Our work in the mission office last week went okay, and we did the usual office duties. Because senior couples went home and have not been replaced, we have more apartments to inspect than in the past. On Thursday we went out to inspect, and bit off almost more than we could chew. Myrna got up early and made muffins to give the missionaries whose apartments we were inspecting, as a good will gesture. The week before General Conference all missionaries were asked to thoroughly clean their apartments (with allotted time), more than usual, and we also paid for cleaning supplies, so we expected the apartments to be extra clean. We started the morning with a freeway slowdown because of an accident, for which we had to go about 5 km/hr for almost an hour, so we were behind schedule all day--missionaries had to wait for us. We first went to Novara, where the apartment was fairly clean. As usual, parking was a problem, and we walked a ways to the apartment.
From the missionary's bedroom window in Novara you can see a public swimming pool, not being used now because it hasn't warmed up, and the dome of the duomo, which is nearby (we walked over to see it the last time we inspected.) Then we went to Vercelli
passing many fields being plowed for spring planting, of rice and corn. In Vercelli the apartment was also pretty clean. Then we drove to Torino, where the first apartment we inspected was not at all clean--apparently they blew off cleaning day. There was also muffo (mold) in both of their bathrooms.
This is the dread muffo, in the corner of one bathrooms. I cleaned some off the walls to show the missionaries how to do it. They had bought some expensive muffo killer, but didn't realize you actually had to scrub. (This is also how they think oven cleaner works, you spray it on and the gunk should automatically disappear). Muffo is fairly easily cleaned with some cheap bleach diluted with water if you are diligent in cleaning it. I recommended that missionaries clean their apartment, etc., and then, just before they take their shower to get ready to go out for P-day, they (just one of them) with their clothes off, so they don't get bleach on them, clean the ceiling and around the shower, where muffo usually is found, then shower and be done with cleaning.
On 10 April we did it (apartment inspections) again, but it wasn't such a hard day. We drove to Modena, then back through Reggio Emilia and Piacenza. (In Reggio, I unintentionally ran a red light, because there were 2 right next to each other, not even 25 yards apart--on 7 June I got a ticket by email from Rome, for €130, which I personally had to pay--so this was a really expensive day.) We actually had time for lunch in Modena, at a kabap place, which was good, even though the young woman from Turkey who ran the place was slow--we were the only customers she had, at first. In Piacenza, where I was the first ever missionary, in 1966, we learned the missionary apartment is just around the block from the new (about 4 months old) church. The building was purchased by the Church and remodeled into a very nice meeting house.
It's located in an inner courtyard, and has this nice lawn in front, with ample parking.
These are the two missionaries, Anziani Moss and Laudert (who knows Dr. Housley), the only ones now in Piacenza, who showed us around. They are both from Idaho. The church is in the background, and looks like it used to be offices or something. The building is fairly new.
The chapel is on one end, and, like many Italian chapels, the chairs can be moved around and the room can be used for other functions, with the platform acting like a stage. Notice the electronic piano to the left.
In the Relief Society room there was an organ.
It was a fairly nice electronic organ. I played it and asked what happened to the pedals. They said no one could play them, so they took them off.
This is the kitchen, in an adjacent room. Seeing this beautiful new chapel in Piacenza did my heart good. I still tear up when I see these pictures and think about what has happened in Piacenza during my lifetime.
As we were leaving Piacenza, Myrna took this picture of the city wall, which, during medieval times went all around the city.
Here is one of several city gates. This one is only accessible to foot travel.
As we were driving around the round-about to get on the freeway, I was driving, I snapped this pix out the window of a monument to the war dead, from WWII. There was actually a sign that said what it was. I didn't realize until I got home and looked closely at this pix, that the soldiers are naked, which I don't think was the case in the 1940's--I guess that Italians just like naked statues. The figure at the top is a guardian angel, in which Italians believe, as did my mother. I believe that angels, perhaps family members, do watch over us, but I don't know if we have one assigned as our guardian angel.
I didn't post this to be negative about what we do as senior missionaries, but, as in real life, every day is not a picnic. But in Italy it is as close to wonderful as it could be. I am already beginning to feel separation anxiety.
Ciao for now.
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