The Acerson Family

Kimberly in Thailand

2011-05-01T17:19:00.000-07:00

Kimberly is in Thailand right now with the BYU Ballroom Dance Company and will be going to Vietnam in about a week or so. She sent a few pictures so I thought I would post them here for easier viewing.

Kimberly trying to match the Buddha on the mountain (which is made with gold inlaid into the stone).

Brent and the sushi section of the lunch buffet at their hotel. Something else that they especially liked was the sticky rice with mango and coconut sauce.

The group had a tour of a winery there (don't ask me why). Here they are drinking some grape juice from the winery (fresh, before fermentation . . . honestly!). This was after their first show that they did for some handicapped children in an orphanage.

Some kind of gourds hung from a trellis at the winery.

Young boys in training to be monks (novices). The man in the back of the group is their cultural adviser, a professor from BYU.

Brent and his trainer from his mission in front of the Buddha -- the most famous one in Thailand.

Brent in front of the church in Bangkok where they had their Sunday meetings. They had translators for them so they could understand what was going on since the meetings were in Thai.

Kimberly posing with a woman (in purple) who was taught by a childhood friend, Kara Lawrence, who served a mission in Thailand. The girl is the woman's granddaughter. This woman had gotten up to bear her testimony in Sacrament meeting and said that she had been taught by sister missionaries two years before. After church, Kimberly found someone who could translate and asked who the sister missionaries were. As she suspected and hoped, it was Kara, whom she has known since preschool!

Brent and Kimberly in front of their hotel. They said it was beautiful and restful -- especially nice to come home to after a big show! They are able to stay here for several days and travel out to the shows.

Brent and Kimberly trying to fit inside the Thai taxi. (It is a motorized three-wheeler.) Called a "tuk tuk."

Inside the tuk tuk.

Kimberly eating coconut ice cream inside a coconut after a four-course meal. She said that they are treated like royalty. (I hope she doesn't expect that kind of treatment when she gets home! :-)

Drinking coconut milk straight from the coconut. (Brent called it coconut water and said that they used to drink this all the time on his mission in the Dominican Republic.)

And the Miracles Just Continue . . .

2010-12-04T21:46:00.000-08:00

I started this post two months ago, but never finished because I hadn't asked for permission from one of the people whose story I share later. I got the approval when we went back for the temple groundbreaking ceremony, but am just now getting it finished.

-------------------------------------------------------

Well, we've been home for (gasp) almost three months. (It's now been over five!) How that time went by, I'll never know. We are glad to be home with friends and family, but miss the beautiful people of Italy!

I have been encouraged to keep up this blog by a few people, so I will continue to share stories that you might be interested in from time to time. Here are three amazing stories which show that miracles do happen -- and they happen often. We just need to open our eyes to see them, and then get on our knees to thank our Father in heaven for His constant love and care in even the smallest details of our life.

The New Roommate
Our two oldest daughters recently returned from their missions to the Italy Milan Mission and the Japan Tokyo Mission and decided to be roommates this school year. On move-in day a couple of weeks ago, I was helping Lisa move some of her things in. As we were on our way out, we saw a mother and daughter who looked extremely familiar coming into the building. I knew that the daughter was a ballerina and started to ask her which university she would be attending and assured her that I was sure she would be their top dancer! My daughter, Lisa, didn't recognize them at first. I thought that because they were so familiar, they must be in our home stake. In the meantime, they looked a little shocked to see us and actually had put their hands up to their chest. I wondered why they were so surprised! I couldn't remember their names. but I said, "Oh they're from our stake!" The mom slowly shook her head and said, "No . . . we're from Firenze!" (Florence!) Why, of course they were! We had just seen them a couple of months before when we were still on our mission -- and Lisa and Kimberly had met this girl when they attended a youth conference when we first arrived in Italy in 2007!

I couldn't believe it! What a coincidence. Or was it? As we talked, I found out that she didn't know who her roommates would be; she had just signed up in an apartment that had a spot available. Knowing that she would be all alone in the U.S. without a friend to live with and her parents so far away, Lisa and I asked her if she would like to live in their apartment, where there was also had an opening. Our other daughter, Kimberly, spoke Italian, but even better, this cute girl would have a family here in the U.S. who would have her over for Sunday dinners, celebrate holidays with her, and could help with anything that came up. She was so excited about the idea--and her mother just started to cry.

Later, her mother told us that it truly was a miracle that we ran into each other. Apparently, when they had gone into the office to pick up her key, they couldn't find the paperwork showing that she had paid. She said they had to wait for quite some time, but that they finally found it -- just in time to come into our building at the very same moment when we were leaving. Just a half minute earlier -- or later -- and we would not have seen each other. We both realized what a special miracle we had been a part of.

Giulia, the new roommate, is at our home right now watching a movie with our girls as I write this. What an adorable girls she is and we are so happy to have this opportunity to have her as part of our family for a time. A blessing for us as much as I hope it will be for her.

Jonathan
I wrote about Jonathan and his baptism a couple of years ago. Since that time, Jonathan worked two jobs (working double shifts at one of the jobs) to earn enough money to serve a mission. He was later called to serve in the Italy Milan Mission. We just received a letter from him recently telling us that he had been transferred to Siena to be the Branch President there. What a miracle. A little over two years ago, Jonathan was baptized and became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is the only member of his family to join the church thus far. And now he is the ecclesiastical leader of the Siena Branch. The things he has learned and experienced will serve him well as he helps the members and brings others into the church. What a miracle you are, Anziano Duque!

(Note: We were able to see Jonathan when we went to the groundbreaking ceremony. We met his mission president while there and asked him if we could drop a package off to him in Siena. He gave his permission, but we were disappointed that when we got there, Jonathan and is companion were not there. We thought they might have gone to Florence for the satellite broadcast and just not returned yet. We were disappointed, but left the package for them for when they returned. We then continued on to Florence to get some things at the market. After a couple of hours shopping in the large, open-air market, who should we see but Jonathan and his companion!! We were so excited to see him. Apparently, his mission president had called him to let him know that we might drop by, but he was in Florence instead of Siena. He and his companion had meetings in the morning and then decided to walk through the market on their way to catch the train to Siena on the off chance that we might be there. The night before, he had told his companion that he would be seeing us the next day -- and he did! He's doing well and we couldn't be more proud of him!)

God's Timing
Two years ago, a member of the Rome Stake named Alfonso approached me at an activity. I later found out that he had first approached my husband and asked him if he could possibly help him find more stable work that would pay enough to take care of his wife and son and his widowed mother who was living with them. My husband, thinking that I might be the better resource, referred him to me. I remember that, at the time, I was a little surprised that an Italian would be asking us about employment when we really didn't have any connections with anyone who could give him a job. I politely said that if we heard of anything, we would let him know. I asked him to send me an email and a resume so that I would know what his qualifications were and left it at that. He sent them . . . and there they sat for several months.

One day, one of Scott's friends was at our home studying with him and said, "Guess what? My dad just got a promotion! He is now in charge of Human Resources at such and such organization!" At that moment, something nagged at me until I finally remembered why -- Alfonso who had asked us to help him find a better job had mentioned this organization in his letter and resume! I pulled up his email that he had sent me a several months earlier and realized that he had been hired here and there by this company as a security guard, but that they had always been temporary work for two or three months at a time. (In Italy, they have a law that once you have hired someone for a permanent position, you must keep them until they retire, regardless of job performance. Because companies do not want to be locked into hiring someone that they don't know, they will often hire temporary staff for a short period of time.) Alfonso had mentioned this company and said that he would most love to work there in a permanent position because of their stability, reputation, and salary. He had applied there before, but had not "won the interview" because, as he said, you often needed someone to help you get an interview.

Because we had met the father of Scott's friend at the kids' basketball games, I decided to write him an email asking how this man might be able to get an interview. He was very responsive and said that while he didn't do the hiring, he could make sure he would get an interview. He said that "the rest would depend on how he presents and defends himself."

We forwarded the resume on and I later decided to send him Alfonso's first letter to us (some of which is found below):

-------------------------------------------------------

First of all I'd like to thank you for accepting to at least listen to what I have to ask.

I'm very sorry that we never had a lot of occasions to know each other better but every time we met I could feel your strength and your spirituality. It's been a long time since I've been thinking of different options to improve my family situation and the other day when I saw you in Church I felt that talking with you could be a help.

I would like to briefly tell you a little about me.

I lost my father when I was 10 years old. You could even say that it happened before when I was 3, because dad had a car incident in 1979 that left him seriously injured and in a vegetative state. Even my mom is very ill now, due to a life of stress and a several physical problems.

Anyway now I'm married and I have a 5 months old child (he would now be a little over a year old), but with a mortgage, a rent, some debts from the wedding, I really struggle to get to the end of the month with my job that I have now.

As one of my last resorts, I have thought to ask you if you are able to help in any way. I am not sure how, but felt as if I should at least ask.

-------------------------------------------------------

The father of Scott's friend was very positive about the situation and asked if he could forward the letter onto the person doing the hiring. He said, "I think he should have this letter. The story is so moving."

Although they didn't expect any positions to be open for several months, they invited him to take the tests that would be required of him once a position opened up. They later discovered that he had already completed and passed the tests from earlier applications.

We were notified when there was an opening several months later so that Alfonso could submit his application. A few months later, he was given an interview. A few months after that, he was given a second interview, and finally, he was told that he had received a job and would begin in October -- just in time for the birth of his second child!

This is part of the letter that he wrote to us letting us know about the job:

-------------------------------------------------------

"The role of Mr. _________ was crucial in order to obtain this outcome so I really want to thank you for your efforts and prayers. Really there are no words to express how grateful I am to the Lord, to you and to Mr. _________. This job means a lot for me and the well being of my family so thank you, thank you, thank you!"

-------------------------------------------------------

This is what I wrote to him in return:

-------------------------------------------------------

"Oh happy day! There are no words. I know that it is all due to the Lord and His having his hand in the small details of our lives. Why else would you have randomly asked us to help you when we were not in a position to find work for you? Or to hear from a friend of Scott's that his father has received a promotion at the very place that you wanted a job! There are so many small miracles at work for us every day. I'm sure Heavenly Father loves when we notice them and realize the love that He has for us."

Yes, the miracles in our lives just go on and on. May we continue to see them and thank Him for the love that he shows us with the miracles he performs on our behalf.

Mom Moments

2010-03-11T06:10:00.000-08:00

One of the things I love most about being in Italy on our mission is that we've been able to have most of our children with us at one time or another. It just wouldn't have been the same without them and we've loved sharing this experience with them.

When we get home, five of our six children will either speak Italian fluently or will be able to understand most of what is being said (even if they are too shy to speak it). Marianne spoke in church recently and shocked everyone by giving a seven-minute talk in Italian without looking much at her notes. (Kimberly who was home from her mission for a couple of weeks helped her translate her talk from English to Italian.) She even realized when she made a funny mistake and knew how to correct it! Jeff, who was sitting next to me, whispered under his breath, "Wow. She's amazing!" We knew she could -- she just hadn't up until this point. Stephanie speaks half English and half Italian most of the time and sometimes has a complete conversation in Italian -- if no one outside the family is around!

But there are many other reasons why this has been such a good thing for our family. We have learned a lot -- about other cultures, other beliefs, and the struggles that many have in this life. The kids have learned how to really study -- and study hard. We have spent a lot of time together as a family -- much more than we would have with our busy lives back in Utah. And that's only the tip of the iceburg!

There are some funny moments as well. I thought I would hurry and write down a couple of them before I forget:

One day while Kimberly and a couple of her friends from the States were here, I picked Marianne and Stephanie up from school. The day was warm and sunny and we wanted to take advantage by going on a bike ride through the Villa Borghese (kind of like Central Park in New York City). Stephanie was frustrated that I hadn't brought her a change of clothes and that she would have to wear her navy blue school pants. (Just last year she wouldn't have even thought about it!) I told her that no one would even notice and that there probably wouldn't even be any kids her age around. As soon as we got out of the car, a throng of kids just her age walked by. She said, "See?" I said, "Tell me what's wrong with these pants." She said, "They're getting too short!" I said, "Well, at least they aren't as short as your pants were last year!" To which she replied, "These ARE the pants from last year." Drats!

A few minutes later as we were walking, she said she was thirsty. I said, "Did you know that you could put one of these smooth rocks in your mouth and that will help you not be so thirsty? In fact, the pioneers used to do that as they walked across the plains." She said, "Well, did you know you can actually get water from a rock?" I said, "No you can't honey. The rock just helps your saliva gland get working so your mouth isn't so dry." "No," she insisted, "That's not what I mean. I mean you really can get water from a rock! You can just hit it with a hammer and water will come out." I said, "Well, if the rock were part of a rock wall, and there happened to be an underground stream behind it and you hit the rock and broke through, then water would come out." "No," she again insisted, "You really can just hit a rock with a hammer and water will come out!" Realizng that it was going to take another "expert" to convince her, I said, "Go ask Kimberly." She promptly went back to walk with Kimberly and said, "Kimberly, you can get water out of a rock, can't you!" Kimberly said, "Yes -- if you're Moses!" To which Stephanie replied, "EXACTLY!" So funny.

And then there are always those times when you wish your children weren't there to witness your ineptness or foolishness because you know that someday they will pass on these "crazy mother stories" to their friends, or worse yet, your own grandchildren! Such was a moment a couple of days ago.

A woman in our ward at church had had a new baby who was having some troubles with swallowing and had to be hospitalized. The mother was at the hospital most of the time with the baby, so the women in the ward were taking turns bringing meals to the family. It was decided that this week the Young Women would prepare the meals under the supervision of their mothers. We had fun making homemade chicken noodle soup with peas and carrots, baking powder biscuits, a fresh fruit platter, and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. As we left the house to deliver the meal (in the dark and rainy night), I grabbed the address, the map showing right where it was, my wallet, and keys to the house. What I realized a couple of blocks away was that I didn't have my phone with me. Marianne encouraged me to go back and get it, but that would entail driving around several blocks because of the one-way streets. I decided against it and said we would be OK.

Driving here is crazy. Driving here in the rain is crazier. There is more traffic because those who are normally on motocycles and scooters (motorini) are now in cars and it's a mess. But since I had mapped it all out, I felt like I knew where I was going and we would be fine. We drove the 10 minutes there with few problems, but, as usual, could not find a parking place. If this happens, especially if you're only going to be a few minutes, you just put on your hazard lights and double park, hoping you can get back out to the car before the owners of the trapped cars start honking. We grabbed the food and went off in search of #300, Scala B, int. 2. Except that there were several buildings at #300 (A, B, C, etc.) We found B, but couldn't see the family's last name on the citofono (a list of names and their doorbells). Someone finally let us in. We went to apartment #2 -- and were told that the people we were looking for didn't live there. During this entire process, I was kicking myself for not bringing my phone and their phone number. I could have solved this so easily by ringing them and asking them to come out of their building so we could see where they were. But remember, I hadn't listened to Marianne and so didn't have my phone. Very frustrating. Just as I was going back to the car to get in and return home to get my phone and their phone number, the girls ran up and told me that they had found it!! Yeah! Just as we brought it to the door and were waiting to take our pan back, my hand brushed something in my pocket. My phone!! So NOW we realize we have the phone -- and had it all along. The girls really had fun with that one. Don't kids know that they aren't supposed to laugh at old ladies? Especially when they are their own mothers!

One last mom moment: Over the next three days, Brigham Young University will be hosting the National Ballroom Championship. For several years, we spent many hours there watching our children put their many hours of practice to good use as they competed with a partner or team. What a great experience it was for them. It was one of the hardest things that some of our children had to leave behind as we came to Italy. Kimberly said good-bye to dance when she decided to serve a mission, missing last year's competition. This year she will be a volunteer, helping with the event instead of dancing in it.

In remembrance of her beautiful dancing, I wanted to post this clip that someone sent me last year. At first, I didn't think Kimberly was in this particular piece until I saw how one of the dancers moved her arms and held her head that made me look closer. And there she was. She takes away my breath every time.

Myths and Reality of Mormonism

2010-02-06T08:07:00.000-08:00

I found a great video that helps dispel the myths of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hosted by Steve Young, former NFL quarterback, and Sharlene Wells Hawkes, a former Miss America. (After clicking on the link above, scroll down until you see "Myths and Reality" and choose between Windows Media Player and QuickTime video.)

If you want more information, videos, or answers to questions, go to www.mormon.org.

So Who Goes to Your Church?

2010-02-02T05:53:00.000-08:00

I get this question from time to time and have to smile. There are various reasons why people ask this. Sometimes they are asking because they have a hard time believing that Italians really join our church. Sometimes they assume that most of the members are “stranieri” (foreigners) – people not originally from Italy. Some see our church as an American church (even though a fifth of our missionaries are Italian and more members live outside the U.S. than in). The fact is, we have a wonderful mixture of Italian members and those from many other countries.

Some leaders in the church who come from Italy and other countries

Approximately two-thirds of those who are joining the church right now are Italians.

In addition to Italy, we have members from South America, Africa, the Philippines, other countries in Europe such as Romania and Ukraine. And, yes, even America is represented – mostly by those who work at the U.S. Embassy or for the military. Several months ago, the Relief Society hosted a stake dance festival where couples performed dances from their countries and there were a total of fourteen countries represented!

Members from the Philippines, Italy, Venezuela, and Finland

Members from Pescara

It might surprise some to know that many of those who attend our church are third-generation members. Oftentimes, grandparents joined long ago and have brought their children up in the gospel.

