Free resources about the Italy Milan Mission:
- Mission address and phone number
- Mission map
- Video interviews with returned missionaries
- Missionary blogs
- Facebook groups
- LDS Mission t-shirts and gifts
- List of past mission presidents
- Cultural articles written by returned missionaries
- Survey with RMs
*Other Mission Pages: Italy LDS Missions.
Italy Milan Mission Address
Here’s a recent address for the Italy Milan Mission. We try to keep this information up to date, but it’s a good idea to check the address with several sources, including your mission packet or the mission office.
Italy Milan Mission
Via Antonio Gramsci 13/2
20090 Opera MI
Italy
Phone Number: 39-02-57600860
Mission President: President Kent J. Allen
Italy Milan Mission Map
Here’s a link to the mission map for the Italy Milan Mission (LDS). To access the official, up-to-date LDS.org map for the Milan Mission:
Videos with Milan RMs
Here are in-depth YouTube video interviews with returned missionaries from the Italy Milan Mission. We interview hundreds of returned missionaries each year, so check back regularly to see new RM interviews.
LDS-Friendly Videos about Italy
Here are LDS-friendly educational videos about Italy. We scoured YouTube to find the best quality videos about Italy, that are free from inappropriate music, immodesty and profanity.
Italy Milan Missionary Blogs
Here’s a list of LDS missionary blogs for the Italy Milan Mission. This list includes the missionary’s name, URL and when their blog was updated.
Italy Milan Mission Groups
Here are Italy Milan Mission Groups- for LDS missionary moms, returned missionaries, mission presidents and other alumni of the Milan Mission.
- Italy Milan Mission Facebook Group (1,006 members)
- Italy Milan Mission – Samuel Boren Facebook Group (142 members)
- John R. Halliday Italy Milan Mission Reunion Group (106 members)
- Milan Mission- Pres. Euvrard Years (1983-86) Group (22 members)
- The Italy Milan Mission’s Iron Man!! Facebook Group (14 members)
- Milan Mission- Pres. Frank Lombardo (1986-89) Group (1 member)
Italy Milan Mission T-Shirts
Here are T-shirts for the Italy Milan Mission!
Shirt designs include Italy Milan Mission logo/emblem shirts and Called to Serve shirts. The shirts make great gifts for pre-missionaries, returned missionaries and missionaries currently serving. LDS Mission shirts come in all sizes: Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large, up to 4XL. The mission designs are printed on white shirts and are shipped to you.
*Simply click on a shirt design to view the details and submit an order. The designs on mission t-shirts may also be printed on other LDS mission gifts, including: Italy Milan missionary aprons, Christmas stockings, ties, pillow cases, teddy bears and Christmas ornaments.
*Click here to browse Milan Mission gifts
Italy Milan Mission Presidents
Here’s a list of current and past Mission Presidents of the Italy Milan LDS Mission.
- 2016-2019, Kent J. Allen
- 2013-2016, Bruce LaVar Dibb
- 2010-2013, David Rudolf Wolfgram
- 2007-2010, J. Scott Dunaway
- 2004-2007, Rodney Beck Boynton
- 2001-2004, Jon Lane Henderson
- 1998-2001, Madison Sowell
- 1995-1998, Joseph Halvor Clegg
- 1992-1995, Kenneth R. Goodman
- 1989-1992, Nick M. Mascaro
- 1986-1989, Frank Lombardo
- 1983-1986, Christen Euvrard
- 1982-1983, Felice Lotito
- 1979-1982, Samuel M. Boren
- 1976-1979, John R. Halliday
- 1974-1976, Ivan C. Radman
- 1971-1974, Dan C. Jorgensen
- 1970-1972, Leavitt Christensen
- 1970-1972, Lester Call
- 1966-1969, “John, Jr.” Duns
Italy LDS Statistics (2016)
- Church Membership: 26,248
- Missions: 2
- Temples: 1
- Congregations: 103
- Family History Centers: 68
Helpful Articles about Italy
- 30 Funny Italian Language Mistakes LDS Missionaries Have Made
- Italian Recipe ‘Ragu’ (Spaghetti Sauce)
- Italian Recipe ‘Spaghetti alla Carbonara’
Italy Milan Missionary Survey
Here are survey responses from Italy Milan RMs, to give you a snapshot into what it’s like to live in the mission.
When did you serve?
- 2013-2014 (Francesca)
- 2012-2014 (Emily)
- 2013-2014 (Julieta)
- 2013-2014 (Erika)
- 2012-2014 (Blake)
- 2012-2014 (Austin)
- August 2012-February 2014 (Jennifer)
- 2010-2012 (Evan)
- 2010-2012 (Victor)
- 2005-2007 (Neil)
- 2006-2007 (Lilly)
- 2011-2012 (Emily)
- 1996-98 (Mike)
- 2008-2010 (Jessie)
- 2008-2009 (Amanda)
- 2007-2009 (Jan)
- 2014-2015 (Cassi)
- 1985-1987 (John)
- 1983-1984 (Michael)
- 1985-1987 (Mark)
- 2012-2014 (McKay)
- January 2006-January 2008 (Robert)
- 2010-2012 (Broc)
- 1987-1989 (Greg)
- 2013-2015 (Joshua)
- 1977-1978 (Emma)
- 1975-1977 (Alan)
- 1974-1976 (Keith)
- 1995-1997 (Heather)
What areas did you serve in?
- Forli, Reggio Emilia, Venezia Mestre, Vercelli, and Piacenza. (Francesca)
- Genova, Milan, Pavia, Florence, Pisa. (Emily)
- Genova, Pavia, Forli, Ravenna, Bergamo. (Julieta)
- Milano, Piacenza. (Erika)
- Prato, Novara, Ravenna, and Udine. (Blake)
- Forli. (Austin)
- Torino, Bergamo, Milano, Como, Trento. (Evan)
- Genova, La Spezia, Rimini, Venezia, Mantova. (Victor)
- Milano, Bergamo, Torino. (Amanda)
- Savona, Lugano (Switzerland), Genova, Torino. (Jan)
- Alessandria, Milano, Torino, Bergamo (Emma)
- Lugano, Milano, Torino. (Keith)
- Milano 8 months, Torino, Como, Genova, Alessandria. (Heather)
What were some favorite foods?
- Gelato, pizza, pasta, everything! (Francesca)
- Focaccia bread, pasta pesto, arrancini and ragu. Honestly, I loved all the food. The only time I ate something weird or disgusting was when a companion made it. I also enjoyed being able to collect recipes from local members – I came home with a lot of ideas. (Emily)
- Piadina, crescione, Profiterol, pizza margherita e vegetariana, pizza al pesto, ficaccia genovese, pasta col pesto, pasta alla carbonara. (Julieta)
- All the pasta, bread, gelato, pizza Chiacchiere (they taste like donuts, but crispy) are available around holidays like Carnevale. (Erika)
- Linguine so frutti di mare. (Blake)
- Pizza, Pesto, lasagna, Pasta al forno, Kebab. (Austin)
- Any sort of pasta! (Jennifer)
- Gelato- favorite flavors were pistachio and amarena (black cherry). Cannoli Polenta e Osei- a desert native to Bergamo, Pesto, Lasagna, Pizza, Bismark- ham with an egg cracked on top. (Evan)
- Kabab, Pizza, Gelato, Lasagna. (Victor)
- Pizza, pasta carbona. (Amanda)
- Pizza on preparation day evening. (Jan)
- Lasagna Bolognese. (Neil)
- Carbonara, ravioli, gelato, pizza, kabab. (Lilly)
- Pizza, lasagna, ragu, focaccia, and all of the Peruvian food. (Emily)
- Home-made pizza, pasta, ok-all of it as long as an American missionary wasn’t making it. Breads, cheeses, prosciutto! I’m getting hungry! (Mike)
- Pizza, pasta, gelato, polenta con manzo (beef). (Jessie)
- Pasta, Lasagna, Arancini e Pizza! (Cassi)
- Bucaneve, polenta, gnocchi, prosciutto, pandoro. (John)
- Tortellini alla panna, every Italian pizza, fresh mozzarella cheese, Pandoro cake, Ringo and Bucaneve cookies, foccachia (Genova) pesto and Lindor chocolate, to name a few. (Michael)
- Pasta alla carbonata, pasta al forno, stromboli, panetone, buca neve and baci. (Mark)
- Farinata, foccacia, pizza, lasagna, horse. (McKay)
- La pasta all’amatriciana and doner kebabs. And of course pizza all a diavola! (Robert)
- Panzerotti (from luini’s), Pizzoccheri, Lasagna, Pasta al Forno, Casatte, Cannoli, Gelato (Broc)
- Polenta, Pizza, Chinotto. (Greg)
- Italy has so many wonderful and amazing foods, but I think my favorite food comes from the very small town of Ferrara! The town is famous for Cappalaci! It’s a lot like Tortellini (don’t ever mention that to them though) but it has squash, cheese, and a little bit of nutmeg on the inside. It’s mixed with a special ragu, and it has this amazing sweet and sour flavor that leaves you wanting more! (Joshua)
- Any food the investigators gave us. We knew once they offered food it meant they accepted us, and that was the first step toward accepting our message. (Emma)
- Lasagna, bucaneve with milk, fried potatoes with cheese. (Alan)
- Tortellini, swiss yogurt, panettone, emmentaler and stracchino cheeses. (Keith)
- Gnocchi with pesto foccaccia (sp?) all the bread! (Heather)
What was a funny experience?
