Mission Blog: Rome East/Malta Specialized Training

September 3, 2014

The missionaries from Malta flew to Rome to join with the Rome East Zone for Speicialized Training. Depending on flight availability and cost of tickets, sometimes they go to Rome and sometimes they go to Catania. This time it worked out best to bring them to Rome.

Obedience

I usually do a fun learning activity at zone conference. As we were discussing what we were going to do this time, President commented that I always got to do the fun things and he always had to be the bad guy and talk about obedience. Since I have such strong feelings about the subject, it was decided I should give the talk on obedience this time.

I chose four areas of obedience that seem to be a problem in the mission right now.

Home on time

Missionaries are to be home by 9:00 pm every night unless they are teaching a lesson with an investigator present. If there is an investigator present, the time may be extended to 9:30—but no later. The missionaries always argue that Italy comes alive at 9:00 pm and that’s when people are out and about. That is true. However, 9:00 pm is when people go out to eat and party. Missionaries are safer in their apartments and following the rules.

Time at member appointments

Missionaries are to spend only 1 hour at a member’s home for meal appointments and they are to leave a spiritual thought at the home. If an investigator is present, the time may be extended 30 minutes. Traditionally Italian meals can last for hours so it is important that the missionaries set perimeters before accepting an invitation to eat with the members. Last week a companionship of missionaries said they had spent 7 hours at a member’s home. That is inappropriate. Italian customs are not to trump church guidelines.

Not leaving zone

Missionaries are not to leave their assigned area of service—even on P-Day. For some reason, the grass always seems greener on the other side of the mountain.

On P-Day, missionaries are to follow their regular schedule until 10:00 am, which is when they usually leave their apartments every day. By 6:00 pm, they are to be appropriately dressed and ready to do missionary work again. During that 8 hours of free time, they are to e-mail their families, do shopping and laundry, and spend time sightseeing. Sometimes missionaries get together to go bowling or play sports together. If missionaries are involved in sports, they may wear sports attire. If they are just sightseeing, they are to wear their usual missionary clothing.

Italy is beautiful and there is something unique to see around almost every corner. We encourage the missionaries to take advantage of P-Days to enjoy the sights and learn more about the customs of the country, but only within the guidelines set specifically for missionaries.

Once a transfer, on P-Day, a missionary companionship is allowed to leave their area of service and go to another area inside the zone, but only with prior permission from the Zone Leaders. If there is an emergency, it is important that the Zone Leaders know exactly where each missionary in their zone is. Otherwise, we would have no way of finding them. These rules are not set to be harsh or restrictive, but to protect the missionaries.

President Waddoups occasionally gets a call requesting permission for a missionary to leave his/her current zone to return to a former zone where an individual they helped teach is being baptized. The answer is always “no”. It is against the rule to leave the zone and it is important for the individual being baptized to form a relationship with the current members of the ward or branch and not with the missionaries who taught them. Each of those missionaries will return home, but the members of the ward or branch will stay and become their support.

Internet access

Reading e-mails and accessing the internet with their phones is only allowed on P-Day. Most phones are capable of accessing the internet, but such access is limited to restricted access at the church. Free wi-fi hotspots (like MacDonalds), member’s homes, and other hotspots are not to be used. If there is an emergency and access is required, President is the only one who can give permission to do so.

Obedience brings blessings.

Strict obedience brings miracles.