We caught the train in La Spezia this morning and rode it all the way to the last village
of the famous Cinque Terre. We figured we would work our way back from there.
That village, furthest north, is called Monterosso.
We spent some time on the beach and did a little climbing and hiking for a few hours...
...before catching the water taxi to Vernazza.
There are no cars allowed in this seaside escape.
This picture just makes me pause and give thanks for a moment.
We have four wonderful children,
each unique, each having different adventures, each brings us joy, and sleepless nights, and joy!
When we looked over and saw this scene, Dad and I just had to smile.
They have been together 24/7 for more than two months
and they are still best buddies.
When we arrived back in La Spezia, we decided to find our church building there
and see if we could get WiFi. We wanted to watch the General Conference broadcast
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and perhaps catch a bit of the BYU game.
This was a good sign! A familiar plaque and an open door!
We had no idea that we would soon have one of the most memorable Conference
experiences ever. Serving in this area are four wonderful missionaries.
They all happened to be American. One just a few weeks away from going home,
one only out for a few weeks, and two others somewhere in the middle.
We have always loved the missionaries, but having a daughter serving as a
missionary right now, makes us want to take extra good care of them.
The only place Conference would stream was in the tiny office/family history room.
We gathered around the ancient computer with popcorn Dad had brought from home.
One of the Elders knew how to pop microwave popcorn on the stove!
It was a simple but tender experience to be in a room with these valiant young men
and listen to a prophet of God speak.
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/sessions/2014
It is always a privilege to feed missionaries. In between sessions, we got our chance.
Pizza delivery in La Spezia, Italy - now that's something we'll always remember!
The next morning, we gathered again at the church for the men's Priesthood session.
At home, it is a tradition that we bake cookies on Sunday.
Some traditions are worth a little extra effort to keep so we made use of the tiny kitchen.
With fresh cookies and the amazing dishes brought by other members and the missionaries,
we feasted on delicious food and so much more...
... and left with full tummies and hearts.
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