- In Italy, a form of greeting is giving kisses on both cheeks- baci. My trainee was in the field for two weeks when we greeted a little old man in the park. He caught me off guard and gave me baci which as missionaries we are supposed to avoid it given from an opposite gender. I wasn’t too upset about it knowing and understanding the culture. My trainee however saw it and knew she’d be next so she lifted her head revealing her neck right when he went to give her baci. Instead her cheek he got her neck. I stepped in and said we needed to leave, which was true. My sweet trainee felt so violated but I couldn’t help but laugh! (Francesca)
- My first companion was native Italian. At Christmas, my mom had sent me a small package with some candy inside, including some Tootsie Rolls. My companion was curious about American candy, but also really cautious. I eventually persuaded her to try some one night while we were waiting at a train station. She took one very hesitant nibble, and promptly spit out the candy, and screamed at the top of her lungs, “Che schifo!” (Emily)
- When we were doing finding with one of my companions and we prayed for someone who would let us use the bathroom because I needed it to go so bad! Lol. (Julieta)
- A lady told asked us if she could get in our car to go to the lesson down the street, so we said we couldn’t give her a ride. She was in her running clothes so she said she’d just run and meet us there. We started driving and as soon as we passed her she turned down a side road and ran away. (Blake)
- I got lost a lot with my trainer. We had a lot of adventures and used it as a way to recognize God’s tender mercies for us. (Jennifer)
- Every time we met an African was a funny experience. I love them. (Victor)
- It’s been too long, I can’t remember. (Amanda)
- Scaring the zone leaders when they got home at the end of the day. (Jan)
- Sleeping underneath the Christmas tree with my favorite companion on Christmas Eve. Another where I convinced some kids that the worst American curse word was “Rubber Ducky”. Ha! (Neil)
- The Elders were ringing our citofono (intercom) to pester us, so I dumped water on them from the 7th floor. (Lilly)
- While helping the Relief Society President clean the church in Firenze, my companion and I found a lizard wandering around in the building. We had quite the adventure trying to find something to contain it so that we could take it outside. What made it especially funny was that both of us are terrified of lizards. We looked pretty ridiculous and the Relief Society President never let us live it down! (Emily)
- Italian companion speaks English to me and I respond in Italian to him on a bus. The looks are hilarious! (Mike)
- When we ate some (almost all) of these cookies on a tray in church that looked like they were for whoever wanted them. Than the next day a Sunday someone from the Bishopric stood up and started crying because he prepared cookies for the Stake that we were visiting and someone ate them all. ahhhhhh. We definitely didn’t say it was us. (Jessie)
- Whenever we talked to older men they would just stop me mid-sentence and just touch my face or my hair. I am a blonde and am very white. It happened on many occasions. I got so used to it. I was really good at saying “No” to people. (Cassi)
- The time I was a track star in Mestre running across a park to try to catch a bus, and when I got to the other side of the park, I realized the bus was going to do a complete circle to where I began and I had to run back across the park jumping two fences twice and in my overcoat, all the while my companions never moved from the original starting place, as they already knew the bus was going to go all the way around the park. When I finally got on the bus, all of the Italians that witnessed my feat were laughing. (John)
- I was on the bus with a Greenie in Trieste when a lady with a serious case of Tourettes (involuntary cursing and ticks) and seemed very homeless, sat down on a seat across from us. She noticed my companion had a cough, reached into the pocket of a very filthy coat and pulled out a lozenge (that she had to tug hard to get it to release from her pocket lining). As she offered it and my Greenie reached for it, I slapped his arm down and said, “NO!” with a little too much gusto. My comp looked at me like I’d lost my mind and said, “I wasn’t going to eat it, I just didn’t want to be rude. I’m not a child, ELDER!” (Michael)
- I arrived in Italy around Christmas season. One day, trying to follow our mission president’s encouragement to “open our mouths”, I tried to start up a conversation with a fellow bus passenger about the beautiful Christmas lights hung up around the city of Trieste. I tried and tried and tried to ask him what I thought was, “When do they turn off the lights?”, only to find out later I was asking “When do they turn on the lights?”- which were already on, of course. (Mark)
- Pretty much anytime you interact with our African brothers is a good time. (McKay)
- The front tire of my bike came off as I was riding it on our way home from an appointment. (Robert)
- I had some of the funniest moments of my life on my mission so I don’t know how to narrow it down. One that jumps out is me and my comp were riding bikes in Florence. We thought we were pretty cool so we learned how to do some sweet bunny hops. So one p day we decide to film each other doing the awesome bunny hops. I record my comp and get some sweet angles and all that jazz. Then I passed the camera to him and he did the same for me. So he’s riding right beside me as I do the biggest bunny hop I’ve ever done. Executed to perfection. Well as I come down, my hand slips a little off the handle and hits the front break. So as I hit the ground before I even know what is going on my face is bouncing off the asphalt. I look up and my comp has the camera in perfect position. I get up so excited because we just got that epic crash on film. I don’t even think about the fact that I have blood on my suit, ripped a hole in the sleeve, scrapes on my face, because it’s going to be on Americas funniest home videos. We start watching it and right before I jump, the film ends. Memory is gone. Are you freaking kidding me? It ruined my p day. But afterwards, I still laugh to this day thinking about it and replaying it in my mind. If only I could replay on my computer over and over. (Broc)
- Wrecking my bike while talking to my companion in Bolzano. (Greg)
- I was in a tri-companionship, and we were teaching a man named Edward, from Ghana. We had just gotten through the first vision and telling him about the Book of Mormon, and he wanted some evidence. He went off on a tangent to try and make us understand what he was trying to say, and he finally said, “If I were to kill you 3 white boys, I wouldn’t be able to get away with it because people saw you come in!” My companions were scared, and I should have been, but in my head I was just thinking, ‘Wait, there’s only two white boys here. . . Where’s the third one? I know he’s not talking about me!” (Joshua)
- Too many 🙂 The one that comes to my mind, was going door to door in Milan with a cat. We were in a small apartment building and there was a cat that came with us from outside. As soon as a door opened to our knocking, the cat run in the house. The lady was not pleased, and we spend our time trying to catch the cat all over the house instead of talking about the gospel. She let us out with the cat 🙂 (Emma)
- Getting a suppository from the pharmacist and asking how I could swallow something that large. (Alan)
- In the train station restroom in Milan, someone bumped the back of my shoes while I was using the facilities. I turned and there was a woman mopping the floor in the men’s room. (Keith)
- We went to a member’s house who had LOTS of cats that climbed all over everything. They peed everywhere and she would wipe it off the counters with the dish cloth. The lasagna was full of cat hair. I choked it down and almost threw up. But the sausage was the worst! I couldn’t do it so I discreetly wrapped it in my napkin and put it in my back pack. When we left her house, I had forgotten about the sausage and we went directly to a contacts house who had a large Boxer dog. Man! As soon as I walked in the door, the dog attacked my back pack! It was hilarious! (Heather)
What was a crazy/dangerous experience?
