New Italians!

After almost 16 hours on the plane they look so happy! "Benvenuti a tutti I nuovi Missionari"!

(welcome to all the new missionaries)

"16 New Italians"!

Anziano Scheurn was happy to get to Italy! Sorella Wolgramm posted pictures of the new young Italian coming into the airport! It was great to get these pictures! You can't see Anziano Scheurn very well but I loved the pictures and thought I would share!

Finally... The Call!

Lake Como!

Winter at Lake Como!

Today,2-22-12, Anziano Nolan Rhett Scheurn left the Missionary Training Center and headed to Milan Italy!

In the past few weeks Rhett's and Tom and my letters kept crossing so I was unclear what time Rhett's flight left today! I got a call this morning at 7:30am and I quickly picked the phone up and said..."Rhett IS THAT YOU"?? All I heard was "no, this is Bishop Porter"! Not to sound rude but I felt like saying "Why are you calling me and what do you want"? (I actually think I did say that to him) It was quite clear to Bishop he was not who I wanted to talk to! I don't have call waiting so I quickly got him off the phone and continued to wait for "THE BIG CALL"!!!

I stayed busy cleaning my house with my phone in my pocket and listening for the house phone! I waited so long and it got to be around one o'clock pm and still no call! I was so anxious that I finally called Anziano Smith's mom, who was Anziano Scheurn's MTC Companion, who lives in VA to ask her if she had heard from her son? Irene was just as stressed as I was waiting for her call! As we were talking a call came through my cell phone and it was a 801 number and when I saw that I pretty much just hung up on Irene! By the way Irene I am sorry for that quick hang up! I will say I was so thankful for Anziano Smith because he gave his mom much more detail so she shared it with me! Good job Anziano Smith love you for this!!This was how the flight went to Italy!

Leave the MTC at 10:00 AM Tuesday, Feb. 22nd. Take United Flight 252 from SLC which departs at 1:40 and arrive in Denver at 3:03. Leave Denver at 5:40, fly to Frankfurt, Germany, arriving at 11:35 AM on the morning of Feb. 23rd. Leave Frankfurt at 3:45 PM and arrive in Milano at 4:55 PM!!!

So Rhett called from Salt Lake and I quickly picked the phone up and said in a rather LOUD EXCITED VOICE... RHETT IS THAT YOU!!! All I heard was Ciao!! I said "This is not Rhett don't play tricks get Anziano Scheurn"!!! Rhett is a tease so it would be like him to do something like this! Again I say" I don't know who this is but get my son, I don't have much time"!!! AGAIN he say "Mom this is Rhett...Ciao"!! I finally calmed down enough to some what recognize it was Anziano Scheurn but he sounded so different to me! I kept telling him "Rhett why do you sound so different"? He said he did not know why! I think now that I have calmed down I now know why ! Rhett has always been such a fun loving boy but in this time in the MTC He has became more of a man in this short time! He has relied strictly on the Lord and has completely surrendered his life over to his Heavenly Father! It is an amazing process as a mother and father watch this happen! He was so tender and sweet on the phone! Not once did he say "Mom I really miss you nor did he say that about anyone! He was ready!!!

All he could talk about was the excitement he had to get to Italy and truly start learning the language fluently! He kept saying that he could not wait to talk in Sacrament meeting in Italy! I did at that point wonder if Rhett was having his Representative call me when I heard him say this! Rhett usually does NOT like to speak in sacrament!

Anziano Scheurn Is definitely Enlisted and ready to be part of Heavenly Father's Royal Army!

It was so wonderful to hear how happy he was and to hear how much he loved the MTC! He told me that he felt like he already knew the Italian people somewhat and could not wait to find the people that his Heavenly Father had prepared for him!

Rhett spoke of his testimony on the phone with me and shared things from his heart that was so touching! I just sat with tears rolling down my cheeks as I listened to this young boy we put on a plane to Utah December 15th and on this day February 22, 2011, he has now turned into a young man! The power and spirit that came from him as we spoke was " Molto palpabile forte e dolce"!

We did get to Talk to Anziano Scheurn for about five minutes while he was in Frankfurt Germany. He talked about a woman all the Anziani talked to while on the plane who was from Milan. He said they taught her on the plane! He also shared with me of a blessing they gave while on the plane! Nothing I love more than to hear of a young new missionary using his priesthood in times of need!

It was great to hear from President Wolfgramm's wife, Sorella (sister) Wolfgramm Wednesday night! She told me just what a missionary mother would LOVE to hear! Sorella Wolfgramm said Anziano Scheurn arrived safely with the other 13 Anziani and she knew he would be a great missionary. She said, she loved his excitement and enthusiasm! She said he looked Italian and would fit in great! I know she told ALL the other moms the same thing but it was great to hear from her! (Missionary moms are sort of a strange breed of people while they have a missionary out!)

Sorella Wolfgramm said Anziano Scheurn would be serving in Lecco which is near Lake Como and it was about 45 minutes north of Milano! She also Told me that the Stake President.... President Delsoto lived in Lecco!

We can't wait for our first email from Anziano Scheurn next Wednesday! Tom and I look forward to the spirit that abides in your home as you have a missionary in the field! We have been so blessed always through the ups and downs of life but I love the spirit that is in our home when one of your children are serving the Lord full time!

It is so cute to hear our ten grand kids speak of their Uncle Rhett! Our grand kids are from one to eight years of age and.... to hear them say Anziano Scheurn /Uncle Rhett is on his mission in Italy is so sweet! They will miss their Uncle but they also know that they want to go on a mission just like their Uncle Rhett!!!