Long-time member from Napoli

Sisters - one lives in Rome and the other in Florence.
Both are strong women who have raised wonderful children in the church.

Now their grown-up grandchildren are the ones who are serving missions, marrying in the temple, and leading the church. They run the various organizations such as Relief Society, Primary, Young Men and Young Women. I am constantly impressed at the strength of their testimonies and the energies with which they willingly serve.

One of our returned missionaries and his fiance'

I remember attending a baptism in Pescara where I got to know more members of the Bosco family. One of their sons, Stefano, lives in Rome and was Scott’s Young Men leader. He always tried to teach these boys things that would help them be good men and fathers someday. He married a beautiful young woman who is originally from South America. I watched in amazement as this young woman would teach a Relief Society lesson and then run upstairs and lead the singing with the Primary children. On weekdays, she would organize activities for young girls aged 8-11 as part of the Achievement Days program. These fun and educational projects helped these young girls serve others and learn important skills. I thought of the strength of these two as they were married and knew that the church here was in good hands.

Stefano and Itala on their wedding day

Stefano and Itala today

But back to this young man’s family from Pescara . . . His grandmother joined the church decades before and raised her children in the church. This young man’s father and mother are instrumental in the missionary work in that ward, bringing their friends—and their families—into the church. They have further contributed to the missionary effort by sending four sons on missions. As these sons have returned from their missions, they have married in the temple and continue to serve in various capacities. What an amazing family the Bosco family is!

Fratello and Sorella Bosco from Pescara

The Calabrese family is another example of good and faithful latter-day saints. Brother Calabrese is the Stake Patriarch and works on a volunteer basis in the mission office helping with a myriad of tasks. Brother and Sister Calabrese lived in La Spezia years ago when President Acerson was a young missionary—unfortunately, he didn’t find them at that time. They joined the church about eight years later in 1983 in Siracusa, Italy and their conversion story is inspiring. Brother Calabrese’s mother, sister, and others joined the church shortly thereafter. The Calabreses continue to raise their children in the church.

Fratello and Sorella Calabrese

We met their youngest daughter, Norma, when we first came to Italy. She is truly one of the most beautiful and amazing young women we know. A recent university graduate, Norma knows six different languages, including Arabic, and works in an embassy for a country from the Middle East. She is very good and kind and finds various ways to serve. She recently married an Italian returned missionary in the temple. He was just called as the Elder’s quorum president. Norma teaches and plays the piano for the Primary children and in Sacrament Meeting. They both are very helpful in providing translation for the English-speaking members, helping with church activities, and organizing dinners and game nights for themselves and the other young couples in the area.

Daniele and Norma

We love these good and faithful members who attend every week, fulfill their assignments, and inspire and help others to serve.

A few new young adult members from the Napoli District

A cute couple from Sardegna

But there is another group of members I wish to tell you about: those who visit bella Italia and make it a priority to attend church meetings while they are here. I am always impressed with their faithfulness when I see them. Why? Well, first of all, because you would think that there are many more exciting things to see in Italy than the inside of a chapel! Second, they are doing it because they want to – not to keep up appearances (who’s going to know if they went to church while they are here??). Third, if they are not Italian, there is a language issue and they realize that there might not be anyone who can translate for them. They come anyway.

Why do they come? I think it’s because they want to feel the beautiful spirit that is there. They want to meet with the saints from another country who, in spite of cultural and language differences, believe in the same things that they do. They know they will get the same teachings they would get back home. They want to worship God and show respect for Him by taking time out of their busy schedule to come to His church. They want to take the emblems of the sacrament which symbolize the atonement of Jesus Christ and help us to remember His great sacrifice.

Let me tell you about some of these visitors whom we have met in our travels around the mission. One was a group of men of various ages from Peru who came to church in Pozzuoli near Napoli. There was a grandfather, his two sons, and a grandson. They were performers who were on tour throughout Italy and had to do some real searching for the church meetinghouse since it’s fairly tucked away in Pozzuoli. They even took time out of their busy schedule during the week to ride the train and find the church so they wouldn’t get lost on Sunday. That Sunday they arrived early and stayed for all three meetings. Since they spoke Spanish, and not English, none of the missionaries could translate for them. They said they understood enough with some of the similarities between Spanish and Italian. What a beautiful and faithful family!

One hot summer Sunday, we were visiting the branch in Cagliari, which is on the beautiful island of Sardegna. People come from all over Europe to vacation in Sardegna because it is surrounded by huge stretches of white-sand beaches. So it was with great surprise when I saw a group of five or six young men who were visiting that Sunday from France. As I talked to them before the meeting, I found out that some were returned missionaries, one had just received his mission call, one was just submitting his mission papers, and one had just recently joined the church. They had found out where the church was located, found the busses that they needed to take to get there, and then gave up a day at the beach to sit through meetings that were all in Italian – no one spoke French and so they, too, had to do without translation. When it was my turn to speak in church that day, I spoke about them and their dedication in attending church (luckily my Italian was slow and clear enough that they were able to understand enough). Where else would you find this love of God and commitment to something you believe in? I hope my daughters marry someone like these young men someday.

We have met those who come to visit family and friends from other parts of Italy and who make sure to attend church. Sometimes their family and friends aren’t members, but they come anyway, giving up valuable visiting time so they can show their children that attending church is important. It’s been especially fun for us because we have met those who know our daughter Kimberly as she serves in the northern part of Italy!

Family (who knows Kimberly) from northern Italy attending church in Napoli

And then there are lots and lots of visitors to our home ward in Rome. Yesterday there was a young man and a young woman who were visiting from Paris. They had each served missions (to Romania and France) and were now going to school and working in Paris. They knew each other through church and decided to go to Rome and do some sightseeing for the weekend. Knowing that they only had about a day and a half after traveling, they came to church anyway. They found out that there was a baptism after Sacrament Meeting and wanted to stay. They then asked about visiting the temple site, and because we didn’t have pressing concerns, took them there for a few minutes. When we finally left them at the bus stop, it was 3:30 p.m. and they were hoping to see a little of St. Peter’s Basilica before it closed. We figured with all the travel time and activities at church, they had taken six hours out of their schedule to do what they did. It really is amazing to me.

And this happens week after week with couples and families who are here on vacation or just stopping through on a cruise. One family who just dropped in one Sunday was Mitt Romney (yes, that Mitt Romney, former candidate for the office of President of the United States of America), his wife, Ann, and two granddaughters. They came to Sacrament Meeting and quietly sat in the back not wanting to attract attention, shook hands with several of the members afterward, then slipped away to finish their time in Rome. Just in case he runs for President again, and just in case anyone wants to know if he really is a religious, God-fearing man who feels it is important to partake of the sacrament, showing his love and respect for his Father in Heaven and his Savior, Jesus Christ – well, the answer is yes.

I’m so grateful that we are able to attend church with such good people! If you are traveling to our mission, you can find the location of church meetinghouses and meeting times here. Otherwise, go to the Meetinghouse Locator at www.mormon.org to find a meetinghouse anywhere in the world. Wherever you go, you'll be more than welcome!

Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice

2009-10-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

It's time again for one of my all-time favorite things in the year--General Conference, where we get to hear from our prophet, the twelve apostles, and other leaders of the church. Thankfully, this happens twice a year and I always find it to be inspiring and uplifting. I simply do not have words that express how much I love conference. These leaders have fasted and prayed to know which topics will help not only the members of our church, but all of mankind--and they are always right on. They pour over the scriptures to find just the right passages that will support their topic, then they write their talks with the help of the Holy Spirit and give them with the help of the Holy Spirit.

On Saturday, the theme seems to be the nature of God and His love for each of us. I have listened in awe to the beautiful way in which the speakers have helped each one of us know and understand and love our eternal Father in Heaven. I especially appreciated that they approached the subject of God intellectually as well as spiritually, as some of our friends who have questions about the existence of God see things more from an intellectual perspective than a spiritual, faith-based perspective. Especially memorable to me was the talk by Elder Uchtdorf on Saturday morning where he talked about how Mormons should be known: as those who show love to all -- as disciples of Christ. In the Saturday afternoon session, I especially loved the talks by Elder Callister, Elder Hales, and Elder Oaks. How powerful and sweet and direct they were. Anyone who listens to these talks will know of a surety that there is a God and that He loves them. And that was just the first day!

And then there was today. President Monson, our prophet, talked about serving our fellow man. Wonderful. That afternoon, those who listened to Elder Holland's talk will ever forget it. Wow. Powerful. Last spring he gave a most memorable talk on the Atonement that I still remember as if it were yesterday. He is an incredible speaker who speaks with power and authority and, most importantly, the spirit. Elder Christofferson's talk about moral agency and moral discipline--beneficial to all, especially to parents who are trying to teach these principles to their children.

Many of you want to know how people in other parts of the world watch conference. If we lived in Utah, we would just snuggle up on the couch in front of the television and watch with our family. There are two-hour sessions twice a day for two days (for a total of eight hours) and the men and boys age 12 watch a two-hour Priesthood session Saturday evening at the church (via satellite). Sometimes, if we were lucky, we would go to Salt Lake City and see it live and in person in the 21,000-seat Conference Center. What a treat this is. It's especially amazing as the prophet walks into the filled-to-capacity center. Everyone quietly rises to their feet and stands until he is seated to show their respect. Even with 21,000 people in attendance, you could hear a pin drop.

However, here in Italy--and in other parts of the world--things are a bit different. Sessions are shown in church buildings via satellite. Because of time zone differences, some sessions are shown live and some are shown hours later. For example, a women's meeting from the week before is shown on Saturday afternoon at 4:00, followed by the first session shown live from 6:00-8:00 p.m. The next day, Sunday, Priesthood session is shown from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., followed by the Saturday afternoon session from 2:00-4:00 p.m., and the Sunday morning session shown live from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Very few members stay for the last session (from 10:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m.) and choose to either watch it on the internet at home or read it in the Liahona (a church magazine) later. Some church buildings have a room where the meeting is translated into Italian and another room where they show it in English. In our meeting house, there is even a room for those many whose native language is Spanish. (Some of our missionaries, both Elders and Sisters, native and non-native, have been asked to help with the Italian translation that is heard all across Italy. How fun for them -- and their parents who are listening to their voice elsewhere in Italy!) Those who speak English and who have the internet usually choose to watch at home. It is wonderful to be able to gather with the members and missionaries and watch at the church building, but sometimes our children coax us into snuggling on the couch and watching it at home. And sometimes we do some of each.

Our daughter, Lisa, who is serving in Japan, said that they will watch all sessions next week as they are fifteen hours ahead of Utah, so it depends on where you live as to how and when you are able to view it.

If you are not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and want to know more about what we believe, I strongly encourage you to watch some or all of conference. To do so,

1. Click here to watch in English. (Go to www.lds.org to see other options and languages.)
3. Choose the session (Saturday AM, Sunday PM, etc.)
4. Choose the speaker or musical number you wish to see.

In addition to the speakers I have listed above, you must go to the Sunday PM session and listen to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's rendition of "Oh, Divine Redeemer." A beautiful testimony of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
_________________________________________

And now, I add my voice and testimony to those who have spoken at this conference. I know that God lives and loves us. I know He answers my prayers, those of our children, and all those who go to Him in faith. I know that He loves us enough to let us make mistakes and learn from them. I know that He sent his beloved son, Jesus Christ, to show us, by example, how to love and serve others. I know that this perfect man, our brother, accepted the will of our Father and willingly gave His life to satisfy the demands of justice and pay for our many sins and weaknesses. I am personally grateful for the principle of repentance and all that it means in helping me change and be better on a daily basis.

I know that God the Father, and His son Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith, a young boy of only 14 years old, to personally answer his prayer and his questions about which church he should join. I know that just a few short years later, Joseph Smith was given the great responsibility to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth. I know that amidst persecution and at great sacrifice to him and his family, he translated an ancient record of the people in the Americas which is now known as The Book of Mormon. I have read this book and love the messages and teachings that are contained therein. I am grateful that we have both the Bible and the Book of Mormon as testaments of the life and divinity of Jesus Christ and to serve as a compass to give us direction.

I am grateful for a prophet and for the apostles who are part of a beautifully organized church. I am grateful for their dedication and profound love for all of us. I am grateful that I have the teachings of Christ that help us raise our children in this world today. I am grateful for the eternal perspective that helps us see beyond this life when making important, life-affecting decisions. I am grateful for all the many blessings I have received in this life: for wonderful parents who loved me and taught me and showed me, by example, how to serve others; for six faithful and kind children who continue to amaze me with their strength and dedication; and for the many missionaries and faithful Italian members who show me so much love that I can hardly contain it.

I have seen people change their lives as they have come into this church. It is simply incredible to see what they have become. I am grateful for the opportunity I have had to know them and see first-hand their stories as they have exercised their faith and continue to draw closer to Christ and to their Heavenly Father.

May we all try, as President Monson asked, to serve each other and do a little better each and every day.

I know and testify of these things in the name of my beloved Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, Amen.

All our love from Rome.
Sister Acerson

Un Anno Piú (One Year More)

2009-07-01T16:17:00.000-07:00

This past year we have been asked by the members and friends from the kids' school, "Do you leave this year?" "How much longer do you have?" The reply was always, "Un anno piú" – one year more.

However, President Acerson and I were just realizing yesterday that today is July 1st. After today, we can no longer say we have one year left. Of course we can say, "Almost a year" or "just a little less than a year" but not for long. At the current rate at which time is speeding by, those phrases won't even be valid for much longer.

After a wonderful mission tour and visit by Elder Kopischke, we have been inspired to set some new goals. We are trying to work harder and be more efficient and effective with our time. Especially since we are running out of time.

With all due respect to our family who is waiting for us to come home, I just wanted to take this opportunity to share some pictures of things we love about being here (in no particular order). We will enjoy these things for "almost" another year.

Remember that you can click on a picture to enlarge it. Clicking on the Back button will then take you back to the blog.

Beautiful families with strong mothers (this one said about sharing the gospel with others, "I cannot stay silent any more.")

Hard working (and beautiful) sister missionaries

Zone Conferences

Picking up new missionaries

Lots of luggage

New missionaries with boundless energy and excitement in spite of jet lag!

Dropping off departing missionaries (my least favorite part – the only thing that makes it bearable is knowing what it's like to be a mom on the other end waiting for them to come home)

Grateful members who come to the airpot to say good-bye

Amazing and happy senior missionary couples who leave grandbabies behind (this couple represents five couples we have serving here)

Missionaries who smile

Napoli Pizza

Knowing you are in the presence of great men

Watching the departing missionaries try to figure out how they can take it all home!

Watching new missionaries head off to their new cities

Missionaries who sing

Preparation Day fun!

Knowing that your son has had amazing examples of how to be a great missionary!

Young Women who stay strong – even in an R-rated world

Missionaries who bring their eternal companion back for a visit

Amazing missionaries

Flowers and flowering trees and trees planted in rows

Weathered–but charming–old buildings

Adorable children

Things that don't match – love it!

Happy missionaries

Food

Great leaders

Beautiful families (the first couple met in the Switzerland temple as they were each accompanying brothers who were going through the temple before their missions – they were married a few months later – VERY unusual here in Italy). She’s expecting their fourth child. Beautiful.

Solid missionaries!

Good friends

Three-Month Conferences

Italians and their beloved dogs (yes, that's a real dog with a real hat and real sunglasses)

Guests for Sunday dinner

Stalwart Youth

New members who get involved

Young women who are striving to dress modestly

Christmas dinners

Good families

Sunsets

And baptisms!

And so much more.

Stay tuned. It's going to be a busy year but I'll try to find time to post a story or two once in a while. Buona giornata! (Have a good day!)

Who Woulda Thought?

2009-05-31T15:03:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's late and yes, I know I should be in bed. But there is little time--and it's getting shorter by the minute. Little time to say good-bye.

Yes, Scott is leaving us soon--in less than two weeks now. He will fly home with Marianne and Stephanie, spend a month at home (trying to beat Mark at a game of chess, most likely) and get ready for his mission (but I'm sure my sisters have that all under control!). Wow, will we miss him! We'll miss his teasing, his laughter, and his fun.

But who woulda thought . . .
that a boy from "happy valley" in Utah would be graduating from Marymount, an international Catholic school in Rome, Italy!

Who woulda thought . . .
that a boy who didn't really learn about different peoples of the world until coming to Italy would become so socially conscious and even take on "poverty" as his theme for his IB art projects.

Who woulda thought . . .
that a boy who had completely fallen arches that were somewhat corrected with some kind of pins implanted with surgery when he was five or six would be named as MVP on the boys' varsity basketball team and Most Improved on the boys' varsity volleyball team. Or that he would be one of eight students on the "Dream Team" and that he would be named "Sportsman of the Year."

Who woulda thought . . .
that a boy who didn't learn to read until 4th grade would be wearing the National Honor Society insignia when he graduated.

Who woulda thought. . .
that a boy who once asked his mother how to make friends would make friends from all over the world.

Who woulda thought . . .
that a boy who went through some very difficult times when he was young would turn into such a loved and respected young man.

Who woulda thought . . .
that he would be named "a true ambassador of America" by the American Women's Association of Rome. And might I add, he has been a true ambassador of our church as well as he has answered many questions about our beliefs and why he will be serving as a missionary for the next two years of his life.

Like any mother, I could go on, but I know I've already embarrassed him enough. I distinctly remember when we told our children that we had been asked by our church to move to Rome, Italy for three years. I especially remember Scott wiping tears away as he said, "It's OK, I'll be fine. I'm really OK."