- On my first exchange a few days into my mission, my temporary companion and I were followed by a man and it was terrifying! My temporary companion was just as green as I and eventually we ducked into a corner and prayed for a while and when we came out he was far enough away that we were able to gain enough distance to safety. (Francesca)
- I almost got hit by a car crossing the street once – I’d checked both ways and hadn’t seen anything, and then as I was crossing my companion called out my name, and I stopped just in time to avoid being hit by a very, very fast moving car on the road. It literally missed me by less than 6 inches. (Emily)
- When we took a wrong train from Brignole to San Pierdarena and was a regional veloce train so it didn’t stop and we finished in Savona at 23:30pm. (Julieta)
- We knocked on a Muslim’s door who got super angry with us and said we shouldn’t proselyte because Muslims don’t. He then grabbed my companion’s shirt. As soon as he did this I grabbed him and shoved him back, told him not to touch us, and we walked away. (Austin)
- I almost got hit by a car while on my bike…(It wasn’t very dangerous). (Jennifer)
- I didn’t have any crazy/dangerous experience. (Victor)
- Walking into an Arab restaurant and ordering food the night that Saddam Hussein was being hung on public TV. (Neil)
- My Greenie and I were doing service for a non-member family. After we planned a lesson and they planned dinner so we ended up doing both and not leaving until 9:30pm. We had to wait for 30+ minutes for a bus in the Muslim part of the city (as Sisters). We didn’t get home until after 10:30pm. (Lilly)
- I generally felt fairly safe in Italy and especially so in Firenze. However, we had one experience while we were visiting a new investigator that was pretty terrifying. While we were trying to get to know her, her husband walked in. The only way that I can describe this man is slimy. We just got really creepy vibes from him. Luckily, he went into a back room of the apartment fairly quickly so we thought that we would be okay. However, we began to here strange noises from that back room. I don’t know what those noises were, nor do I want to know, but they made me more and more uneasy. While I was trying to convince myself to just finish the lesson and go, the Spirit yelled in my head “Leave now!!!” Immediately I stood up, grabbed my companion, made some excuse to the investigator, and ran out the apartment. I had never been so scared in my entire life. I am just grateful that I listened to the Spirit and I didn’t have to find out what would have happened had we stayed in that apartment. (Emily)
- Not too much danger in Northern Italy. (Mike)
- We missed the last bus to get to our house almost 45 minutes away. Then we asked a bus driver if he could just drive us close enough so we wouldn’t have to walk three hours. He agreed, but insisted he took us home when we only wanted him to take us close. Anyway, creepy. Be obedient even with time :). (Jessie)
- We got side swiped by a car. (Amanda)
- On the way home at the end of the day, we were on the metro and heard some guys planning how they were going to rob us (they didn’t think we understood Italian). (Jan)
- My companion and I were walking to the bus stop in Milano. On the way there is a path that leads to a park. We were on our way home after an activity, in the dark and we look down the path and see this guy biking his heart out, coming at us as fast as he can and yelling, “Belle raggaze! Non avete paura di me!” We just ran as fast as we could to the safety of the church, until he was gone. It was quite terrifying. (Cassi)
- We missed the bus back to Vicenza and had to walk back to town in the dark and a very large dog chased us. (John)
- One evening (again in Trieste) we were tracting rather late. One trick we learned when knocking doors was to watch for the light in the peep hole to go dark. At this particular house, I saw the peep go dark and said in a loud voice, “I see you in there. Open up to hear a message of love and truth.” I got my wish, because at that moment, the door flew open and a man wielding a hatchet above his head, screamed, “Get away and don’t ever knock on my door again.” Needless to say, my nerves didn’t calm down for several hours. (Michael)
- We used the citofono to “buzz” into a building for an appointment, only to be accosted by a drunk tenant who didn’t think we should be in there. He tried to throw a few punches and forcefully throw us out of the building. Lucky for us, he was too drunk to do anything really. (Mark)
- Nothing too crazy ever happened, me and my companion went for a month without electricity, but we ended up baptizing three people during that time. (McKay)
- My trainer and I were separated after I was in Italy for only two weeks. I tried in my broken Italian to get directions and somehow found a member’s house. At this point I was able to call my trainer and we were able to get home by midnight! (Robert)
- We were teaching a crazy less active in Savona who we could tell had a lot of problems. The last lesson we taught him, all the sudden he got this weird look, said I’ll be right back, and we knew something bad was gonna happen. So we stopped him and kinda held him back and he started freaking out so we got the heck out of there. Who knows what could have happened, but whatever he was gonna go get wasn’t good. Lucky for us we were in tune with the spirit, and The spirit warned us when something bad was going to happen. (Broc)
- Having a gun pulled on me while tracting in Reggio Emilia. (Greg)
- My first city was a town called Brescia. Everyone told me that Satan has a firm grasp on the hearts of the people there, and they were right. We were in the market one day, when a woman approaches us with this desperate look in her eyes. I didn’t understand everything, but what I did understand sent shivers down my spine: ” Help! I think it’s in me, It’s in me!” She claimed that she was being possessed by a demon, and wanted our help to exorcise it. She was a really disturbed woman. To this day, I can still hear those words running through my mind. (Joshua)
- Again in Milan with another companion. It was evening and we were going door to door in a tall apartment building. As always, we would start from the top apartments and go by door to door towards the stairs to eventually go to the lower floor. We didn’t have anyone opening the door for us. After knocking on a door and receive the answer to leave the building from inside the door, we kept going to other doors on the same floor. The door opened and the guy came out with a gun. We ran to another door, the people were inside heard the commotion outside but were scared also and didn’t open the door. We ran out of the building. (Emma)
- Getting hit by a car while on my bike (twice). (Alan)
- When an investigator gave us poison in our milk. (Keith)
- Almost every time we took any public transportation, especially a bus that is very crowded, never fails that some Italian guy would grab my butt or try to feel me up. Ewww! (Heather)
What was a spiritual experience?
- There are too many to pick just one! One of my favorite experiences was sharing the message of the restoration. I loved it. Even if it was not accepted, my testimony was strengthened every time we taught it. Another favorite experience was when we taught people to pray. Prayer is such a beautiful and simple principle that brings bounteous blessings. Hearing a simple prayer of an honest seeker is a most tender and humbling experience. (Francesca)
- Every day something special happened. It’s hard to pick just one. I advise keeping your eyes open for the unexpected miracles of daily service. My companions and I used to list miracles and tender mercies in our daily planners at the end of each daily planning session. (Emily)
- Every time I shared my testimony was a spiritual experience. I’ve got my own testimony of the restoration in a lesson with my first new convert. That was so powerful. (Julieta)
- We had a woman walk in one Sunday. She went out between meetings to smoke, then came back in for Sacrament and sat by me. Our recently-baptized convert was being conferred the Gift of the Holy Ghost that day. A week later, this woman calls and says, “I want to be baptized, but I need to know more first. Also, I want a Book of Mormon in Italian.” It wasn’t until much later that she told us that she knew this was the true church the moment the Priesthood holders put their hands on the recent convert’s head. (Erika)
- I felt the supportive/enabling power of the Atonement. (Jennifer)
- One talk in the MTC. One General Authority spoke about our Celestial Mother. We couldn’t speak for about two hours because of the spiritual experience. (Victor)
- There were a few times when we were prompted to take certain side streets, and we met people that way. (Neil)
- Testifying of Christ’s Atonement and that He knows our pain to an elderly/sick couple. (Lilly)
- I struggled a lot with the language on my mission, but I had many times on my mission where I knew I was being helped. There was one time in particular that I was able to share my testimony in perfect Italian exactly when the Spirit needed to be unhindered by my limited language skills. (Emily)
- When an investigator feels a confirmation of the Spirit! (Mike)
- When I felt to tell an investigator that her and her daughter would once again have a loving relationship. They cut off their relationship because they were Jehovah’s Witnesses and one of them left the church, so the mother cut off her daughter. Anyway, I got a call one year ago from this mother who we taught and she said…”The revelation you told me has come true! Me and my daughter are together after 10 years and she wants to thank you too.” Obviously it wasn’t me, but working through God is the greatest thing you can do. I remember so many times things came to my head so clear that pierced the investigator’s heart. Obedience is the key to that…to all of it. It doesn’t matter how much you hate it. If you obey, you will see miracles and a change of heart. Not jut in the investigators, but yourself! (Jessie)
- The first time I quoted the first vision in a lesson, the Spirit poured into the room and I knew it was all true. (Amanda)
- During the moment from the previous answer, the words “I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.” Right after that came to mind, one of the guys said to the others “hey these are people of God, leave them alone.” God blesses his children through his other children. (Jan)
