ROME!

We made it to Rome!  We arrived on Sunday evening at 5:00 PM.  Elder and Sister Anglesey were supposed to pick us up, but we waited for quite some time and they didn't show up.  We realized that we didn't know how to contact them with our US phones, so we just kept waiting.  And then, by a small miracle, my cousin, Cindy and her husband Tim Morris, (the mission president) showed up. They were just returning from a trip and were walking through the airport and ran into us.  What a wonderful surprise!  It was great to see them, and they were able to call the Anglesey's who were waiting at the wrong terminal.  They came right over and picked us up!  We were able to snap this cute picture before Morris's took off. 

The Anglesey's had a nice size van for all of our luggage.  They drove us to the Vicchrilli's Apartment, where Sue and David Vicchrilli had a delicious meal waiting for us. We had a pleasant time visiting with everyone. For the next two nights, we stayed at the Vicchrilli's lovely apartment, where they were incredible hosts!

This is the apartment complex where the Vicchrilli's and several other senior missionaries live.

They made us a delicious breakfast!

Next, Sue took us to the visitor's center and gave us a tour.  It was so wonderful to have a private tour of the visitor center during the morning hours when no one else was there. 

This beautiful picture is on the left wall of entrance to the visitor's center.

The first thing you see when you walk into the visitor's center is this magnificent stained glass mural depicting Christ's mortal ministry.  It depicts Jesus Christ and the twelve Apostles in the midst of characters and symbols that represent events and people from the Lord's earthly ministry as well as each parable He taught. It was created to be a visual testimony of Christ.  It is absolutely breathtaking!

The rug in the foyer has a unique oval motif created by Michelangelo nearly 500 years ago and is familiar to most Romans today. The idea for the shape of the temple and the oval art, in large part, came from Michelangelo and his design of the Piazza del Campidoglio, which was once at the heart of old Rome. This place was the most sacred point for the ancient Romans and probably also for the Etruscans when they reigned on Rome. When Michelangelo restored it, he created an oval or elliptical shape with a star in it that conveyed the idea of this being the center of the world. The oval is a symbol of eternity in our religion and this oval motif can be found throughout the temple as well.  

This is a special room where the visiting General Authorities and Mission Presidents meet.

As you circle the art-glass work, you will see on the opposite side a stunning array of marble statues depicting Christus and the twelve Apostles. The sight is awe-inspiring. The rotunda's expansive windows offer a view that extends from the statues to the temple and back, creating a harmonious visual connection.

Rome Italy Temple

The Anglesey's picked us from the visitor's center and escorted us to the post office to submit our visa documents. Although we will be residing in Malta, an Italian visa is required since the mission office is located there. Once the paperwork was completed, Sue guided us on a tour around Rome for the remainder of the day. Having previously visited Rome, we chose to meander through the ruins and explore some sites we had not yet seen.

Victor Emmanuel Monument 

This resembles a smaller version of the Colosseum. It is the Theatre of Marcellus, which predates the Colosseum. The design of the Colosseum was influenced by this structure.

This Statue of Constantine the Great seated on a throne is 42 feet tall.

Basilica of San Pietro in Vincoli

They claim that these are the chains that held the apostle Peter prisoner.

The famous statue of Moses by Michelangelo

No trip to Rome is complete without getting a Gelato!

We had to take this picture of Mose' Lunch Cafe!

We ended the evening with Italian Pizza!