March 25, 2018 - LDS in Rome
We want to share more about our experience in Italy than just beautiful art, history, and scenery. We would like to post some of the every day details of our life here, and some of the things we are learning from it. We have been attending LDS church meetings in the Rome 2nd Ward. The church building used to be a bank, but works out pretty well for a church. Here is what it looks like on the outside.
We went to the Ward Easter Party yesterday (Saturday morning). We have more pictures of that later.
Church meetings are usually quite full and diverse. They have an interpreter and headsets for those who do not speak Italian. There are lots of Americans who attend, as most of those working on the LDS temple being built here are in this ward. Everyone has been very nice to us and social, but it seems to be quite a transient community, with lots of visitors as well. So, we don't stand out too much.
Today, for sacrament meeting, the chapel was full so we went into the basement overflow room and watched the meeting on a screen. This room was full as well. As it is Palm Sunday, and the beginning of one of the busiest weeks in Rome, approaching Easter, more people are in town. We have heard that this week gets really crazy, as many Catholic pilgrims come to attend the services held during the week and on Easter Sunday. There are various activities involving the Pope at the Vatican and other churches around the city. Easter is a huge deal here, and many people travel to be with family for big events. About 75% of the people we saw on the bus and subway today were holding olive branches. We are not sure if they were at the mass at the Vatican, where the Pope performs the Blessing of The Palms, or if they were going to a more local mass in this area. The olive branches symbolize the palms thrown down for Jesus as he entered Jerusalem, as well as being a symbol of peace and knowledge. There will be other events throughout the week, but most of them are difficult to attend, due to the throngs of people. We are not sure what we will be able to see. Monday after Easter is a national holiday in Italy, called Pasquetta. Italians often spend it with family picnicking in parks or the countryside.
This is Mark's High Priest class being lit by a cell phone, when the electricity went out! No one seemed too surprised or phased by the lack of lights. They just carried on for the ten minutes or so until the lights came back on.
Our trip across town to church takes about an hour and involves some combination of tram, bus, subway, and walking. We have to take these long precarious stairs on the last leg of the journey. They are crumbly and covered in broken glass. We take it a bit carefully in our Sunday shoes. On the day below, it was pouring rain. We were pretty soaked for the meeting.
Heather here, just wanting to share a cool thing that I got to learn about. The first Sunday that we all went to church, I heard a brief announcement in Relief Society about a meeting being held that week regarding refugees. I was interested and asked the Relief Society President if I could attend, not really knowing what it was about. Hannah attended the meeting with me while Mark was working at MEDU. It was held at the Rome LDS Institute, which is in town the Termini Train Station.
It turned out to be a meeting with a missionary couple from LDS Charities, who are in charge of starting up a new church effort in Rome to upgrade and add to some resources for refugees here in the city. There were only about 12 people there, mostly Relief Society leaders from the wards. As I listened, I started to get very excited that I would be able to help with the plan being discussed, and Hannah could help, too! They were looking for people with some time and willingness to help teach some classes for refugees on many, many topics. Just as I was about to burst with excitement and was making plans in my head of all of the things I could do to help, they said that it would not open until right when we plan to leave Rome! It was very disappointing to me (and Hannah). We had really hoped to find a way to be of use in the immigrant crisis here, and this seemed like just the thing. Unfortunately, it looks like it won't work out that way.
The Episcopal Church has run a welcome center for refugees here in Rome for about 40 years in the basement of one of their churches, right downtown. The LDS Institute is actually just around the corner from it so, we were able to take a brief tour after our meeting. They asked us not to take any pictures, in order to protect privacy, so the pictures that I have included are taken from the internet. It is a place that the homeless refugees can come to for help, food, clothing, classes in languages, help with papers and legal issues, help finding resources, but maybe most importantly, a place where they can just "be" and feel welcome. There is a pool table, ping pong, a small library, small kitchen, classrooms, and some scheduled activities. Anyone is welcome. Many of these people have no where to go that they can feel welcome. They are always shooed away by police, property owners, etc. This is a place where they can come during the day to feel human and social. The guy who runs it, and his cultural mediator, speak 13 languages between the 2 of them, and they need it! There are people here from all over the world!
