June 26-30

Sorry I have been slow to post on the blog.  Since we came home from Italy we have been in service every day, all day, to catch up.  We came  home and had alot to do.  I made some RVs this week on many nationalities.  I went back to a man from Bangladesh who is a muslim and doesn't believe in a resurrection from the dead except the prophet Jesus.  I asked if he believed all Jesus said, and he does.  I read him John 11 about Lazarus and that Jesus will resurrect others.  Hope it gave him something to think about.
I showed the video from the website about having a bible study.  I downloaded it to my tablet in Nepali.  This young man said yes, I understand...it's about peace.  I invited him to the mtg with a Nepali Wt study and he said he would come.
I also had a call on a woman from the Philippines.   Every day you talk to someone from a different country.
We live right under the flight path of the Lisbon airport so there are times it gets very noisy here.  At night there are metal shutters that come down over the windows (kind of like blinds only on the outside) and they take out any light and alot of noise.  It is hard to get up in the morning because the sun doesn't shine in....for me anyways, Claudia is as usual up earlier than I am.  

I have included some pics of some of my service partners this week, the metro,  and a plane flying over which was very hard to get as I was lying on my back and every time I would miss the plane and just get blue sky, so this is as good as it gets.

Claudia and I are getting very homesick and lonely for family and friends.  I hope with the invite to the convention and special campaign in August we will be too busy to notice.  I love getting the e msils from everyone filling me in on all the things going on.

I know many of you have conv this coming week and I will be thinking about all of you.
Today was a beautiful day...warm, but not too warm.  Perfect temperature, but the heat is coming back in the near future.
Another beautiful day in Portugal.

June 21-25

As we continued to just wander around Rome we discovered some beautiful ancient bldgs and ruins.  The Forum that covers many actes has ruins from 2 BCE...the time Christ was born.  You think of all the lives that lived there and are now forgotten just as the scrip says.  They are truly beautiful in their own way.  On Sun we attended the english cong in Rome. There were many visitors and some were on their way to the conv in Greece.  We enjoyed the time with them.  As we headed home we were walking with a couple from Globe, Arizona...Arthur and Janette.  They just worked 2 weeks at Warwick in construction and decided to come to Europe before they went home.  We had a nice dinner with them and had a thoroughly enjoyable evening wandering around Rome together.
On Mon we headed for the Italy branch office outside of Rome.  The website gave very good instructions on how to get there by bus and it went without a hitch.  Our tour guide was Barbara and we spent a couple hours wandering.  The Bethel family has been decreased because Germany now prints Italy's literature so the presses have been sold and Bethelites sent into the field as special pioneers.

It is interesting that JWs didn't get legal recognition in Italy until 1975.

I included a picture for all those who make fun of my boxed wine (Bunny and Faith) of a bro taking boxed wine and filling bottles to be put on the tables for lunch at Bethel.  Thank you Jehovah for permission to drink wine at lunch!

We went back into Rome and had a last dinner on the street with the friendliest waiter we have had yet in Europe.
Coming home on Tues was a bit long because our flight was delayed about 3 hours because air traffic controllers in France went on strike. It is funny that we felt we were coming home and yet it was to Portugal.
Today we went in the ministry together and I had a nice conversation with a young girl on the metro.  She doesn't believe the Bible, but she said she liked to read a good story.  I was able to show her the website and it seemed she might check it out.
We also had a mountain of laundry after 9 days.  Tonight was mtg, but I was so disappointed that I had to stay home because of my stomach.  I had a good comment to make on the bible highlights!
Another beautiful day in Portugal.

Hotel

Here are some pics of our hotel in Rome.

June 19, 20

Left for Rome via train...not a bullet train, but fast.  It took a little over 3 hrs to arrive in Rome.  I wish we could have seen more of the Italian countryside, but often there were barriers covering both sides.
When we arrived it is like you set foot in this never ending mass of humanity.  Everywhere you go, you are in a people jam!  Our little hotel is perfect.  We even have a little balcony to ourselves.   They have nice grass and gardens surrounding it. The Panama Garden Hotel. Their claim to fame is Bridget Bardo stayed here in 1960.
We ventured out a little more confident about mass transit since we now have conquered 3 in the last 3 months, and this one also was fairly easy.  We took a bus to the metro (all day pass 6 euros) and headed to see the Cistine Chapel with Michaelangelo work.  The line was at least a 2 hr wait to biy tickets. As we were waiting in line there were so many people practically attacking us trying to get you to buy something, or use their guides, that we thought of  the scripture..."you are making the house of my Father a cave of robbers" (not to imply this is God's house).  It also dawned on us we would be paying the church to get in.  We decided to skip the whole experience.
Next we headed to the Coliseum.   Again massive crowds and long lines.  We looked at the outside, very impressive, but sad too when you think about what went on in there.   Many of the ruins in the area had scaffolding to do repair work.
Then on to the Trevi Fountain....beaitiful, right?  Not!  Like everything else there was scaffolding blocking what would be beautiful.   Also no fountain as there was no water.   All in all it was a disappointing day.
BUT...we found our way back without any problems.

