Fun and games with the Young Adults!!!

Every Friday, we have 2 Institute classes, dinner and then an activity!  Here the young adults are playing a fun game with a soccer ball and each person tries kick the ball under someone's chair!  These young adults are very good with their soccer skills!  In fact, they are amazing!!! 

There are no cultural halls in Italy, so they have to use the Chapel...for many purposes!  We have never seen this before....but, even when they have dances, the only place big enough.... is in the Chapel! 

These guys move so fast, it is difficult to get a good picture of them!  This is Diego really moving fast!!!

This is Daniele.....scoring a goal!!!

While the young adults were playing soccer, Eduardo was playing wonderful background music!

Daniele caught the ball in his mouth!!!  (Just kidding!)  As you can see, these young adults are very intelligent!

Another fun game that the young adults really like to play is ping pong!  As you can see, we use whatever tables we can, to make a ping pong table!  

This is Renzo Bendezu' (left) and Stefano Ngao.  Stefano is the assistant clerk in our ward and we are very proud of him!  Renzo has to travel from Ladispoli and we appreciate all of these great young adults that travel so far to come to the Stake Center to attend Institute class!  They really sacrifice a lot to come!

We always set up a snack table before class and we always have dinner after class!  These young adults are always hungry!

This is Dima and Eugenia Scotchi.  They are brother and sister and they are also in our ward!  Dima is the Stake Clerk.  They live here in Rome with their Mom, Ala.  They are from Moldavia.  Ala came to Italy to find employment about 12 years ago.  Dima and Eugenia joined her about a year later.   We have had the pleasure of going to their apartment a few times and we have really have enjoyed getting to know this wonderful family!

Ottavio Caruso receives his mission call!!!

One of the young adults in our group here in Rome received his mission call.....to.......The London England South Mission!!!  

There were over 50 people who came to see Ottavio open his call!!!  We all met at the Stake Center!  It only took 20 days for him to receive his call!  Ottavio speaks English so well, that his call was written in English!  

Ottavio is such a wonderful person!!!  He is from Sicily and met the missionaries when he was 16 years old.  He was kind of a bad boy....ha ha!  When he first read the Book of Mormon, he had a very strong feeling it was TRUE!!!

When Ottavio told his family about the Church, they were not interested nor supportive.  They did not allow Ottavio to be baptized and he had to wait until he came here to Rome to go to College!  He was baptized in September 2011.  We arrived here in Italy in October, so we have been very good friends ever since.  

Last Monday, for Family Home Evening, Ottavio taught the lesson!  He has such a strong testimony!!!  We are very proud of him!!! 
Ironically, my Dad also served in the same mission in 1947!  Ottavio is going to report to the Missionary Training Center in Preston, England on April 4, 2013....so he only has 43 days before he needs to report!

 Ottavio is the secretary in the Young Adult Presidency and is very helpful in many ways!  We think Ottavio has the BEST attendance of any of our young adults!!! 

This picture was taken in Family Home Evening.
The other great thing about Ottavio...he is always helping out the full time missionaries!  He helps teach investigators and is seems to always be helping and serving others!

This picture is of Ottavio, Janus, who was just baptized in January and Anziano Lacey who is serving full time in the Rome 1 ward. 

This is Ottavio's hungry, happy face!!!  I fix dinner for all of the young adults and they are always happy when they can eat!

We are very proud of Ottavio and we are so happy he has chosen to serve a mission!  Bravo, Ottavio!!!

Baptism of Dominque Silva

Dominque Silva was baptized on February 16, 2013!  Dominque, also known as Deejay, is one of our young adults!  

Deejay is 20 years old and is from the Philippines.  His mom (in the white pants), came to Italy by herself, to find a job a couple of years ago.  She was baptized many years ago, but has not gone to church for many years.

Janus, in the white jacket, is Dominque's brother, was baptized last month and now they are all members of the Church and they are very happy!

Sister Lovell, the tall girl, and Sister Clark, in the gray sweater on the end, met Janus and started teaching him.  Elder Cardinet baptized Dominque.  Elder Lacey was just transferred here to Rome.  (Elder Lacey is from Apple Valley, California, and we know some mutual friends!)

Dominque and his brother Janus arrived here in Italy about a year ago.  They speak English and they are learning how to speak Italian.  It is very difficult to find a job in the Philippines.  

We are very happy to know this beautiful family!  We are thankful for the wonderful blessings of the Gospel, and the love of the Lord.  We are so thankful we have a loving Heavenly Father and He cares about each one of us!