The Adventures of Sister Holiday: I LOVE ROME

I'm in love with this city. Like literally. I love even more living in
the non-touristy part of it because well it's just better as a
missionary! Some of the touristy part of Rome is in our ward
boundaries however, like, the colosseum and the original Vatican, and
some other stuff.

Our ward is a lot smaller and almost no one is actually Italian haha.
But we pretty much all communicate in Italian, but if the people don't
speak Italian they almost always at least speak English.

It's been way crazy running around the past few days trying to figure
things out. The sisters that were here last got emergency transferred
a few weeks ago and so there was not much that they left behind.
Actually, there's literally nothing, zero, haha, but it's all good!

Leaving Pescara was sad. It always feels like it was all just a dream
once you go from one area to the next. I totally got showered with
gifts also, with it conveniently being my birthday and all. A
bracelet, a California shirt :), and a scarf. All so beautiful!
People are way too generous.

This week I've been learning more about humility. The only thing the
Father asks from us (because it's really in the end the only thing
that's actually ours to give) is our will. He wants us to be better,
and He wants us to help align our will with His. I'm trying to be
better at this.

Questions:

1) What is the general feeling of the members of the church about
having a temple someday in Rome?
I think because they have waited so long, and the tentative date
has been pushed back yet again to maybe 2019, that there's not really
any fire for it right now. But in general, they are really excited.
It's going to be a PRETTY big deal when the Rome, Italy temple is
finished. It will be the temple square of Europe, and although the
temple itself won't be as big, the temple grounds (visiting center,
etc.) will be bigger than the one in Salt Lake.
2) Where do the members in Rome go now in order to be sealed in a
temple as husband and wife?
Switzerland. Pretty much everyone in Italy goes to the temple in
Switzerland, except sometimes people in Sicily go to the one in Spain,
because they sometimes choose to fly instead of taking the 30+ hour
bus ride to Switzerland.

3) Do members in Rome and in other areas of Italy have to makes major
sacrifices in order to go to the temple?
Yes. They are usually only able to go once a year. They organize a
temple trip for the summertime and go as a ward. But people who live
in the south, it's more common for them to not be able to go for a few
years, because it's quite a journey. To everyone serving in missions
with temples: YOU ARE SO LUCKY. You have no idea man, I miss the
temple so much!

Well yep! Rome is great. My new companion is named Sorella Groll :).
She is from Preston, Idaho. That's where they shot Napoleon Dynamite!
That same high school, was her high school. So that's pretty cool.
She's really sweet, and pretty much just a doll. I think it's super
crazy for her going from a town with 5,000 people, to one of the
biggest cities in the world, so she asks a lot of questions and it's
fun showing her around. I just kind of pretend like I know what I'm
doing, haha.