We participated on our first zone conference this week and what a special treat that was. In addition to the 28 full-time missionaries here in the Puglia Zone, we also had our mission leaders, President & Sister Morris, the assistants and a dear service missionary serving here in Bari. It was an amazing time for us. All the missionaries look forward to zone conference, which happens once each transfer (six weeks). We all loved the opportunity to meet, learn and grow together. We hosted Anziano and Sorella Jones, a senior couple serving in Crotone, about 5½ hours south of us by car in the Calabria region. We regularly meet at district council with the Bari and Taranto districts, so it was fun to get to know the missionaries that serve rather remotely in the mission in the Calabria district.
We got to shuttle several companionships back and forth between the train station and the chapel, including our mission leaders. It was nice to get to know President and Sorella Morris a little better. In all, it was a very sweet day and couldn't help but think that any of the parents of these wonder missionaries wouldn't do to be able to attend and feel the amazing spirit of these meetings. I felt very privileged to be there and participate there. Words can't describe the joy we feel as we serve alongside these sweet Elders and Sisters.
In other news, Liz and I went on a field trip to check out Matera. We had heard that it was pretty amazing but didn't really know what to expect. Well, it turned out to be pretty amazing after all. The Sassi di Matera (Rocks of Matera) was an area settled millennia ago by people who carved their homes into the cliff walls along the river below. Due to extreme poverty of the Sassi dwellers, the area was emptied in the 1950's with the inhabitants relocated to a new city built above. Since the 1980's, as interest had increased, the Sassi have been gentrified and restored. It was truly an amazing place to see.
Afternoon shadows forming
An old chapel carved into the stone cliffs
Overlooking Sassi di Matera behind us
No comments:
Post a Comment