Seeing friends at the Open House

Saturday we were both very busy. Dee started packing, as well as cleaning for the four Anziani to spend the night Sunday after Zone Conference. She also went to Conad for some food for them, and we also changed our sheets but didn't have time to wash/dry the old ones. I will get to do that while she is gone. We will truly miss Italy, but having a clothes dryer again will be nice.

In the morning I walked to the hardware and Chinese store, buying a new shower head and hose for the Roma 3 Sorelle, as well as some replacement light bulbs. The Chinese store also has luggage, so I bought a nice 29" suitcase for Dee to take and leave in LA -- only 40€. Maybe it won't be durable, but we don't care, as long as it lasts for at least one trip. I also started a pile of my stuff for her to fit into her two suitcases: some clothes, two summer suits, and some electronics. We are glad to get a bunch of stuff home to make packing and traveling easier next month.

I spent from 2 - 9pm volunteering at the temple Open House, which was very busy. My first two-hour shift was putting plastic booties over the shoes of the visitors. They have a nice system, with a bar for the visitors to hold onto and seats for us, making it easier for everyone.

When I got there, Anziano Lawler from my mission was at that station, and I got to visit with him and his wife for a few minutes. I sent an unlabeled copy of the photo to EricB, to see if he would recognize his old roommate after all these decades:

Ugo led a tour including a old acquaintance from Richmond, Bianca, with her husband David. They served a YSA senior mission in Milano a few years ago, and they know Ugo. Bianca is good friends with my sister Marilyn.

Me with Bianca and David

My second shift involved opening and closing the big temple doors, letting tour groups in and out. I was entrusted with the heavy responsibility of running the clicker, counting heads as everyone entered 😉. By 6:30pm, we were at about 5000 visitors, which meant that we would probably slightly eclipse last week's total of 5500. For part of the time, Anziano Lillywhite from my mission was there with me. 

View of the visitors center from the temple doors

After that shift, I took a few minutes for a snack, also putting on my sweater and scarf. It was a lovely day, but by nighttime it got  chilly, so I was glad that I had thought to bring something warmer in addition to my coat. My final shift was in the parking lot by the entrance, just pointing people where to go to start their tours. People just kept coming past, even somewhat past the (soft) 8pm deadline. By then I had been on my feet for four hours, and my feet and back were tired. At 8:30pm I was able to head home.

It was touching to see how many volunteers were working there. Many had come from the US or other countries just to serve. Some of those had connections to Italy, including a number of former missionaries, but not all. One American family living in the UK had come for a month, with the dad sitting beside me at the bootie station. Everyone just pitched in wherever they were assigned, happy to be helping. It was also great to see so many Italians, including our GANS kids, whom we know and love.

While I was gone, Dee had done a lot, also starting her customs list. With my items purchased here, we are over the $800 limit, but hopefully they will discount the items we have used for over a year. In any case, we agreed that it would be worth paying something to get all that stuff home ahead of our final return. Adding the second big suitcase costs us 85€ on Delta, but it is worth it.