- I was with my new missionary and we were on our way out of Milano. The seats were full so we were standing in the hall. There was a woman from France there, with her little 6 month old baby. I could tell she was just on the train, but didn’t pay for the ticket. She was in need, she was scared and heading to get help from a friend. With my Mission President’s “We are forever finders!” Stuck in my head I began talking to her. She spoke Italian and English and we taught her the whole Restoration message, standing in the train. Bit by bit the Spirit testified and brought peace to her heart. I asked if we could pray with her. She agreed. She had claimed to be atheist, but was just confused. As she heard more of the restored Gospel, she became more open. I said a prayer for her sick little baby boy, and that she could get to where she needed to go. As I closed the prayer the ticket lady came by. She checked our tickets and then started telling this French woman to pay. I was ready to pay for her, I knew she needed to get to her friend. But I felt to wait. After trying to scramble for what little money she had, the ticket lady just looked at her and said “Never mind. Go in and have a seat, there are still a few left.” Just as the ticket lady left, this French woman turned to us and said, “Maybe your God does listen after all.” She was so happy, her countenance changed and she felt the Spirit and the peace that comes with it! I will never forget it! (Cassi)
- I was with a companion in Genova when we were approached by a man speaking broken English. He was a engineer from Romania (which was under Communist rule at the time) and had been introduced to the Gospel while on business in the Philippines years earlier. He had smuggled a Book of Mormon into Romania, but asked us to teach him everything and baptize him. We spent the next three days going through all the discussions and answered hundreds of questions he had. The Spirit was so strong and we challenged him to baptism. He accepted and wanted to do it immediately. He also wanted to claim asylum and remain in Italy, but feared for his family in Romania. We contacted our president about how we should proceed. He subsequently reached out to Salt Lake leadership for counsel. After days of prayer and fasting, we heard back from Salt Lake. We were told he should wait on his baptism and return home to his family. This brother did not take that news happily, but saw the wisdom in it. It was hard to understand for us missionaries, but we exercised our faith. Fast forward to many years later, I learned that the family had left Romania safely, moved to Paris, France and had joined the church with his wife and children. The Lord’s timeline is always the perfect timeline. (Michael)
- There were many. One of the most memorable experiences, was listening to a man tell us about how he had lost his desire to live, simply because he found no purpose in it anymore, and had even been praying to God to take his life. He said when we found him, and he found the Gospel, it all changed. Then he said, “God sent his angels to save me, and you are those angels.” (Mark)
- I met a family in Podova who visited me in Verona and showed me a picture on their cell phone, it was a picture of the man that baptized the father of this family. As I looked to the bottom of the screen I saw the name “Kirk Richardson.” So I scrolled down to see a picture of my uncle on the same page as this man who had baptized the father. Long story short, it turns out that the man had been trying to get into contact with the family for years and I ended up being the link to reconnect them. (McKay)
- We had an Italian investigator named Davide. We showed him the film, The Restoration. After he saw the first vision, he asked us if Joseph Smith really saw God and Jesus Christ. We answered him yes and the Spirit took over the room. (Robert)
- My AP’s at one ZC talked about a thing they called spiritual harvesting. You pray about and decide on an area to do the next day during planning. Once you get to the area, you say a prayer about a specific street in that area. Once you both feel the same impression, you go and get on that street and say another prayer about a specific building or house. Once you feel the impression on a building or house you go to it, and say a prayer of confirmation. If it feels right. Do it. Me and my comp did this one day after fasting because we were really struggling, and we did it four times, got into each of the four places, found 11 new investigators, and 2 of those got baptized. This was all in one afternoon. It was amazing to see the lord put us right exactly where we needed to be to teach the people He needed us to find. One of the coolest experiences. But honestly you have experiences every single day that strengthen your testimony. (Broc)
- Healing a sister of shingles. (Greg)
- In the first transfer of my mission, we met a woman named Evelyn. She was from the Philippines and spoke English (which I was grateful for) and I loved her! It was our first lesson with her, and my first time actually teaching a lesson, and we taught her the first lesson, and the spirit was so very strong. I remember inviting her to be baptized, and being filled with the spirit and I knew that she would say yes. It was in that moment, that I knew I was exactly where I needed to be. (Joshua)
- Many were with investigators, but mostly were on my own, while reading and praying. One that stands out with investigators was again in Milan, entering an apartment with 4 or 5 university students. Upon hearing who we were, they started attacking Joseph Smith. As a convert a few years earlier, I had a testimony of Joseph Smith only as a reflection of knowing that the Book of Mormon was ancient scriptures and consequently their translators must have done it by divine help. But I was until that point not very fond of him, since to me he was taking too much of the spot light that should have been for Jesus. Anyway, I started ‘defending’ him, and as I did it, for the first time I felt he was a prophet (independent from the Book of Mormon) and felt a great love and gratitude for him. (Emma)
- When I really forgot myself and gave all I had. (Alan)
- Receiving my testimony of Joseph Smith and the First Vision while I was teaching the First Vision. (Keith)
- Seeing 8 year old Deborah get baptized. She was the only one in her family who was excited about all the discussions and made that choice herself. When one of the anziani gave her a children’s animated Book of Mormon, she tried to hug him but couldn’t reach him. He reached down and hugged her. He had tears in his eyes. That was so touching because this particular missionary was one who could be very offensive, rebellious, and all around not very nice (at least to me). It touched my heart. (Heather)
What are some interesting facts about the Milan Mission?
- Lorenzo snow opened it! Mussolini was born, raised and built up cities in our mission. Forli specifically. It’s the best! (Francesca)
- That we were focusing on living the celestial law. And we wanted to do the best we could to be obedient and receive the blessings. (Julieta)
- The mezzi (all public transport) have regular strikes, so plan to spend whole days on foot in the places you live. If the pizza has a dry, flaky crust, your money is well spent. Nuns around every corner. There’s a superstition that cool air can make you sick. Bring scarves, tights, boots, gloves, and hats to stave off the concerned members more than the cold air. Also, don’t go outside with wet hair, or tell anyone you went to bed with wet hair. Supposedly, that can also make you sick, and everyone will worry about you. (Erika)
- Two words. Italy – Milan; need I say more? (Jennifer)
- The place where Italy was rededicated for missionary work — Mount Brigham — by President Benson was close to my first area, Torino, so it was amazing to have the opportunity to hike up to the peak where he offered his prayer. (Evan)
- There are tons…. but I loved the cultural diversity. You meet people from all over the world. (Victor)
- There are buildings that have been there since before Columbus discovered America. I actually got to go to the church where Columbus is buried. (Lilly)
- Italians are the best! Italians are some of the most amazing people I have ever met. The food is excellent, and the cities are incredibly beautiful. Honestly, it’s just amazing. (Emily)
- Lots of street contacting. Much more effective than knocking or ringing bells. Be creative. (Mike)
- When it gets cold….it gets bone chilling. Get the warmest clothes ever. Lots of Bolivians were in my area and they eat a lot of trippa (cow stomach), which made me gag. They have amazing fritelle. Fried crunchy dough like crackersish…hahaha (Jessie)
- It became a stake right before I got there. We knew we were there to try to get enough people to join the church in order to build a temple. (Amanda)
- It has the province of Tuscany which is the most beautiful and serene place on earth. (Jan)
- We were not allowed to take naps, only on Preparation Day between 10 am-6 pm, or if we were really sick. (Cassi)
- When I arrived in Italy, the church had been having a tough time getting Visas for missionaries. My group was the first group granted Visas in nearly a year and a half, so there were only 56 missionaries in the entire Milan Mission (at the time, the mission took in all of Northern Italy, from Bologna north). Most cities had only two Elders and only the bigger cities and towns had missionaries at all. I watched the mission grow over time and was able to train many new Elders very early in my mission (I wasn’t even fluent in the language when I trained my first Greenie). (Michael)
- We experienced a mild earthquake while I was there. Also, Madonna held one of her first rock concerts in Italy, and we had to return to apartments early because everyone was watching the concert. (Mark)
- You see more foreigners than Italians. (McKay)
- At the time of my mission, there were three missions: Milano, Roma, and Catania. Since there were three, our mission was smaller. Florence and Pisa, for instance, were not in my mission. I recall that at the time, our mission had one of the biggest wards in Italy (Milano 3) and we just reached 3 stakes by the time I left. (Robert)
- It is one of the most successful missions in Europe. It has to be up there as one of the most beautiful missions in the world. You will teach someone from every continent in this mission. Lots of other phrases in other languages can be learned if you put forth effort. (Broc)
- There were only two stakes in the country at the time. I spent my whole mission in them. (Greg)
- Northern Italy has some of the most BEAUTIFUL scenery in the world! There is SO MUCH to do there! Preparation Day activities for me usually involved exploring some castle or visiting a museum. The sights are breath taking! (Joshua)
- Mission President, Ivan Radman, and his family had to leave early because of threats from the communists. He left Yugoslavia after WWII, as a young refugee and immigrated to Australia. After he returned to Italy as the Mission President, his name appeared in the paper and some strange events started to happen. The general authorities thought it was safest to have them leave the potential danger in Italy and he went to open a mission in New Zealand. (Keith)
- The gypsies, interesting looking but scary! The weird dishes they made with seafood of which I am not a fan. I mean eel served whole laid across lettuce for New Year’s Eve? (Heather)
What was the weather like?