I knew he was disapponted. I knew that he wanted to play basketball for the school team. And he did -- just for another school. He played hard and he played with heart. He loved his teammates and his coaches. And not only did he play basketball, but he was able to also play volleyball. As part of the sports program, he traveled around Italy and participated in the European finals in Germany where they won second place in their division last year. And young boys on the junior high team looked up to him. Cool.

I knew that he wanted to try out for a student government position because he had watched his older sister as she led the studentbody at PGHS. He loved the fact that she loved everyone and wanted to make things fun for them. He was able to experience some of that as studentbody secretary at Marymount. He certainly loved everyone and definitely made things fun!

I knew that it would be challenging for him to finish his school year in another country without his friends. But I know that he would honestly say that things happened exactly as they should have -- and he was most definitely amongst friends.

To sum up just who Scott is, I want to end with a story that happened a week or so ago when some friends of ours were visiting. Scott had only one class during the day and told them that when he finished with class he would ride the bus and meet up with them to tour some parts of Rome. In Piazza Venezia, there is a very large government building called Il Vittoriano. At the top of this building is a great place for taking pictures of the Roman Forum and Colosseum. They climbed a lot of stairs to the top -- only to discover that the gate was locked. As they started back down the stairs, the father of this family said that he was going to run around the front (keep in mind this is a Huge building) and take pictures. As the mother, her two daughters, and Scott were about halfway down the stairs, they heard a woman screaming. Scott realized that there was a woman huddled on the ground across the street with two large men threatening her. He took off without thinking about what could happen and told the men (in Italian) to leave her alone and that they shouldn't treat her like that. They yelled at him to leave and said that she was Romanian and didn't belong there. He said, well, maybe not, but it was no excuse to treat her like that! They roughed him up a bit and threw him against a wall. About that time, a police car pulled up and they hustled the woman into the car. Thinking that the incident was over, he started to cross the street back to the mom and two daughters (who were very much hoping that the father would come back!). The men had other ideas though and were mad. They ran after him, grabbed him and tried to put him into their car. He fought against them and said that he would not go with them. They said that he had no business getting involved and that the woman was an illegal and they were trying to take care of it. They finally flashed a badge, telling him that they were police and again tried to put him into their car. He didn't know for sure, even then, if they were really policemen, but even if they were, he knew that he could be taken somewhere and beaten or worse. He thought that perhaps someone would have understood the situation and would come to his rescue, but no one did. He was very scared. As it turned out, they were undercover cops with an unmarked car. Our friend (the mom) worked up some courage and went across the street, pointed to herself and said, "Me, mamma." They started asking for "documents" (such as a passport or any type of ID) and she said they didn't have his with them. They insisted on it, thinking that he was illegal as well and was working with this woman from Romania. Some street vendors who could speak both Italian and English finally stepped in and helped with translation as Scott explained that he was just trying to protect a woman from being beaten and that they should understand. They finally backed down and, after taking down his address and phone number, let him go.

Keep it up, Scott. We're so proud of this kid. He continually does what is right. There's not a time that I visit the school that I don't hear something good about him. At graduation, I overheard a student from one of the younger grades say, "You'll never go wrong, Scott." He has certainly made the most of what was given him. Yes, this has definitely been a wonderful experience. Who woulda thought things would turn out the way they did?

You're right.

God did.

He knew all along.

How grateful we are for His foresight, guidance, and protection and all the many blessings, big and small, that He gives to to us every day. And for this life-changing experience.

Scott in the Italy Catania Mission!

2009-05-10T17:16:00.001-07:00

Today after our stake conference, we hurried home as fast as we could so we could talk to Mark and Aersta in Utah, Kimberly in Milano, and Lisa in Kawagoe, Japan. After talking to the kids for a while (Kimberly and Lisa sound great, by the way), Scott opened his mission call which he had received in Utah last weekend.

We were so happy to hear that Scott will be serving in the Italy Catania Mission as of July 15, 2009!

Even though we won't see him while he serves, we consider it a real blessing to have him serving in the same country we are serving in. Such a blessing!

It was such a nice Mother's Day!

Update on L'Aquila

2009-04-11T15:30:00.000-07:00

Today was a national day of mourning for the victims of the earthquake that happened in L'Aquila earlier this week. Some have had private funerals while many others were part of a mass funeral ceremony yesterday. Our prayers are with their families. How grateful we are for the atonement of Jesus Christ that we celebrate this Easter Sunday which makes all things right and whole again and which gives us hope and comfort that we will all be redeemed and will live again. My favorite talk from Conference last Sunday morning was by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. (If you go to the BYU.TV site, click on Sunday Morning session, then click on Elder Jeffrey R. Holland.) What a beautiful message reminding us of our Savior's sacrifice and how it touches each of our lives.

Many of you have written or called and asked what you can do to help. We've even had many returned missionaries who served under past presidents ask if they could come over and help with the cleanup. How sweet everyone has been all around the world in wanting to come and help their fellow brothers and sisters in L'Aquila!

The stake has asked local members to donate goods that can be taken to the residents who now live in tent cities, hotels, and sleeper cars on trains. These items will be collected at the stake center this week. Because it is difficult and expensive to send items to Italy, members who are not in Italy can donate money instead to the church's humanitarian fund, give extra for fast offerings, or specify on the donation slip that you wish the funds to be used for L'Aquila. The church always does a beautiful job of assessing the needs of those who are in need and then helping them with the basic essentials. (I'm not asking for donations, just suggesting a way that you can help if you wish.)

The church will continue to meet with the members and those on the rebuilding team to see how we can best help. Thanks for the outpouring of love and concern.

Earthquake in L'Aquila

2009-04-05T23:17:00.000-07:00

At 3:32 a.m. this morning, we awoke to a gentle shaking that lasted about a minute. It was my first earthquake, but not President Acerson's. He had experienced a couple of earthquakes while serving his mission in Udine, Italy over 30 years ago (one 6.9 and 7.4).

We received a call a few minutes later from the missionaries in L'Aquila who said that it had hit much harder there (we later found out that this was the epicenter of the quake) and was measured at 6.3. They were fine and visiting with other residents of the city. They later dashed back inside to get warm clothing then walked to the bus station to see if the buses were running (they aren't as they have closed all roads so they can check the stability of the many tunnels and bridges that surround that area).

We have been in contact with the parents of the four missionaries who serve there (Elder Wheeler, Elder Brothers, Elder Grigg, and Elder Brock) but cannot call all parents to reassure them that their missionaries are fine. We hope this will help reassure those who need more information.

These missionaries will have many service opportunities over the next several days. We ask you to join us in prayer for the residents of L'Aquila and the surrounding cities who have lost loved ones.

These are some of the pictures taken by my sister Ellen James last summer before any of the current damage. We will post pictures from our missionaries there when we receive them.

Click here to see more pictures of L'Aquila. It is a beautiful old city and we pray that there is minimal damage, death, or injury to the people who live there.

Sister Jessica Wilkey

2009-03-09T19:09:00.000-07:00

Meet Elder and Sister Wilkey. When we came, we learned that they would be coming to serve in our mission for a second time! They had previously served in Siena where Elder Wilkey was the branch president. When they put their papers in for another mission, they were once again called to our mission and we were blessed to know them.

President Acerson sent them to the southern end of the mission to Battipaglia. Here's a picture with the missionaries who were there when they arrived. Just to give you some perspective of the passing of time, Elder Welch was fairly new at the time and will be going home in a couple of days.

Elder Wilkey served as a counselor in the branch while they were there. They worked closely with members, helped missionaries with lessons, and fed everyone! They added a bright spot to the mission.

While they were there, Sister Wilkey discovered cancer in her jaw. They found out that one of the best places to treat this type of cancer was in Milan. President and Sister Dunaway of the Italy Milan Mission hosted them at the mission home during some of their surgeries and treatments there.

It was truly amazing how dedicated they were to the mission and did not want to go home. Members and non-members alike rallied around them and it seemed to bring them all a bit closer. However, after a while, the cancer returned and they decided it would be best to go home and continue treatments there.

She was told the treatments would be long and painful, but she said, of course, she wanted to fight it. She wanted to live. Sadly, after months of treatments, she worsened and entered hospice around the 23rd of February. At noon on March 3rd, our beloved and courageous Sister Wilkey passed on. Elder Wilkey wrote the following:

Dear Friends,
It is with great regret that I write to inform you of the passing of Jessica at noon today. She has been a wonderful wife and mother and will be sorely missed by all of us who were associated with her.
As you will be aware she has suffered for the past 12 months and although saddened by her passing we know that she has gone to a far better place and that we shall see her again in due time.

We love you, Elder Wilkey and admire your strong faith.

A few days later, he sent the following and I have included it for your information:

Friends,

Thank you all for your messages of condolences and heartfelt love for Jess. I have now arranged the funeral of Jess for Wednesday 18th March 2009 at 11.30am. The funeral will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Forest Hill, Yeovil. You are all welcome to attend but may I request that no flowers are sent and that anyone who wishes to can make a donation to St Margaret's Hospice, Yeovil where Jess was very well cared for in the last two weeks of her life.

Love and best wishes,
Ron

Thank you to Elder and Sister Wilkey for blessing the lives of others. It was an honor to be able to serve with such valiant missionaries!

A Couple of Really Great Kids

2009-02-09T16:08:00.001-08:00

We have been blessed with a bunch of great kids (through no fault of our own) and a couple of them are entering adulthood in different ways this week.

Today is Scott's 18th birthday and tomorrow Lisa enters the Missionary Training Center (MTC) to prepare for her mission to the Japan Tokyo Mission. We weren't able to go to the temple with Lisa, hear her speak in church this past Sunday, and do all the other many things that need to be done to prepare for a mission, but we are so grateful for all the many friends and relatives who helped her in a big way. Thanks for all the luncheons, shopping trips, family get-togethers, and late-night talks. And thanks to our dear friends, the Judsons, for being her foster family these past six months!

We often get letters from friends and family that talk about the sacrifices we are making to be on this mission and, yes, missing out on family events such as these are difficult; however, even though some of us are farther apart, this mission has brought us closer together.

Lisa lived here in Italy with us last year and spent three days a week volunteering at the kids' school in the kindergarten and first grade classes. She loved it and it helped solidify her desire to be an elementary school teacher. In the evenings, she put her smarts to good use and was able to help the kids with any homework assignment. She helped out a lot with meals for the missionaries, was always up for an adventure, and made us laugh at her wry sense of humor. We love her and will miss her for the next year and a half, but are so happy that she will be serving the Lord and doing great things!

Meeting Lisa at the airport at Christmas

Under the Christmas tree

Having fun in Florence

Eating gelato even when it's cold!

The Three Musketeers

Lisa & the DeRobertis Family from Pistoia

Lots of love to Lisa as she shares her faith and testimony to those in Japan. God be with you till we meet again. We love you sweetie and know that the people of Japan will too. Just keep smiling and they'll know what's in your heart regardless of how well you speak the language!

Scott is now a full-fledged adult. (Or, as Marianne put it, he can now go to jail if he does something wrong. Oh funny, funny Marianne!) Our time with Scott is limited as he will leave us after school is finished in June and spend a little time in Utah before serving his mission starting in July or August. He will find out when and where he'll serve by May.

Scott is an absolute joy to have around as you can see from the pictures that follow. I would say that he is "all boy," but he still knows how to show love and tenderness to his sisters and mom. It will be a very quiet place when he's gone and I'm not sure we will ever fill the void that will be left. But for now, we will celebrate the fact that we still have a few good months with this happy-go-lucky, laid-back, ever-helpful, ever-teasing young man.

I know some of these pictures will probably embarrass Scott, but . . . well, sorry -- just trying to keep you humble bud! :-)

Scott was part of the school's volleyball team and just finished the season in basketball.

Scott & Stephanie are like playful puppies who nip at each other once in a while!

Scott on the Beach at the Cinque Terre

Playing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

The funny thing is, he knows we're watching!

Doing dishes!

Scott loved decorating the tree and the entire house for Christmas, hanging lights and snowflakes in all the windows and paper "trees" around the house. He even wrapped the doors in wrapping paper!

Scott and Stephanie

Happy Birthday Scotty-boy!

Meant to Be

2009-01-14T15:26:00.000-08:00

Be sure to click on the pictures to enlarge them and then use the Back button to return to the blog. You can also click on the underlined references below for a link to the talk and scriptures used.

There are times when something magical happens. Some might say the stars aligned or luck was shining down on us. Sometimes we smile and say, "It was meant to be!" Or we might use the overused phrase, "Wow, what a coincidence!"

I don't believe in coincidences. I believe in so much more. Call them "tender mercies" as Elder David A. Bednar called them, referring to a verse found in 1 Nephi in the Book of Mormon: “But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance” (1 Ne. 1:20) I think that all those listening to that session of General Conference smiled and nodded their head as they heard a phrase that could be used to explain the many times when their Father in Heaven blessed their lives in such sweet and tender ways.

Or, we could call them miracles, for, as we know, miracles have not ceased, but continue, even now, in our day, to bless the lives of those who follow Him.

Whatever you wish to call them, I testify that they are real. I have seen them happen on a regular basis here on our mission. Some are so small that only the receiver realizes the miracle that has taken place. Sometimes many benefit from the tender mercy, but don't realize all the intricate details that had to fall into place to make it happen.

I want to tell you about a few of these tender mercies that we have seen here in Italy, not because they are great or wondrous, but because it helps remind us that our Heavenly Father is indeed in charge of all things and that He is always there to show us His never-ending love if we will but open our eyes and see it.

The story that I will tell here was not necessarily important to the missionary work (that I know of anyway), but I absolutely marveled at the things that had to take place for this relatively small event to take place.

One day we received a phone call from a worried mother whose daughter was attending a music program in a place called Orvieto, a city a little over an hour away. She said that her daughter was sick and needed a blessing. We didn't know exactly when we could go, but realized that there was a block of time after church the next day. We weren't entirely sure, but wondered if this might be the city we had looked at longingly from the autostrada (freeway) each time we had driven by during the past year and would say, "Someday we'll take some time to drive up there" knowing that perhaps we would never really have or take the time. As the GPS guided us there, we realized, that, sure enough, it was the beautiful city we had wanted to see!

We did the best we could in finding the young woman who was ill, but the streets were narrow and the car had to stay parked outside the city walls. When the director of the music program came to find us and take us to her apartment, we realized that even though we could have come into the city from several directions, we had fortunately chosen one that would bring us within just a block from her apartment.

President gave her a blessing that she might be made well and be able to participate fully in her 3+ week music program. (She played the violin.) She asked if there was a church that she could attend nearby, but there wasn't one close enough for her to easily reach and still return in time for the events of her music seminar. We invited her to come to Rome before she flew back to the U.S. and stay with us and attend church. She (Lauren) said she would think about it and we exchanged hugs and phone numbers.

We took the pictures below on our way out. As you can see, it was a beautiful evening and a beautiful city. That we were able to finally see it was while rendering service was a tender mercy all on its own.

Can you tell where the rock ends and the bricks begin?

A glimpse of the duomo:

The facade of the duomo:

Some up-close pictures of details of the duomo:

One of the many beautiful views from the city above:

Driving away from Orvieto:

Fast forward to a couple of weeks later. Sharlee, a young woman from our neighborhood back home in Utah, was on a study abroad program in Austria. She had asked if she could bring a few friends and come and see Rome for a few days. Since the missionary beds weren't being used and our children were gone for the summer, we agreed. They were a delightful group and we loved having them! When they returned to Austria on a Saturday, one of the young women who was studying music and who played the piano beautifully while they were here, told us that her plane ticket wasn't until the next evening. She had wanted to stay and attend church in Rome. We were only too happy to have her. Her name is Emily.

Lauren, in the meantime, had called and asked if she could come on Saturday evening to stay, attend church with us, then fly out early Monday morning. We were excited that she was able to make these arrangements, but it didn't hit me until she was walking through our front door that she played the violin and Emily played the piano and that they might be able to play a musical number in Sacrament Meeting the next day! Before she could even put her things down, I asked if it might be possible. She immediately pulled out copies of several selections that her mother had sent with her just in case she had the occasion to play and we all agreed on "Oh, My Father." President Acerson cleared it with the bishop, I called a sister missionary who also played the violin to see if she might have something planned (she didn't) and it was all set. Even though both of the girls were majoring at college in musical performance and were consummate musicians, they practiced for a couple of hours that night so it would be perfect for the next day.

When they had finished practicing, Lauren, the violinist asked if we had a Sister Ferry serving in our mission. I said in amazement, "I just talked with her on the phone. She's in our ward! How do you know her?" She said that they both had worked on double majors in violin performance and Italian at universities across the country from each other (in Washington state and in Maryland) and that they had met at a couple of violin camps and seminars. She then asked if she had brought her violin with her. When I answered, "Yes," she laughed and said, "Call her and have her bring it to church tomorrow! This song we've been practicing is actually written for two violins and she knows the music by heart. In fact, her neighbor from back home is the person who wrote the arrangment!" Wow!

You have to know that since I have been here, I have never heard a musical number played in our Sacrament Meeting. The congregation was blessed that day to hear an incredible rendition of "Oh My Father," a fitting tribute to Him who had made it all happen. They encouraged the members of the congregation to open their hymn books and read the words to the song as they played so they would understand the beautiful message there. There was not a dry eye in the chapel as these three beautiful daughters of God used their God-given talents to bring a feeling of peace and love from our Father who is in Heaven. Here are the words to that song written by Eliza R. Snow.

