Most of the time, the Malta Zone comes to the mainland for Zone Conference. This time we went to Malta because we felt it's important to know the people and their customs and what the missionaries are dealing with.
I don't know what I was expecting when we flew to Malta--maybe a tropical paradise or something like that. I was dead wrong. Malta is a desert. It is an independent nation and sits in the middle of the sea. During times of war, it was a battleground because it is in a strategic location. At times the island was covered with bomb casings. It's a hilly little island and you can drive across the entire island in less than two hours. It reminds me of Jerusalem because of the hills and the white limestone buildings, but the architecture is different. Malta is a favorite vacation destination. In fact, the current Branch President has been going to Malta for years on holiday.
President Waddoups went on splits with the missionaries after Zone Conference and since there were no sisters for me to go with, I went with the Branch President and his wife on a tour. The Apostle Paul was shipwrecked and imprisoned on a little island just off the coast of Malta. When we were in Pozzouli, we saw the chapel that is dedicated to Paul because that is where he first landed in Italy and began to preach. (President Waddoups always says we are following in the footsteps of Peter and Paul. We're just hoping for a different ending.)
To quote one of the assistants, "The missionaries in Malta are awesome!" and they truly are. We have four elders and a senior couple serving there. They are superb missionaries serving in a unique situation.
Maltese is unlike any language I've ever heard. It's a mixture of English, German, Italian, French and Arabic. There might be more languages, too. It's a difficult language to learn, but it's charming to listen to. Most people in Malta speak some English, but it's a very limited form of English.
Malta is a difficult area because the Catholic church is so strong there. The Branch President (who is from England) says it's more Catholic than the Pope. In order to get into the good, private schools, you have to be active Catholic and prove you attend church. That makes it tough to convert people.
Another huge challenge is that the Book of Mormon has never been translated into Maltese It's on the list of things the church is working on, but it's not done yet. When we flew to Malta, we took pamphlets with us that are in Maltese. The missionaries were thrilled to have them.
The church is located in what used to be a villa. The priesthood meet in the chapel and the relief society and classrooms are upstairs. The main parlor of the villa serves as the chapel. The primary meets in a little room on another level. My favorite thing was the bathroom. It has lavender fixtures. I thought it was a quaint little church. The members hate it and want to have a real chapel. When they get enough members, I have no doubt they will get their wish. I hope some day they will need multiple chapels.
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| Malta |
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| Chapel in Malta |
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| Island of Paul |
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