Anziano Scheurn...

Noi vi amiamo cosi tanto! Servire con tutto il cuore e forza! Ricordo sprint fino alla fine! Dio sia con te finche' non ci incontreemo di nuovo mio figlio prezioso! Caio!

(we love you so much! Serve with all your heart and might! Remember sprint to the end! God be with you till we meet again my precious son!)

My Travel Plans!

The Rome Temple that is being built! It will have a church along side of it with a visitor center and a family history library as well! It will be set on a side of a hill surrounded by olive trees!

Milano, Italia!

"Cari Amici e Parenti", Dear family and Friends,

We have now received our travel plans and our departure date!

We will leave February 22 at 10:00 am from Salt Lake. From there we will fly to Denver with a one hour lay over there, so I will probably not have the time to call you from Denver. From Denver we will fly for somewhere between 11 and 12 hours to Frankfurt, Germany and we will have a four hour lay over there! I will try and call from Germany! From Germany we fly into Milano (Milano) and arrive somewhere around 6:55pm! So it will be a long trip but I can't wait to get to all of those Italians that are waiting for me! I am a little nervous about the language but I know if I do all I am asked to do I have no worries!

So we did receive a short letter from Anziano Scheurn via email explaining his travel plans! He sounded FANTASTIC in the email and so excited to get to Milano, I don't think he realizes that when he gets to Milano that he still will have to travel to where he will serve and it could take hours from Milano!

It is funny Rhett HATES to fly yet he has not once mentioned that in any of his letters since he left for the MTC! He was even nervous to fly to Salt Lake, Utah.... So I kept thinking how is going to fly around the world! It is awesome to see the hand of Heavenly Father at work in Rhett! I have never heard Rhett so content and happy! Rhett has loved the MTC and has loved his "Compangni" companions that he has served with at the MTC!

But now it sounds like he has prepared in all ways he can and he is ready to get to work!

We are so happy for him! This is a new journey for Tom and I seeing that we have never had a foriegn missionary so this is new for us as well! (Take a DEEP breathe Tamy you will be fine!)

Aniano Scheurn... Noi vi amiamo cosi tanto e siamo cosi orgoglois di te e cosi felice per voi! Ci mancheral tanto! La tua famiglia ti ama! We love you so much and we are so proud of you and so happy for you! We will miss you so much! Your family loves you!

P.S. We told Rhett we would try to learn some Italian since he had to learn Italian!

"Cara Anziano Scheurn"

I have a hard time finding the time to write on my blog...So the thought of trying to keep up on another blog did not even come to my mind...Until Posey talked me into keeping a blog for Rhett so when he gets home we will have a book to give him! So with the help from Posey, Rhett's older sister here we go! Posey promised to help with this blog as well so between us we will do our best to keep a update of Anziano Scheurn!

First let me tell you what Anziano means so you don't make the same mistake as I did! I thought people were weird for naming their son Anziano until I found out that Anziano means Elder in Italian!

Anziano Scheurn left for the Mission Training Center December 15,2010! So that means we did not get to talk to him on Christmas! But the positive thing about when he left was... I remember when Joe and Walker left on their missions I kept thinking I have two Christmas's to go before they come home and...That seemed so long for me! So Rhett already has one Christmas down! WOO=HOO!

Rhett"s companions name is Anziano Smith and Rhett has been so blessed to serve with him! He is fluent in Spanish and also speaks Arabic! So he has caught on to the Italian Language quickly and I know he has helped Rhett a lot! His other two companions in his room is Anziano Wilkey from England and Anziano Portalano from France! Rhett LOVES all of these young men! Anziano Smith plays the piano well so he plays and the other Anzianos sing!

I am so thankful for Rhett's willingness to serve his Heavenly Father full time for two years! We are thankful for the spirit that abides in our home that comes when you have a missionary in the field! It is not something you can touch but... The way I describe it is you are constantly praying for Rhett and there for it seems as though you are in constant communication with your Heavenly Father SO... You feel the spirit all the time!

Last Wednwsday 28 new Italian Missionaries arrived at the MTC! In six week there will be 46 new Italian Missionaries reporting to the MTC! Now from Tamy Scheurn Chapter 6 verse 4... I think that many missionaries are being called their due to the new Rome Temple!

I have had so many people ask me why aren't you sad or they will say it seems like you don't miss him that much! The answer to that is how can I be sad when he is going to have the time of his life, he will learn a new language. and he will learn things and grow in ways no school in the world could teach him! I can't watch him as well as his Heavenly Father can watch him so with FAITH I say CIAO to him! I have Rhett for Eternity so two years is nothing compared to the Eternity!

Rhett LOVES the MTC and he has said it has flown by so fast He will leave for Italy on February 22, 2011!

I have to say I had some concerns about Rhett being home sick. He is a anxious kind of a kid and he is the baby of the family so with those two things I was worried he might have a few rough weeks at the MTC. But I can honestly tell you we have not had one negative letter and I have already seen such growth and happiness in the few months he has been gone! He said the language is coming but Rhett's companion said that Rhett was speaking Italian very well!

I have loved sending boxes and letters and getting letters from him! You can just feel the joy in his letters!

Tom and I are so proud of Anziano Scheurn and will continue to pray for his success and happiness!

Keep up the hard work and enjoy ever minute you have for the next two years and... Sprint to the end! This is a chance of a life time, continue to be obedient! Continue to rely on your Savior as you have told me several time!

Anziano...Tu famiglia amore tu! Ciao!