Out with the old, in with the new!

 

It was a sad day saying goodbye to some of the best missionaries this mission has ever seen. We are grateful for the service that they have provided and for the sacrifices they’ve made in order to bring others to Christ. We know that they will continue to be a great strength to the church and to their families. However…

we are very pleased to welcome 10 new missionaries into our great mission! We know that they will be a great light to the Italian people as they serve with all their heart, might, mind and strength. We’re grateful to have them here with us!

Leaving the airport!

Eating their first pizza in Italy!

Preaching the gospel to real Italians!

Meeting their Trainers!

We may have lost some all-star missionaries this week but we are very blessed to say that we found 10 more!!!

GEMS Part 2

What do GEMS look like?

They wear shirts and ties everyday

They come from all over the world

They make goofy faces

Some wear skirts

Our mission is full of GEMS and we love them!

Hello. Goodbye.

We are so happy to welcome 10 new missionaries to our mission.

This great group is now preaching the gospel all across northern Italy from Torino, to Verona, to Florence. We are forever grateful for their decision to serve the Lord. Such a decision requires sacrifice, faith and courage. They will be blessed for this. The world needs missionaries to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. What they have left behind, however, cannot out do what lies ahead of them. The Lord has called them to succeed and succeed they will.

This group can tell you about it.

This group of departing missionaries has exemplified service and dedication to the Lord. From the beginning to the end they worked hard and gave it their all. They have led the mission to new heights and left us with a greater vision of the work. As President Wolfgramm says, even though it’s sad to see them go in reality it’s a happy occasion. These missionaries have learned lessons that will bless their lives forever. They re-enter the world they left better prepared to live and enjoy life.

We are grateful for their service we hope for the very best for these 13 missionaries that have given so much.

Earthquake update

At 9:10 this morning and again this afternoon at 1:00 northern Italy was shaken by an earthquake. The earthquake originated in the Emilia Romagna region and was felt throughout throughout all of northern Italy.

All missionaries are safe and accounted for.

Unfortunately not everyone was able to stay as safe as the missionaries. We pray for the families of those who have been hurt or killed.

Two by two

There could hardly be a better way to finish 18 months of faithful service than with a baptism.

The Ritchies served the majority of their 18 months in the mission office and left a lasting impression. While serving as the financial secretary, Anziano Ritchie was able to do more than ever because he spoke Italian. He was known for order and discipline and taught many a missionary the importance of budgeting and planning. He also made great strides in improving the quality of apartments throughout the mission. Many old apartments were closed, many new ones opened and countless others were refurbished.

Sorella Ritchie was known for her unmatched kindness. She faithfully guarded to make sure that missionaries did all that was required to legally stay in Italy. This is no easy task. Her kindness and patience was much appreciated by every missionary who went through the sometimes maddening process of legal documentation.

We will be forever grateful for the service the Ritchies offered.

After 10 months the Ramptons have also left us. They served in the Young Adult Center in Milan where they will be dearly missed by many of the youth of the Milan Stake. They are now serving in the England London South Mission. We wish them the very best for the duration of their mission.

 

We are excited to welcome the Capece couple from Sandy Utah. Anziano Capece served in Italy as a young man and he and his wife have returned to serve a mission together. They will take the Rampton’s spot serving in the Young Adult Center in Milan. We welcome them and are very excited for the adventures that await them in the coming months.

GEM- part one

Once upon a time President and Sister Wolfgramm found themselves at the MTC preparing to come to the Italy Milan Mission.

Long before that, however, President Wolfgramm had learned an important lesson when he was trained as a stake president. Every big project, he learned, needed a battle cry. A battle cry would give purpose and direction to work. It would be a constant simple reminder of what the end goal was and what was really important. In times of excitement it could be shouted at the top of you lungs, or whispered quietly to oneself in times of need.

A perfect example was that of the Vietnam war and the war in Kuwait. The Vietnam war seemed to drag on- no one really knowing what they were fighting for or why. There was division and confusion on exactly why they were fighting. Kuwait on the other hand had a clear purpose that was made clear in an unforgettable two word battle cry- Liberate Kuwait.

And so, our fearless President and Sorella Wolfgramm knew that as they prepared to lead the Italy Milan Mission they would need a battle cry, which brings us back to the MTC. One night they met a few missionaries that would soon be serving under them. They talked and got to know them and as they walked away they said to themselves, “They’re just gems.” They had found a battle cry.

Gems stands for “Grow Every Missionary.” The Wolfgramms, as you may have noticed, were very wise. Although they were coming to lead 150 missionaries they knew that each of the 150 was an individual. Each with their own personality and opportunities, strengths, weaknesses and passions. One less wise might think they were coming to lead a mission of 150, but the Wolfgramms knew that they were going to lead 150 ones.

They would have different expectations for each missionary. Some would know how to work, some would know how to study, others would be more ready to love and others more ready to knock on doors. Although they would expect different things from different missionaries there was one common expectation, and that was growth. As we already know, the Wolfgramms are smarter than average, so they knew that it didn’t matter the condition a missionary might be in when they came to them but, that they would leave them better. They would leave be more ready to love, they would be a little smarter and they would have greater faith in Jesus Christ.

And so our very smart President and Sorella Wolfgramm went to work. Today they grow, they nurture and they push each missionary to new heights helping them realize who they can be and all that they can do.

So if you ever find yourself with an Italy Milan missionary take a moment to look for the gem in them. Watch how they work. Watch how they help each other. Are they better than the last time you saw them?

 

Do you have a battle cry? What is it? Does you life have direction and purpose? What has helped you grow? How have you helped other people grow?

Three by three

At this time in your life, a mission call from the Lord, my young friends, is the most important work that you can do. Prepare now, live righteously, learn from your family and Church leaders, and come join with us in building the kingdom of God on earth—accept your divine appointment in so great a cause.

-Ronald A. Rasband

Arriving and departing missionaries is always a time for reflecting on what has been and what is yet to come.

This week we had the bittersweet experience of sending home three super sorelle.

Sorelle Burgoyne, Williams and Willey each left their mark in their own powerful way and will not be soon forgotten.

A special thank you goes to Sorella Burgoyne who started this blog among the many other things she did working in the mission office. She spent almost a year working in the office and did an amazing job.

We are sad to see them go, but excited for to see what they might do with the rest of their lives. They are leaving the mission having done so much and they have been well prepared for the rest of their lives.

We also had the pleasure to welcome three wonderful new missionaries.

 

They may be the most international group of incoming missionaries yet.

Anziano Young from Australia, Sorella Gomez from Mexico and Sorella McNamara from the United States.

We are excited for these new missionaries. It’s so exciting to see them on the brink of such a great experience. Already we love them and pray for them. We are grateful for their preparation and we anxiously anticipate the great missionaries that they surely will become.