O my Father, thou that dwellest
In the high and glorious place,
When shall I regain thy presence
And again behold thy face?
In thy holy habitation,
Did my spirit once reside?
In my first primeval childhood
Was I nurtured near thy side?

For a wise and glorious purpose
Thou hast placed me here on earth
And withheld the recollection
Of my former friends and birth;
Yet ofttimes a secret something
Whispered, “You’re a stranger here,”
And I felt that I had wandered
From a more exalted sphere.

I had learned to call thee Father,
Thru thy Spirit from on high,
But, until the key of knowledge
Was restored, I knew not why.
In the heav’ns are parents single?
No, the thought makes reason stare!
Truth is reason; truth eternal
Tells me I’ve a mother there.

When I leave this frail existence,
When I lay this mortal by,
Father, Mother, may I meet you
In your royal courts on high?
Then, at length, when I’ve completed
All you sent me forth to do,
With your mutual approbation
Let me come and dwell with you.

Text by Eliza R. Snow (1804–1887) and music by James McGranahan (1840–1907)
See: Romans 8:16–17 & Acts 17:28–29 (22–31)

“Has the day of miracles ceased?

“Or have angels ceased to appear unto the children of men? Or has he withheld the power of the Holy Ghost from them? Or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man upon the face thereof to be saved?

“Behold I say unto you, Nay; for … it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men."

I testify that this is true. Miracles do happen each and every day. We just need to open our eyes to see them and acknowledge God's hand in them.

Watch for more stories of tender mercies and miracles that have happened to us, our missionary daughters, and the missionaries who serve here with us.

All our love from Rome,
The Acersons

Missionary Story from Kimberly

2008-12-11T06:13:00.000-08:00

Sorry, but I haven't gotten back to update the blog with the rest of the pictures, but transfers, zone conferences, and Christmas is coming! I'll get to it later, but in the meantime, this was a sweet story we received in Kimberly's email that we wanted to share.

So we had to go to Milan yesterday for Zone Conference. And not like us sister missionaries are always on time getting ready in the morning:), but it's exceptionally tricky when you have three sisters, one shower, and one mirror. Anyway, what I'm getting at is that we missed the bus that would get us to the train station on time. There was another one that would pass soon, but it would be cutting it tight. So I started praying and made a deal with Heavenly Father that if He would make the train late, I would promise to talk to whoever I was sitting next to on the train. (This is harder than you might think because I would have to talk for about 45 minutes straight in Italian and try to keep it going toward spiritual topics, get an invite, but leave time so that it wasn't awkward when we still had 20 minutes to sit by each other if I didn't plan it right. Oh ya, and did I mention how my Italian is still not perfect and I don't usually have much to say?) Anyway, just like always, Heavenly Father kept his part of the deal. The other bus came, the train was late, (it was snowing like crazy), and we made it. We got on with all of our stuff (we have to bring small rolling suitcases to bring back our orders of Books of Mormon and such) and I realized that I was sitting by the window with one companion on one side of me and the other sitting on the other aisle seat facing us. This meant that no one would be coming to sit by us because they couldn't. I got a little worried because you don't want to make a deal with God and not keep your part right?:) Luckily, the next stop we picked up a TON of people which meant we had to cram. Really, people in the aisle and everything. This really nice, about 26-year-old, beautiful, natural, Italian woman came and sat by us. She was stylish as most Italians are, and I realized that this was my chance. I waited a bit and kept reading my scriptures while I noticed her staring at me and reading my tag. I looked up and said hello and started the conversation. (People are always so curious and if you let them read your tag, then you can get eye contact and then they're stuck!) Anyway, long story short, it was great. My companions jumped in and helped me and towards the end, she was asking us for our number, we gave her a Restoration pamphlet, and got her number. Sad news is that she works like crazy at this really high-priced store all day everyday because of the Christmas season, but she asked us to come and find her after the holidays. She was so persistent—she really wanted to make sure that we would. Towards the end, she kept looking at me and finally said something like, "You look so familiar and it just feels like we've seen each other before." She said this about 2-3 times and the spirit just rushed in. I felt the confirmation that yes, we really had seen each other before and yes, this was something special. I'm sure she felt it too and we both got a little teary eyed as we said good bye.

Once again, just one of those tender mercies of Heavenly Father reminding me that I am in the right place, at the right time. And if I continue to show Him that I am going to all that I can to be the best missionary I can be, He will trust and help me find those who are ready and sometimes, someone who I knew before this life! The gospel is true and this is the most important work in the world!

Pictures, pictures, pictures!

2008-11-29T09:55:00.000-08:00

When I have time to write, it's hard for me to decide which stories to share--there are hundreds fighting to get out. So, I thought I'd share some pictures of what goes on here because a picture is worth a thousand words, right?
(Just a reminder: you can click on any of these pictures to see them in full size and even download them in case you recognize someone! Click the Back button to get back to the blog.)

Transfers
Here are some of our assistants (one staying, one leaving, and one new one) and departing missionaries. We always have a hard time saying goodbye. Mission accomplished! Well done.

The day before they leave, they come in for their departing interview and testimony meeting. Then we always send them off with a traditional dinner of lasagna and chocolate tiramisu. The missionaries always offer to help. Here is Elder Ethington helping me show off our finished lasagnas.

I always like to see "how it's done" and everyone has their own tips to share. I knew Elder Ethington was an expert because he and his companions in Castellammare made us lasagna for lunch once during interviews a year ago! Here are a couple of pictures from that yummy lunch complete with a decorated table and pink yogurt-frosted cake.

Very early the next morning, we take the departing missionaries to the airport. It's always hard to say good-bye, but I know that there are very happy parents and brothers and sisters anxiously waiting for them to come home. That, and the fact that we know we'll see them again after the mission, makes it just a little easier.

We're always excited to meet our new missionaries. They come in that same afternoon. If they get in on time and there are no complications (like lost luggage), we take them to see something of Rome. First stop, pizza!

Then, a visit to the beautiful St. Paul's Basilica where, among other things, is a carved slab of marble that says (in Latin) "Exaltata ad est Celestia Regna," which means, "Exaltation is the Celestial Kingdom."

We drive past the colosseum on our way home, have another lasagna and tiramisu dinner, President Acerson gives each one an interview, then we put very sleepy missionaries to bed.

The next day, after several hours of training and a visit to the temple site where they can dedicate themselves to the work here in Italy, we have lunch with the trainers. This is the standard lunch for transfers and other conferences: turkey and salami sandwiches, pasta salad or Tuscan tomato soup (depending on the weather), veggies, fruit, chips, and chocolate chip cookies.

Here are some of the trainers and new missionaries just before they are matched up with their new companions. They are all so happy and nervous and excited all at once!

Here are a couple of new missionaries finding out who their trainers are. As you can tell, this is the most exciting part of transfers!

Afterward, they grab their things and they're off to their cities! Buon viaggio! (Good travel!).

District Conference
District Conferences are like stake conference only a bit smaller. Within our mission boundares are one stake (the Rome Stake) and three districts (Napoli/Naples, Firenze/Florence, and Sardegna-the island). President Acerson presides over the districts. Every spring and fall we travel to the three districts for their conferences. This fall, we had a general authority and his wife visiting each of the districts! On Saturday, we have auxiliary training meetings, priesthood leadership meetings, sometimes a women's meeting, and an evening meeting for adults (but a lot of children come as well, as Italians in general don't like to leave their children with anyone). On Sunday, there is the typical two-hour meeting from 10:00-12:00. In between all of this, President does temple recommend interviews and sometimes interviews new missionaries.

Because the people in Sardegna travel so far (some drive 3 hours or take a train or bus which is even longer!), many of the members in Cagliari (Cai-yar-ee) open their homes for overnight guests and then provide a yummy lunch after the Sunday session. Here are some pictures that were taken during our time in Cagliari, Sardegna after district meetings there.

The next picture is of a new member who loves to bring his friends to church, a long-time member, and two outstanding missionaries. Elder Loritz on the right is a branch president in Oristano, was born to a German father, an Italian mother, lived in England, and took French as his "second" language in school. That means he speaks four languages! Elder Middleton is one of the happiest and most helpful missionaries--but even that's hard to say because they are all happy and helpful! His family in Utah welcomed a member and her non-member husband into their home for 10 days and, with the help of my sister, Ellen, my parents in Moab, and some of our returned missionaries, showed them most everything that can be seen in Utah -- including Temple Square, snow in the mountains, and the Arches!

Here are pictures of the district president, President Sanna and his wife and some of the food they are serving!

Here are some pictures of some of the members in the District of Sardegna. The first one is of a man who loves the missionaries and who loves to cook. A good combination!

Once, we ate just a little at the church and then went to the Mura's home for a little (lot!) more. They are the parents and grandparents of one of our missionaries and they love to treat us well. (Be sure to click on this picture! The grandparents are so cute!)

Of course we also have a great time in Firenze and Napoli where we meet in a hotel convention-type hall. Here are some pictures of members and missionaries after the most recent district meeting in Firenze. (Note that everytime we see missionaries, even if it's at a district conference, we bring mail and packages. President always says, jokingly, that his job is just a glorified mailman! They're always very happy to see us!)

I wanted to show you pictures of a wonderful young man who joined the church about six months ago. The first picture was taken at our youth conference this summer just after he had been baptized. He bore a powerful testimony at our testimony meeting on the temple grounds. The second one was taken after district conference with Elder Auna from Hawaii, one of the missionaries who taught him. He told us he's now preparing to serve a mission. Just goes to show you what spending time with a bunch of missionaries might do!

President's counselor in the mission presidency is President Ogunleye from Prato (originally from Nigeria and married to a beautiful and sweet Italian). They have two beautiful children. Luca, on the right, just returned from his mission to England earlier this year and is now dating a young woman from the states, also pictured here with the Ogunleye family. You should hear the talks President Ogunleye gives! They are marvelous. I could listen to him the whole meeting. I can even understand his Italian!

Here are some pictures taken in Napoli. The first one is of our missionaries and President and Sister Oaks after zone conference. This is taken on the balcony just outside the chapel overlooking the beautiful Bay of Napoli (unfortunately, it was cloudy that day). The second picture is of President Acerson and Sister Oaks greeting people after zone conference (they had come for interviews). The third is the Parisi family who fed us a delicious dinner Saturday night. They used to serve in the church with President and Sister Oaks in Napoli when they lived there 30 years before! They have been stalwart members, even holding church in their home just months after they were baptized!

There is a Naval Support Site (military base) where military and civilians are stationed and they attend two different branches. Headsets providing translation are passed back and forth between English and Italian speakers throughout their meetings with missionaries translating talks and lessons for them!

Now that you've had a glimpse into what happens during transfers and district conferences here, I hope you have been able to see how wonderful the people are. Because it's all about the people--the members, the investigators, and the missionaries. We love each and every one of them and treasure our time with them.

Tomorrow I will post Part II of Pictures, pictures, pictures!

Busy, busy!

2008-11-23T13:59:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: As you read this post, please know that I am not trying to make anyone feel sorry for us or make you think you need to get on a plane to help us out! We are having a great time and I just want to let you know a little of what we've been doing lately and why you haven't heard from us!

So it's been a bit busy around here over the past couple of months. We have had several conferences (district conferences in Sardegna, Firenze, and Napoli, two 3-Month Conferences and a Zone Leader Council here at home, and Zone Conferences around the mission) plus transfers where ten new, outstanding missionaries were sent to us. (With the training they are getting from some of our former outstanding missionaries in the MTC, they can't help but be amazing!)

Among other things, the very sweet woman, Christina, who helps with floors, bathrooms, and laundry was out for over two months for health reasons, the power went out for several hours one evening/night while we were gone (causing the kids to be a bit nervous to say the least), the internet was knocked out because of it and hasn't come back, the front gate stopped working, the heat wouldn't come on, and we had our area president (a retired Four-Star General) who presides over 48 countries in Europe, his amazing wife, and one of his counselors coming for a Mission Tour!

And that's why you haven't heard from us lately. The only reason I took the time to post about Lisa's mission call was so that she wouldn't think we weren't excited about it.

But with prayer and less-than-normal sleep, we did it. The mission tour was absolutely wonderful with Elder and Sister Robert C. Oaks and Elder Causse. (This was taken during a visit to the temple grounds.)

We couldn't ask for better leaders and motivators. I wish I could have had a tape recorder so that I could catch all the wonderful stories as we drove and flew from place to place over 5 1/2 days.

Here's just a taste of what kind of people President and Sister Oaks are (not listed in chronological order): they lived in Napoli for two years while he was commander of NATO Allied Air Forces in Europe (also serving in the church as a counselor in the district presidency at the time), and later became commander of the United States Air Force in Europe. He served as area president in South Africa, flew planes in 188 missions over Vietnam, was shot down and rescued, they have moved 32 times, he earned his MBA from Ohio State University, raised six children (all four sons serve or have served in the military), was senior vice president over operations at US Airways, and both have an incredible memory of people, places, and dates of events in their lives. And the stories they told! They were incredibly inspiring, uplifting, and humorous. We hated to see them go. Our missionaries will long remember their training, stories, and testimony of Jesus Christ and the restored gospel.

Elder Causse, one of Elder Oaks' counselors in the area presidency came with him for the first three days. Before serving in his current calling, he served as the stake president in Paris, France and is one of the sweetest men you'll ever meet. Happy, smiling, and calm. His call as a seventy will be a 25-year call. Imagine! We loved his trainings as well and look forward to meeting his wife.

The good news is Christina is back, the power is working fine, and the heat is on. Now that we're actually going to be home long enough for a repairman to come, we might even get our front gate and internet working (with the internet being TOP priority as the kids are missing emailing their friends back home and not being able to do their homework very well without it!)

Now, days later
We are back in business! Two internet repairmen and a new DSL router and wireless router later, we're back online! We had been going into the office occasionally late at night so the kids could use the internet there and that's where I wrote the previous paragraphs. So not only do I have the internet up and running at home, I will be working on projects for the next couple of weeks while President is off doing interviews, so hopefully you'll hear more over the next little while!

Lisa's going on a Mission!

2008-11-07T23:04:00.000-08:00

About a year ago, Elder Richard G. Scott came to our mission and spoke with the missionaries. Our children skipped school that day so they could come and listen. It was such a blessing to have him here.

At that time, our 18-year-old daughter, Lisa, had put her schooling and scholarship at BYU on hold because President Faust had encouraged us to take her with us. She was here as a service missionary, volunteering at the children's school three days a week, helping the children with homework, and helping me run the mission home. (We sure miss her this year!) When Elder Scott spoke, Lisa had some very strong feelings that she was to go on a mission. While she wasn't sure what the next year would bring, she started studying her scriptures and "Preach My Gospel" with new eyes as she prepared herself to be a missionary. As in any young person's life, there are many things to take into consideration when making a decision to take 18 months out of your life and serve the Lord and Lisa was no different, wrestling with the decision as to whether she should go or not. She met with her bishop to ask for help and advice and he said, "If you decide to go, just make sure you really want to go."

Lisa fasted and prayed about this decision and had some special experiences in which she had confirmation that she should serve a full-time mission. Within a week, her papers were in and she received her call two weeks later. Even though she had spent 10 months here, learned a bit of Italian, was in an accelerated Italian class, had a sister serving in the Italy Milan Mission, and parents and siblings in Rome, Lisa was called to serve in the Japan Tokyo Mission!

We were all surprised, but very excited. She realizes that if she was called to that mission with everyone expecting her to serve somewhere in Italy, she was really needed there. I told her that she is so smart that Heavenly Father knew she could learn the language and that she will touch people's lives there in a way that no one else can. She is such a sweet and caring personality and loves tradition and we think the people of Japan will love her as much as she will grow to love them.

Lisa leaves for the Missionary Training Center on February 11th where she will spend two months learning the language and how to preach the gospel. She will then leave for the Japan Tokyo Mission. We're so excited for her as she walks with faith into the great unknown and helps bring others to Christ.

Here are some pictures my sister Ellen took as she opened her mission call amidst family and friends. We were watching over the webcam and Scott was on the phone from Aviano where he was playing in a volleyball tournament.

Sunday at the Temple Site

2008-10-17T08:03:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday was our Fast and Testimony meeting at church. (For those who don't know what this is, on the first Sunday of the month, we don't eat or drink for two meals. We feel that this makes us more sensitive to the spirit and helps us draw closer to God. In addition, we take the money normally spent on those meals and donate it to the church as a "fast offering" which is then passed on to the needy through various programs in the church. At sacrament meeting, the members take turns going to the pulpit to express their feelings about Jesus Christ and the restored gospel.) Of course many talked about the temple which had just been announced the previous Sunday. Here are a few that I remember:

"I don't know if I'll ever get there, but I'm so happy for those who will." (From an elderly woman who is not sure if she'll still be around by the time the temple is finished, but who is still pretty spunky!)

"I am grateful to have a house of the Lord coming, but I have always felt like I have a home--and a family--with the members here in Rome."

"God lives and answers prayers. I'm grateful he listens. . . . . He's a light in us when we walk in dark paths."

"This (the announcement of the temple) is not the end. We must keep working. We must be full of energy, happiness, and joy. Before it was sufficient to be a good example of followers of Christ. Now we need more commitment. President Monson was inspired to announce the temple here in Rome. Now we must give the part that God requires of us."

"I'm grateful to receive my testimony through prayer."

