Home!

Welcome home, Presidente & Sorella Kelly! You have made us proud. We love you.

Sorella Kelly, when asked about her mission, said it best:

"If at the end of my life, I am told I must give back three years of my life, I better not have to give back these last three years. I'll give back Junior High. But please, please don't make me give back my three years in Italy."

 

New Mission President

Welcome, President and Sorella Waddoups, from all the missionaries in the Italy Rome Mission! We are grateful you have answered the call to serve, and know that the missionaries and members in Italy will be so blessed by your service. The Lord will guide, direct, and strengthen you in this important work.

A Thoughtful Gift

Sorella Kelly usually does the blog posts, but this one comes from her kids. We just wanted to thank all the missionaries who have supported our parents these last three years. They have worked with hundreds of amazing senior missionaries and younger missionaries. Your love and concern for them has meant so much to us.

We were very touched to read about the thoughtful gift that the mission office gave to our parents. A special thanks to the Steurers and Patriarch Calabrese who devoted so much time to creating this gift.

You can read more about this gift by reading Anziano and Sorella Steurer's blog.  http://steurersinitaly.blogspot.com/

A Person's Conversion is the Result of Many Fingerprints

I heard someone once say there are often "many fingerprints" on a person's conversion. The Savior is the "Light of the World" who offers salvation and peace to His children. He invites us to be "lower lights" to help bring others to Him. During my service in Italy, I have learned that the Savior often has more than one person be a "lower light" to an individual who is searching for His Gospel.

Two months ago, I received an impression. A faithful member in one of our branches had done something nice for our missionaries. The thought came that I should ask the  missionaries serving in the branch to express appreciation to this member by delivering flowers to her. These were faithful, obedient missionaries. They teach the Gospel at every opportunity. When picking up the flowers, they shared the Gospel with the florist. They invited her to learn about their message, and she accepted.

Two weeks ago, she was baptized, and I had the privilege of attending her baptism. It was a wonderful and spiritual service. She has now shared the Gospel with her friends, and two of her friends now have scheduled to be baptized.

In 1 Corinthians 3:6, we read: "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase." In missionary work, many people play a role in a person's conversion. There are many "fingerprints" when a person is baptized. I asked the missionaries to express appreciation to someone; the missionaries followed through and then boldly invited the florist to learn about the Gospel; and members provided support and encouragement. In the Lord's work, we are all on the same team. We should never care who gets the credit for a baptism. The credit always goes to the Savior, because it is His Gospel. I am grateful that He allowed me to play a small role in helping to bring His Gospel to another person.

---Sorella Kelly

Senior Couples Dinner and New Missionaries

Senior missionary couples greatly bless our mission.  We are so thankful for these wonderful couples who have joined us in the Italy Rome Mission.  Senior couples help in so many ways.  They help with member support, military relations, young adult programs, teaching English, inspecting apartments for younger missionaries, teaching seminary and institute, helping in the office and I could go on and on.  They make a huge difference, especially with our mission being so large geographically.  The young missionaries love working with the senior missionaries.  We really are a "mission family."  Here is a photo of some of our senior missionaries at  the mission home. We love all of our senior couples so much.  Thank you for all you do and thank you for choosing to serve a mission! 

On June 12, our mission was blessed with 23 new missionaries from the Provo MTC. What a wonderful group! They are so bright and capable, and we are sad our mission service will overlap with them for only a few short weeks. President and Sorella Waddoups will love this group of new missionaries.

Happy Anniversary!

This post is written by the Kelly children. On Sunday our parents celebrated 36 years of marraige, and we want to wish them a happy anniversary! We are grateful for their mission service which has blessed our lives so much. And we are thankful for all the missionaries and members in Italy that have taken good care of them these last three years.

Thank you, Mom and  Dad!

President David O. McKay's 10 Rules for Happiness

We are in the midst of a round of Zone Conferences in the mission. We have or will be having conferences in Malta, Sardegna, Rome/Napoli, Sicily, and Bari.

Part of our training is on the "10 Rules of Happiness" by President David O. McKay, who was president of the Church from 1951 to 1970. President McKay was the Prophet during our youth. He was a great leader who inspired others to rise to new spiritual heights. 

President Kelly carried this list with him when he was a young man serving in the Italy North Mission 40 years ago. Pondering the list brought him greater purpose and joy. Here is David O. McKay's inspired rules for a happy and abundant life:

1.  Develop yourself by self-discipline. 

2. Joy comes through creation--sorrow through destruction. Every living thing can grow: use the world wisely to realize soul growth.

3. Do things which are hard to do. 

4. Entertain upbuilding thoughts. What you think about when you do not have to think shows what you really are. 

5. Do your best this hour, and you will do better the next. 

6. Be true to those who trust you.

7. Pray for wisdom, courage, and a kind heart.

8. Give heed to God's messages through inspiration. If self-indulgence, jealousy, or worry have deadened your response, pray to the Lord to wipe out these impediments. 

9. True friends enrich life. If you would have friends, be one. 

10. Faith is the foundation of all things--including happiness.

President McKay

President McKay at the London Temple Groundbreaking.