Flat Tire on the Autostrada

Yesterday we went to the Sisters apartment in Rimini to put bunk beds together and then we were on the autostrada on our way to Pesaro to deliver items for their apartment.  We got a flat tire and my senior companion told me to change the tire.  It was 97 degrees (36 Celsius) but luckily I was in my handyman clothes.  Another tender mercy was that we made it to an emergency pullout area.

I think I'm getting too old for this.

Return from Girls Camp

On Friday we picked up Agnese and Gloria from girls camp.  They were tired but they had a wonderful experience.

 Agnese with Ilaria, the camp leader.

 Agnese with Martina, the assistant camp leader.

 The girls and leaders  posing together for one last photo before going home.

 Agnese with a new friend from Rimini.

 One last group hug.

And a big welcome home hug from Mom.

Soccer Championship Match

Last night we went to another night of soccer.  It was the championship match of the Alessandro Benvenuti Memorial Tournament to honor their son who died in an accident 12 years ago.  Anna Rosa and Davide were so happy to see us at the game.  Their son, Manuel, played for the team that won by a score of 3 - 1.  After the match there was a tribute to Alessandro and an awards ceremony and a little pizza.

Anna Rosa was a little surprised to see us when we arrived and we were very happy to be able to support her and her husband.

She was also very happy to see Ariele, Adriana and Firenzo Rossi at the game.

Anna Rosa went out on the field and kicked the ball to start the game.  It's like throwing out the first pitch at a baseball game.

There were a lot of people there for the championship game.

Manuel with his fiance, Chiara, after the game.

Davide and Anna Rosa with a picture of Alessandro.

The winning team with the trophy.

The pizza was good and Anna Rosa made sure that we each got a slice.

Manuel saying goodbye to the Rossi's.

Era una bella serata con una brava famiglia, la famiglia Benvenuti.  Anna Rosa told me that she felt the presence of her son, Alessandro, during the events of the evening.  It was truly an emotional experience for all who were there.

Apartment Inspections

One of our duties is to inspect seven apartments of the Elders and Sisters in our area.  When they have missing or broken furniture or items, we then go shopping and purchase the items.  Sometimes we can make minor repairs and sometimes we have to hire a handyman to make repairs.  This week two of the cities we cover went from 2 Elders to 4 Elders and one of the cities went from 2 Sisters to 3 Sisters so we had to do quite a bit of shopping to furnish the apartments with additional desks, beds, and other items.

 We shop at the IKEA in Rimini for furniture and other stuff.

 We load up the car with all the stuff.

 At Decathlon we buy lights and bike helmets.

 Sorella Jefferies looks much better in a helmet.

 When we deliver the furniture we help put it together.  Anziano Simcox and Anziano Valentine in Pesaro are being supervised by the task master.

 It looks like Anziano Jefferies is praying that the Elders get the bookcase put together right.

All the missionaries get these handy clothes drying racks.

Girls Camp

This morning we took Gloria and Agnese to girls camp.  It was about an hour and a half drive from Forli' up in the Apennine mountains.  We got a little lost at the end of the trip because the GPS wanted us to go up a steep, overgrown, dirt road and I don't think our car would have made it.  The boys camp was just finishing up and the girls camp was just starting.

 A view of the camp from the road.

 Agnese in her tent.

 Sorella Jefferies with Agnese.

 Shy Gloria, Martina (one of the leaders) and Agnese.

 Time for breakfast.

 Homemade blueberry jam on bread.

From the campsite we could see an old tower.  Martina told us it is from the 1300's and it and the few old buildings that surround it was owned by the Malatesta family.  There is a story that a girl from a feuding family fell in love with a Malaresta boy and she ran away from her parents and hid out in this tower  The feuding family decided to attack the tower and the surrounding buildings and killed all the people not knowing that the girl was there.  Every 25th of July, the day of the attack, there is a legend that her ghost haunts the tower.  I'm sure that story will be told around the campfire on July 25th, the last night of girls camp.  We took a little hike to check out the tower.

We tried knocking on some doors but nobody lives in these old houses.

Could that be the ghost of the girl?

Dinner and Soccer

Tonight we were invited to dinner and to watch a soccer game.  Anna Rosa is a member of our branch and Sorella Jefferies is her visiting teacher.  She and her husband, Davide, had us for dinner.  Anna Rosa prepared the most delicious ravioli we have ever tasted.  We also had piadina and Sorella Jefferies brought chocolate chip cookies.  We got to meet their son, Manuel, who is 24 years old..  Their son, Alessandro, was tragically killed in a car accident when he was 20 years old.  That was 12 years ago and every year the community puts on a soccer tournament in his honor because he loved to play soccer.  We went to the soccer game after dinner.  It was a beautiful evening with a cool breeze.

 Anna Rosa with her son, Manuel eating a chocolate chip cookie (he loved them).

LemonLik

We found something very refreshing to eat this summer.  It is called LemonLik.  The outer shell is a lemon popsicle, the inner core is lemon ice cream, and it comes on a licorice stick.  So after you eat it, you eat the stick.  With LemonLik and gelato, I think we can make it through the summer.

Chiara's Birthday Party

Our neighbor and friend, Laura, put on a birthday party for her daughter Chiara's 10th birthday.

 Chiara's siblings, Sofia, Agnese, Marco and Marco's fiance, Clio making fun things with balloons.

 Chiara with Celeste and Xavier Raveau.

 The Sorelle and Laura chatting with friends.

 Alberto and Pietro, ping pong champs.

 Anziano Jefferies sampling all the good food.

Singing "Tanti Auguri" to Chiara.