Just waiting...

So we are here in the Ederle Inn on the Caserma Ederle (base). They have recently updated their id card process. It is supposed to be more efficient yet the process has gone from getting your id the second you step on base to 5 days later. This does not seem efficient to me. Especially since everything you do on base requires an ID card. Absolutely everything from getting mail, using the library to shopping requires you to show your military ID card. There is NOTHING that you do not need it for. So that severely restricts what we are able to do currently. I have been blessed though because I have "begged" several people and was allowed to borrow things from the ACS Lending Closet, get a temporary library card and pick up packages at the mail room. We need to go to the MP (Military Police) station and sign up for a long term pass though so that we can go off of base and NOT have issues when we return. It took about 15 minutes to get us on base on Monday because our sponser wasn't signing us on (this would have been no problem) but just wanted to take us to our hotel using official passports and military travel orders. The MPs and Italian guards wanted us to have ID cards or get them immediately. Should have just gotten them immediately but alas we did not. So we are a little stuck right now.

Fortunately tonight is the FREE Toby Keith concert and that occurs right here on the base just a block from our hotel. We plan on going if it isn't raining too hard. Hasn't rained yet today but it was sprinkling around 3:30 pm. Hope that is all there is going to be. Should be a fun time.

I spent the afternoon in a newcomers briefing mostly for new inprocessing soldiers but it was still good info. Good thing about the military that many of you may not know is that they really take care of you in many instances. All kinds of welcome classes and information so that you know exactly what is available to you should you need it. Next week there is a Ben Venuto class (welcome to Italy) for Army spouses. I will check and see if I can attend that as well. It doesn't all apply to me since we are civilians but there are still a lot of resources that we do qualify for. Tomorrow, I will also be filling out the application for volunteer work. In the military you can't just volunteer you have to sign up for it so they can track your hours. They have quarterly and yearly ceremonies honoring their volunteers. And, in order to track that, they need to have you fill out the paperwork. Oh well, it will be giving us something to do while we are waiting to find a home and living in the hotel. Then perhaps we can volunteer at least once a week like we did when we lived in Garmisch Germany.

Things here are slower and can take a lot more time. Here is an example that I heard about today. Sometimes the electric company only checks your meter once every 6 months. So instead of getting a montly bill for 200 Euros you would get nothing for 6 months or so and then one for 1200 Euros. Or in the example they gave us it was 3000 Euros. So that is something we have to be aware of and budget for. Very good thing to know ahead of time. But now that we know we can make arrangements for that in our budget. May drive me crazy though since I am so anal about bill paying and making sure it is done in a timely manner. Plus that part of me really likes to "plan" and have a set "budget". Guess I will have to get over that.

Oh and I forgot to tell you about our good fortune the other day. On Tuesday we receive a knock on our room door. There is a young woman standing there and asked if we were the Hughes family. The boys and I had just gotten back from the library (where we did the aforementioned begging and were able to obtain a library card). So we were already pretty pleased. Then Ann, the young woman, tells us that Titus and Angie sent her. (They are the missionaries that we told most of you about already). She said she didn't want to STALK us but Titus sent her so she came. She already had a note typed up to stick under the door. I think she was really nervous about coming to see us but she was so sweet. Anyway, we start talking and she offered to take us, well me really since the boys are (YEAH) old enough by military rules to be here by themselves, to the Thrift Store, ACS and Commissary. WooHoo. I was getting ready to start walking to those places to check things out. I wanted to see if there was anything I could borrow from the ACS (Army Community Services) Lending Closet. SIDE NOTE HERE: While our hotel suite comes with a tiny kitchen with a 2 burner stove top, microwave, fridge, sink and dishwasher it only came equipped with 4 plates, 4 bowls, 4 knives, forks and spoons and TWO (yep 2) TINY PANS. Like I could boil water for one cup of tea and fry one egg. Who did they think I could feed with that? Silly people. Anyway, I was able to go to ACS and borrow a laundry basket, mixing bowls, cooking utensils, can opener, potato peeler and masher and pitcher for tea. Oh and a toaster, colander and large cooking pans. So now I can cook in the room as well. Which is good because no one (except maybe kids)would want to eat every day at the Food Court. YUCK! Again I had to beg since I do NOT have an ID card but the lady there was very helpful. Ann also took me to the commissary where I had to beg again but they also let me shop. All in all it was a SUPER welcome and such a blessing. I was able to get library books, groceries and borrow items so we could cook in our room. And was welcomed by a new friend who will also be taking us to church on Sunday. Can't wait.

Finally, I want to add a little about the church. Ann and her husband attend the church with Titus and Angie (missonaries) and it is an Italian church. There is no English spoken there. Ann said it was all in Italian but she is quickly learning because of that. She also said that even though many of them speak no English they are very friendly and she loves the Italian service. James and I plan on getting very involved in this church with the kids. A great way for them to learn Italian, learn how to share their faith and be a part of mission work. How many of us to get really participate in the day to day or week to week work of Christ by being involved in a mission like this? Not many. I personally feel that this will be so wonderful for us. A great way to grow our faith and for the boys to really develop "their" faith as opposed to just riding our faith coat tails. I will keep you updated on the joy and pain of that growth as well.

Love and miss you all! Leave a comment so I know I haven't lost you yet ;-)

Angy