigia also closed, the Greek Theater a completely out door venue was open be we opted not to spend a couple hours outside walking through the puddles to see the Greek Theater. It seems that food always is the capstone of the day and so it was. Valentinos treated us well and we loved chit-chatting over homemade Italian pasta.

Agrigiento was on the schedule and thank goodness the weather was cooperative, a beautiful day blue skies and a slight breeze just to temper the sunshine.  We wandered for three hours admiring the beauties of the ancient Greeks. We returned to Motta for dinner at Donna Fortunata; feeling a little adventuresome, muscle pie found its way to our table.  Outstanding meal again, the food was really clicking!

Catania and Taormina monopolized our time on the last Tour di Sicily day.  That is an amazing amount of territory to cover.

Memorys at the Bellini theater.

To our grave disappointment the Greek Theater in Taormina was also closed, we just couldn’t make the Greek Theaters cooperate this trip so the Memorys will need to return again to see the wonders of the Greek Theater!

The top of Castelmola in Taormina with Mt. Etna in the back.

When I contemplate the last 35 years and the opportunity I have had to meet new people and embrace new locations I am thankful for each stop along the way and each chapter of experience.  The Memorys have been with us along that path; they are a treasure! Lots of laughing went on this week, it was therapeutic for us!

Gordon and Carlene Walker served as Public Affairs Missionaries  for the Rome Temple.

The Thompsons, friends of Milton came to Rome .

Seth and Kathy Sparks and Stuart and Marsha Howell college friends from Logan, came to Rome, then took a cruised to Palermo, prior to their Rome Temple tour.

Temple Update

The Public Open House continues this Saturday, the 23^rd of February from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.  No reservations are required, just invite all to come and see! Thanks for all that each of you are doing to promote, inform, and invite people to the Open House!  We do not anticipate that The Open House will  be extended another weekend as there needs to be time to clean and touch up and set up the temple and surrounding grounds for the dedication weekend March 10-12.  So let’s use our bigliottini to get the word out!

By way of report, we reached a new high in guests last Saturday at 6,626 with 83% Italian and a peak of 288 comments of which 115 asking for follow-up contact the majority via email and others in person.   We hope to see many Italians this final Saturday.