September was a busy and inspiring month. Felice Lotito and Flora his wife came to Ljubljana for a visit and interview. He is our S&I coordinator from Italy. He has been our mentor and great friend. We have learned so much from him and his wife. They are wonderful friends. We went to Bled and walked down gorge, Vintgar. It was a beautiful fall day.
Bled is always a most beautiful place summer, autumn, winter, spring. I think we've seen it all those times.
We have the most beautiful clouds in Slovenia. These were billowing over Smartno Gora.
September 27 we met in our Area Faculty meeting in Meine, Italy. Here are some of our leaders, Luka, Joseph and Elder Fingerle. These are great men who are wonderful teachers.
Brother Lotito did a great job in organizing and pulling it all together. We were in a beautiful village call Meine right on the lake.
On the way home we stopped off in Verona and spent the night with the Lotitos. They took us to see some of the beautiful sights in their town. This has a really old water wheel and some very beautiful old buildings.
Flora, Felice & Paul
Sorry those pictures got out of order. We are now back at the faculty meeting where we took a tour out to three islands. Elder Lewis needed a nap after all the the walking we did on the islands.
Andrea has been our great support in S&I. He takes care of our curriculum materials, attendance and anything else we needed.
We were privileaged to meet with five other S&I Missionary Couples. The Prestons are serving in southern Albania. They are from Eden, Utah and have been out for two months and are also serving with the CfYA.
These are our Brethren, fellow S&I leaders from Italy.
Elder & Sister Bell serving in Athens, Greece.
Elder & Sister Ireland serving in Poland. They coordinated our 2010 summer YSA Conference. They are from Australia. We have become great friends.
Elder & Sister Alfredo Gessati, Elder Gessati just retired after some 30 years with S&I.
Elder & Sister Heywood serving in Czech Republic. They are from Brigham City.
Elder & Sister Alborn serving in Albania with S&I and CfYA. We all have several responsibilities and have the privilege of serving with such wonderful young people who sacrifice much to live the gospel. The Lord continues to bless them as well as us when we keep His commandments.
This is the three Lake Maggiore wonders. This island is called Isola Bella. It is shaped in the image of a vessel, with a palace tothe prow and a garden to the stern. The Italian garden deemed to be "The most beautiful garden in Italy". There are ten degrading terraces embellished by fountains and a multitude of fountains and statutes.
Elder Ireland, Felice Lotito and Paul
Another view of the gardens
Beautiful flowers everywhere
White peacocks run free
Also regular ones
Elder & Sister Lewis
There is some beautiful architecture around the lake. This was a beautiful hotel.
A view of the lake from our window
Back in Ljubljana we have had some beautiful skies
Wall king to the Post Office we ran into Elder Sherman and Wiser on their way to a District Meeting. They are serving out in Kranj.
Now we have our Temple Trip. What a glorious week that was. We returned in a rain storm. We went to the service station to move the luggage for the Croatian girls to the car so Elder Lewis could drive them home that night. The weather was pretty bad so he stayed in Rijeka and came home the next morning.
Brother & Sister Hlanky from Graz were the organizers for the YSA Week at the Frankfurt Temple. They did a terrific job. There were almost 150 YSA at the temple all week.
This is the end of the week and we are packing up to go home.
Friday night we attended a musical in Frankfurt called "The Heros". What a fabulous performance put on by the Frankfurt Stake. It was so professional, the music, dance, and costumes. Elder Fingerle's two children were in it.
Tihana, Emma and Julie from Croatia were with us and received patriarch blessings. We stopped in Stuttgart on the way home to meet with the patriarch.
During the week some of the Albanian members were in the temple and our friends Marko and Sonja were there to be sealed in the temple. What a crowning event for the week.
Sonja & Marko
We ran into them just as they were going into the temple and got this great picture. Marko is from Zadar and they met at the Czech YSA conference the summer of 2009.
Sonja a beautiful bride
Mar Jean on the temple grounds
Lahorka is from Karlovac and is a lover of learning. She is doing independent study Institute.
Tihana from Zagreb as she enters the temple to receive her endowment. I was privileged to be her escort.
We stayed in the temple apartments. The girls were in a dorm room with ten beds. We chose to have a room for two. Tihana, Lahorka and Mar Jean
An evening fireside where we got to know each other. This was a small part of the English speaking group.
A couple gave up their vacation time to come for the week and prepare food for us each meal.
This is the Temple President, Counselors and two missionary couples home which sits on the temple block. It was very beautiful.
Yes, we are very happy.
This is the great group we brought with us, Julie, Tihana, Lahorka, Emma, Uros, Monika, Juri, Elder & Sister Lewis
Elder Lewis drove to Croatia to pick up four from there. Then came back to Ljubljana where we moved to a van and the nine of us headed out. It took nine hours. We spent the week in the temple every morning doing baptisms, then they had institute either at 6:30 am, 8 or 10. In the afternoons they could see some sights or go back into the temple. Every evening there was a fireside and on Friday we went into Frankfurt for the musical.
Elder & Sister Densley surprised us by stopping off in Ljubljana that Monday morning. They had finished their mission and were tourning. We had a lot of rain and lots of flooding. They couldn't get to Venice so stopped off to see Ljubljana. We, of course, took them to see Bled and Vintgar. They loved it.
Paul
September 4th our mission was privileged to have Elder & Sister Nelson, President & Sister Kopeshka, and Elder & Sister Wandra come to give a dedicatory prayer over our countries. We were privileged to help transport the group between Croatia and Slovenia.
Elder & Sister Nelson & the Lewis'
Croatian dedication
Zagreb Branch RS
Celebrating my birthday
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