Mission-wide Conference with Elder David A. Bednar

April 27, 2015, was a day of personal revelation for each of the missionaries in the Italy Milan Mission.  We truly thank Elder David A. Bednar and his wife, Sister Susan Bednar, Elder Jose A. Teixeira and his wife, Sister Maria Teixeira,  and Elder Stephen B. Allen and Sister Allen who taught, listened to and blessed the lives of the missionaries in the Italy Milan Mission.  We were so grateful to receive guidance to be better able to use personal revelation and physical tools in becoming the Lord's true missionaries in  the Italy Milan Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

An iPad is a tool, just like a pen.

We felt as if Elder Bednar was talking to each of us personally.

Elder Bednar invited the missionaries to acknowledge the revelation we received through the question and answer format of his instruction.

All of the missionaries fit perfectly in the Cimiano Chapel.

Sister Bednar instructed and shared her insights throughout the conference.

President Teixeira, the Europe Area President, taught us about focusing on our missionary purpose.

Elder Bednar team-taught with Elder Stephen B. Allen, Managing Director of the Missionary Department.

President and Sister Dibb had the opportunity to share their testimonies.

At lunch time the missionaries received training materials.

We pray to become effective and successful missionaries in the Digital Age.

The missionaries prepared themselves to be led by the Holy Ghost.  As they had prepared themselves spiritually, each missionary could learn from Heavenly Father what He wanted them to know and do. They received inspiration from inspired questions and instruction by a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy and an Area Authority who is also the Managing Director of the Missionary Department, their wives and the other missionaries in our mission. 

We now have more desire to act with faith upon these feelings as we receive His guidance to serve more efficiently, more in tune with the Doctrine of Christ, and more faithfully and joyfully.  We are truly blessed by a loving Heavenly Father and have the privilege of sharing His love, guidance and Plan of Salvation with all people through faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost (confirmation) and enduring to the end.

Much preparation was needed to make sure that the missionaries would be receptive to these teachings.  We specially thank the Office Anziani, Assistants to the President and Anziano & Sorella Pederson for their hours of preparation and organization.  We also thank each missionary as they continue to strive to act upon his or her divine guidance and become the best missionary he or she can become.

The main  "physical and organizational preparation" team

The couples of the Italy Milan Mission were excellent help in preparing lunches for over 250 missionaries, translators and physical facilities specialists.

Every missionary from the Italy Milan Mission attended the conference.  Pictured below are the missionaries gathering and preparing themselves spiritually to be taught by personal revelation for their missionary service and their personal lives as they listened to Elder David A. Bednar, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

A panoramic photo of the missionaries in the Italy Milan Mission, April 27, 2015. (You can zoom in to find your missionary.)

The day before the mission conference,  Elder David A. Bednar, Elder Jose A. Teixeira, Elder Stephen B. Allen and their wives attended Sacrament Meeting in a combined gathering of the Como 1 and Como 2 Wards.

Elder David A. Bedanar and his wife, Sister Susan Bednar, are visiting with one of the earliest members of the Como area.

On the return trip to Milano, we stopped to take a photo at Lake Como.

We give many thanks to our Church leaders, Church members, parents, family members, friends and others who make it possible for us to serve here in the Italy Milan Mission.  We pray that we might bless and help others as you have blessed and helped us to serve our Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ in Italy and through the remainder of our lives here on the Earth.  We appreciate your prayers for the Italy Milan Mission and its missionaries.  We also appreciate member missionary work both here in Italy and throughout the world.

Much love to you from the Italy Milan Mission!   

Arriving and Departing in April

The missionaries' first day in Milan is one that is filled with anticipation.  The missionaries arrived in wonderful fashion at the airport and the usual pictures were taken.  However, on the way to get into the cars and load the luggage, Sister Dibb's camera case (with camera inside) came unhooked from her purse strap and fell unnoticed to the ground.  After returning to the office with the missionaries, she looked down and realized that her camera was gone.  The office missionaries returned to airport to look for the camera, but had no luck in finding it.  So, our new missionary picture story starts when they arrived at the office.  

What a great new group of missionaries!  We received two Sorelle and nine Anziani.  They arrived just in time for the mission-wide conference.  They were ready to begin to fulfill their missionary purpose and were eager to learn and grow spiritually.  Their new missionary training three weeks from the time they arrived was a time of personal revelation and sharing.

Five of the "arrivi" awaiting their first teaching experiences in Italy

Instructions from the Assistants to the President

Finding on the subway

And more

And more

These companions are making the most of their time

Coming up out of the subway

The first group posing for a photo at the Duomo in Milan - April 15, 2015

More finding at the Galleria

Still talking

And the Anziani are doing the same

And more finding on the way back to the mission offices

So many people interested in hearing our message . . .

Still finding!

And bearing testimony

and sharing our message of truth restored

The second group of missionaries in the van on the way to the train station

Getting their oppuscoli

and receiving their instructions

What a wonderful force for good!

And soon they find someone to talk with at the station

And on the metro

Meeting the Italian people on their first day

"Forever Finders"

Coming up out of the train station

The second group photo at the Duomo - April 15, 2015

More finding

Dinner the first evening at the mission home with the President and the Assistants to the President

Then after a good night's rest, they receive a bit more training

and then meet their first companion

Because there were only two Sorelle,

they were announced at the same time.

"So happy together"

and already "bonding"

Each trainer tells something about themselves and their area.

 The last two Anziani hugging their first companion

The new missionaries and their first companions in panorama

Receiving permesso instruction from Sorella Rose

When we have a small group in the office

the missionaries

are able 

to see the transfer board

and remove

the cover over their card

from the board.

They are getting a glimpse

of all the missionaries

at once.

So, when the new missionaries come in, that means that others have to say good-bye to Italy for now.  We bid a fond farewell to two Sorelle and ten Anziani.  May their future lives be filled with continued service to the Lord.  

April 16, 2015

Ten terrific Anziani after dinner and testimony sharing at the Mission Home

This dynamic duo of Sorelle will be greatly missed.

New missionary training was held on May 5, 2015.  We realized that we did not have a good picture of the Class of April 15, 2015 (because of the lost camera), so we took a photo.

The entire mission looks forward to serving with these great new missionaries.  We appreciate the support of parents and family, ward and stake priesthood leaders and others who help to prepare these fine young women and men to serve the Lord in this sacred calling of full-time missionary service.