Bonjourno:
Today is a travel day and we all got up by 5 AM, skipped breakfast, just coffee……we can eat at the airport in the lounge. We were down stairs waiting for our ride, which was late, so I asked this gentleman if I could use his phone and pay him so thatI could call our driver. He dialed the phone forme and as I got Tarek on the phone, he pulled up. We loaded the van and 40 minutes later we were checking in for our flight. It was a beautiful morning for a bus ride to the plane, again and we knew we would be doing the same in Rome.
The highlight of our trip was a beautiful little 7-year-old girl sitting behind Susan and me. Her name was Katia and she was just in Jerusalem with her parents looking for a cure for her. They went thru a barrage of tests, hoping she qualified for a new study for her condition. She couldn’t speak, but her eyes said it all and she stole our hearts. She didn’t like the food they gave, her so Susan gave her her pasta and mom fed her and she ate it all. We joked with her and laughed. She held our hands which, her mom and dad were surprised, because she doesn’t ever do that. Katia understands and her mom says she communicates with her eyes and she knows what she needs. The love that we could see and feel from Katia’s parents for her is hard to describe. The patience and tenderness of their caring for Katia …the calmness in their demeanors … the spirit of their “hopes” for a cure and their dedication to their beautiful daughter was an inspiration to us.
Katia even took our picture with the help of her dad and we got pictures with her. We prayed over her and blessed her and told mom and dad that she was going to be on our intention list forever, praying for a cure and a normal life for this little princess.
We exchanged e-mail addresses and Katia was so happy that we were going to send pictures and write to her. Words cannot describe how Susan and I felt about this little “Angel”. When you meetsomeone like this dear little Katia … I think it is important to always remember her when things are not going the way one would like in life … what could we possibly have to complain about if this little girl who has no control over her body can smile and smile and smile as if she has not a worry in the world … just incredible and a true “lesson in life”!
Please help us to Pray for Little Katia and her parents.
Getting off the plane in Rome was the same, the bus to the terminal and customs which took no time at all. Our driver was waiting for us and in less than an hour we were in our apartment after we found Alessandra, the owner, which took a few phone calls.
The apartment was great and big and belonged to Alessandra’s mother and she rents it out for extra income. The girls unpacked, and Sam and I went shopping for supplies at the large supermarket across the street. It took us 1½ hrs to figure out the store and get everything we would need for dinnertonight and breakfast in the morning and some snacks and wine and water and so on.
We had so many bags we had to stop every 100 ft to rest and we only had a ½ block to go, uphill. UGH!
We relaxed in the evening, said our rosary and prayers for all of you, and made it to bed fairly early for our next day adventure.
May God continue to bless all of you,
Love Susan, Tom and the Kids
Mary, Help of Those in Need
Holy Mary,
help those in need,
give strength to the weak,
comfort the sorrowful,
pray for God’s people,
assist the clergy,
intercede for religious.
Mary all who seek your help
experience your unfailing protection.
Amen.
May God Bless Each and Every One Of You!
Tom & Susan Melillo
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418 (USA)
E-Mail:
_TSMelillo13@aol.com_ (mailto:TSMelillo13@aol.com)
