Francesca's dreams come true!

As anyone who knows our family is aware, we are spiritually invested in Italy. Starting with our missions as young adults - collectively spanning from 1986-1989, then living as a family in Rome in 2009-2010, followed by Francesca and Lucia serving missions in Milano from 2013-2016. We literally prayed for a temple in Italy for decades. When we lived in Italy as a family, the temple in Rome had been announced, yet so many obstacles stood in the way for beginning construction. Seldom was a prayer uttered that didn't include the temple. Together with faithful members in church gatherings, during early morning seminary classes, monthly fasts, blessings on the food - whatever the occasion where prayers were offered, always the building of this house of the Lord in Rome was included. Fast forward to 2019 when the temple was completed. Martha had the sacred opportunity to volunteer for 2 weeks as a translator and hostess during the Rome Temple open house. A few weeks later, we were both blessed to come and be a part of the very last dedicatory session of the temple. It was a very sacred experience we will cherish for the rest of our lives.

Our children were not able to come, and for Francesca, her dream came true on this trip to see us. Not only was she was able to see it with her own eyes, but she was able to attend temple sessions... where you pray and make sacred promises to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It goes without saying that many joyful tears were shed this day, as we gratefully worshiped together. One of our favorite things in this life is to spend time in the temple with our family. Temple worship reminds us of the eternal and sacred nature of marriage and families, and it gives a symbolic look into eternity where we can live together forever.

We love bringing our grandchildren to the temple too. As young and tender as they are, they can feel the special nature of temples and the link to heaven.

As you exit the temple doors, there is a fountain that flows toward the Visitor's Center, where the magnificent marble statue of Jesus Christ literally welcomes you inside. Matthew 11:28-30 "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." The fountain is also symbolic of our Savior, the source of living water.

Every single time children enter, they run right up to Jesus to sit at His feet.

We have so much to learn from their purity of heart and sweet innocence.

We love the sister missionaries - who every day get to bare witness of Jesus Christ. They are special people. They were so good to all of our visiting grandchildren.

Francesca's favorite scripture has always been from the Book of Mormon, when Jesus appeared after the Resurrection to the people in the Americas. John 10:16 in the New Testament says, "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/john/10?lang=eng

In 3 Nephi chapters 11-27 of The Book of Mormon, you can read about our risen Lord's appearance in the Americas after His resurrection. In 3 Nephi 17:21 it says, "As Jesus appeared, He said unto them: Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full. And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/3-ne/17?lang=eng

I know this verse of scripture means more now than ever to Francesca, as a mother of 3 beautiful children.

On the temple piazza, there is also a beautiful Hostel (Patron housing) for members and their families to stay while doing temple work, either for themselves or by proxy, as well as a Church building for Sunday worship and other meetings and activities, and a genealogy/Family History Center. We took turns watching kids and doing temple work. The flowers everywhere were so incredibly beautiful!

Once again, the children were drawn to the Savior in this stunning masterpiece of the parables of the New Testament.

Families are forever!!! When a man and a woman are sealed in the temple, their marriage/sealing is for this life and for all eternity.

We loved running into Debora and Mattia Di Liberto. We did their wedding in Rome almost 2 years ago. We love them dearly; Debora is the granddaughter of our former Mission President (Vincenzo Conforte) when we were young missionaries.

In the Hostel there is an eating area with 2 full kitchens and lots of space for temple patrons to bring, store and cook food. It is such a blessing!

There is also a children's room inside the Hostel and a little park down the hill from the Temple.

The twins had a hard time adapting to the food in general. They are not big eaters anyway. When one of our friends asked if they'd like some pasta with pesto, they ate it all right up!

We were all so happy!

The kids thought bunk beds were pretty cool, as was scripture time before going to bed in the patron housing at the temple.

Francesca had some special visitors come and meet us at the temple.

Francesca Zennaro with her two daughters Leticia and Ludovica came all the way from Mestre to visit our Francesca and all of her family! Francesca met them when she was a young missionary, and they have been forever friends ever since.

We just love them! They were so cute with the kids.

We all went to see St. Paul's Cathedral, outside the city walls. It is magnificent and one of our very favorites.

You can tell by these photos, Rhett loved having this special time with his family.

We took the kids back to the Patron Housing while Francesca and Rhett went on a night walk in Rome.

Rhett became a good tour guide for us. He found a couple of gems like this almost 2000 year old Roman aqueduct we had never heard of before.

On the way home to Pompei, we stopped to show the kids Montecassino.

HISTORY: Montecassino began as a Roman settlement, became the site of an ancient temple to Apollo, and was chosen by Saint Benedict in 529 AD to found the first Benedictine monastery, a center of culture and learning that was destroyed and rebuilt multiple times. The most famous destruction was in 1944 during World War II, when Allied bombing devastated the abbey in the bloody Battle of Monte Cassino. After the war, the abbey was rebuilt on its original site, “Com'era, dov'era” (as it was, where it was), and now serves as a national monument and a memorial. 

They loved it!

Especially the crypt.

We truly loved our time together!

Avi and I found some lizards.

The following day Rhett, Francesca, Cliff and Avi set out to explore Napoli, while I got to play with and love on the twins at home.

They explored the fascinating Napoli underground.

HISTORY: Naples' underground, or Napoli Sotterranea, began with the ancient Greeks quarrying tuff stone to build the city, leaving behind a network of voids that were expanded by the Romans into aqueducts and cisterns. Over centuries, these spaces were used as burial sites by early Christians, expanded for water supply, and became a crucial refuge for locals during the bombings of World War II. Today, this historic subterranean city serves as a popular tourist attraction, preserving the legacy of Naples' ingenuity and resilience across millennia. 

In thinking about the breadth and depth of this area and its significance in world history, it made me contemplate how we learn from the past. "Let the past be your guide for a better future." - unknown

Those thoughts led me to think about scripture and how it blesses us in our day. Romans 15:4 states, "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." As I write this post, I am in Rome, getting ready to head over to the Temple. I have also been reading in the scriptures, hoping to be inspired to share uplifting insight with our beautiful GANS (YSAs). What impresses in my mind is that in and through Jesus Christ, because of His great atoning sacrifice, we can find hope and lasting change.

I love President Thomas S. Monson's quote: The past is behind; learn from it. The future is ahead; prepare for it. The present is here; live it".

It is my prayer we can all hope for a glorious future as we prepare for the Savior Jesus Christ to return to the earth. I want to have no regrets!

We are so grateful for all we are learning as missionaries and for the opportunity for our family to come experience it all with us!

All our love,

Sorella and Anziano Montagnoli

Martha & Cliff