The LDS Church has made an agreement with this Refugee Center to upgrade the facilities and expand the programs. The current managers will continue with what they have been doing for years up until 2:00 pm. Then the facility will be turned over to the LDS manager every afternoon from 2 until 7pm. They have those hours to expand the services offered. They want classes in cooking, child rearing, hygiene and health, career options, language, sewing, music, and even fun stuff like crafts, arts, or even a ladies "spa night." They are looking for anyone willing to volunteer their skills and time to try to help the refugees build a new life for themselves.
There is such a need here in Rome to provide this kind of help and much more to the thousands of homeless immigrants here. Whatever systems are in place to help these people are vastly overwhelmed by the numbers of people who have flooded into this country and the rest of Europe. The incoming tide from Afric seems to have maybe slowed down a bit, but there are many still coming. There are also many fleeing the chaos and danger in Syria right now, but they seem to be mostly taking other routes to other European countries. It is difficult to know how to help, but it is not difficult to find suffering. We see these homeless refugees every day, everywhere we go throughout the city. There are different organizations trying to make a difference, but it feels very small in a big picture. We are definitely learning a lot by being here and seeing all of this. It gives us a new perspective on everything, but especially on the blessed state of our lives back home. It is inspiring to see people here who really dedicate their lives to this effort.
Another interesting thing happened just the next day. We were invited to the Institute again for "Taco Tuesday" with the Young Single Adults of Rome. Elder and Sister Whiting, missionaries from California, are in charge of the Institute here. They don't have a huge group, but it is well attended by a small group of members and non-members. They have lots of activities going all week long. They were hoping that we could run the Institute on Wednesdays, while they have other responsibilities. Another missionary couple was doing this, but they just went home. Unfortunately, we can't because it is a day that Mark is at MEDU, and they need to have both of us there. So, another disappointment in our options to do some service here. We do at least hope to do a class or workshop for the YSA kids at some point. Many of them want an American cooking class! That is an area of cooking that I'm not very good at, because I don't like it!
But maybe I will try.
These are some of the YSA kids at Taco Tuesday, as well as the missionaries. There are many countries and languages represented at this table!! Several of their regulars are not LDS, from other countries, who bring their friends. There was a really fun, friendly atmosphere there. I hope we will be able to get more involved.
And this is Anziano (Elder) and Sorella (Sister) Whiting in the Institute kitchen with one of the local Italian YSAs. We did not catch his name, as he was a little bit shy, but he is a pizza maker here in Rome. We are slowly getting to know more of the church community here. It helped to go to the Ward Easter Party.
They decorated eggs (not an Italian tradition). The Primary President, on the right here, is from the USA. Her husband is a lawyer for the US Military and works through the State Department at the Embassy. Returning from a recent work trip back to the States, he brought a 35 pound bag of Easter goodies and decorations back for this ward party. Everybody seemed to have a great time!
They had all of the kids make an "egg-protection device" and then had an egg drop contest off of the balcony. They loved it.
Then there were some egg games and races, and some Italian snacks, and an egg hunt (of course)!This is another American tradition that was new to the Italian kids. Also well received!
There were several investigator families there.
Fun for all! Hannah even had a good time. There is a girl from the USA who is just her age and will be going in to Young Women's with her in a few weeks. Their birthdays are one week apart. So that has been really nice for both of them! After the party, we decided to go see the LDS temple that is being built here, since we were fairly close to that area. We had been told that it was best to view it from the mall across the street. We took a bus and found our way to the huge mall. Hannah was the happiest we had seen her in days! It felt very much like any mall back home and she was basking in finally feeling "at home." And we found some great deals on summer clothes, so she was having a super awesome day!
Then we found the view of the temple. It is beautiful, as expected. There is quite a complex of associated buildings on the site. We have heard the the visitor's center is full of beautiful statues (which would only be expected, in Rome). But no visitors are allowed yet. Nobody seems to know when it will finally be done, but it is looking close.
Comments
Post a Comment