Malta - Week 7

 And off to Rome we go!

This week, we had the opportunity to attend our first Zone Conference in Rome. Unfortunately, our flight was delayed for a few hours.  We soon realized that Malta airport is not an ideal place to hang out. The food court outside security has excellent food selections and comfortable seating, but beyond security, it was exceedingly crowded with scarcely any empty seats. Right in the middle of the crowded seating area was a grand piano, and it put a smile on my face when I heard hymns being played and saw that it was our cute missionaries producing such lovely melodies!

Still smiling, despite the long wait at the Airport

The Zone Conference was held in the Visitor's Center of the Rome Temple.  The flowers on the temple grounds were strikingly beautiful!

Despite arriving late and rising early, the Conference was incredible! The messages delivered were truly inspiring. The Morris's are remarkable mission leaders. Serving in the Great Italy Rome Mission with them is an honor, witnessing the significant sacrifices they make to provide selfless service to the people of this beautiful country.

ZONA DI ROMA OVEST

Anziani

Sorellas

Sister Christeche, Sister Paulo and Sister Suerez
These are the amazing Sisters we have had the opportunity to serve with in Malta.  

Sue Vecchiarello is one of the first sisters I met when we arrived in Rome.  She hosted us at her beautiful apartment, and it was so fun to see her again!

James & Heidi, Wesley & Claire Morris

We were so excited when we found out that James and Heidi Morris were in Rome visiting their parents, the Mission Leaders! (James is my first cousin twice removed. His grandfather is my first cousin.)  We love their family so much!  They are from our home ward in Bridgeland and the minute their son Wesley saw us, he joyfully shouted, "There's Bishop Curtis!" 

Their cute family attended the Zone Conference.  The kids were so well behaved!  Heidi and James both shared experiences from their missions and how it has benefited them throughout their lives.  Their testimonies were moving and powerful!  I know the things they shared had a profound influence on all the missionaries here.

It was wonderful to be able to visit with them after the conference and Heidi wanted to make sure we got a picture with them in front of the Christus.  I love this picture so much.  

The Spallino's hosted us in their lovely apartment, close to the Italy, Rome Temple.  I was excited to meet them because my brother, John and his wife, Denice served a mission just a few years ago at the Priesthood Restoration Site in Harmony Pennsylvania and the Spallino's were their mission leaders. It was fun to get to know them and find out that they not only know my brother and his wife, but they also know Jim and Colleen Pinegar who are very close friends to Steve's family.  The Spallino's called Jim while we were there, and we were able to visit by phone with him and his wife.  Jim is 96 years old now and still sharp as a tack!  

We also enjoyed doing a Sealing Session with the Spallinos in the Rome Temple while we were there. The temple is so beautiful!  

More beautiful flowers on the temple grounds!

Good-bye Rome - Our visit was way too short!

We took an early flight back to Malta on Wednesday morning on Ryan Air, which is known for its no-frills service. Their flights are often delayed, their seats are very uncomfortable, and they don't even provide complimentary water. However, just an hour and a half after take-off, we were home.

As soon as we got off the plane, we were ready to head back to our apartment to relax, but the missionaries had another plan in mind.  It was P-day and they really wanted to go to The Hagar Qim & Mnajdra Archaeological Park.  It was super-hot and Steve was in his suit pants.  We just wanted to go home and change first, but the park wasn't that far from the airport and since the Elders would have to take the bus, they wanted to go straight there to save time!  Even after I told them no, Steve gave in and said we would go.  He is such pushover!  He will do just about anything for the missionaries.  We soon found ourselves at the Archaeological Park in the sweltering heat!

 

Ħaġar Qim dates from circa 3600 - 3200 B.C. It stands on a hilltop overlooking the sea and the island of Fifla. Set in a hollow above the Southern cliffs, and only 500 meters away, lies the contemporaneous temple site of Mnajdra. The surrounding area is typical of Mediterranean garigue and is designated a Heritage Park.

First excavated in 1839, the remains suggest a date between 3600 – 3200 BC, a period known as the Ġgantija phase in Maltese prehistory. Ħaġar Qim was in fact never completely buried as the tallest stones, remained exposed and featured in 18th and 19th century paintings. The site consists of a central building and the remains of at least two more structures. The large forecourt and the monumental facade of the central structure follow the pattern typical of Maltese Prehistoric Temples. Along the external wall one may find some of the largest megaliths used in the building of these structures, such as a 5.2m high stone and a huge megalith estimated to weigh close to 20 tons. [Google Arts and Culture]

The long walk from the Hagar Qim Temple to the Mnajdra Temple Site

Both Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra are protected from the elements by shelters. Since these sites were excavated less than two centuries ago, their slow deterioration has been witnessed at first hand. Shelters were therefore constructed in 2008 and are intended to slow down the impact of natural elements on the rate of deterioration of these sites until alternative means of preservation are tested and implemented.  I was happy for the shelters to shield us from the sun!

Views of Fifla from the ruins

This is the huge megalith estimated to weigh close to 20 tons.

By the time we finished hiking and viewing the ruins, we were starved! 

 The Elders had a wonderful idea!

There was a Domino's Pizza close to their place, another American Restaurant here in Malta!  There aren't many of those!  And boy did that pizza taste good!

Following our long day, we turned right around to teach our English class that evening. Our attendance has dwindled as the summer months progress. However, we love our students, and we love teaching, regardless of the class size.!

Wednesday Class

Saturday Class

Living in Malta offers the unique experience of welcoming visitors to our Sacrament Meeting each week. The Mosta Branch serves as the only place of worship for our church on the island, so any tourists who want to attend, join our Sunday Services. We get a lot of visitors from Europe, Australia, and the United States. I'm highly impressed when those on a cruise, with only a few hours in port, choose to spend their time in church. This week, a family with four teenagers attended our meeting. Arriving late, they took seats in the front row and were casually dressed. Observing them, I was pretty sure they were Americans. After the meeting, I greeted the kids, who were self-confident and friendly. They told us that they had been traveling with their grandparents and were headed to Rome for a cruise with their extended family.  They were hoping to catch an earlier flight with their grandparents, but they weren't able to get on it, so they attended church in T-shirts and shorts. One of the kids mentioned their grandfather's recent retirement as a Seventy. To our surprise, their grandfather was Gifford Nelson.  Their Dad who was also at church with them was his son. It was delightful to meet them, although we regretted missing the chance to see Gifford, who had caught the earlier flight.