I started this blog yesterday evening, but when I tried to add the pix it killed the site, so I am trying again today. Yesterday was a typical Sunday. We went to church and came home and ate some minestrone soup Myrna started on Saturday evening. It was wonderful with the artisan bread we bought in Piacenza. Then I took a nap while Myrna came down and watched a session of conference in our air conditioned office. I came down and our new mission president, President Allen, called me and asked if we want to go with them to a baptism in Muggiò, which is about an hour north of here. I remembered I heard that one of my old mission companions is now the high priest group leader of the ward in Muggiò, so I found a picture of him I took in 1966 on the balcony of our apartment in Bergamo, and we went.
This is the 50 year old pix I found and took to give to Anziano Mongiovi.
It was a pleasant ride, with our new president learning to use his GPS. We got there about a half hour early and asked if Bro. Mongiovi (my old companion) would be there. One of the missionaries called his wife and told her that I wanted to surprise him, so they came, although they hadn't planned on it.
This a pix of the missionaries with the guy being baptized (in the middle). His name is Sonny and he speaks English better than Italian, and has been a refugee (although now legal, we can't baptize illegal refugees) in Italy for about two years. Myrna records the mission baptisms and many now being baptized are refugees like Sonny, from Africa, where life is indeed terrible.
This is me with my missionary companion of 50 years ago, Carlo Mongiovi. He was born and raised in Argentina, although his parents immigrated from southern Italy. He returned to Argentina after completing his mission in Italy and lived there for three years before immigrating to Italy. He met and married an Argentine woman who had served a mission to Spain. She is also of Italian ancestry. They have one daughter and three grandchildren. We had a great reunion and relived some old memories of when we were together. Professionally, he was a sarto (tailor) and once he put a new crotch in my suit pants (with a needle and thread, he was very fast and did a wonderful job) because I damaged them riding my bike. He continued to be a sarto in Italy, but is now retired.
This is a pix, left to right, of Sister Allen, President Allen, my old companion, Fratello Mongiovi, his wife, me and Myrna.
In talking to Fratello Mongiovi we learned he had been on the high council with President Mario Vaira, as stake president, whom my brother Fred baptized, and knows the Viaras quite well. We decided that next Thursday afternoon, the 21st (if it is okay with the Viaras), Myrna and I will go pick up the Mongiovis and then go to visit President and Sister Viara, who are still alive and mostly well and don't live very far from Muggiò. More pix to come.
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