June

Here are some extra Venice pics...the locks ate on a bridge where newlyweds lock their love in.  There are 100s of locks, many engraved.

I also added a pic as we named it...button butt.

June 16, 17, 18

We left Lisbon on Monday at 12:45.  The flight stopped in Cologne/Bonn Germany airport for a 2 hr lay over.  We got to Venice at 8 and got to the hotel by bus and then water bus.  The city was lit at night and kkjust beautiful...wish I could have gotten some shots.  Claudia got some on her camera so we will habe to wait for the pics.  Our hotel is very nice and includes a nreakfast which is good because food is VERY expensive here.  For just spaghetti and a glass of wine cost 17 euros so at least $20.  Tonight we were going to sit in St Mark's Square and have a glass of wine amd listen to music but wjen we discovered a glass of wine cost 13 euros we left!  Our 4 euro bottle we bought was just fine.
On Tues we began exploring the city and walked solid for 6  hours.  There is so much to see and explore.  I don't think we will see it all in the time we have, but we will definitely get the flavor.  The streets can be hardly wider than 1 person walking.  They go a ways and end at a canal and there is a foot bridge over.  Then you come to a big open square with shops.  It is a fascinating city.  The venetian masks are all over and beautiful.  Claudia got one for her granddaughter,   and you can buy them for thousands.
This morning we explored some more and walked for about 5 hrs.  This afternoon we took a boat excursion to 3 outer islands.  The first was Murano which is known for its Venetian glass.  It is beautiful!  I took a video of some glass blowimg.  They said it takes 20 yrs of studying with a master to be an artist.
The 2nd island was Burano which is known for its venetian lace.  Very beautiful and delicate.  It is also known for its brightly colored fishermen s houses
The 3rd was Torcello.  It was the 1st center of civilization in the estuary.  Only  the cathedral and church remain from 639 AD.  It is amazing to see something that old still standing.
It has been a tiring 3 days but I feel so blessed to have been able to experience Venice.

June 19

Today we got a water boat pass so we could get on amd off all day.  We went to the train station (ferrivia) to purchase our tickets to Rome. It took more than an hour in line, so it wasted a good part of our morning.  We ate outside on the canal. We had noodles with almond pesto and basil...very good.
In the afternoon we went back to the island of  Murano because we only saw a glass factory. What a beautiful little island!  It is so picturesque...I include some pictures.  I bought some murano glass here.  It is very beautiful.
This evening we got packed and ready to leave for Rome.
I included a pictuure for Olivas....you have your own oil.

June 8-15

This has been a very busy week with the circuit overseer.  Andre and his wife Maria are from Germany and speak very good English.   They are sub for the CO who was asked to come to Bethel.  In Sept the DO will become the new CO...is that clear as mud.  Amdre and Maria I believe will be assigned to an English cong in Spain.  There will still be a need for Reuben and Marieka to do sub CO work as the circuit is just to large for one CO yet not large enough to split into 2.  This circuit includes 14 cong in Spain.  It was a very hot week...temps close to 100, so we only did morn ministry.  We were home between 1:30 and 2 most days.  We all know how well I do in the heat!
Tomorrow we leave for Italy. We fly to Venice and stay 4 nights, then take a train and perhaps stop in Florence, on our way to Rome.  We are excited.  I have always wanted to see Venice, and we will take lots of pictures.  I feel bad because Claudia has caught a head cold and is not feeling her best.  Better tonight than this morning so that is hopeful.
I am including pictures of CO...Andre and Maria (he has blond hair).  Also our hosts Reuben and Marieka (they are the other sub CO couple).
I will put in a picture of the streamers up around the city for the sardine festival.  It is also for St Anthony who apparently no one  listened to him preach so he went to the sea and preached and the sardines popped out of the water to listen so then everyone paid attention.   He is the patron saint of marriage so they have a big wedding in the city every year...20 couples got married in a public ceremony.  The streamers say this neighborhood won the dance contest at some point and after that they can put them up every yr.  There were 2 holidays in 1 week.  It is so interesting to look into another culture. I will write more this next week.
Another beautiful week in Portugal.