We don't need no stinking P-day

Saturday is nominally our preparation day, but so far we have only really had one day off. We did get the morning at home, and I bought a few things at the neighborhood grocery store (Conad), which is convenient but not cheap, as well as at the Chinese store where I bought another padded floor mat. Then I assembled my new Ikea rolling set of desk drawers, which always takes some time. 

I also configured our new TP-Link wifi router (model Archer C7) from amazon.it:

It turns out that the very inexpensive D-Link model I had bought the first weekend is a little slow and didn't have a few key features that I like (e.g., a guest network), so we will take the "old" one to the Institute where it will work just fine. The new wifi SSID name is Cimone, after the street name of the mission home, with a very Italian LDS password. The guest network is LDSAccess, which will allow the Sorelle living just below us to use their tablets without leaving home. The mission is allowing the young missionaries to use tablets for lots of things now, though not for unlimited use; however, very few of them have internet at home.

In the early afternoon we headed out to Lidl to buy some drinks for the fireside by Chad Webb and for yet another GANS activity Sunday evening. This we did on the way to a stake youth service project at our ward building: assembling 2000 hygiene kits for refugees and local homeless people through a Catholic charity. I helped on the assembly line for a bit, but then they kicked me off once enough kids showed up to man all the spots. It was fun to see and meet a bunch of members of all ages.

Sarah Perego, across from me on the assembly line

 

We also got to play Santa Claus, handing out the gifts from home to three young missionaries in our ward.

From there went to the Rome West stake center on Via Bra, where Chad Webb gave a wonderful fireside talk to the GANS from the Rome area. He was wonderful, really engaging the kids with great stories, and explaining how the Lord loves to forgive us, while we often want to feel unworthy when we have messed up. Oscar, one of the GANS who served  a mission in England, did simultaneous translation, with about half of the kids wearing a wireless headset. Brother Webb spoke way too fast, but Oscar said he managed ok. Italian generally has so many more syllables than English that live translation is very challenging; I have done it a few times, and my brain is always exhausted after a bit. Oscar also accompanied the hymns on the piano.

Oscar at work

Because it is such a busy weekend, with GANS activities all three nights, we were concerned about how many kids would actually show up, but there was a pretty good-sized group. My wife got to sit and enjoy the whole thing for once, while I and the GANS missionaries (on the back row in the photo above) helped set up food/drinks and receive the 18 pizzas near the end of the talk, from a pizza place right across the street.

 

 

As always, the kids loved hanging out together afterwards, so we got home after 9pm. It's fun to watch Italians congregate. They are very demonstrative of their emotions: when they first see each other, they give each other kisses on each cheek (bacietti). Even the guys do it to each other, so we often join in the custom.

It was another busy day, but full of the spirit. We love it here.