- All four seasons to the extreme! Lots of heat and lots of cold with extra humidity! (Francesca)
- Very Mediterranean. Hot and humid in the summers, with lots and lots of mosquitoes, and pretty cold in the winter. Honestly, the climate and weather are fairly similar to many parts of the USA. Just follow the packing guidelines and you’ll be fine. (Emily)
- Very humid and I love winter time! But I loved it! ITALY is just so amazing!!!! And I miss my mission time. 🙁 (Julieta)
- In Proprio Milan, it was several degrees hotter than the surrounding area in the summer. It was veeery cold in the winter. Bring lots of warm stuff for winter, and breezy clothes for the summer. (Sorry, Elders. You’re out of luck.) (Sandra)
- So hot and humid in the summer. Cold in the winter, but not unbearable. (Blake)
- Humid.. Which makes for hot, wet summers and cold piercing winters. (Austin)
- It was pretty temperate/humid. The humidity varied from city to city. (Jennifer)
- Hot and humid in the summer, biting cold in the winter. But the spring/fall’s were perfect. (Evan)
- Normal. (Victor)
- Varied from hot and muggy on the coast to cold in the mountains. (Neil)
- Humid and sticky hot in the summer. I never saw snow, but that was an unusual winter. (Lilly)
- Because of the humidity, it was really hot during the Summer and freezing during the Winter. There are four very distinct seasons and during the Spring and Fall, the weather is beautiful. It doesn’t rain or snow a whole lot, but it largely depends on where you are serving and when. Overall the weather is very manageable. (Emily)
- Hot and humid in the summer. Cold with some snow in the winter. (Mike)
- Freezing and hot! (Jessie)
- Hot and humid in the summer, cold in the winter. (Amanda)
- Really nice, just a bit too humid for my liking. (Jan)
- Rainy. All year long. It was really nice the first summer I was there. It rained every week and was never super hot. The second summer, every one was dying of heat. It was crazy. (Cassi)
- Four distinct seasons with a good amount of humidity in the summer. (Michael)
- My last winter, I served in Torino, and the city was caught in a substantial snowstorm. I think it snowed 2 or 3 feet in a couple of days. It came down so fast and hard, they didn’t clear the roads. Eventually parts of it started to melt, making huge ruts and dips in the streets. Riding the bus was like riding a major roller coaster. You had to hang on for dear life! (Mark)
- Cold, rainy. Fine when it’s not doing that. (McKay)
- Hot and humid in the summer and cold and humid in the winter. Ferrara was extremely cold and humid and it had extremely thick fog during the cold season. (Robert)
- I was the hottest I’ve ever been, and the coldest I’ve ever been. Winters are really cold and summers are very hot because of the humidity. (Broc)
- Warm summers, awful winter pollution in Milano. (Greg)
- It’s scalding hot in the summer, and freezing cold in the winter, and on top of that it is HUMID. You will feel everything! It’ll penetrate right down to your bones! (Joshua)
- Colder than expected. I am from Rome, Italy and although I knew there was snow in Milan in winter, I didn’t expect to be so much colder than home, where I saw snow only once, and melted right away. (Emma)
- Muggy. (Alan)
- Hot in the summer, cold in the winter and humid all year. Smog in the winter. (Keith)
- Smoggy, especially in Milano where the pollution is horrible! Genova is beautiful seemed like all the time. Como, or course was the best! (Heather)
What did you like about the area/people?
- It shaped me. It stretched me. It strengthened me. Italy is a sacred land. (Francesca)
- I loved the way members were warm and welcoming. It was very rare for us to be in an area and not be welcomed with a smile, even when we had to work to gain trust. I also just loved being in Italy. There were days when I would walk out the door and think to myself, “I live HERE!” I was also amazed by the dedicated women of The Church. A lot of times the men would be flaky, but I met so many amazing women. They set standards of behavior and conduct for me that I will never forget. Also, the focus on the temple. The people of Italy want their temple so badly. They pray and fast for it all the time, and they’re anxiously waiting for the day the Rome Temple is completed. They never, ever take those opportunities to attend, or the blessing of the temple for granted. (Emily)
- That people were almost always so kind. They were very surprised when we talked about the family as the center of our message, Italians love families. (Julieta)
- The people love you so easily. (Blake)
- They are kind of cold up front but as soon as you get to know them they are the nicest people who just want to take care of you. (Austin)
- The members are AWESOME! Plus- the scenery is super gorgeous. For the most part, they put a big emphasis on families and being together. (Jennifer)
- Italians are just so lovable. Even when they reject you, it’s hard to be mad at them. They’re hilarious, honest, and perhaps the most charitable group of people I’ve ever met. But another wonderful aspect of the Milan Mission is that there are so many immigrants from around the world: Nigeria, the Philippines, Brazil, Ukraine… you name the country, and you will talk to someone from there. (Evan)
- I love them. Everything. (Victor)
- Everything! The kindness of the members. The history and beauty of the country. (Lilly)
- Italy is incredibly beautiful. The architecture is amazing so there is always something to see on Preparation Day. The people are incredible! Italians are so passionate about life and that passion is infectious. They are very kind and they like the missionaries. I had a great time getting to know the people in each ward I served in. I always felt at home while I was with them. (Emily)
- The people are very friendly and are easy to engage if you are creative. Ask them questions about Italian grammar, they love to help an American speak their language! (Mike)
- The openness of the people. (Amanda)
- They are so stubborn, but so passionate about what they’re stubborn about. It’s weirdly endearing. (Jan)
- Many people listened. Not many people accepted, but they listened most of the time. People were very open to God, to hear what we had to say, but once we brought up Joseph Smith or The Book of Mormon, people kind of shut off. They thought it was cool that these two American girls- one real blonde one- were in Italy speaking Italian with the people. (Cassi)
- EVERYTHING! Here I am, 32 years later, smiling with great joy about every word I’m writing in this survey. (Michael)
- The love- Italians love! I can’t begin to count the number of times we got invited in for dinner by complete strangers, many of whom wanted nothing to do with the Church. The women would change their dinner from a simple pasta dish, to a four or five-course meal, just to entertain us. They just know how to love. (Mark)
- It was a real family. (McKay)
- Everything! I served in five different areas and each had its own jewel. I liked the different dialects and accents of the people and especially the overall generosity. (Robert)
- The Italians will do anything for you, such friendly people. I love how diverse Italy is too and so I got to know so much about the world because I met people from the entire world. (Broc)
- Lots. (Greg)
- The members are your best friends! They welcome you with open arms. I loved how they accepted you into their lives without much thought. They are a delight to be around! Every city has it’s own dialect, and everyone from that city claims to be better than everyone else! They’re stubborn, but they’re amazing! I’d give anything to go back! (Joshua)
- I felt that was not a better mission in the whole word. 🙂 I still believe that. (Emma)
- Museums, history, some of the people were very kind, God bless them. One middle aged woman pushed me out of the way of a tram. (Alan)
- They are so humble, so welcoming, and so proficient at finding joy despite hardship. (Keith)
- The people…everywhere I served! (Heather)
Any packing/clothing advice?
