Thankful

We have put another slideshow together and would like to share it with you. It contains that which we are thankful for most (apart from all of you, of course). We truly do have so much to be thankful for. Thank you. For who you are. We love you! And want to wish you a very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very,

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Buon Natale!

Can you believe that it’s here!  We hope that you all have a wonderfully Merry Christmas!  Don’t forget the reason for the season!

“This is our testimony to all mankind. It is our gift and blessing to the world.

He is our joy and our salvation, and we will find Christmas of greater meaning in our own lives as we share these truths with others.” -Gordon B. Hinckley

We love this gospel and we love being able to share it with the people here.  Your missionary sons and daughters are priceless and we are so grateful to have them at our side.  We know that we have a living Savior who loves us and will succor us in every need, in every situation in which we find ourselves.  He is Wonderful, our Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).

Anziano Sanders e Babbo Natale!

The Nativity

 Verona and Mestre

Anziano Proctor and Anziano Squarcia on the present hunt

The Magnificent Seven

This transfer, we received 7 wonderful anziani!  We are so excited for them to join our ranks and be able to witness and participate in the myriad of miracles in the Milan Mission that are happening EVERY DAY!  Here are some photos from the first day of these great missionaries...
 

 

Anziano Sanacuore, Anziano Ibba, Anziano Modugno, Anziano May, Anziano Mustafaraj, Anziano Gessel, and Anziano Murphy

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Then, as always, we sent three of our beloved missionaries back into the anxious hands of their families.  I recognize that this picture is not crystal clear, but I hope that you can see what I can in their eyes. 

The greatest miracle is a change of heart.  As missionaries leave, it is hard to say goodbye.  But it is rewarding to be able to look into their eyes and see that they have come to know their Savior more, trust their Heavenly Father, and heed the Spirit.  That gleam in their eyes is joy.  The kind of joy that lasts forever.

D&C 18:10-16

Anziano Snedaker, Sorella Ryan, and Anziano Healey

Ready or Not!

Can you believe that it’s been six weeks already?  We sure can’t!  Ready or not, we picked up three marvelous missionaries three weeks ago.  We had a wonderful time with Anziano Moh, Anziano Hatch, and Sorella Soh!  We went to the Duomo, the Bone Church, got some scalp massages, ate delicious panzerotti and delectable gelato, talked to a great variety of people, and placed copies of the Book of Mormon!

What a great day!

Anziano Moh, Sorella Soh, and Anziano Hatch

And then we were forced to give up three missionaries the next day.  Talk about heartbreaking!  We are so grateful for the examples and service that these three GEMs have rendered in the time they have spent devoted to the Lord.

 

Anziano Patullo, Sorella Baranova, and Sorella Alexander

Sani e Salvi

The last week of September brought with it a new half dozen missionaries!  We are so excited to have these wonderful missionaries here with us.  We know they will be able to accomplish incredible things—miracles assuredly await them wherever they go.

   

 

 

Anziano Nelson, Anziano Droghei, Anziano Roisum, Sorella Oakes, Sorella Nilson, and Sorella Hanks.

We are going to miss these three wonderful missionaries who have left us this transfer.  They have done amazing work and I think it is safe to quote Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration on their behalf as they look back on their mission.

“The Lord did build us. And in wonderful ways.”

 

 

Sorella Manning, Anziano Aranda, and Anziano Wright

Who We Are

I recognize that you may be getting tired of hearing the mission hymn.  You have to understand and appreciate the genius, however, of this musical combination inspired by President Wolfgramm and performed by Anziano Jeter.

HYMN OF THE ITALY MILAN MISSION

By R. Gee

We will never tire of serving the Lord.

We will serve him with great faith,

Giving all our heart.

If we are faithful, the prize we will have,

The Gospel restored in Italy will blossom.

On the mountains and in the cities,

From Milano to Torino to Padova,

Our voices we will raise and

All will hear the truth,

All will hear the truth.

Now onward, brothers,

let us go to serve The Lord,

Laboring with great faith!

Let us give him all our heart!

Already the land here is ready and

Zion will rise, will rise, will rise in Italy.

Achieving the Impossible

We compiled a slideshow of pictures for Zone Conference and thought that you might like to view it as well. Some people might say that we are dreaming an impossible dream in Italy, but we are achieving the impossible. The work is hard—as with all good things. But with the Lord at the helm, all things are possible and we know that we will reap success and everlasting joy.