ARCA project in Milan and meeting Medici Voluntari Italiani

We drove up to Milan on Jan 23rd.  The next morning we met at the Bimbo store to purchase items for ARCA, an organization that houses moms and children (the oldest child is 6 years old and most are about 2 years old).  They help 55 moms, 40 kids, and some of those moms are expecting new babies (all conceived by violence but they chose to keep the babies). The moms are from Somalia and Eritrea.    The director of ARCA had already pre-arranged which items were needed, so all we had to do was to inspect the items and then pay for them.  In this photo we have the ARCA representative (with coat and scarf on) and the 2nd counselor in the Stake Presidency, Pres Bortolu.  The other ladies were Bimbo employees, Monia (holding her coat) is the Stake Public Affairs Director and organized the project.

The items were brought in for us to inspect.  The Bimbo lady was the supervisor of the store.

There was everything needed for moms and babies:  clothes, blankets, pacifiers, bottles, formula, strollers, highchairs, nursing supplies including an electric pump, etc.

It was great to have the store onboard with helping to make the order go smoothly.  Here the girls were checking and removing the store electronic labels.

Now it's time to pay.  

We were able to purchase so much!  It's cool because during January we took advantage of the sales.  In addition the store gave us a discount.  We saved 1,000 euros between the sales and the store discount allowing us to buy even  more supplies!  Win-win-win.  The store was happy, ARCA and the moms/babies were happy, and we were happy we could help!

Yeah, Bimbo.  That really is the name of the store.  About this project I just want to say it went so smoothly:  Monia did the legwork in Milan, the ARCA directors had pre-chosen the supplies, all we were needed for was the funding!  No messy shipments from Frankfurt (don't get me started!) and the money we spent stayed in the Italian economy.  Now all projects should go this smoothly!  

Next appointment was with Medici Volontari Italiani.  

Here is the 'heartbeat' and soul of Medici Volontari Italiani.  This group is organized with 100 volunteers and ONE part time employee who is the secretary.  They asked us to visit them because they are searching for partners to help fund a new mobile medical unit.  This group of men are retired and volunteer their time to keep the volunteer unit functioning.  Here they are showing us the medicine storage facility.  Most medicines are donated, but there are many that still need to be purchased.

We are  listening to their proposal.  They have many needs but their #1 priority is for a new medical van.  The old one doesn't have heating, it won't pass 'control technique', it's a 2005 van and it's not possible to just upgrade:  a brand new one is needed at the cost of about 100,000 euros.  They have other donors and they are hoping LDSC will also contribute a portion.  

We were invited to see the current medical van in action.  We took the metro to the Central Station where every night the van operates from 9:00pm until midnight.  It also operated during the day in other locations around the city.   It was pouring rain and very cold.  The city is able to house most people that are on the street, but one function of the van is to give these people a 'green card' to enter the communal sleep areas of the city.  The green card indicates they do not have any transmittable diseases.  We are waiting to get inside the van because the Doctor is seeing a 'patient'.

Here a couple of boys were also waiting.  They were in pain because of wounds on the bottom of their feet.

Meet the Doctor on call that night.  Many of the Doctors work all day, then come out all evening to volunteer their services!  Some are retired, but many just donate several hours each week as a volunteer.  We were told that for some Doctors it was an 'enjoyable' service because they were free of many of the restrictions and pressures from their hospitals.

Another volunteer, another type of service needed.  This man drove the van, supplied a 2nd man in the van for 'protection' to the Doctor, and also entered all the data needed to treat each patient.

This man didn't mind that we were in the van at the same time he was seen by the Doctor:  He desperately wanted to be seen!  Note that the van has no heating, thus the Doctor keeps his coat on!  If there is an organization that LDSC should help, it should be this one!  Can you imagine....not one cent would go to salary or overhead, and literally every dime would go direct to those in need because everything is run by volunteers!

The next day we took the metro to the ARCA facility to be part of the 'thank-you' party for the supplies we donated.  With us was Pres. Paolino and Pres.Bortolu as well as Monia.  Afterwards the Stake Presidency took us to lunch.  We had a great discussion:  Humanitarian funds vs Fast Offering funds in helping the member refugees.  Milan mission baptizes more refugees than Italians, and Rome just had that happen for the first time this past accounting.  The refugee 'crises' has now officially inundated the Stakes and Wards and  Bishops and they are crying out for help and for answers.  How do they help?  How can they access the necessary funds that are needed for member refugees?  Tom and I don't have the answers.  Well actually, we have ideas, but I doubt anybody wants our input!  Anybody?  ......

Unfortunately we were not allowed to see the moms/babies receive their supplies.  It was a 'sterile' experience.  We were able to talk to the workers and as always we were impressed with their dedication and care of the refugees.  I was hoping to see the guests of the complex, but we only got to meet one mom and her two boys. (and no photos allowed)  I might note  that interfacing with the refugees is a very delicate situation.  Most times they are very protected.  Unless you are a worker or a regular volunteer you rarely interface with the refugees.  The only place that it's 'free range' to talk and mingle is at Baobab in Rome.

Introduce our HT and VT

This is Hanim Shakir.  She is from Egypt.  She found the sister missionaries when she was 55 years old.  She was despondent about her situation in life (2 divorces), and had gone to the park to ponder and pray and think.  Those sister missionaries found a golden contact indeed.  So far she is the only member of her family, but her one hope in life is that somebody in her family might accept the Gospel.  She was raised a muslim in Egypt and when she converted to Christianity, it has caused all kinds of problems in her family:  most of them won't even speak to her.  She has served 4 missions!  The first 3 were temples missions to Switzerland, London, and Frankfurt.  The 4th was proselyting in Manchester.  She has been married twice and divorced twice.  Had two sons, but the first son was shot by the police in a drug raid.  The second won't speak to her b/c of her beliefs.  Nor will her sister or brothers for the same reason.  She was wealthy until the second divorce and now she is struggling so much she has to sell her apartment and hopes to be able to live off of those proceeds.  Does she complain? no.  Does she think God has treated her badly.  not at all.  She is happy, hopeful, and has a firm testimony that God loves her.  She is a great example!

