"Benvenuti" to Thirty-four New Missionaries

During the last two weeks of July, the Missione Italiana di Milano received quite an influx of new missionaries.  Thirty new young Anziani and Sorelle arrived, twenty-seven from the Provo MTC and three from the Madrid MTC. Two couples also also began their service, one in the mission office and the other in the Pordenone Military Base Ward. 

Anziano and Sorella Harmer, the new Coppia dell'Ufficio

The group from the Spain MTC came into two different airports - two at Malpensa and one at Linate. 

Linate Airport

Malpensa Airport

The group from Provo arrived a few hours late and missing some luggage, but were in excellent spirits.  The logistics of getting this large number of people around Milano and into the field was amazingly orchestrated by gli Assistenti alle Presidente (the assistants to the president), gli Anziani dell’ufficio (the office elders) and the coppie dell’ufficio (the office couples).

The entire July 24th group of pioneering missionaries in front of the bus at the Milan Linate Airport

Tired and Happy

What would we do without buses?

Picture taken through the back/side door of the bus

Group picture following dinner on the evening of July 24, 2013

The day of and the day after their arrival, the new missionaries were interviewed by President Dibb, met their trainers, received some basic training and then were sent off to their areas of service. 

One to two weeks later the new missionaries and their trainers again received training divided into three smaller groups in separate cities.

Three couples and five young missionaries returned home after faithful service to the Lord for eighteen months to two years.  Pictured below is one of the couples and the younger missionaries with Presidente and Sorella Dibb.

Departing Missionaries at the Mission Home on July 25, 2013

Singing the mission hymn followed by a kneeling prayer together is always a great conclusion to each mission meeting.  “Salve” and “Arrivederci” to the precious missionaries of the Missione Italiana di Milano. 

Ciao! Presidenti!

President and Sorella Wolfgramm departed for the United States the day following the arrival of President and Sorella Dibb on June 28^th. 

Mission Leadership Council (Consiglio) was held the following Tuesday with the Sister Training Leaders and Zone Leaders.  The picture of the Sister Training Leaders is below:

President and Sorella Dibb toured the mission attending zone training and interviewing each missionary.   

President Dibb spoke of changes announced by the First Presidency and Missionary Department at the New Mission Presidents’ Seminar.  He also spoke of the “Work of Salvation” broadcast.  Missionaries were encouraged to dress like executives using the new Church websites for Sisters and Elders as a guideline.  Backpacks are to be replaced by side bags or brief cases.

Missionaries taught their peers about characteristics of a missionary from the 4^th Section of the Doctrine and Covenants.  President Dibb encouraged missionaries to study faith (Bible Dictionary page 669) as well as the scriptures to learn the process of developing faith.  Obedience produces faith.  All true faith is based on correct knowledge so participants were urged to study continually.  President Dibb taught, “Be obedient missionaries so that you may accumulate a reserve of faith.”

“No matter what your circumstance, you can choose to be a disciple of Christ.”  “Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life” (3 Nephi 5:13).

Sister Dibb taught that the faithful service of the missionaries will bring about the promise, “And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face.  I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit will be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you to bear you up” (D&C 84:88).

The assistants and zone leaders directed instruction from Predicare il mio Vangelo on helping investigators with baptismal dates achieve their goal of being baptized as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  

Mestre Zone

Verona Zone

Genova Zone

Milano Est Zone

Milano Ovest Zone

Torino Zone

Firenze Zone

All Types of Missionaries

Milan Missionaries come in all shapes and ages.  Younger missionaries leave school, home and friends to dedicate 18-24 months to the Lord. Senior missionaries also leave home and friends as well as careers, children, and great grandchildren to serve their Lord. Older missionaries pack two large suitcases with a few changes of clothing and a lifetime of experience.  They step into an unknown future. First Nephi 4:6 describes their desire to serve and trust in the Lord: "And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.°

In Northern Italy senior missionaries provide many services. Couples are assigned to the mission office, host military servicemen, labor in branch presidencies, facilitate young single adult activities, provide housing and health services, and film genealogical records.

