We went to Conco'd Oro park for the flea market. I expected fruits and vegetables like a farmer's market, but it was an actual flea market with booths full of books, old records, antiques, and lots of random things. There were collectible toys and not so collectible toys and clothes. It was fun looking at the many different things that were for sale. We couldn't find a shirt for Courtney, so I think we'll go back to the mall. On the way back we stopped at the grocery store to get a few more items. I feel like we go to the grocery store a lot.
There was a Stake Relief Society activity that I thought started at 4pm, and I needed about half an hour to walk there. Brian and I went to a different grocery store before I walked to the activity. This one is very nice with wide aisles and many different products to choose from.
I went to the church for the activity and saw the sister missionaries there and talked to them and their investigator before the activity. We went into the activity, sat down, and visited for a while. The activity started at 4:50 p.m. It is something you have to get used to here in Italy; things don't start on time. The activity was focused on the temple. The members here are so incredibly excited about the temple! They had decorated the chapel very nicely with paper roses, tule, ivy, and an archway. The sister missionary told me that one of the counselors in the stake relief society made all of the paper flowers by hand. I realized that I didn't get the memo that we were supposed to wear white. Everyone was wearing white dresses or at least white shirts with skirts. It made me realize to not judge others if they aren't dressed the right way. Maybe they didn't get the right information or any information at all.
The meeting was wonderful even though I didn't understand a lot of it. There was a special musical number of "I'll Find You My Friend." It was beautiful. It looked like the ladies were singing from a paper where the words had been handwritten and photocopied...no copies of fancy music. These people know how to just do with what they have. It was beautiful.
The stake president spoke, the members of the Stake Relief Society Presidency spoke, and several ladies bore their testimony about the temple. Our friend, Rosanna, talked about family history. It was a special celebration all about the temple and the importance of it. You can tell the people here are so excited to have a temple nearby. It will be a great blessing to them.
During the talks, the purse next to me started ringing. It belonged to a beautiful old lady who had gotten the memo to wear white. She started searching through the purse for her phone while it was ringing and ringing. It stopped ringing by the time she found it, but them it began ringing again. She pushed the button and yelled in Italian, "Shut up, I'm at the church." It was so funny! She was so cute!
They had some sisters and a couple of brothers act out the story of the Ten Virgins from the Bible. They put a tremendous amount of work into this activity. At the end of the activity everyone got together for a picture at the front of the chapel, and then we went out in the foyer to look at the model of the temple that had been up at the visitor center. Then we went to the basement for refreshments. I was so surprised by the refreshments; it was pizza with and without cheese and little sandwiches. There are also some brownies and cake. There was no order to the eating at all! Everyone was just going crazy with the food filling up their plates and not following a certain line or any kind of order. It was absolute chaos and a ton of fun! Everyone was having so much fun eating and talking really loud. It was so crazy, I couldn't help laughing to myself as I strolled along the streets.
I walked back to the apartment and watched Studio C with Ben. Brian and Nathan took the recycling out to the garbage cans, but they took a long time, so I think Brian took Nathan to get some gelato but I'm just guessing. I found out they didn't get gelato. They want to get pizza and then the grocery store to get some fruit juice.