"I have seen miracles in people's life because and through the gospel of Jesus Christ."

We were so grateful to have been there at that special sacrament meeting. We're sure there were many just like them around Italy.

After sacrament meeeting, we had a bit of time before we would finish fasting, so we decided to go to the temple site. We bring all our new missionaries here between training meetings and lunch so that they can have some time to pray and dedicate themselves to the work here in Italy but the kids hadn't had a chance to wander around the property. (They were in Utah during the youth conference this summer.) The Calabreses (he's our stake patriarch and man-of-all-trades in the mission office, she is perhaps the most beautiful woman in all of Italy) and our friend, Artan, wanted to come along as well. (Remember that you can click on any picture to view it at full size.)

Many have wanted to see pictures of the property. Here are a couple from the front. First, there is a shot on the left side of the property. Next, there is the long driveway to a small villa where the missionaries used to live. The next two shots are to the right of the entrance. The tall trees are called Roman (or umbrella) pines. The smaller trees are olive trees.

Here are some more pictures of the olive grove. Brother Calabrese told us that three years ago, there was a fire on the property and it scorched the Roman pines to the left of the grove, but it came to a line near the olive trees, but would not cross the line. The trees were not harmed at all in the fire.

Marianne wanted a little olive branch and Sister Calabrese pointed out that she might want a branch from the laurel bush as well. The laurel bush is the source of bay leaves used for flavoring soups, lentils, and stews. She said you can also boil the leaves and drink the water (like a tea) for an upset stomach, that the Italians use it to make a crown of leaves for someone who is graduating (the word "laurel" helps form the word "baccalaureate"), and that it was used in ancient Greece for the winner of athletic games (the term "resting on your laurels" comes from this). Wikipedia says that, "In the Bible, the sweet-bay is often an emblem of prosperity and fame. In Christianity it is said to symbolize the Resurrection of Christ and the triumph of Humanity thereby." Interesting!

See what I mean about Sister Calabrese being the most beautiful woman in Italy? And she's just as sweet as she is beautiful!

She told me that when she first visited the property years ago, that there were a lot of vases and pots filled with oil, vinegar, marmalade and such in the villetta and other buildings on the property. She said there was a good feeling about the place and she knew that there must have been a good woman who lived there who knew how to make the land productive and preserve the bounty that came from the harvest.

This is a picture of the back of the villetta. President Acerson is away from the group on the phone--most likely with a missionary. He takes a lot of calls, but he loves it and never complains.

It was a beautiful day and we're glad that we had the opportunity to visit it and make some memories before demolition and construction begin (and no, we don't know when that will be).

For more information on the temple site, click here.

Youth Conference at the Temple Site in Roma

2008-10-17T04:56:00.000-07:00

Finally! I've been itching to get to this for amost a week and it's just been too busy to justify the time it would take. So, while I'm waiting for our ever-helpful office elders to record my district conference talk (so I can practice the Italian pronunciations before my talk on Sunday), I am going to steal a minute and get this written!

This past summer (June 2008), we had a youth conference here in the mission home for the youth of the Napoli (Naples) and Firenze (Florence) districts (unfortunately, Sardegna could not come because of the expense of coming from the island). We are always impressed at the strength of the youth here. Because President Acerson is over three districts (Firenze, Napoli, and Sardegna), we decided to invite them to the mission home for some fun, learning, service, and for opportunities to feel the spirit. They are the future missionaries and leadership of the church here in Italy, so no investment in them is too great! Here's a picture of them at the villa (mission home) on the morning of the last day.

We had all kinds of miracles happen to help us pull off this big project in only a couple of weeks. One of which was the service project opportunity that appeared at just the right moment! I had hoped to have some type of service project planned for them, but didn't really know how to go about finding one. I thought we'd just pick up trash from the neighborhood if nothing else came up. Just before the youth conference, I met with the missionaries in our area to finalize some plans for classes they were teaching and other activities they were going to help with. While I was there, they mentioned a "Helping Hands" service project that had just been announced at the "church property" as the members like to call it. I got very excited about having the youth help, but they said it was only for the men in the stake. I didn't let that stop me and called the stake president who said, of course, let them come. Not only that, but he invited us to bring our lunch and enjoy the property after the project was finished. We decided it would also be the perfect spot for our closing testimony meeting.

What a blessing it was to be there. What a tremendous opportunity for the youth to help clean up the property where, it was hoped, a temple would be built someday!

Here are quite a few pictures of that day. I hope you will enjoy seeing members, missionaries, and the youth of the church here in Italy work together in making the future temple grounds beautiful.

After the property was cleaned up, we had lunch and then our testimony meeting. Some very sweet things happened that day. The youth expressed their love of Jesus Christ and of the restored gospel that was now on the earth. A special forces officer who is stationed at the American base in Napoli told them what we were all thinking: that someday they would return to this property with their children and even their grandchildren to visit the temple. That they would try to find this very spot and tell them about the day when they helped clean the temple grounds and then stood and bore a strong testimony of the divinity of our Savior, Jesus Christ and spoke of their commitment to living the commandments so that they might be worthy to go through the temple that would be built there someday. It was an experience I'll never forget.

For more information on the temple site, click here.

Marianne, Marianne, We Love Our Marianne!

2008-10-07T14:21:00.000-07:00

Marianne turned 15 today. I told her that she even looks 15 now! I'm not sure how she stayed so happy and pleasant because she's been going to bed very late and waking up way too early with massive amounts of homework, but she did. She loves a challenge and is doing well, so the results are worth the effort.

The best thing about her birthday this year is that I didn't once hear the phrase I heard a hundred times last year: "This birthday is going to be the worst birthday of my life!" She had only been here three months at that time. She had left all her friends back home, didn't feel like she had any new ones, was in a strange school with hard classes, and didn't speak the language. We tried to make it special by inviting all the missionaries in our ward over for Navajo tacos between conference sessions (it was on a Sunday last year). One of the assistants was also celebrating a birthday and he always tried to make Marianne feel special. However, not much worked that day.

What a difference a year makes. Today she got phone calls, dozens of emails and messages from friends (old and new), treats from a good friend, two presents from girls at school, and Scott and his friends sang "Happy Birthday" which prompted other random groups of kids to sing to her throughout the day. She did a presentation on the Sistine Chapel, finished projects, studied for tests, and wrote an essay today -- all with a smile on her face. After her dinner of special requests (white chili chicken soup and poppy seed cake), we opened presents with Lisa on the webcam. (We actually knew where to find presents and even wrapping paper this year!)

She's happy, confident, and a joy to be around. She's been more of a "big sister" to Stephanie now--and even Scott's antics elicited laughter tonight instead of disdain. But I think I should stop there. As she went to bed, she asked me what I was doing. I told her and she said (with a smile), "Just don't embarrass me, OK?"

Marianne, Marianne, we love our Marianne.

A Temple in Bella Italia!

2008-10-05T16:32:00.000-07:00

On Saturday morning in Utah (Saturday evening in Rome), our prophet, President Monson announced that five new temples would be built. As he started naming each temple, I thought in my mind, "Someday, a prophet will say, 'Rome, Italy'." I remember repeating it wishfully a couple of times in my mind as he named each one. When he got to the end of the list of temples and said, "Rome, Italy" I let out a small scream, buried my head in my hands, and cried. We all cried.

The only thing I regret is that, for the first time since we've been here, we were at home watching on the internet. The satellite equipment had been moved from our church nearby to a church in L'Aquila (over an hour away) so the members there wouldn't have to travel to see conference as they have done for years. The Italian translation was to be shown in the chapel and two other rooms in the church would be used for English and Spanish. Stephanie and I had made brownies and attended a women's luncheon and stake enrichment meeting just before a delayed broadcast of the Relief Society broadcast earlier that day. We then returned home to watch the Saturday morning session that evening on the internet with the family. Scott had just returned from an afternoon with friends, Marianne had too much homework to drive back and forth between home and the church, and we had friends here who hadn't returned from doing some genealogy work south of Rome. So we had decided to stay and watch that session at home and return to the stake center for the Sunday sessions the next day. Again, how we wish we could have been there to see the sheer joy of the Italian people who have waited for so long for this day!

When I talked to one of President's assistants this morning, I asked him to tell me every detail of what happened at the stake center. How we wished we would have been there to witness it for ourselves! He said that when President Monson said, "Rome, Italy" in English, the person translating it into Italian paused and said, "What?" and then took a half second to let it sink in, then said, "Roma, Italia." The congregation leaped to their feet, cheering and clapping. He said, "The women were crying, the men were hugging each other, and everyone was overwhelmed with surprise and joy.

We have received a lot of emails and phone calls from former missionaries (some of "ours," and some from those who have served years ago), friends, family, members from Italy, and even a call from the Deseret News. I'll tell you what we told many of them: no, we didn't know about it. (Otherwise, we would have been at the church when it was announced!) We always talked about "when" a temple would be built, but I have to admit, I didn't have much hope that it would happen while we were here. But President Acerson always had faith that it would happen and would say things like, "We're not leaving until a temple is built!"

It is so very hard to express what this means to the members. (See my previous blog where I talk about the little family who is planning to go to the temple. Airfares went up unexpectedly so they are now waiting for cheaper airplane tickets so they can fly to the Madrid Spain Temple.) The members here in the Rome Stake rent a bus twice a year and drive overnight and into the next day (about 14 hours) to the temple in Switzerland. Young couples are married here in the church, but then must travel to the temple a couple of days later to be sealed. These saints have been so patient and faithful--praying for a temple, but certainly not waiting on it; they continue to faithfully attend another temple whenever they possibly can.

Today, the national media in Italy attended the Sunday morning conference session. They took pictures, conducted interviews, and listened to President Monson's talk. From what I hear, they enjoyed it. The investigators we brought were very touched by his talk and said that what he and the other speakers said was absolutely true.

What a joyous time for the members and the missionaries alike. We realize how very blessed we are to be here at this historic time and honor all those mission presidents and missionaries who laid the foundation for this moment. Thank you to you all.

P.S. I will have a section on www.acerson.com for updates on the temple when I have them. Watch for it next week (after we complete our zone conferences!).

Update & Kimberly's address

2008-09-27T13:42:00.000-07:00

We had to say goodbye to a few of our missionaries as they returned home with honor this week. What a great group of missionaries -- we're going to miss them. (The man in the back right is Brother Calabrese who is our Stake Patriarch and right-hand man in the office. He volunteers his time to help with apartments, helps us work through Italian red tape, translates official documents, and so much more.)

I just had to add a couple of pictures from this transfer that require a bit of explanation. The missionaries are very busy, especially when they are getting ready to go home, so they might not have had the time or money for a haircut. (They usually cut each others' hair to save both time and money.)

Such was the case with this wonderful missionary who also served as a branch president in Olbia. He was so busy that we decided he deserved a little trim before meeting his parents at the airport.

These three Italian missionaries also served as branch presidents during their time here. The Elder in the middle is one of President Acerson's assistants and will be with us one more transfer.

The other two have something wonderful to look forward to when they get home: going to the temple in Spain with this sweet family who was in the branch where they each took a turn as their branch president. Just look at these beautiful children! In order to go to the temple, this little family had to take the overnight boat from Sardegna with their two small children, go to their separate embassies to get their visas and other documents in order (because they are from different countries in South America), and finally come to the mission home for their temple recommend interviews. They had not eaten all day so we were able to feed them and take them to the train to catch the boat that night. Such sacrifices. We pray for a temple here in Italy daily.

Here's a picture of our new group of missionaries! The three missionaries from the United States served with Kimberly (now known as Sorella Acerson) in the Missionary Training Center. The other two are Italians, and all of them are great! We're going to love serving with them.

Sorella Acerson's new companion is Sorella Sheffield and she is currently seving in the beautiful city of Como just north of Milan. (President Acerson is jealous as he always wanted to serve there!) Letters and packages can be sent to:

Sorella Acerson
Italy Milan Mission
Via Gramsci, 13/4
20090 Opera (MI),
ITALIA

(The address is also listed at the right under her picture in case you need to find it again quickly and don't want to scroll through the entire blog to find this message again.)

Also, Happy Birthday to Aersta! Thanks for all you do for us and for being such a sweet daughter-in-law.

Scott just returned from Sicily where he played (and won) volleyball, Marianne is diligently studying, and Stephanie and I took one of her new friends and the friend's mother with us as we visited Paestum, a well-preserved Greek city at the southern end of our mission. (We'll share more pictures on Paestum soon.)

President is in Milan for meetings (no, he's not going to see Kimberly while he's there) and we continue to miss all those who aren't with us.

Looking forward to church tomorrow. The talks and lessons are always so powerful and uplifting here. We have great members and they always show us a lot of love. Have a great Sabbath day!

A special day indeed

2008-09-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

Thirty-five years ago on this day, my father was in the University of Utah hospital. He was finally "out of the woods" as they say, after having had encephalitis (a virus that causes inflammation of the brain), being in a coma which left him paralyzed and unable to speak, and pneumonia which collapsed one of his lungs. After a few months there, he was moved to the hospital in Moab in a long-term care situation. He was able to communicate only by blinking his eyes as we went through an alphabet chart and wrote down each letter, spelling the things he wanted to say. One day, we noticed one of his fingers was moving. Excited about the possibility of more improvement he was sent back to the University of Utah hospital for physical and speech therapy.

When my father contracted this virus, my mother was expecting, but neither she nor my father knew it at the time. When she realized she was expecting, she tried to hide it from my father so he wouldn't worry about her and the baby. There was already much to worry about. They had six other children back at home, including my sister who was born with cerebral palsy. My older brother was a senior in high school and was left to run the business as best he could. Of course, we had help from many people who took us in and brought us meals when we returned home. My mom and dad had helped many people through the years and now it was their turn to be helped.

Now, back to where I started this story. Thirty-five years ago on this day, it was my father's birthday. Of course he now knew about the baby that was to be born. As he worked hard to improve his speech and physical movement at the U of U hospital, my mother was at home in Moab and decided that she wanted to give him a very special birthday present. She had an appointment with the doctor and he said the baby was ready to come. He gave her a dose of pitocin to start labor, she came home to feed Debbie, and then went to the hospital with her best friend, Sister Raymond, to give birth to her new baby girl.

And that's the story of how my sweet sister, Ellen, came to be born on my father's birthday.

She has been such a blessing to our family. She was born eight years after the next-to-the-last child and brought joy into an otherwise difficult time. She and dad had a special bond. As dad improved, he was able to ride in an electric wheelchair. As a little girl, Ellen would sit on the wooden desk that was strapped onto the wheelchair, we would pull dad's arm around her, and off they would go. When dad needed the radio turned on or a pen or any number of things, she would climb up onto his feet, then pull herself up onto his desk and reach whatever it was he needed. When she got too big for the desk, she rode on the back of the wheelchair. Sometimes, she could understand what he was saying when no one else could.

Life has, indeed, been different for her, but let's face it, she never had to go to work with him and throw rocks out of a new road he was making, drive the loader back and forth across a dam that he was building to compact the dirt, or drive a backhoe down from a mountain work site when she was 12 years old! (Yes, I'm talking about me, but I wouldn't give up those experiences for anything -- they taught me how to work hard, to take pride in a job well done, and that I can, literally, do anything. Those things have come in handy throughout my life. Thanks Dad. You're the best and I love you.)

Even though Ellen was the baby of the family, she also learned to work hard and has a great deal of compassion for others. She has a beautiful family (with a husband and four children), volunteers at school, community, and church events, and is always looking for ways to better herself and make life easier for others. Thanks for all you do, Ellen. We love you.

Also born 14 years ago on this day is our nephew Zackery. He is a great young man and we are very proud of him. Happy Birthday Zackery!

One additional note: Also on this day 185 years ago in 1823, a heavenly messenger named Moroni appeared to a 17-year-old boy named Joseph Smith and told him that God had a work for him to do. That work was to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ as it was when Christ was on the earth. He was told of an ancient record that he would translate that is now known as "The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ." That book tells us of the importance of faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. It tells us of Christ's atonement where He gave His life for each and every person on this earth so that they could overcome physical and spiritual death. It is called the plan of salvation, the plan of redemption, the plan of happiness. It is this plan that reassures me that my father and sister, Debbie, will be made whole after this life. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thanks Dad, for raising me with the knowledge of this gospel and for being a great example of service, strength, and love. Happy Birthday.

Italian Schools

2008-09-20T13:49:00.000-07:00

From time to time, I will be writing a Culture Note that helps you understand a little more about the Italian culture.

This past Monday, the Italian schools started. (Our children go to a Catholic, English-speaking, International School which started at the end of July.) The Italians start late in the year, but then don't get out until the middle of June (and some still have exams after that!). I noticed that the school year actually coincides quite nicely with the hot weather at the beaches. In fact, I found it interesting that the weather didn't cool off until this last weekend, just before school started. Coincidence? I don't think so!

Another thing that's interesting about Italian school is that they go six days a week. Yes, that means Saturday as well. The nice thing is that some of the days are shorter so the children go to school until around 1:00 p.m. and then go home for pranzo (a three-hour period for lunch, rest, and family time).

The Saturday night before they return to school, they stay up all night long. (like our New Year's Eve parties). They call this "notte bianca" or white night.

This weekend there seems to be a lot of city celebrations and fireworks have been going off for a while now. Welcome back to school!