                             

In Verona, Italy, missionary couples volunteer in the Italian State Archives to preserve state records from 1871-1942. The family history project in Verona began with one camera in December 2012 when 650 meters of books were identified as needing reproduction. Since then another 350 meters of records were scheduled for “filming”.  Five couples using state of the art digital cameras and software take picture of records that date back to 800 AD. Records preservation is vital to governments, religions, and families. Each missionary couple produces about 10,000 pictures a week.

The experts work under difficult conditions. The Verona project preserves documents covered by flood waters in 1965. 

“Paper weakens when wet. Today I worked on books still damp from the floods,” said Anziano Savoldi. The volunteers first clean the books from dust, dirt, mold, pigeon excrement, rat droppings, and/or worm and bug destruction. 

The next step is to capture the images and label them so that indexers can organize and translate the documents. The seniors wear shop coats, masks and gloves; sometimes, laboring under extreme temperatures. An air purification machine helps filter the air.
                                    
  Their dedication can be heard in words from Anziano Salvoldi, "Families are depending on us. We do our best to save every document. I have seen books with holes in them as large as a basketball. We do our best to preserve what is left." The Italy Milan Missionaries anticipate saving 115 million names on birth records, marriage banns, immigration documents and death records.

June Arrivals

A late plane tested new missionaries' flexibility skills. Due to missing connections, the arrivals landed in Milano Italy in the middle of the night. They ate a pizza dinner and retired as quickly as possible. Early Thursday, the  tired but eager missionaries met in a Milano Chapel for orientation and assignments.

The Mission President and his wife welcomed the new missionaries both at the airport and chapel.

Sorella and President Wolfgramm taught the new Anziani and Sorelle about G.E.M.s which stands for Grow Every Missionary.

He also asked an experienced missionary to demonstrate how sharing a skill could bless the lives of others.

The President's assistants organized the meeting of singing, laughing and waiting for an introduction to the trainer companions.

Excitement buzzed.

The trainers lined the room prepared to share a miracle and describe their cities and wards. Trainers announced their new companions, shared hugs and posed for pictures.

After a closing hymn and a large lunch, new missionaries traveled to their first cities.

The Office

The work of the Milano Italy missionaries grows with each passing week. There are 124 anziani and 54 sorelle. That number is expected to increase over the summer. The missionaries share the gospel in northern Italy with more than half of the 60.72 million Italian residents. Italy supports 100 congregations with about 25,000 members.

The boundaries of the mission stretch from areas South of Sienna and Ancona to the northern borders of Italy and the Ticino Province of Switzerland, which speaks Italian.

One mission office coordinates missionary endeavors. The office is located in Opera, a small attractive town outside of Milan. The English translation of Opera is work.

 

The staff:
• Obtain permessi and renewals
• Organize trainings and events
• Keep records
• Facilitate missionary projects

• Liaison with families, church and governments
• Obtain, furnish, and maintain apartments
• Organize and distribute supplies
• Arranges travel
• Manage finances
• Provide telephones
• Support personal missionary needs
• Create and communicate reports
• Sort and deliver communications
• Teach and encourage
• Help members and leaders
• Provide media correspondence

The office consists of a conference room, kitchen, four offices and a stock room that supports missionaries with pamphlets and scriptures of many languages. The Church has published the Book of Mormon in 82 languages.

Welcoming 31 new missionaries

Last week we welcomed 31 new missionaries into our mission, which is the largest group coming into the mission in a very long time. It is also the first group to come in who were all called since President Monson's announcement of the age change for missionary service.

The twenty-eight missionaries who arrived from the Provo MTC just outside the airport.

Just the Sorelle outside the Milano Duomo after contacting some people in the piazza there.

All thirty-one new missionaries at the restaurant after their first day. Some of them were really struggling to stay awake.