Mission Blog: Naples Alive

January 21, 2014

The life of a missionary and that of a mission president and wife is extremely interesting. There's never a dull moment. We drove to Naples with the Assistants the day before zone conference because Michael needed to start interviews the day before in order to get through all of them before we had to return to Rome following zone conference the next day to begin interviews for the next zone conference. (Sometimes I wonder how we ever keep it all straight.) We got there about noon and picked up some of the missionaries at the church and took them to another location in Naples where they were going to do a scambi. It just so happens (???) that the location they were going to was very near their favorite pizza place. Everyone piled in the van and we all went for a pizza. Pizza was invented in Naples (so they say) and Napolitani pizza is different from other pizzas. I'm told the difference is in the crust and that they use a different kind of flour and a special kind of water. The secret is very protected and the missionaries say if you work in a pizza establishment, you have to sign an agreement that you will never divulge the secret. I learn all kinds of questionable facts by hanging out with the missionaries. The pizza tastes good, but the crust is heavy and you feel like you're carrying a big weight in your stomach the rest of the day. It's difficult to be in Italy and not eat pizza. I keep telling the missionaries they need to eat more fruits and vegetables and drink more water and lay off the pizza and pasta. They always smile and nod their heads okay and then go out and eat more pizza and pasta. That seems so harmless until they call me up on the phone and say "Sis. Waddoups, I'm constipated what should I do?" I get a lot of those phone calls and it's not so funny when you are the person on the other end of the line.

Naples is an interesting city. It has an energy about it that is difficult to explain. It's a very rough and rugged city with cobblestone streets. There's always a ton of people out doing something; I'm just not sure what it is. The city has a high crime rate and a high rate of unemployment. Regardless of all the negatives, the missionaries beg to be assigned there and those who have served there say it's one of their favorite places. The surrounding communities that are still part of the Napoli Zone are delightful and warm, but they are proud to be considered part of Napoli.