Meet Artan and Jonathan

2008-09-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

Artan (pronounced Ar-tahn) is from Albania. He was the Albanian and Italian weight-lifting champion at around age 18 but was not able to go to the Olympics at that time because of visa problems. He is now a world-class hair stylist and loves making people feel good about themselves. He had been meeting with the elders and coming to church for several months, but taking things slowly ("piano, piano" is what they say) until his sister died, leaving behind a husband and two young daughters. Artan returned to Albania to assist with the funeral and tried to tell his relatives what the missionaries had been teaching him: that there was life after death and that they would see her again. Because religion was banned in their country for many years, people there don't usually believe in God and, as he put it, his family "thought he was crazy." They said, "No, there is no such thing. It's over. She's gone."

It really made Artan think about the things he had been taught and he realized that he believed they were true. He came back a changed man and told the missionaries that he wanted to learn everything -- and he wanted them to move along more quickly.

A young man named Jonathan was getting baptized within a couple of weeks and one Sunday Artan and I were talking about it as I was preparing Sunday dinner at the mission home. I asked Artan, "So when are you getting baptized Artan?" (knowing that he hadn't decided). He said, "You pick the day, Sister Acerson, and I will get baptized." I was so surprised that I just said, "Oh, no, I shouldn't choose the date! You should talk to the missionaries and set the date with them." He continued to ask me to choose the day and so I suggested he get baptized with Jonathan. It actually worked out better to have it the week after Jonathan's baptism, and so it was. He asked President Acerson to baptize him, but President encouraged him to have one of the missionaries or members do it. When he found out that our son Scott, who holds the office of a Priest, could actually perform a baptism, he asked him to do it.

But first, we had Jonathan's baptism. Jonathan is from the Philippines (and yes, he really is that happy!). His baptism just happened to be scheduled for the night when we had new missionaries come into the mission, so we decided to have them attend a baptism their first night in Rome, Italy!

It was an amazing experience. The spirit was very strong and I remember watching Artan after the baptism as he wiped tears from his eyes and expressed his sadness that this opportunity was something that would be very difficult to bring to his family. He was especially sad because he knew he could be a positive influence on his nieces who lost their mother, but that it would be very difficult to convince the adults in their lives of that fact.

One of the most tender moments on this mission for me personally happened as we sang the closing song, "I Am a Child of God" in Italian. The love that I felt from my Heavenly Father was overpowering as I sang the words that were no longer just unfamiliar words in Italian, but words and phrases whose meaning was crystal clear to me and held such profound meaning. Because of the way the words are translated, they are a little different in Italian:

Guidami, aiutami, cammina insiema a me;
dimmi quel che devo far
per ritornare a Te.

Guide me, help me, walk together with me
Tell me that which I must do
So I can return to You.

What a beautiful song as we sing with the knowledge that we are truly a child of God and can ask Him for guidance and help as we make our way back to Him.

A week later, we returned to the church for Artan's baptism. Elder Johnson (our area president at the time) and his wife were visiting our mission and were able to attend. It was Scott's first baptism and he wanted it to be special for Artan so he memorized and said the baptismal prayer in Italian.

That was in May 2008. I have been anxious to tell you this story ever since. But because of the advantage of time passing, I have new news to tell you. Both Artan and Jonathan have received the Aaronic priesthood, have blessed and passed the sacrament, participated in blessing the sick, and have given talks in church. Jonathan is preparing to go on a mission and Artan continues to try to have a positive influence on his family in Albania and gives countless hours of service to the missionaries and others, mostly by giving them free haircuts! (The picture below is of Artan after he gave two of our sisters "makeovers" the night before they went home!)

When my sister came to Italy, we were not in town to receive her and wouldn't return until the next morning. Knowing that the train station would be a bit scary at midnight, I asked Artan if he could meet her and walk her and her luggage to the mission home and let her in. Artan is always willing to help others in need.

In fact, what finally prompted me to write this story was because I got a call tonight from Artan who was traveling on a train with his mother, his cousin, and the cousin's wife. He has been visiting in Albania for the past few weeks and he decided to bring them to Italy on their way to Greece. They needed a ride from the train station in the morning and a place to stay for a couple of days so of course, I said yes. It will be a great opportunity for us to do something nice for Artan and help his family understand why this gospel is so important to him. Wish me luck as they don't speak English or Italian and I don't speak Albanian. Could someone tell my next-door-neighbor and returned-from-Albania missionary Nelson Radmall that he is desparately needed here?

All our love from Rome.

A New Year

2008-09-14T23:00:00.000-07:00

I love it when school starts each fall. It feels more like a "new year" than it does even in January. We're get back on a schedule of sorts (even if that schedule includes late nights filled with homework), the weather cools off so you can feel like getting outside for some exercise, and I get the urge to set goals and try and improve myself. I like that I don't feel the pressure of making (and failing) New Year's resolutions; those set in September seem to last longer for me because I want to do it not because someone said you should do it.

This fall takes on a whole new meaning as well because it marks the second year of our mission. I said something to my mom like, "Well, in two years. . . ." and she said, "You mean one year and ten months!" Wow. I can't even say we have two years left! It's going so very fast.

What have I done? Is it a solid year's worth? Didn't I hope to have more of the language learned by now? Will it take an entire three years to be able to really communicate the words of my heart in Italian -- only to have to go home? Have I shared my feelings enough about the Savior of the world who gave His life so that we might have a second, and a third, and. . . well . . . many chances to turn our life around? Have I shown enough love? Have I done any good? And is this how our missionaries feel? Two years is an awful long time (especially for those parents who are waiting), but the missionaries always say it's too short. I guess I'd better get to work!

In an attempt to do better, I've spent the day reorganizing our website and blog so that I can start communicating better with family and friends. (Thank you, Elder Aycock for giving me the tools.) I'm afraid those family members and friends (you!) have probably given up on me, but I'm really going to try to do better. It's hard because you can always feel guilty about something you're doing or not doing, but this is important and it's just another way that I can share my feelings about why we're here. So I'll try to make it a priority (along with helping the children, cooking for missionaries, and preparing talks). I just have to remember to say "yes" and the Lord will provide a way.

As a bit of a family update, Scott, Marianne, and Stephanie returned mid-August after spending two months in Utah and have been back in school for two weeks. Mark is working at the hospital and waiting for medical school interviews while Aersta is finishing up her last semester at BYU and working at a pre-school. Kimberly is in the Missionary Training Center (MTC) and anxiously waiting to fly to Milan to start the "real" part of her mission next week. Lisa is busy studying at BYU so she can become a teacher and is finally able to room with her very best friend! We miss the older children but feel so blessed to have the younger ones here with us.

President Acerson is traveling a lot so he can train, interview, and love the missionaries and members. We have our three-month conference coming up this week followed by transfers next week where we lose eight wonderful missionaries but welcome five equally wonderful missionaries into our mission. Two of those coming are Italians (yeah!) and three are missionaries who have just spent two months with Kimberly in the MTC! It will be fun to see them (and find out how many "crazy mother stories" Kimberly has shared with them!)

We finally got rain this past weekend. What a relief. It now feels a bit more like fall. From a summer full of hot days to a blessed cool one in less than 12 hours. I can't say it enough: What a relief. Especially for our missionaries!

We had an incredible Sunday School lesson today. Our teacher is one of the best. She talked about the importance of prophets and the importance of listening to the prophet. I'm excited for General Conference in three weeks, when we get to "listen to a prophet's voice." I love that we have someone to look to to give us the loving advice and direction that we would get from our Father in Heaven. I love the gentle and direct reminders to love, forgive, repent, and prepare for the second coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I remember hearing from a general authority who came to speak at a stake conference years ago. He said, "In Biblical times, the people stoned the prophets and apostles; today, we just ignore them." Sometimes they tell us things that are hard to hear. Why do you think they crucified Jesus Christ? Whey did they kill the apostles and many others who were sent to warn the people? Because they told them that they needed to change; that the things they were choosing would bring them unhappiness, pain, and spiritual death. It's so amazing to see those who have changed; who have given up things in their life to follow Jesus Christ. It's an incredible transformation and I feel blessed to see the process and the beautiful results with those who join the church here in Italy.

One last thing: This summer my sister, Ellen, and a couple of our friends, Pam and Andre came to visit while the children were in Utah. We had told them that the best time to come would be during interviews because they could travel with us to see the missionaries and would end up seeing a bit more of Italy. We had a wonderful time and it was great to have them. My sister, Ellen, has a blog (also listed as a link at the top of my blog) where she talks about the trip and has posted many beautiful pictures of Italy and some of the missionaries we saw along the way. Please note that she's still in the process of adding more entries, so keep checking back. One of the things she said that's worth noting was that it was so good for her to be able to come and see the missionaries here before she sends her own son out in three to four years. She was so thrilled to see that the missionaries absolutely love their missions. They work hard and are happy and love to serve and share the gospel. She said that because of their example, she won't have any problem sending Andrew out when the time comes. (Yeah, we'll see. :-)

Now, enough of the "update." Next time, I will be sharing some stories from our missionaries and posting some pictures of them so you can see how wonderful they are. They work hard and you parents who may be reading this can be very pleased with their efforts. We appreciate the love and support you give them and us during this time.

All our love,
Sorella Acerson

May 2008 - Mark & Aersta's Wedding

2008-05-16T05:54:00.001-07:00

It’s high time this blog was updated! There has been so much going on in our lives and now is the calm after the storm.

Our oldest son, Mark, just graduated from BYU in chemistry and was married this past week to the beautiful Aersta Hellewell (now Acerson). The kids and I were able to go back to Utah for the wedding, but President Acerson stayed with the missionaries here in Italy. It was a beautiful day and we soaked up every minute of it! We loved being with family and friends as we celebrated one of the most special and rewarding days of a parent’s life—seeing a child married in the temple for eternity. Congratulations on your “happily ever after” you two. We’re so happy for you as you start your new family!

Once we arrived in Utah, we visited the dentist for a checkup, the bishop for temple recommends, the Mt. Timpanogos Temple with cousins and friends for baptisms, and the mall for pants and shoes. Our oldest daughter, Kimberly had already done the shopping for food storage items that would be taken back to Italy and she and my sisters had new clothes waiting in the closet for me to try on. How thoughtful! In fact, Kimberly, Jennifer, and Ellen had done quite a bit to prepare for our trip home and we very much appreciated it.

The wedding, luncheon, and reception were held the next day with many friends, relatives, and some returned missionaries (Zeller, Hansen, Anderson, and Boynton). A friend and colleague from our WordPerfect days, Joel Shore, even flew in from BOSTON to see us. I was absolutely speechless to think of the effort that he and others made to be there. Thank you to all of you. It was wonderful to see such good friends. My favorite part? Dancing with Mark and having him tell me thank you for all that we had done for him in his life and for helping him get to this point. We love you Mark. Another favorite? Seeing that he and Aersta are absolutely and positively in love and knowing that it will help them get through the many bumps that will be along life’s road.

The next day was Mother’s Day and both of our parents were at the house. We had a lot of food (most of it brought by loving neighbors) and a lot of visitors – including returned missionaries (Shallbetter, Corry, and Glenn); neighbors; my tutor, Matt; relatives; and friends. It was good to see all of you!

Early the next morning we were back on a plane—without Lisa. We are still trying to adjust to life without her. It will be hard. She was such a help to all of us and we will have to learn to do homework without her! We also miss her quick wit and sense of adventure. She will be continuing her schooling at BYU this summer as she works toward being an elementary school teacher—something she loved doing here as she volunteered at the kids’ school three days a week.

As for Kimberly, we are anxiously awaiting her mission call! Her application went in last week so it should be back soon. She is attending spring term at BYU, trying to get as many classes in as possible before her ballroom dance tour to China and mission. We’ll let you know when we know!

Scott, Marianne, and Stephanie are trying to catch up in school after missing four days. They are also counting down the days when they will return to Utah for grandparent visits, camp, EFY, youth conference, Lindon Days, etc. They will be there for two months and Pres. Acerson and I plan to visit as many branches as possible in that time.

A fun missionary story: Scott was recently inducted into the National Honor Society. I would never miss such an event, but was already committed to going to Sardegna with President and the rest of the family for interviews and their district conference. We decided to ask the assistants if they would go to support him. The people at the school thought that they were perhaps his big brothers, but the missionaries set them straight. They impressed the school’s administration and teachers so much that the next day, Lisa was asked if she would marry either one of them “because they were such good young men!” She laughed and said no, that she already had a young man who was serving in the Philippines but assured them that all of our missionaries are “good young men” just like them.

I was happy that the people at the school as well as parents of Scott’s friends were able to meet them and find out exactly who missionaries are: outstanding young men and women who work hard, have high morals, and are there by their own choice to bring others to Christ.

Speaking of high morals: we had the sisters from the Rome Zone here today for a special sisters’ luncheon and meeting and were told a story about a 19-year-old young woman who had recently joined the church. She loves the “For the Strength of Youth” booklet that gives standards and guidelines to the youth of the church and said she wished that all the youth in Italy had the booklet. She then turned the tables on the sister missionaries and asked them for a commitment: she asked them to promise to always dress modestly and to keep their bodies pure after their missions.

We continue as a family and as a mission to teach others about the gospel of Jesus Christ. We want people everywhere to know that they are a child of God and that he is anxious to hear from them and willing to bless them.

I was with some of our elders yesterday during preparation day. As we walked through the streets and rode the subway to do some errands, it was heartening to see people who wondered who these fine young men were and would listen to them and ask questions. After feeling the love that these missionaries had for them, several offered to write down their phone number or other contact information so they could find out more.

Several of our friends have the Book of Mormon and are reading it. Some have attended church and/or listened to the General Conference broadcast. Some have chosen to be baptized. What a wonderful experience we are able to participate in!

We love you all and thank you for your prayers and support for us and our missionaries.

You found us!

2008-04-26T00:03:00.000-07:00

Something seems to be wrong with our acerson.com website, so I thought I'd check into using this option. Hopefully we can get everything working at acerson.com soon, but until then, here we are!

I'll post something later, but for now everything is going well and we are getting ready for Mark and Aersta's wedding on May 10th. He just graduated from BYU in Chemistry yesterday and we are so proud of him. See you at the wedding!

January 2008 Update

2008-01-18T04:21:00.000-08:00

I am sitting outside of Stephanie’s art room right now. And I do mean outside. Luckily, it’s not raining today—just a bit foggy. But that just adds to the beauty of this place. The children have a beautiful school that they attend called Marymount. It is a Catholic international school and is located on a beautiful piece of land with an old villa as their administration building and several other more typical multi-level school buildings there. They have early childhood education, elementary school, middle school and high school all on the same campus. This means that they are all here together and can see each other from time to time and ride the bus together. They have good teachers and an excellent administration who really care about how the kids are doing.

In fact, I just had a pleasant conversation with the college counselor who has known several other mission presidents and their families. He served as the principal here for seven years and also taught at the American school here in Rome. He was excited when I told him that one of the girls who was here in Rome with her family in the 90s while her father served as mission president, will soon be coming here to serve as a missionary! What fun. All the families who were here previously have set a great example of what kind of people members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are.

I feel very blessed right now. Many of you found our address (even though we haven’t been overly helpful about it!) and have sent Christmas cards and thoughtful gifts (like the Relief Society manual in English!!) and we were very grateful to be remembered during the holidays.

We had a very special Christmas with Mark and Kimberly and Mark’s girlfriend, Aersta, here. That is, she was his girlfriend until the day after Christmas, when Mark proposed to her in Venice and she became his fiancé! They will be married on May 10th in the Salt Lake Temple. She’s a beautiful young woman who is almost finished at BYU studying speech therapy. She is on one of the ballroom dance teams at BYU, plays the flute, and is kindhearted and serene (I know, I know, a bit different than our family—sure, we’re kindhearted, but certainly not serene!). She and Mark have known each other for quite some time as they both played in the Utah Valley Youth Orchestra and attended Pleasant Grove High School. As members of the orchestra, they traveled to Europe and Carnegie Hall together and Mark took her to her junior prom even though he was a freshman at BYU at the time. We are very excited to have her join our family.

On Christmas morning, Scott, Marianne, and Stephanie opened letters that let them know their cousins were coming to visit! Jennifer (my sister) and Randy, their four kids, and Nate, a friend of Scott, came a couple of days later and stayed for a week and a half. Nate was a big surprise to Scott because Nate had told him earlier that he would not be able to come this year. You should have seen Scott’s face at the airport! Priceless. We also had some dear friends, Donald and Merle, who came during that time. They had chosen to be in Rome for Christmas this year and we were the beneficiaries!

Lisa and I had worked the schedule, packing everything in as tight as we could before and after their visit so we could spend time with everyone. President Acerson spent four days during that time in interviews, but the rest was spent visiting and enjoyed Italy together. We were quite a mob of noisy Americans—16 of us—running around Rome and other parts of Italy and even singing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas�? to the people whom we have befriended in the shops around us!

One note about Donald and Merle. Donald is a national storyteller from North Carolina who tells a heartwarming story about his fourth-grade teacher, Miss Daisy. Miss Daisy didn’t pass out text books at the beginning of the year. Instead she “took�? her class on a trip around the world, learning about cultures and lands, using math to calculate distances and costs, using words from their “travels�? as spelling words, and so on. Donald had learned a great deal about Pompeii from her and he remembers that she had a box of three-dimensional slides that he spent hours looking at. He loved learning about this lost civilization that had been buried under ash from Mount Vesuvius and had hoped to go there someday. He was so excited when we asked them to come along on a day trip to Pompeii and we felt as if we were right there with Miss Daisy as he shared the wealth of information he had learned from her. What fun.

