Miracoli a Milano

11/ 21/2024 Il Miracolo del Sacrificio What an amazing, whirlwind experience the MTC was! Wow. 10 days of 12 hour long learning marathons, accompanied by constant spiritual highs that can only be experienced in a place like the Missionary Training Center. In it, you find a concentrated population of 2,000 people, whose whole focus 24/7 is on following the Savior Jesus Christ, and learning to love and serve people like He did.  As I pondered this one night, I was taken back to 32 years ago, as a 22 year old missionary serving in El Salvador. My days and nights were completely focused on the happiness and well being of others. I was about 16 months into my mission experience, and I remember one morning having an epiphany:  I was completely happy and utterly content doing what I was doing. I had left my home, my comforts and my girlfriend (who at this point was no longer my girlfriend...haha) to dedicate myself and sacrifice my own wishes and wants for the well being of others. A...

  11/10/2024 Well, here we go! This "avventura" to serve a mission to Milan, Italy is about to begin! We checked into the Missonary Training Center yesterday and got upacked. We'll be here for about 10 days before leaving for Italy for 18 months. Wow. This is really happening!  My brother Jeff was getting released today from his calling as a Bishop of his ward for the past 5 years, and so we decided to go to church with his family to hear him and his wife speak about their experience. Before they spoke, we partook of the Sacrament, and as we did, I had a profound experience.  I have always been a visual person; I can see things in my mind very easily as I think about people, places, experiences, etc.  As I was thinking about the Savior during this reflective time (the highlight of our church experience each week), my mind was taken to a church building, much like this one, but only in Milan, Italy. I saw members of the church there, just like the ones I was sitting n...