Random Thoughts By Me

Spring has sprung officially, although I feel like I've been experiencing Spring off and on since early February. Saturday Hermes and I visited Ostia Antica, a Pompei-like ancient Roman archeological site near Rome. Little white daisies were everywhere with a few pink and yellow flowers mixed in. I don't think I've ever experienced an Easter where it truly looked and felt like Spring. It's bliss.  

On that smiley thought, I'd like to share some of the things that make me smile about Rome:
 
The people are generally warm and kind and easy to talk to. They are family focused. It's not uncommon to see young people walking slowly down the street helping an elderly grandparent.

One morning on the way to work, I noticed a young man with Downs Syndrome standing at a corner. Suddenly a big smile broke out on his face as an older man came across the street toward him. He went towards the man and hugged him, then the older man led him back across the street while he rested his head on the older mans shoulder. It was such a sweet scene.

The dogs make me smile. Oh I know I'm a cat person with a penchant for giving treats to stray cats, but Romans have a lot of dogs and they take them everywhere. Big dogs, little dogs and they mostly seem like pampered pooches. Unlike stray cats, I can't really take pictures of them because thee owners are right there. But just the same, the dogs make me smile.

The fact that a magazine called "Selfie" exists here. Yes, I saw it for sale at a newsstand. And I wondered, who would buy a magazine with pictures of selfies in it? Somebody must or it wouldn't exist.
 
The young missionaries make me smile. Is there a better bunch of kids anywhere? And they are kids who come to us nervous and scared many of them and are faced with trying to learn a language and share what we believe with those willing to listen. As older missionaries, we can see the ones who are homesick or struggling and we worry about them. But we also smile and laugh with them when they crack jokes or have miracles happen in their work. These are such great kids and we so hope for the best for them.

Here are two that make me smile, the A.P.s Anziano Flynn and Toronto. I've told Anziano Toronto that he always looks like he's up to something and he says that women always say that to him but men never do. His great great grandfather, an Italian by heritage, was with Lorenzo Snow when he did his first missionary trip to Italy in the 1850s. This Anziano must take after his great great grandfather because he speaks very good Italian.

This is a picture of my zone from zone conference last week:

Here are the local senior missionaries from our Easter pot luck:

Here are a few things that make me sad in Rome:

The young immigrants mostly from Africa but some form the Middle East too who beg in front of grocery stores or who try to sell socks, or packages of tissues on street corners. They risked their lives to get here, they might even have lost family members on sinking migrant boats, and the better life they hoped for is spent trying to get a bit of change from people to eke out a living. It makes me sad to see them. I always try to keep a bit of change in my pocket as I encounter at least one nearly every day. I hope life works out for them somehow and in some way.

The helplessness many Italians feel about their political situation and economy. So many are struggling to get by.

The struggle of health problems of loved ones at home.

The fact that the Rome Temple won't be finished while we're here. I'm told it will probably Spring 2018 when it's finally open. Some leaders have said wryly that it took 40 years for the Salt Lake Temple to be done and perhaps it will take Rome that long.
 
Okay enough of that.

Now aside from that, I want to share something I learned from reading the scriptures recently. I was reading in the Book of Mormon in probably the most famous chapter, 3 Nephi 11 and something really leapt out at me that I'd never noticed before. In verse 28, one of the first things the Saviour tells the Nephites is "that there shall be no disputations among you..." And in verse 29 he says, "...he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me." Verse 30: "Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men win anger, one against another, but this is my doctrine that such things should be put away."

It struck me that before He went on to teach the Nephites in the Americas all the doctrines of the Gospel that he taught in Jerusalem, that the people were admonished to not be angry with each other. Before he could go on to teach them, they had to get along. And I was thinking, nobody can learn much of anything when they are angry. How can anyone learn to love others if they are disputing with each other? And wouldn't it be nice if governments everywhere would try to learn from each other instead of arguing and trying to get the upper hand or worse, like in the case of Syria, go to war with those they don't agree with. So I was really struck by this. And I realized that I myself have to learn to be more respectful of other people's opinions even when I think they're dumb opinions because maybe I can learn something from them all the same.

Anyway, that's one of my random thoughts.

I love The Book of Mormon. I'm always learning things from it. I love the Bible too but so much of it can be befuddling (like Leviticus!) in the way the Book of Mormon isn't. But it's interesting how something can always leap out at you from the scriptures that just inspires you to be better, to improve, to love others better and be kinder. I hope I'm learning those lessons well.

It's grand to be a missionary. I recommend this life wholeheartedly. See you next time!