Christmas lesson

Friday morning I walked up to Todis, hoping to find some more pita bread for the dinner, but they were out. Fortunately we already had a stash at the Institute, enough to cover us. While at the store, I got some distilled water for the iron. It struck me as very funny to see two different types of distilled water: one plain, and one perfumed. Seems like somebody perhaps didn't get the point about what distilled water means! I bought the plain variety. Dee writes: If anyone knows what perfumed distilled water is used for, we're all ears.

In the afternoon at the Institute I worked on my lesson for the evening, covering Luke chapters 1-2. Dee started cooking right away, making two apples pies, cole slaw, and crack chicken served in pita bread. A couple of my Seminary students, Ivan and Joshua, came by to help her with the chicken, because Ivan wanted to learn how to make it after enjoying it so much last time. They were a big help, boning and shredding the already cooked chicken, which saved her a lot of time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was amazing how much food she was able to make. Her chairiot doesn't slow her down much, but she is starting to get tired of not being able to walk around. I sent out enticing photos of the pie and the chicken to the students. That was a good thing, because one of the kids somehow hadn't realized that we were having class that night, despite multiple reminders all week. Perhaps he thought that we would take a break after finishing the Book of Mormon.

In the afternoon, our landlord Marco came by to talk about the parking spot next to ours in the courtyard. The Canfields would like the spot, since their new Friendship Center is just a couple of blocks away. Marco said that he needed to work out some details with his cousin, but that it should be available within a couple of weeks for only 100€ a month, which is less than what we are paying! I wasn't about to complain, thinking he might raise the price of the new one rather than lower ours.

We had a really good turnout for class, most of whom were on time, more or less (Italian style). It is always interesting to me how little our LDS youth both here and at home know about the New Testament, despite getting a full year of it in Seminary. I gently encouraged them to read and study it. We had some very good discussion on the story of the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus, as always looking for lessons to apply in our lives. 

Several of my points and examples seemed to really strike home. In particular, one of my favorite questions is "why did the angels appear to shepherds?" One possible answer is that, for centuries, if you lived in Jerusalem you would probably buy a lamb from a shepherd every Passover, and the shepherd would promise you that the lamb you were buying was male, without blemish, of the first year (because how would you know, as a city slicker?). Thus the Jews were used to having shepherds bear witness of the lamb, so when the shepherds went about spreading the word of the birth of Christ (Luke 2:17), the Lamb of God, there was a long-standing precedent for the Jews to believe them.

Afterwards, everyone really enjoyed all the food. There was actually too much of it, with a little bit left over. I tried to get some of the kids to finish it off, but they all said they were stuffed. The extra things that my wife has started adding to the main course seem to be a plus. I would be happy to have a few leftovers now and then. One of the young men asked me what country the Crack Chicken recipe was from. I told him, "Pinterest."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Camila, a former Rome missionary sister from Costa Rica was back visiting, staying with her good friend Maria Jose (in whose ward the sister had spent over six months). It was fun to chat with her.

As is usual for Friday nights, we got home a bit late.i

A young man who has come a couple of times hesitantly told me he was surprised I could speak Italian. I'm the only American woman in the mission who can, other than the Mission President's wife. Adults think they're going to learn, but it's extremely rare to master a language in middle age or beyond. President Nelson is the exception to the rule, but then, he's an exception to a lot of rules! At age 93, he is still skiing with his great-grandchildren.

I have had some trouble sleeping with my boot. First of all, when I lie down, it puts pressure on my ankle bone. Secondly, I need to wear the magnetic therapy pads at night, and they have fallen off a couple of times. So, I finally added another pillow under my foot, and everything is working much better. I have so many pillows on my side of the bed that you can't tell when I'm not in there.

The magnetic therapy machine they brought me is old, so the labeling is nearly worn off the pads. The first two nights, I forgot to set the last dial, so it wasn't really functional. Then, when I started using it right, it seemed to give me a headache. But now it's all right, and no more headaches.

I will reach my four-week mark since I broke my foot on May 30, but it turns out the doctor wants me to wait FIVE weeks  before the follow-up x-ray, sigh. Doug's sister is arriving on June 5 and I want to know how I'm healing before she gets here. But the doctor wrote an order for the x-ray, not to be given before June 5. I'm going to ask for June 4.