One of the most exciting things from the holidays was when our nephew, Devan opened his mission call. He is going to Uganda! On Sunday, I noticed a woman at church that I had not met before. When I introduced myself and asked her name and where she was from, lo and behold, she was from Uganda! She was being taught by the sister missionaries so we invited them to teach her at the house with Devan, Scott, and Nate and then had dinner with them afterward. She was able to tell Devan a great deal about her country and reassure him (and Jennifer) that the country was not dangerous, but a beautiful and friendly place that he would not want to come home from. It was a sweet tender mercy to have met her and have her in our home while Devan was there. She will be baptized soon and gave Devan her mother’s and sister’s names so he could return to Uganda and teach them.

We loved having everyone here and are grateful that they took the time and spent the money so that we, and especially our children, could have a great Christmas. What a great memory!

The mission and missionaries are doing well. I do not mention them as an afterthought. They and the work here are the focus of our attention. We loved having a special Christmas zone conference with them and feeling of their gratitude for being able to serve a mission as their gift to the Savior. They each contributed a miracle or tender mercy that they, an investigator, convert, or even their family had experienced during or because of their mission. I compiled them into a “Book of Miracles�? and gave one to each missionary as their Christmas gift. What a treasure this has been as we recognize Heavenly Father’s hand in our lives through great and small miracles.

Another tender mercy: The reason I am at Stephanie’s school is because that was the only way I could get her to go back to school. She had been so happy since we’ve been here, but when everyone left after Christmas, the emptiness really hit her and she realized just how much she missed home and friends. She didn’t attend the first two days of school after the break because she was too sad and couldn’t stop crying. School was suddenly too overwhelming and the lack of friends had finally hit her. The tender mercy is that my schedule was completely clear this week so I could be a mom and take care of the children’s needs while President Acerson was gone doing interviews.

I had to put this on hold while we did transfers this week, but wanted to finish this and let you know “the rest of the story.�?
Stephanie is now fine and back to her usual self: happy and skipping through life. It took several days of constant love and attention, a couple of parties for friends from school and friends from church, and sending a cell phone to school with her so she could call me during lunch. Some of the missionaries who knew of the problem even sent cute notes, candy, and little items to cheer her up, teachers and administrators at the school did what they could to help, and all the girls from her grade opened their hearts and offered their friendship. Finally, after about a week of sadness and separation anxiety, she called from school during lunch and said that she wasn’t scared any more and that everything was going to be fine. I told her that I had been praying for her all day and I was certainly grateful that she had been comforted. What a blessing.

Marianne is doing well and approaching things with a much more optimistic attitude. I’m so proud of her. She loves reading Jane Austen books, is doing well in school, wants a tutor in Italian, and is more loving, helpful, and happy. Scott is on the basketball team at Marymount and loves it. He has good friends and, while school is difficult for him, says that he is learning a lot. Lisa will finish up her time here in Italy in May when she goes back for Mark and Aersta’s wedding. She will be missed, but like the missionaries, must return to “real life�? and school. She will start right away at BYU finishing her degree in elementary education. Kimberly has about a year and a half left in social work. She hoped to serve a mission this summer, but may choose to stay and finish the social work program because BYU has decided to discontinue that degree in two years. If she took a break for a mission, the program would be over by the time she got back so it’s forcing her to make a tough decision. But she’s a tough girl and will do her best at whatever she chooses. As for Mark, he and Aersta are having fun planning for the future. We’re so excited to welcome Aersta into the family!

The mission is doing well. The church is getting a lot of attention because of Mitt Romney’s run for the presidency and people ask a lot of questions. One woman visiting from New York asked me how we raised such good kids (she had sat next to Mark and Kimberly on their way here at Christmas). She said she would have expected to have seen at least one out of the six rebel a bit. (The kids laughed and promptly started debating about which child should be the rebellious one!) I told her that it was simply due to having the gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives. I explained that these children understand where they come from, why they’re here, and where they’re going. They have an eternal perspective of life here on earth. They follow Christ’s example as they treat others with love and kindness. They understand why it is important to live a clean life free of harmful substances. They understand the heart-breaking consequences of living an unchaste life. They know that they are a child of God and that they are loved not only by earthly parents, but by a Heavenly Father who listens to their prayers and blesses them, not necessarily with the things they ask for, but with what they truly need (like challenges that help them grow). These children have seen the blessings and happiness that comes from living the gospel—and they’ve seen the other side. We all wish it was easier to help others see how much better their lives could be with the gospel. That’s why we’re here. If you are someone who is curious and wants to know more, go to www.mormon.org. If you’re in Italy, call the mission office at 06 87 193 443. We have wonderful missionaries who would love to tell you why they are giving two years of their life to serve a mission. I promise, you’ll be amazed.

A Visit to Sardegna

2007-10-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

This was written over a period of a couple of weeks, so fair warning – it’s pretty long!

Describing Italy is like trying to describe your family. Each member of the family has the same genetic code, has been raised in the same environment (although our older children accuse me of being much kinder and gentler while raising the younger children!) and they all ate, for the most part, the same type of food. However, they are very different and each one is very much an individual even though they’re in the same family!

That’s how I feel about Italy. Each region is different and has its own characteristics, but each region and city, like each child in a family, is beautiful in their own way.

One of those unique and beautiful places is the island of Sardegna (sometimes spelled Sardinia on the map, but pronounced Sar-dayn-ya) where Pres. Acerson and I just returned from a four-day stay.

To get there and back, we boarded a ship at Civitavecchia (Chee-veet-ah-veck-ia) about an hour and a half from Rome. They drop the back end of the ship onto the dock and use it as a ramp to load everything from large semi trucks carrying all kinds of goods and fuel to smaller cars like ours. We got out of our car, walked into a hallway with a reception desk, and checked into our small but comfortable cabin with four bunks and a small bathroom for the night. The ship left at 11:00 p.m. and we had to be ready to drive our car off the ship at 6:30 a.m. the next morning.

During our time in Sardegna, we visited the missionaries in their apartments (six apartments in four cities) and had our first District Conference in Cagliari (pronounced Cah-yiar-ee). We so much enjoyed seeing the missionaries where they lived, and in most cases, were able to see the church buildings where they met. Just as enjoyable as seeing our missionaries, was meeting the members, the investigators, and the absolutely amazing church leaders in Sardegna. They are kind, loving, and humble men and women. With the help of talented members who speak English and Italian, I was able to hear very powerful and spiritual talks and trainings given by members and leaders who really understand and live the gospel of Jesus Christ. I was able to give some of my talks in Italian and very much appreciated the help of a translator for the rest.

One of the saddest moments of my mission, however, was on this island when I realized that one of our church buildings stands nearly empty because the members had offended one another and left the church. President Acerson wants us to be positive at all times, but this one really got to me and I feel I need to write about it because I think we can all learn from it. First, our missionaries work so hard to bring new people into the church. We certainly need to hang on to the members we have. It certainly gives me pause and makes me think about some of the careless things I have done and said that could offend someone enough that they might feel uncomfortable in coming to worship in the same building with me. No wonder one of the central themes of our religion is to “love one another.�? It’s certainly something to be watchful and careful of.

In a picture on the bulletin board of that church, I saw happy children whose parents no longer attend. What will happen to those children – to those families? On Sunday at District Conference, I spoke about the hundreds of members on the island who need to be loved and healed and who need help remembering the importance of having the gospel in their lives. Not just for a short time, but for ever.

On a happier note, the members and investigators who were there were fun-loving and beautiful people. Pres. Acerson and I were invited to stay at the Branch President’s home in one of the cities during our stay. What good people. They took such good care of us, even giving us their own bed!

After District Conference, we were asked to stick around so we could visit with the members and share the food that they brought for the missionaries and for those who had to travel long distances. When they set up the tables and chairs for nearly a hundred people, I was sure that they wouldn’t have enough food for everyone! How could they? The church had a very tiny kitchen with a mini oven, refrigerator, and sink, and only room after that for a small table and I knew there wasn’t room enough for the food it would take to feed everyone. But the miracle of the Italians was at work!

First, they pulled out a large, bakery-size flour sack that held six or seven giant loaves of Italian bread. Taking turns (because it’s such hard bread) the men cut it up and passed it out to everyone. Next, the women brought out a cart loaded with pans full of lasagna. I still doubted if it would be enough and took a small piece. Soon, they were giving out seconds. I don’t know how they did it. I politely thanked them for the delicious lasagna dinner, only to see the men bringing out another cart with pans of thinly-sliced pork roast in a yummy sauce and a huge bowl of parslied potatoes, cooked Sardegnian style. Next, pears and apples were handed out. Oftentimes in Italian meals, fruit is the final course. But to my surprise, they came out with several different types of “dolci�? or “sweets�? which were different kinds of desserts and cookies, again made Sardegnian style.

The district president, President Sanna, and several other men never sat down. Several of our missionaries joined in and helped quite a bit in serving and cleaning up as well. Their parents would be proud of them.

At the end of our trip, we took five members and investigators with us on the three-hour drive from one end of the island to the other so they wouldn’t have to ride the train that took much longer. As we took the last woman home, she asked us if we would come up and visit for a few minutes as our ship didn’t leave for another three hours or so. Of course, typical of Italians, no sooner did we enter the door to her home, than she was pulling food out of her freezer and refrigerator and creating a three-course meal! But that’s how it usually goes here. They are so loving and giving and generous with all that they have and feel that it is a blessing to be able to share with others.

We have been asked by several people if we were able to watch General Conference. We watched a couple of sessions live and others just a few hours later because of the time difference. We watched in a room at the church in English while the Italians watched it in the chapel in Italian. What a blessing it was to hear all the great talks and messages. My brother, Paul and his wife Mary were visiting for a few days with some of their friends and they were able to see a session with us and then we had a couple who are investigators come with us Sunday night.

As far as our family goes, here’s an update on what’s been going on. Mark just had his first medical school interview at the University of Utah. We’ll hope and pray for good news in April when they notify all the students of their decision. If you know anyone who could put in a good word, well, it couldn’t hurt. He’s dating a sweet, talented, and beautiful girl whose family is taking good care of Mark while we’re gone. Mark will be finished with BYU with a major in chemistry in April.

Kimberly has changed her major to social work. She has already earned her minor in ballroom dance and has done her prerequisites for the dental hygiene program that she hopes to enter someday. In addition to her class load, she teaches two ballroom dance classes and just returned from a 10-day tour through Arizona (where she found herself staying at one of our missionary’s grandparent’s home!). She was given the foxtrot solo this year and will go to China in June. After that, she wants to serve a mission, finish her social work degree, and then go on to dental hygiene school. She’s a great young woman who will end up changing the world in her own big way and we miss being there to assist her in accomplishing all that she has on her plate.

Lisa is enjoying her time here in Italy with us. She helps with the meals for the missionaries, washes piles and piles of dishes, and has gone teaching with the sister missionaries a couple of times. She is the biggest help, however, in helping Scott with his homework! She’s such a smarty and has really helped Scott understand how to improve his writing and other English skills and stays up for hours helping him understand difficult math concepts. She has also been a great help in cooking and caring for Scott, Marianne, and Stephanie while we’re out of town for zone conferences and interviews. When we first visited the children’s school, she told the headmistress that she wanted to be an elementary school teacher, so the headmistress invited her to come in and volunteer in any class she wanted anytime. Lisa now helps at the school Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, in the early childhood center, kindergarten, and first grade. She gets a lot of questions from other teachers curious about our religion and is doing her own type of missionary work there.

Scott is doing well in school in spite of the difficult and heavy homework load. He has friends at school, but they don’t live close enough to come over and play, so there are fewer distractions from homework. Thinking about it though, he and Stephanie usually come up with something anyway! Those two are quite the pair. They play basketball together and Stephanie’s elated if she can beat him in a game of “horse.�? They play on the computer, watch a DVD, or play with the cat. Scott enjoys the missionaries, says the sacramental prayer in Italian, and loves to get out and do things. Scott plays basketball for fun at school and will soon try out for the school’s basketball team. We’ll keep you posted!

Marianne is adjusting to things a little more each day, although she still prefers to stay home and read. She’s reading the “Twilight�? series for the third time now, so if anyone has a good book to suggest, we’ll go and find it at the few English bookstores around here. I think she uses books, like her mom did at her age, as a bit of an escape from reality. She is doing well in school and wishes her Italian class moved a little faster, so that’s encouraging. She enjoys talking to her friends via email and webcam and loves it when I make American food. She has found out what it feels like to be on the “outside�? of a group of friends, which I’m sure will heighten her awareness of others – something she’s always been sensitive to. We are very proud of her willingness to be here in spite of the challenges she faces as a teenager living in a different country.

Stephanie is a happy girl. She loves being with her family, playing with her cat, and helping in the kitchen. She has a great deal of homework each night, usually not going to bed until 11:00 p.m. or later. Her English homework alone takes two to three hours with several writing assignments each night, but I’m sure it will pay off in making her a great writer someday! She can often be heard humming or whistling church hymns and is now practicing a flute in addition to the piano. She not phased by much and skips happily through life. She has made several friends at school and even decided that if she was to do missionary work with them, that she would have to go to their homes to play so their parents could see that she was a good girl and would hopefully let their daughters come to church with her. (Those of you who know her, know how huge this was for her.)

We are all looking forward to having Mark and Kimberly join us at Christmas – quite possibly the last time we’ll all be together for quite some time.

Well, enough for now. I’ll be posting another entry soon about my adventures at the Questura along with a developing missionary story!

September 2007

2007-09-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

Serving a mission takes Faith. I’ve thought about this quite often as I watch the missionaries give two years of their life, leaving family and friends – even little brothers and sisters! – and in most cases, paying for the privilege to do something they truly believe in: sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I’ve thought about it as I watch our children struggle in a country with a different language and culture. The Italian people are full of generosity and kindness, but have very different standards than they have been accustomed to. It takes a great deal of faith on their part to follow their parents for three years and do something that they know is important – but hard nevertheless.

I’ve thought about it as I watch the members of the church here in Italy. The church building is often far away (as much as an hour travel time) and there is little to no parking so trains and busses are used. Most Italians work or attend school six days a week, so Sunday is truly their only day off. They don’t have Saturday for recreational activities or household chores so members give up going to the beach or doing other activities on Sunday so they can attend church. Many are the only members in their family, so must come alone to church—and the list of sacrifices and challenges goes on. But they are faithful members who give inspiring talks and lessons and even rent busses so they and their youth can attend the temple in Switzerland a few times each year.

Elder Richard G. Scott came to visit the Rome Stake this past week. He spoke to a packed congregation over a week ago on a Sunday evening and then returned to speak to our missionaries on Tuesday. What a great experience. We often wonder how President Hinckley keeps up his schedule, but I daresay that all the apostles and general authorities have an unbelievable travel and speaking schedule. Even though Elder Scott was flying back and forth across Italy and other parts of Europe, often speaking in two different cities hours apart in the same day and most likely getting little sleep, he was vigorous and energetic and anxious to share his message and shake everyone’s hand!

Our children were blessed to hear him speak both times. As we picked him up from the airport, he asked if we could call the children and ask them to prepare a song to sing during the meeting. They did a great job. (As he spoke to the missionaries, Stephanie calmly pulled out two of her teeth. Elder Scott said he was pretty sure that’s the first time that has happened during one of his talks!) During one of the breaks we took, he asked that I write our names on a 3 x 5 index card so he could make note of them in his journal. I wrote a note next to each of the names to help him remember who was not here because they were attending BYU, that Stephanie was the one who pulled out her teeth, etc. I had put “beautiful singer�? next to Marianne’s name. When she saw the card, she took the pencil from my hand and wrote next to her name, “changed my life.�? What a blessing for them.

As far as mission life goes, there is always something going on. We brought in about a dozen missionaries who had been here just over two transfers for their Three-Month Conference. This training sinks in a little more than it would have if they would have received it as a brand new missionary. They are more familiar with the language, the culture, know what missionary life is really like here, and are anxious for suggestions to make their mission all that it can be. In addition to all the other training they received from Pres. Acerson and the assistants, I was able to use my great-grandfather’s missionary journal as I taught about the importance of journal keeping. He had left a wife and three children in northern Wyoming (she had a fourth child a few months after he left on his mission) and served a three-year mission for the church. What faithfulness and dedication he showed – something for me to remember as I’m asked to sacrifice so much less. When he returned, they had three more children, but he died shortly before the birth of the last one – my grandmother, Wilma. How grateful I am to have his journal so I can know more about him and his great faith.

After the Three-Month Conference, we got ready for transfers. Twelve were going home and 17 came in! It is very hard to say good-bye to these missionaries. The tears just kept coming and I get teary now just thinking about them leaving our mission! Two of them were the assistants who trained us as we came into the mission, Elder Hoare and Elder Sanelli. I love them for their help and patience with us as we learned the ropes. A few hours after they were gone and I was cleaning up for the new missionaries to come in, I had to throw away their plastic cups that I had written their names on and had a good cry all over again.

This week was Zone Leader Council followed by zone conferences to Sardegna, Rome, Napoli, and Firenze. There are always meals to cook, cookies to bake, sheets and towels to wash, birthday cards to write, calls to be made, and trainings to give. And that’s just my part (of course the children are a big help as well). President Acerson has his hands full with missionary interviews, phone calls, and reading their weekly letters. In addition, he holds mission councils where the district and mission leadership meet 4-5 times a year, fills callings, and smooths ruffled feathers, but he’s kind and loving and is the right man for the job. They love and respect him and listen to his counsel and advice.

