Rome to Collonges-sous-Saléve

Writing this Saturday night from the girl's dormitory office on the Campus Adventiste of Collonges-sous-Saléve, France. 44 years after I left France, Vonnie and I have explored my old school together - even attending church services this morning with me translating a fascinating sermon by a lady, the secretary of the school of theology here. It has been a wonderful day!

But, of course there are stories to tell of the journey. Only our children and Harold Rich, Milton First Elder, have heard directly from us about the pick-pockets who cut off Vonnie's pouch with all her ID in it - while we were on the way to the Athens Airport. Obviously we have continued to travel (since we are here, now), but in between, there was a one-night delay in the airport with basically no decent sleep. When we arrived at our rental room in Rome, just after noon the next day, we could only go out in the evening - after a long nap!

The morning of the next day, Tuesday, Vonnie obtained a new, temporary, passport at the Embassy/Consulate. But that afternoon and evening, we did our exploration, visiting the famous Trevi Fountains, the Pantheon, the Mamertine prison where Paul was emprisoned, and the Colosseum. That evening we visited a wonderful plazza, Novanno Plaza?, and enjoyed the music and the street artists. Amazingly, we met a woman from southern California who went to church with a family very dear to us! We, all three, were standing in awe that God could bring us together amidst the thousands and thousands prowling the streets as tourists.

On our final day, we visited the Vatican and saw the main basilica, the Church of Saint Peter. I was reminded that church building projects are often filled with emotional trauma. The building of St. Peter's was no exception. In fact, it split the western, Christian church! How? When the Pope of Luther's day started selling pre-paid forgiveness warrents (indulgences) to pay for the construction, Luther led out in what became known as the Reformation.

Two sad things happened when we left St. Peters. The Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel with Michaelangelo's ceiling frescos was closed. One day later, we discovered that our camera memory card had "crashed" and we lost (so far) all our photos from that day and part of the next.

This included when we flew over the coast of Italy and over the French-Italian Alps, with Mont Blanc right underneath us. Perhaps someone can help us retrieve the data, but for the moment we are grieving that loss, in addition to the lost days due to the stolen passport.

We flew to Geneva on Baboo Airlines. "FlyBaboo" is their slogan! It is a 4-year old airline out of Geneva flying smaller, commuter airplanes, but believe me, it was a fantastic flight with wonderful service. We were able to use a promotional price, but we suspect the regular fares will still make them very competitive.

In Geneva, we rented a car and drove back into northern Italy - through the famous Mont Blanc Tunnel. Pricey, but absolutely wonderful. We arrived in Turin, looking for directions, when a storm broke. I raced through the first drops into a bus terminal to ask for help when it suddenly scared us all. Even the local fellow was shaking his arm saying, "Mama mia!" Strange, strange hail - more like ice chunks than marbles. And wind! Whew! When they helped locate our street, I had to wade up to my ankles just out the front entrance to our rental car and Vonnie who was sitting in awe hoping she wouldn't be washed or blown away.

The hotel, with a front door on the 4th floor (3rd floor in Italy), was lovely. We struggled to get away what with doing some planning online for the final leg of our journey to the UK.

When we did, we drove the hour or so to the Waldensian valleys: Val Pellici and Agrogna. With the skies still threatening, and sometimes delivering, we arrived to an area on full summer break. Nothing was open, but we did visit some amazing sites of Waldensian history. We've included a couple of photos, including one of me in front of the statue of their warrior pastor who helped reconquer the valley in the 1600s so the survivors of the crusade and massacres could return from exile.

At our last stop of the day, high on the side of a valley, we met a Waldensian family from Missouri, coming back to visit their family roots. Together we found a small museum there, open, honoring the Waldensian women who through the ages have been spiritual leaders. We both want to learn more.

When they started the 1/2 hour walk to the infamous cave where the anti-Waldensian crusaders built fires at the entrances and suffocated everybody inside, we had to turn back towards France. With the freeway system through Mont Blanc, we arrived at the girls dorm on the Adventist Campus just at 8 as the sun was setting Friday night.

This Sabbath morning, we went to a part of the Bible study and then for the church service. Wonderful, as I reported above. In the afternoon, we had the privilege of driving up the side of the Salève mountain, onto the broad "ridge". It remains as beautiful as when I explored it in 1964-1966. But to do it again with Vonnie by my side! This "impossible dream" came true today.

Tomorrow we take a train from Geneva to Paris, and then from Paris to Calais. After a night there, we will cross the English Channel, or La Manche, on a ferry, and use our BritRail passes to reach Leeds. After a day exploring York (that's OLD York, not New York), we will travel on to Edinburgh for two nights, and finally our retreat in a cottege on the little islet of Seil off the western coast of Scotland.

We have entered the final half of our sabbatical and we will eventually be flying back to the Walla Walla Airport and Milton-Freewater. I hear we will find two wonderful changes at Milton Church: a new platform, inaugerated by Jaime Jorge this same Sabbath, and a remodeled, Fellowship Hall kitchen. What wonderful leaders to have kept our church family focused and growing while we have been away.

Bed-time calls! And I need to add the photos. God bless you all.