- Do not plan on buying stuff there. Bring deodorant for your whole mission. Theirs doesn’t work well. Sisters checked into personal items you might need because they might not have what you need. (Francesca)
- Pack anti-itch cream. Seriously, the mosquitoes in the summer are unbelievable, and you’ll be glad you have it. (Please note this next section is for women.) I advise bringing thermal underwear for the cold months, and wearing those under your skirt rather than pantyhose. Also, socks. That saved my bacon the two winters I spent in the country. Investing in a couple really good pairs of shoes is also wise. It’s worth the expense. (Emily)
- Pack light. You’ll buy clothes while you’re there. (Blake)
- I probably brought a larger pharmacy than I needed, but there is a fine line between too large a pharmacy, and the needed pharmacy. I brought only what was on the list, and I didn’t need more than that. A lot of American products like peanut butter and cheddar cheese are hard to find in Italy. (Jennifer)
- Leave space for ties. You’re going to end up with a lot, whether you like it or not. (Evan)
- Raincoat. Small backpack. No more than two suitcases. (Victor)
- Get a decent coat for winter. It is cold! Also for the summer, pack shirts that you don’t have to layer. It gets hot and the less you have to wear, the better you will feel. Pack a good pair of shoes, but don’t bother spending a ton of money on them. If you need more shoes, just get them when you get to Italy! (Emily)
- There are no clothes dryers. Bring wrinkle-free clothes! But you will still be ironing. Bring a stain stick. (Mike)
- Bring good winter boots and a super warm coat that is long, to your ankles. (Jessie)
- Shoes that are cute and comfortable. It’s okay if they don’t last the whole mission, Italy has cute shoes! (Amanda)
- Light weight/breathable materials. (Jan)
- Thick coat and lots of tights for winter. If you want nice clothes, bring some clothes and buy lots of things there. They have good taste in Italy. 🙂 I replaced half my wardrobe over there and couldn’t take lots of old things home. (Cassi)
- Everything you buy for your missionary will wear out. Your missionary will have members who are happy to help repair pants and other clothes. Everything can be replaced at stores in Italy. (Michael)
- If you go to Trieste, pack warm! The wind is amazing- straight from Siberia, they say. (Mark)
- Don’t bring a lot of junk. (McKay)
- I would bring one suit and then long and short sleeve shirts. I say one suit because you can buy suits in Italy for cheap. This goes for ties as well. I bought one of my suits there for only 40 euros. Ties usually run for 5-10 euros. (Robert)
- Fitted clothes will help you fit in better to the European culture. Scarves and good gloves help a ton in the winter. Don’t worry about getting fancy shoes. Go for comfort. (Broc)
- The things that are expensive here are cheaper over there and vice versa. Don’t over index on “work” clothes. (Greg)
- Pack light. A few thick, long sleeved shirts for the winter, and thin short sleeved shirts for the summer. You will sweat. A lot. No matter what you’re doing or what season it is. Get good shoes! You’re going to need them! (Joshua)
- Layering is the best. And water proof boots for the winter months. (Emma)
- Light clothes in the summer and layers in the winter. Get a good Italian umbrella. (Keith)
What blessings did you receive from serving a mission?
- Personal conversion. (Francesca)
- The blessings are innumerable. I think about my mission every day, and there’s always something that comes up that helps me in my day-to-day life post-mission. Honestly, it’s something that you will find blesses your life every day from now until eternity, often in ways you don’t expect. (Emily)
- The gift of tongues. I’ve learned English, French, and I am learning Portuguese and Chinese. For sure that’s one of the blessings. (Julieta)
- My own testimony. I learned my mom’s native language, which I thought would never happen because she doesn’t use it much anymore. (Erika)
- Lifelong friends, a beautiful wife (because of my diligence and obedience… Not because I met her there). (Blake)
- I met my future husband. 🙂 Most importantly, I made a lot of friends that became my family. (Jennifer)
- Tons of blessings. I cannot count them. (Victor)
- A spiritual strength and maturity that would take a lifetime to develop otherwise. How to find answers in the scriptures, study and teaching skills. Time management. (Lilly)
- It’s hard to name all of the blessings because there really are so many. My testimony was incredibly strengthened by serving others, and my self-confidence increased tenfold. I understand now what it means to love people and listen. Really though, I can’t say enough about how many blessings I have received from my mission. (Emily)
- My beautiful wife of 17 years! I really grew up. Of course the sooner you grow up, the more effective you will be on your mission. (Mike)
- Gosh!!! I prepared to meet my husband. Had a change of heart and gained an understanding of spiritual things, a love for Italy and it’s people, even more than before. (Jessie)
- Having more self confidence, understanding the gospel better, being more empathetic of others. (Amanda)
- How to not be a terrible companion for my wife. (Jan)
- So many. Organization skills, planning skills, scripture knowledge, a stronger testimony of the Savior and the church in general. More compassion for people, and patience. Lots of patience. (Cassi)
- I married a sister from my mission and we recently celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. We have 5 beautiful children and 8 amazing grandchildren. Our blessings have been far too numerous to count from serving the Lord. (Michael)
- Look at my life now, and you will see the evidence. (Mark)
- Marriage, callings, happiness, a job and house that perfectly fits my situation. (McKay)
- I met my wife and best friend on my mission. I also received the blessings of understanding, compassion and patience. Also a very deepened love for the family. (Robert)
- Almost everything in my life I owe to my mission. I met some of my very best friends in comps I had. Like the best friends, not just good acquaintances. My family was so blessed while I was gone. My testimony gained on my mission has helped get me through some really tough times after the mission that I know I wouldn’t have made it through without. Really, I could go on all day about all the blessings. (Broc)
- Patience. Learning Italian. Many quality friends. (Greg)
- I can speak and understand Italian! Learning that seemed almost impossible for me. I know now that I can do hard things! (Joshua)
- Too many to count… but the major is that I got an incredible golden contact and convert: me. I also met my future husband 🙂 , and I still learn and get assistance from some of my companions. I have seen what the gospel can do for people, even if I don’t have to go through their trials, what a difference it makes in our lives. (Emma)
- A strong testimony and many choice memories. I was able to help teach and baptize a young girl who went on to serve a mission. She also helped the other members of her family join the church later and sent several of her children on missions. Being a small part of her valiant life was worth all the work. (Keith)
- It was very hard for me. I loved the missionary work and threw my whole heart into it until my dad passed away right before Christmas, the week before they were going to call me, and two months before I was to go home. I felt ‘dead’ after that. To this day, though I will never regret serving, I’m still not sure of the blessings. Well, other than I still have the drive for missionary work and still do it to this day. (Heather)
What skills did you gain?
- Budgeting. Communication. Patience. Problem solving. Confidence. Independence. Understanding the functioning of the church. How to work with people you don’t understand. How to love with a capacity beyond your own. Learning a foreign language. The list is eternal. (Francesca)
- Language, interpersonal skills, improved study habits, organizational skills, and the ability to plan more effectively. (Emily)
- I learned to be more patient with myself and to listen more to others. (Julieta)
- Communication skills, Italian, teaching skills, etc. (Blake)
- Communication skills, determination, learned how to plan well. (Austin)
- I learned how to decently cook most main Italian dishes. I figured, “I’m going to be cooking for myself every day for 2 years, I might as well learn how to do it right, from the best.” I also learned how to set good goals, how to accomplish them, and to hold myself accountable when I fell short. I learned how to love those around me (both companions and not), even if they were difficult to get along with. (Evan)
- Communication skills, language skills, self-confidence, teamwork, teaching, listening, planning, the list goes on.. (Emily)
- Patience. Faith in Heavenly Father. (Mike)
- Love, charity, kindness, perseverance, obedience and hard work. I learned to listen to the Spirit and follow spiritual promptings right away. (Jessie)
- More confidence, teaching lessons. (Amanda)
- Learning how to love people that you would normally never even get along with. If you can learn to love your companion you didn’t choose, it makes it easy to love your eternal companion you do pick. (Jan)
- I can speak Italian now. I can talk easily with strangers and I can get along with pretty much anyone. (Cassi)
- The ability to fearlessly talk to anyone, anytime. To work hard and to love all people. (Michael)
- I learned how to talk with others. I learned how to have faith. I learned how to teach, and meet people’s needs, and love. That’s probably the biggest- I learned how to love more fully. (Mark)
- It’s easy to make friends and make people laugh. I also have completely changed the way I read the scriptures. (McKay)
- I learned another language! That’s the main one and probably only one! (Robert)
- I learned how to talk to people I didn’t know. I learned how to get out of my comfort zone. I learned to work with people/comps that I didn’t get along with, that helps me still in my work. I learned how to learn a language which has made learning other languages easier. (Broc)
- Salesmanship, leadership. (Greg)
- I was always a shy guy before my mission, and speaking to people was really difficult for me. Over time, I discovered a whole new side of me! I really enjoyed talking to others! It was easy for me to disarm people and get them to listen to what I had to say. I feel so much more confident about myself and about my capabilities now, than I ever have before! (Joshua)
- Planning, setting goals, budgeting, relating well to people, recognize when the evident excuses are covering for some other motives. (Emma)
- I got better at talking to people, but still needed improvement. (Alan)
- Learning about other cultures, talking to strangers, being a leader, learning organizational and study skills. (Keith)
- Learning the language, overcoming anxiety at talking to strangers, time management, hard work. (Heather)
What do you wish you knew/did at the beginning of your mission?