The problem is that she always fixes a dessert and tea for us each and every visit!  I tried to tell her not to do it, but I think she couldn't process something so foreign as the concept of not feeding your guests.  This particular visit was 2 and 1/2 hours long.  We have yet to be there less than 2 hours.  We always go to her house to HT.  We are honored to know her.

This is Barbara Ventura.  She was the one to get us connected to some of our best contacts here in Rome so of course we will always love her.  Her background:  Mom is from the UK, actually Bedfordhsire where the Scovilles and Scales (Pops side of the family) are from. I guess the Italian Book of Mormon was translated by Italians living in Bedford!   Her Dad is from Cairo Egypt.  To back up a little more, her grandmother was living in England when her husband died leaving her with 3 small children.  After a few years of really struggling, her sister who was living in Rome asked her to move to Rome and she would help her out.  Her mom was the oldest of those 3 small children.  When her mom was 18 she met her future husband there in Rome and got pregnant with Barbara and so they got married.  They had one other girl who is Barbara's sister.
Growing up Barbara was always interested in religion.  She saw the missionaries on the bus but they never talked to her, and this went on for several years.  Then once at a bus stop the sister missionaries asked her for directions and that started a conversation about English classes (which she didn't need b/c she already spoke English) but she wanted to know more about the religion, so she came to class.  At the class she asked another student about the Book of Mormon in the lady's hands.  The lady said it explained the beliefs about the Mormons.  After class she went up to the Sisters and asked if she could borrow the book and she promised she would bring it right back!  At the time she didn't understand why the sisters were so excited!
Reaction of the family?  Against it.  Can't be part of the family if you join.  Wouldn't let her live with them anymore so she lived with a member family, Di Matteis.  Got even worse when she wanted to go on a mission, but a year later she was called to the Temple Square Mission.  She joined in 1997 at 22 years old.  So it's been 20 years ago and her family still doesn't like the fact that she is a member. 
She has worked for Philip Morris for 15 years, but has had to take them to court for harassment.  It's been in the legal system now for 4 years and still running.  She worked in HR, and even with the lawsuit she is still working there in administration, but it's awful.  She is looking for other solutions.
As you can see, she does the translation for our meetings.  Along with a few others, one being Claudia (whom we also HT)

Meet the Garcia's.  They have only been married one year and just announced that they are expecting their first child in June.  Federica was born into a Mormon family in Naples, the Caserta ward and she is the oldest of 3 children.  Alberto was born in El Salvador and has one younger sister.  His parents never married, but his father married another woman and they had 2 boys.  As a boy Alberto knew about the church b/c he played basketball with the missionaries (1994).  When he moved to Rome he saw in the news about the death of President Hinckley (2008) and his thought:  I want to join that church.  Then in 2010 he just decided to attend church and he showed up at our ward on Via Bra 34....He was baptized 6 years ago.  His family has always been happy for him to be a member of the church.
This cute couple met in Sardegna at a Helping Hands Stake activity.  Federica fell in love right away, but after the activity they went their separate ways...to Naples and to Rome.  They had exchanged phone numbers and after 1 month, Alberto came to Naples to visit and they continued their courtship and got engaged...but didn't marry for another 3 years!
They both work at a credit risk company here in Rome.

This is Claudia Mencarelli.  When she was 17 she went to Springville Utah on a foreign exchange program.  She was a Senior in High School.  The program was for 10 months (the school year).  At first she just went to church with her host family and by November she was taking the missionary discussions.  She was baptized in February.  The reaction from her family?  At first it was not good, but eventually they gave permission for her to be baptized.  Now they are fine with the church.  They had to adjust again when she wanted to serve a mission, but as she said, "they got over that too.".  She served in Toronto Canada, English speaking.  She is currently one of the translators for our church meetings and a major power house for the Rome Institute Program.  She is studying linguistics and cultural mediation and will receive her bachelors degree this July.  She is 23 years old and plans to get her Masters, possibly at BYU.  She needs to work and save her money however after graduation this July.  She is confident that this is the year of the Rome Temple.  She lives with her mom/dad and one older sister.

We often HT at the chapel, but we have also done it at a restaurant during lunch break from work, at our home, at the home of who we teach, at the Institute in downtown Rome.  It really is the best way to get to know people that in no other way could you share in their lives in such a personal way.  VT/HT.  It really is the Lord's plan to be aware of each other, to take care of each other, to become friends with those in the ward.  It's a blessing that I don't think we fully appreciate.

There are a lot of great people here in Rome and in Europe.  BUT they also have their not so good ones.  I was robbed on the metro on Jan 11th.  They took my wallet from my coat pocket.  I was carrying groceries so my hands were full making me a target and easy prey!  This is the 6th time we have been robbed since living in Europe.  Two times from the house (once in Tervuren and once in Brussels), two times on the metro (both in Rome), two times from our car (both in Brussels).   We are lucky it is only 'stuff' but sometimes they really make a haul:  total of about 2,000 euros and computers, phones, etc which insurance covered.  This time they only got about 20 euros, my Italian permesso (you have to move Heaven and Earth to get a new one), my Belgian ING bank card (which is being mailed to Cedar Park TX b/c that is the address they have on file.  Too bad if you live somewhere else!) and my Italian monthly metro card.  But this experience still hasn't turned me against Rome.  Still love this city.