Being "ALL IN" is life-changing!

Our lives have been enriched and blessed by living these two words "ALL IN"! We chose this as our mission motto, and we LOVE witnessing our great and noble YSA rise to the cause of truth. "May we 'stand up inside' by being valiant and 'all in.' May we be pure and courageous in defending our Heavenly Father’s plan and the mission of His Son, our Savior." - Elder Gary B. Sabin

We just love our GANS (Young Single Adults) and feel humbled and honored to serve, lift, and love them! Each has a defining story, and we continue to be inspired by their faith and efforts to "come unto Christ and be perfected in Him."

Each time our GANS gather for our Institute class, we remind them of how beloved they are by our Father in Heaven and our Savior Jesus Christ. It is telling of their character - that on a Saturday evening they choose to come learn the teachings of Jesus. We have fun too! They are full of energy and life, hope and perseverance! Our Institute coordinator is as fine as they come, and we were so blessed to have Giorgia Romano as our special guest the end of November!

After Institute, we enjoy a meal together, prepared by our chef, Anziano Montagnoli - who is doing a fabulous job trying out his new cooking skills! We love eating together and hearing about their favorite part of the day and what touched their hearts. It's a long-time family dinner tradition that now lives on in Italy with our GANS!

Retirement completely suits Cliff, and I have to say, I keep falling in love with him over and over again, as we share this mission experience. He is so kind, so patient, so loving, and so good. We highly recommend retirement and any kind of missionary service!

Christmas in Italy is magical, and Italian women, in charge of a Christmas dinner... they are a sight to behold!

Our GANS played a key role in every part of the Christmas evening, from the program to the delivery of the food! WOW!

We have the pleasure of traveling in our area (Campania) to spend time with each ward/branch. These GANS in Caserta are so fun, so faithful, and so very capable! Our hearts are filled every time we get to see them, and we love watching them in action. They are fabulous leaders and all around GREAT people!

Our hearts are forever changed by these truly amazing people who help us, love us and teach us through their examples of goodness and faith!

We love working with the missionaries and meeting the friends they teach. We see the courage they display as they search to make changes for good in their lives and have invited us to share their progress with their families. We are witnesses to Elder Patrick Kearon's (1 of the 12 Apostles) quote, "God is in relentless pursuit of you. He 'wants all of His children to choose to return to Him,' and He employs every possible measure to bring you back." We love being part of this great effort - the work of salvation!

It is always a highlight witnessing the joy of baptism, and this one was so incredibly special - we will never forget it! We feel so grateful to be members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The other day we were talking to a lovely woman who is returning back to Church and trying to find her place. We let her know that Church is like a hospital; we are all sick and broken in one way or another. We come to feel God's love, understand our divine worth, come unto Christ, and we help each other - no judgement, no questions asked. Church is a place of peace, prayer, acceptance and love.

If you are looking for a change, want to come closer to Jesus Christ - to feel His grace and the joy of His Gospel, "Ask the missionaries; they can help." - President Russell M. Nelson https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/?lang=eng

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/?lang=ita

We love learning more about the culture here in the Napoli region. Italians know how to have a good time, all together - with good food and a fun activity, like Tombola. Our lovely GANS friend is an amazing party planner, and we had such a great evening playing this game, laughing together - everyone of all ages, babies to grandparents. Theses are treasured moments, for sure!

We have the best GANS leader - who organized an incredible "Light the World" service opportunity for us with the Casa dell'Amicizia, which is part of the Catholic organization, Sant'Egidio. A renowned chef, pillars of the community, local restaurants, businesses and volunteers came together to provide a special Christmas lunch for those in need of joy, help and friendship. All enjoyed an elegantly displayed, 5 course meal - a truly delicious holiday feast, with presents and special visits! We were honored to help, and we even made the local newscast. We met lovely new friends and were touched by selfless giving, joyous interactions, and humility of life station; all were equal that day - children of God, no differentiation of race, ethnicity, religion, or economic status.

God loves all His children equally, from all corners of the earth. We testify that He stands ready to help us, love us, and provide relief.

One of the places we feel him most is in the Temple, God's holy house. One of our wonderful GANS leaders organized a temple trip, which was a sacred experience for all!

All were able to join in with the GANS in Rome - for an Institute class and taco night!

We love our GANS so much; when we are together, it just feels like "family!"

Our family from America was visiting us that weekend, and we loved how they loved them!

What a blessing it is to be here; to serve is to love! 'Love one another; as I have loved you' (John 13:34). “May we strive to follow Him by living up to His lofty, loving, and inclusive example.” President Russell M. Nelson

All our love,

Anziano and Sorella Montagnoli

YSA Specialists, Rome, Italy Mission