- I caught this vision pretty early but I wish I would have known it sooner – I wasn’t learning Italian, I was learning how to teach the gospel in the Italian language. When I shifted my focus my Italian drastically improved. (Francesca)
- That it wasn’t the kind of mission people thought it was. My mission wasn’t like a South American mission, but it wasn’t that hard like people think…it is all in your mind and your desires, to learn and serve God. (Julieta)
- How the Atonement actually works when it comes to non-sin-related things. (Spoiler: God sends you people who can comfort or help you.) (Erika)
- Work hard and smart, not just hard. Knocking doors can definitely work- I found my favorite family that way. However, doing it all the time sometimes isn’t the best way to do missionary work. (Blake)
- Not really. I felt pretty confident. (Jennifer)
- Talked in Italian more with my companion. Been more willing to try out new finding techniques (bus, parks, etc), not just stick with one (like knocking doors). Work more closely with less active members. Don’t worry about whether or not someone is baptized when I am there — focus on their progress, in their timeframe. (Evan)
- The meal system. They eat a lot. Knew more languages. (Victor)
- Study the language every day. Speak your language with your companion and other missionaries. (Lilly)
- I wish I had known that it was okay- that I didn’t know the language perfectly or the scriptures perfectly. I put a lot of pressure on myself and caused myself a lot of unneeded stress because I expected, strangely enough, to automatically be perfect at everything, just because I had been called. Obviously it didn’t work out that way and I learned a lot from having to struggle. I wish I had known better that struggling was normal. (Emily)
- How important seminary is for your mission. Study hard! (Mike)
- Honestly nothing. I loved experiencing the ups and downs. Maybe how hard it would be with some companions. but you stick with it. That’s where I think I learned the most lessons to love. Without love we have nothing. Charity is not loving the lovable, but the unlovable. (Jessie)
- Read from Preach My Gospel and know the simple truths of The Church. I wish I read the Bible before I went. That’s what they know. you have to teach from their level and up. The Bible and Book of Mormon go together. You can teach with only the Book of Mormon, but it’s always better with both. (Cassi)
- I wish I’d studied the scriptures harder in my preparation for a mission. It felt like I was playing catch-up for the first four months or so. (Michael)
- I wish I had learned sooner how to get the members involved. It took me time, but what I found worked best was simple- hard work. We worked and worked and worked, and when the members saw us working, they opened up to us, and the result was lots of people to teach. Just work- even when it feels like you are accomplishing nothing. (Mark)
- Really large, noticeable success isn’t as prevalent as lots of people make it seem. (McKay)
- I wish I had more of a testimony before entering the MTC. I also would have tried to ride bikes more to up my endurance. (Robert)
- It would be the hardest thing I’ve done. I think people talk a lot about how great missions are but you never hear how hard they are too. They are the best two years because the joy you find is joy you can find seldom other places, but to find that joy you have to go through hell sometimes. I wish I would have expected that a little more. (Broc)
- I honestly wish I stood up for myself more! There were many times when my companion did something that I thought was wrong, but I followed him anyway because he was the senior companion. Being humble, and being weak are not the same thing. (Joshua)
- I wished I knew the scriptures better, not to contend with people, but to refer to them to give them hope and the feeling of being loved. (Emma)
- How to be more patient and loving and charitable. (Alan)
- More about Italy. The scriptures better. The work is very hard, very rewarding and sometimes heart breaking. The thing that took me over a year to learn, was to go by the Spirit. That made all the difference at the end of my mission. (Keith)
- Not really anything, I ‘thought’ and felt I was ready to go. (Heather)
Any advice/testimony for pre-missionaries going to Milan?
- Prepare to go with your whole heart. A mission isn’t easy and that’s part of the learning experience, but it is also what makes it fun! Be healthy in every domain: physically, spiritually, emotionally, mentally. Be prepared to have your weakness a show in your strengths shine. (Francesca)
- Take advantage of your daily studies – personal, companion and language. They are more important than you realize, and you need them a lot more than you are currently aware of. And remember that as long as you are willing to work and do your part, God will take care of the rest. Also remember that it’s okay to rest when you’re on the verge of physically collapsing. The worth of souls in great, and there’s a tendency to ignore our own needs in favor of proselyting, and to feel guilty when we need to stop. I worked myself into the ground and became very sick my first two transfers, and it wasn’t until I met my second companion that I realized it was okay to take care of myself. Seriously, she took one look at me and grounded us in the house for a couple of days until I’d recovered. We had a lengthy conversation about it, and I never had a problem like that again. Most importantly, love your companion. Do everything to can to love them and be their friend – to lift them and bless them, help them grow, and leave them better than when you met them. Follow that last part of D&C 121. It will make a difference in your work, and you will see miracles as you go out and serve. (Emily)
- If you are going to Milan please try to be like them. You will never understand how they think and how to get contacts if you don’t learn or try to understand their culture…. don’t judge them because of the country- we all are children of our Heavenly Father and He trusts you so much… so you are able to go to the oldest place where the story started…. take advantage of it. (Julieta)
- Be grateful it’s a walking/biking mission. You’re going to gain a lot of weight as it is. If you’re lactose intolerant, you might want to alternate pizza p-days and gelato p-days. It’s hard to be lactose intolerant in Italy. (Watch out for panzerotti. They’re like tiny calzones, but 70% mozzarella. Not fun for sensitive systems.) If you go to Genova, GET FOCACCIA BREAD. That’s the best place to get it, so don’t miss out! BE a missionary. Don’t just do missionary things. Take care of your companions! (Erika)
- The Lord is preparing people just for you. (Blake)
- Do your best always; it will always be enough. Don’t worry about a thing. Grow your relationship with Heavenly Father and let Him take control. I wish I had deepened my relationship with my Heavenly Father. Learn the Plan of Salvation. It is universal, and all of the lessons tie back to it. Also, learn the Restoration- our unique message to the world. (Jennifer)
- You will love Italy and the people over there. Please, be obedience. Teach by the Spirit. Read a lot the Book of Mormon and the Bible. Be patient. Be happy. Speak Italian. (Victor)
- The work is hard, but it is the Lord’s work. Your job is to reach out to as many as you can through service and preaching. The Lord will do the rest. (Neil)
- Pack light. Work hard and be diligent. Speak your mission language as much as possible. (Lilly)
- Just love it. Love the people, love the country, love the Savior, and be patient with yourself. Everything will work out as long as you are doing your best. Your best may not be the same as another missionary’s best, but don’t let that bring you down. God loves you, no matter what. Just do your best and leave the rest to Him. (Emily)
- Forget your old life- it will be there when you return! Work, work, work! And pray of course. Love your companion. Work out your differences quickly, because if you two have contention, the Spirit won’t be there when you teach. (Mike)
- Obey until the end of life! Obedience is a weapon before the mission, during and after. Love your companion. Pray to love him/her…even pray 50 times/day. Pray until you love them. Make best friends with the members. Visit every single one. Get to know them. Work with them. Invite them to appointments. (Jessie)
- There will be hard times, but stay close to the Lord and try to stay positive. (Amanda)
- They will be stubborn but learn to love the people and you’ll love the mission. (Jan)
- At least know the stories in the Bible. Read from Preach My Gospel, and add your own scriptures to what you already have in there. (Cassi)
- Give yourself over completely to the entire experience. Throw all your energy into being the best missionary you can. Nobody’s perfect and you will identify all of your weaknesses while serving. Use that knowledge for growth and don’t give up…ever. There are rough days and weeks, but you will be blessed with an amazing ability to only remember the joy and wonderful things that you experience. You will gain far more from your mission than you will ever be able to put into it. The Lord works in mysterious ways. (Michael)
- Start praying now for charity for the Italians. When you get there, do everything Italian you can. You will develop a love for them so deep that you would give everything you have for them- including your whole souls. (Mark)
- Be humble. I tried to go home in the MTC on two separate occasions, one was because of a depressive episode, then later because of guilt from my past. But be humble, believe in the Atonement, don’t be afraid to express what the Spirit tells you to. Later in the mission I wanted to leave, but the amount of prayers and the blessing that came to me from home and my mission family showed how much the Lord wanted me there and He went through many people to keep me there. And I am forever grateful for that love. (McKay)
- Love the people. Most Italians are very personal people! Be personal with them! The more you show them love and compassion, the more they will be ready to accept the message of love. (Robert)
- Obedience. If you follow the rules and don’t be stupid, the spirit will always be with you and you will see miracles daily. (Broc)
- Enjoy the people and the places on their own merits. Don’t focus on what’s different or what’s missing. (Greg)
- Remember! Obedience rules the spirit, and the spirit rules the work! Don’t EVER forget your reasons for going out on a mission! Be yourself but be your BEST self! Most of all, you are never alone! Rely on your Heavenly Father, and he will guide you in all that you do! (Joshua)
- Love the people you serve. Love is the key to success. It is hard to refuse to listen to someone that you feel really loves you. Love your companion (with some it’s really hard, but try, and at least console yourself that the companionship is not for eternity) and you can learn also from that experience. View the mission as an intense course on learning, about others, how to deal with them, but mostly about yourself. Avoid criticizing customs and things done differently, even to yourself, it will reflect on your attitude and the locals will feel it. (Emma)
- Forget yourself and get to work. I mean it. (Alan)
- Learn some key scriptures about basic principles of the gospel, such as baptism by immersion, apostasy, restoration, revelation, work for the dead, etc. (Keith)
- Dive into the work with all your heart. Overcome your fears, the Lord will always help you with that. When you do your best, believe me, you will be happier than you’ve ever been in your life. It’s worth it! (Heather)
What was a funny language mistake?