Lisa is in Pistoia visiting the DeRobertis family for a week while Scott, Marianne, and Stephanie are trying to survive the mountain of homework from their new school. We came back to Utah at the end of August to get their visas but are now trying to meet with immigration to get the “permission to stay�? which has to be done each year. We went an hour early to the immigration office (8:00 a.m.) and were number 296. We took the kids to school instead and decided to try another day.

As far as school goes, Kimberly’s Italian lessons this summer gave them just enough background to help them out in their Italian classes and they are beginning to learn about what an incredible historical and art-filled treasure Italy is. In fact, Scott, Stephanie, and I recently went to the Galleria Borghese and saw many of the most famous of the Bernini sculptures (Apollo and Daphne, Bernini’s David, and more) along with those of several other sculptors. I had no idea Scott would be so excited to be in an art museum! I loved every minute of it and it was a treat to be doing something with these very patient kids of ours!

Mark and Kimberly are hard at work back home finishing up school at BYU. Kimberly has a special event this week at the Homecoming Spectacular where she gets to perform “Hie to Kolob�? with the Ballroom Dance Team—the music will be provided by none other than the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

I hope to write a little next time about how life is here in Rome. The weather is cooler now, the Italian schools have started, and everyone seems to have returned to Rome after their vacanza during the month of August. But alas, I must say ciao for now! Vi vogliamo bene (we want the best for you) – just another way of saying, “We love you�? to our friends and family!

Our first month here!

2007-08-14T22:00:00.000-07:00

I finally feel a bit settled here after our first month.

I am not only driving, but know for the most part where I’m going and how to get there. And, if I don’t, we have a GPS in the car with us to help. However, at times she doesn’t make the best decisions for us, so we turn her off occasionally. The Rhein’s had a name for her that we couldn’t remember, but did remember that it started with “P,” so we decided to call her “Pandora.” I know where four good grocery stores are and am familiar with the most friendly people at the market where they sell the fresh produce. I even found a kind woman at a “tavola caldo” or “hot table” which is kind of like a small cafe where you can get pizza and pasta, who offered to take me to a kind of Costco for restaurants and organizations to buy in bulk. I now have 25 kg (a little more than 50 lbs.) of flour and sugar!! So now I can bake lots of rolls, cinnamon rolls, and pancakes for these missionaries and I found out how to get a membership of our own because the church is an organization here.

It’s unbelievable to me that this is truly the first time I have had to give an update of what’s been happening. It is so very busy and just as you’re finishing with one thing, the next one is looming around the corner and you have to prepare a lesson or dinners, and wash a lot of laundry! One missionary asked me if we keep the missionary hours (up at 6:30 a.m. and to bed by 10:30 p.m.). I said with a smile, “I wish!” Many times we have had four or five hour night’s sleep as we travel around for zone conferences and interviews.

So we had our first transfers! I knew from our friends who were serving a mission that this was a very busy time, but I had no idea what a tender and emotional time it would be. The departing mssionaries come in on a Tues. and have their departing interview with Pres. Acerson. They then have a final testimony meeting together in our home. What strong testimonies and tender feelings are shared. All those mixed feelings of relief at having faithfully done what they were asked to do, wanting to remain and continue to work, and yet wanting to return to their families! What amazed me the most was how much love we felt toward these missionaries that we had known such a short time — I really didn’t want to see them go! You look at these strong and experienced missionaries and wonder how the mission will survive without them!

If they have family coming to pick them up, they come right after the testimony meeting. It was so sweet to see family members be reunited with their missionaries. They are so proud of them and their service and are so very excited to see them again! After visiting a bit, we have a big traditional dinner of salad, lasagna, green beans, crusty Italian bread, and tiramisu (made with chocolate milk instead of coffee). We are joined at that dinner by the Helquists, the assistants, and Brother and Sister Calabrese. She is a beautiful and sweet woman who has raised some remarkable and talented children and is becoming a dear friend.

Some of the missionaries then stay the night and fly out early the next morning while those with family leave after dinner. We took lots of pictures and said our good-byes with promises to see each other at a future missionary reunion before taking them to the airport. We then took another trip at about noon to pick up the new missionaries. How exciting! Unfortunately, things did not go as planned and all their luggage was lost. They stood in a 3+ hour line to fill out forms, cancelling our plans for a quick tour around Rome. After we got them home, we fed them the same dinner as the night before (again, tradition) and were going to let them go to bed, but some had renewed energy and went to visit the Trevi Fountain and get their first gelato (ice cream). After a good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast, they had an interview with Pres. Acerson, got their pictures taken, and had a couple of hours of orientation. They were then able to visit the property owned by the church where the hope is to one day build a temple of the Lord and then dedicate themselves to the missionary effort here in Italy.

When they got back, their trainers started arriving. We had lunch, the trainers received some training, and then we all met together for their “Golden Transfer” where they were matched up with their trainers and found out where they will be serving! It was a lot of fun as each set of missionaries hugged and cheered and found their new home on the map. We then sent them off with a prayer–but no luggage.

Fortunately the next week was filled with zone conferences and we were able to deliver all the luggage with the exception of one that remains lost to this day.

Now imagine this: You have just sent the missionaries off and have about 15 sets of bedding and 15 towels and many dishes to clean and put away and the assistants have you sit down with them to plan the zone conferences for a couple of days later! So you take a deep breath, start cleaning (thank goodness for all these wonderfuly children we have here — they have been a huge help!) and plan your talk/training while doing your house work. We’re loving it though. You realize just how much you have to rely on the Lord to help you and give you those moments of inspiration that will help you as you help Him.

We have seen two baptisms! The first in Rome and the other just a few days ago in Napoli. Both were very sweet. The one in Rome happened two Sundays ago. A good and humble man was taught by one of the missionaries who had just left at transfers. He decided to be baptized after the Elder left to do some traveling around Italy with his father, but wanted the missionary to come back to perform the baptism. The other Elders found him and he was there dressed in white ready to perform the baptism just a day before leaving Italy. It was so wonderful to have this Elder be able to come back and share in his joy and also to have his father be there to see some of the fruits of his son’s mission.

We were told about the other baptism at the Napoli zone conference. It was to take place that night in another chapel in Napoli. We took the assistants and a couple of the missionaries with us and found the church. She was a beautiful woman from Peru who had had some contact with the church when she was 15 and had met the missionaries now years later in Italy. Just before she was baptized, she could hardly contain her excitement and as she came up out of the water, she had such relief and joy on her face and just started crying. She hugged the branch president who had just baptized her and sobbed. There was not a dry eye in the place then or later as she bore her testimony. I wish you could have all been there to see it. It was wonderful.

I am so impressed with these missionaries and their hard work and dedication. An example: just as we had found the church, I realized that we had about an hour before the baptism and worried about getting the Elders (and us!) fed before the baptism because I knew that we would not be getting home until about midnight. As I asked them about a place to eat, they kindly and patiently looked at me and basically said, “You’re on your own because we are going to take these copies of the Book of Mormon and go out and find people to bring to the baptism.” Other missionaries said they were going to prepare a lesson about Joseph Smith and the First Vision that would be taught while the sister being baptized was getting dressed. Needless to say, I have a lot to learn from these missionaries. They work hard and don’t think about eating until they get home about 9:00 or so. They talk about the work and not about home. We know them as missionaries and yet during zone leaders conference (yesterday and this morning), I learned that they are accomplished pianists, star athletes, and extremely smart students, many with scholarships waiting for them when they get home. But we learned this from other missionaries. They don’t want to be that person right now. They have set that aside for now and want to be missionaries. They are great and we feel blessed and honored to be serving with them.

Other news of interest: Mark and Scott got to be in a parade in Pistoia! The branch pres. wife got them costumes and when we got there asked if they could join their daughters in the parade. It was Mark’s 23rd birthday that day and one that he will never forget: dressed as a prince and escorting a beautiful girl in two separate parades and was part of the “pre-show” that evening before some fun jousting games by knights on horses! Scott was a flag bearer and led the parades!

Kimberly, on the other hand, turned 21 the next week and spent it as a scullery maid mostly serving food and doing dishes during transfers. I asked her if we could make it up to her and go shopping the next day, and she said, “Mom, I’m in Italy — on my birthday! What more could I want?” What a great girl. Mark and Kimberly have returned to Utah in time to get things settled for school. Mark is completing secondary applications to medical schools (keep you fingers crossed) and Kimberly is designing a dress and learning the choreography for her solo number with the BYU Ballroom Dance team this year!

Scott and Marianne just returned from a week-long trip to the Switzerland Temple with the youth and other adults from the Rome Stake. They made some new friends, learned a little Italian, did baptisms on four different occasions, and, as Marianne put it, “Had a great spiritual experience!”

Lisa and Stephanie remained here with us and helped us clean, went to the Firenze zone conference with us, and played with the cat. (Did we mention? Callie is our new calico cat that the assistants found in the park. While tracting, they found a young boy and grandfather who were trying to give the cat away and they knew Stephanie needed a pet, so now we have an energetic 2+ month old kitten who is a lot of fun.) They have both been a great deal of help to us and Lisa is cooking some of the meals as well!

Our friends, the Magelby’s came to visit and we had a nice dinner with them the night before transfers. We really loved seeing them and having a rest after cooking all day for transfers! It was fun to have a little piece of home brought right here to Rome and we loved every second of it. I’m sure they were glad when the evening was over because I know I talked their ear off!

Coming up soon: Pres. Acerson and I will attend a Mission Pres. Seminar later this week and then I will be bringing Scott, Marianne, and Stephanie home for a couple of weeks or so to get their visas finalized. We look forward to seeing friends, relatives, helping with the storytellling festival, and shopping for hard-to-get items to bring back in our large, empty suitcases! I hope we will see many of you while we’re there.

Much love and hugs to you all!

Sorella Acerson

Getting to Rome

2007-07-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: This blog is intended to keep family and friends updated on what is happening with our family in Italy. It is not sponsored by nor is intended to be representative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We simply wanted to have a way to communicate more easily with friends and family. We will not mention specific missionaries or more personal situations in order to protect the privacy of others, but hope to share some general stories from time to time. Enjoy!

——————————————————————-

Siamo qui! We are here! We have been here for almost three weeks now, so it’s about time we try to catch up!

The internet was not working for the first week (fortunately we have Mark here to be our computer expert fix-it guy) but now all is working well and we even have our webcam hooked up so the kids can stay in touch with family and friends! The downside, however, is that between Jeff and the six kids, I haven’t been able to spend much time on it!

This week the kids have been at a youth camp (like youth conference, but on a beach in Pisa) with the Florence District. The older kids have been helping with the camp and have taught some of the workshops, including a dance workshop by Mark and Kimberly. Jeff and I have been in Napoli for interviews and are now at home doing some of the interviews with the Rome missionaries. This Sunday we will attend church in Pistoia and be in Firenze (Florence) and Pisa for interviews. The kids will be able to do some sightseeing while we are there.

But let’s back up a little.

We got here late Saturday night after a seven-hour layover in Barcelona. Look in the Gallery to see pictures of the kids sleeping in the Barcelona airport. They were a bit tired. We actually had a few tense moments at the airport because we had taken each child as they woke up down to get their borading passes, but when Lisa, the last one, went down, they said it was too late and that the flight was closed. They were actually in line in time, but there was a huge group before them and it took too long. (There was never a line before when checking in the other kids.) When we realized that after the seven-hour wait in that airport that we might not be able to leave (or have to leave Lisa there until the next flight out in the morning), and Jeff was trying to negotiate at the gate, I said to the children, “Pray kids.” Each of them dropped their heads and prayed and miraculously they let us on at the very last minute. We were also lucky to get all of our 18 pieces of luggage. The group of missionaries who had arrived 10 days before us had about 30 pieces lost and didn’t get the last piece until just before we got there!

Pres. and Sis. Rhien’s picked us up and whisked us to our new home. They were all moved out and staying with another couple until they flew out on Monday morning. The kids picked out their rooms (Stephanie and Lisa are sharing, Kimberly and Marianne and sharing, and the boys are up in the missionary bunk room sharing) and tried to get somewhat unpacked.

Sunday morning, the Rhiens took Jeff (from now on referred to as Pres. Acerson) to Napoli where they were joining two branches. The kids and I went to church and met some wonderful missionaries who translated for us. In subsequent meetings, we’ve given up the headphones that they use for the translation to visitors and trying to get as much out of the meetings as possible. However, the sister missionaries help the girls out in Primary and Young Women and the elders help Scott out in Priesthood. They are so good to us! That first week was Fast Sunday and they had a little time in Relief Society for testimonies, so I waited until the end and then got up and told the sisters a little about our family and bore my testimony in Italian! They were all so encouraging and smiling and I could tell they were happy that I had tried — even though I’m sure I was slaughtering their beautiful language!

After Pres. Acerson returned with the Rhien’s, we were going to cook some pasta and have some salad, but some visitors showed up. It was Bro. and Sis. Calabrese and his family. Bro. Calabrese is a retired military man who is Italian and is something of a miracle worker. We hear great things about his volunteer services to the mission and how he is able to get many things done for the mission and the missionaries. They didn’t want to sit down, but instead visited just inside the front door. After a few minutes, he opened the door and showed us a surprise . . . all the missionaries in the Rome area were in our front yard singing “The Hymn of Rome” which was the mission song when they used to have them. It was so sweet and tender and moving and we all shed tears as they sang for the Rhiens who were leaving and for our family as they welcomed us to Rome. It was our first meeting with most of them and we were so moved by their appearance there — especially when you realize that many of them had to come on public transportation that took at least an hour or more to get there. What a special welcome to our mission. You can see a picture of them in our photo Gallery.

The Rhiens left Monday morning after a quick walking tour of the neighborhood, showing us where to get gas, where to get groceries, and many other things that I promptly forgot and am slowly remembering as I need them.

That Tuesday was our first Zone Conference and it was here in Rome. All the missionaries were warm and accepting and look healthy and happy. We then flew to Sardegna on Thursday to meet with about 18 missionaries serving there. We were met by the zone leaders at the airport with a cute sign that said, “President Acerson and HUGE family.” What a beautiful island with warm and open people. We met a few people who were investigators and a mother of an Italian elder who is serving a mission right now. At the airport we met an absolutely beautiful family with a great spirit. They had two beautiful children, a seven-year-old boy and a one-year-old girl. The girl was quite taken with Stephanie and we loved getting acquainted. We hope to follow up and send the missionaries to them.

On Saturday, we had all of the district presidencies and other church leaders at our home for a Mission Council meeting. Sis. Helquist, who is serving in the office with her husband (and who have been so wonderful and helpful through this transition) and I made an American dinner for them. We had roast pork, mashed potatoes and gravy, roasted vegetables, salad, homemade rolls, and fruit salad for dessert. They all loved it and we have had the favor returned in Napoli where two of the men and their families took us out for world-famous pizza — as a matter of fact, that’s where pizza was invented — after the Napoli Zone Conference. It was good to know what great people we’ll be working with over the next three years. You’ll find their picture on the gallery as well. (I am still trying to figure out what the error messages mean when I’m trying to upload these pictures!)

On Monday we drove 3+ hours to Firenze (Florence) for Zone Conference there, drove home that night, then drove to Napoli (about 3 hrs. as well in the opposite direction) for a Zone Conference the next day. The kids had to get up early both days and were to bed very late as well, but they were troopers and we didn’t hear a complaint out of any of them. They listened to the first zone conference, but then during parts of subsequent conferences, Kimberly taught them Italian. They of course listened to the testimonies of the departing missionaries and enjoying each zone’s special musical number and at each zone conference, we enjoyed sandwiches or pizza with them at lunch and the whole family got to know the missionaries a little better.

After a busy preparation day getting stocked up with groceries (everything here comes in very small quantities making it interesting to feed a family of eight!), getting kids signed up at school, doing a lot of paper work, and finding some hangers so we could finish getting unpacked, we started traveling again for interviews.

This is a great time for us to really get to know each missionary. I wasn’t able to go back to the island, but Pres. Acerson went for two days and then stayed on Sunday to speak in church. There were a couple of investigators there, so hopefully his talk on gaining a testimony helped them in some way. During interviews, I get to wait with the missionaries and ask them about their families, look at pictures, and then I have them tell me about the work in each of their areas, their investigators, and recent baptisms. They are very excited to share their stories and we’ve loved getting to know them.

Like I said before, the kids are at a camp now and we were at Napoli for interviews this past Tues. and Thurs. Since Wed. was our preparation day (my birthday) and Thursday was our anniversary, we decided to go to Sorrento near the Amalfi Coast and relax for the day. It is beautiful there and we got some badly-needed rest. We are now recharged for the next three years and ready to go again.

We love all of you and are grateful for your support, emails, and prayers. We hope this gives you a small taste of what it’s like out here serving the Lord and the good people in Italy. We will try to keep you updated from time to time — I hope it will be weekly, but no promises, as time is unpredictable.

We love you!

Leaving for Rome soon!

2007-06-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to be going to Roma, Italia for three years to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

For those of you have asked, Jeff and I will be entering the MTC on June 23rd. Our family will then fly out on the 28th of June and will go to England for a couple of days of meetings. We expect to be in Roma on July 1st and meet up with Kimberly who has been in Europe as part of the BYU Ballroom Dance Team Tour.

Our family will be speaking in church on June 17th, Father’s Day at 1:00 p.m. If you would like to come, the approximate address of the church is 1000 E. 100 N.