- I can’t remember what I was trying to say, but I said constipation at the pulpit instead! Whoops! (Francesca)
- I was trying to explain baptism and accidentally made it seem like we take people into the font naked. The investigator freaked out, but luckily my companion was quick to correct that mistake and calm the woman down. (Emily)
- Haha, I listened all the time to words, so I asked a member and he said… quelloquelloqueuna parolacacia … oops haha… so it was a really bad word. (Julieta)
- Plurals seem pretty simple, but there are a few that are really confusing. I had just learned how to say, “My mom sent them to me,” but I didn’t realize the things I was talking about were feminine. I said, “Mia mamma me li ha mandati,” when I should have said, “Mia mamma me le ha mandati.” Literally only one vowel, and I messed it up like four times before someone corrected me. A lot of words are shortened versions of the actual word, like “foto” for “fotografia.” This particular word is feminine, so “la foto.” If you pluralize it, it’s still, “le foto,” but someone didn’t know that and said, “le foti.” I don’t think that’s an actual word in Italian. But nothing tops the story about a missionary my mom knew back in the day (my mom is Italian, and lived in my mission way back when). A missionary went up to a man in the street once, and said, “I have a gift for you,” meaning a copy of the Book of Mormon. Or, at least, that’s what she thought she’d said. See, the word for gift is “dono.” What she’d said was “donna.” That means “woman.” She told the man she had a woman for him. ALSO: “peperoni” are bell peppers, not spicy sausage! Ask for “Pizza Diavola” if you want “pepperoni pizza.” Don’t get discouraged though. It’s not that bad once you get the hang of it, and the Gift of Tongues is a wonderful help. (Erika)
- My companion said “soffrito” instead of “sofferto” a few times. (Blake)
- I couldn’t remember what the word was for sink, but I knew there was a difference. Rubinetto = sink (for tap water). Gabinetto = toilet. I mixed them up. (Jennifer)
- The words for congratulations (auguri) and watermelons (angurie) were a little too close for my ears to distinguish at first– more than once I wondered why members would walk up to each other on holidays and shout “watermelons!” (Evan)
- Once, I told some people that we as a missionaries were living in a box instead of a house. I said “cassa” instead of “casa”. (Victor)
- One of my companions swore profusely at the kids in primary, not realizing that the word he was using over and over again was the Italian version of the F-bomb. 🙂 (Neil)
- My Greenie asked if ragno (spider) was the word for branch (ramo) right before getting up to introduce herself to the branch. I corrected her. (Lilly)
- While I was teaching English class in Milano, I was explaining basic words and writing them on the board as I went. Sadly my Italian spelling was not perfect. When I wrote “years” on the board, instead of writing “anni” I wrote “ani” which means anus… Yeah… my Italian companion, although she quickly corrected my mistake, couldn’t stop laughing much to my embarrassment. (Emily)
- Don’t ever assume that a word can be Italian-ized. I made this mistake many times and got some pretty good laughs (at me). (Mike)
- Well we were at dinner and this man made a dirty joke and I guess I just laughed because everyone laughed. Ahhhh, embarrassing. My companion later told me what I laughed at. I was a little tired. (Jessie)
- My companion offered a hand of help to a guy shooting himself up with drugs. (Jan)
- I once went in and instead of saying “Gesu ha sofferto per i nostril peccati” to “Gesu soffrite per le nostri peccati.” and another Sister once, instead of saying, “Questo e un dunno per te,” she said, “Questo e un donna per te.” When he said, “una donna?” she confidently replied, “Si!” We all died laughing once we found out. Make sure you know your feminine from your masculine. (Cassi)
- One time I was with my new Greenie at an investigator’s home. He was sick and wanted to tell them he was suffering from a chest cold. He asked me for the Italian word for “chest” (which in the masculine voice is busto) but I told him to say “chestino” which means small garbage can. Everyone got a good laugh, but I was on a certain Elder’s bad list for quite some time. It was totally worth it. (Michael)
- I liked to learn from the natives, because I figured they would give me the best examples of how to speak colloquially. One Saturday we were to have a baptism, and just about everything that could go wrong with the baptism did. I heard a member use the phrase “un po` di casino”, and I thought that sounded pretty cool. So I looked it up in my pocket dictionary, and it said “colloquial expression for a little bit of chaos.” The next day I decided to bear my testimony in Church, during which I used that phrase. I knew something was up when I saw the native Italian sister missionary’s jaw drop open. She told me later that phrase was not acceptable for a missionary, so I went back to my dictionary, and sure enough, the 2nd definition it listed was “whorehouse.” (Mark)
- Pronounce your double letters. I’m sure you will see what I mean when you get there. (McKay)
- I believe the most common mistake is saying that Gesù cristo a soffrito per i nostri peccati. Which means Jesus Christ fried for our sins. Just change “soffrito” to “sofferto” and that changes everything! (Robert)
- In Italian, saying “piacere” means nice to meet you. “Mi piace” means it is pleasing to me or I like. Well I walked up to a man, trying to be brave and talk to everyone, and instead of saying “piacere” I said “mi piace”. Which if you translated it would mean “you are pleasing to me”. I just froze and let my companion take over after receiving a really confused look from the old man. (Broc)
- One of my companions tried to say “Questo e un donno da Dio!” This is a gift from God!) and ended up saying “Questo e un donna da Dio!” (This is a woman from God!) I had a good laugh! He didn’t like me very much that day! haha! (Joshua)
- It was my first month in Italy. A family was feeding us dinner. There was an unopened bottle of orange soda on the table. I saw a dead ant floating in the orange soda. I did not know the word for “ant” so I pulled out my pocket dictionary and looked it up. I then said that “There is an ant in the orange soda.” Everyone looked puzzled and amused and asked me to clarify. I pointed at the bottle and said “There is an ant in the orange soda”. By this time I had lost everyone. They thought that this newly arrived missionary had his language confused. My companion asked me in English what it was I was trying to say. I told him that there was an ant in the orange soda, look! He saw the little critter floating in there and said that I was saying what I meant! We all had a good laugh. (Alan)
- I probably never realized all the mistakes I made. (Keith)
- Oh my gosh! In my first area when I didn’t know the language very well, I was giving my testimony and instead of saying Quando scorAggiarci, possiamo pregare” “when we are discouraged, we can pray” Instead I said “Quando scorrEgiarci, possiamo pregare” “When we fart, we can pray”. (Heather)