Rome Italy Mission Tour 2018

November is Mission tour month for the Rome Italy Mission.   Our mission is a gigantic geographic area so it is broken into two sections.  Phase one of the Tour being the island of Sicily which was held on Wednesday, November 21, the second all the rest of the mission in Rome on November 22.  The Palermo and Catania Zones consisting of 45 missionaries met at the Palermo 2 building to spend the day together with Elder Massimo De Feo and President and Sister Pickerd.

Catania and Palermo Mission Tour 2018

What is better than a small group session with a General Authority?

Teaching moments!

President and Sister Pickerd

Elder De Feo 

Elder Massimo De Feo was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 2, 2016. At the time of his call, he had been serving as a member of the Third Quorum of the Seventy in the Europe Area.

After serving as a full-time missionary, he began his career in International Relations at the American Embassy in Rome. Elder De Feo was a member of several committees of the U.S. government for bilateral agreements on Social Security and worked as the Federal Benefits Operations Supervisor at the American Embassies in Rome and Paris for more than 30 years, and as the Deputy Regional Officer of the Social Security Administration for the Europe South, North Africa, and Middle East Regions.

Elder De Feo has served in numerous Church callings, including full-time missionary from 1981 to 1983 in the Italy Rome Mission, branch president, district president, counselor in a bishopric, high councilor, stake president, and Area Seventy.

Massimo De Feo was born in Taranto, Italy on December 14, 1960. He married Loredana Galeandro in August 1984. They are the parents of three children.

Two panini for each missionary, Cesar salad and Italian dolce before the lunch rush!

I love being with our missionaries; they energize me! I believe that is why I spent 30 years in public education.  I love absorbing the ideas and enthusiasm of both students and missionaries.  Our mission tour was exhilarating!   A few poignant reminders Elder DeFeo left with us:

“You might be the only thing that can stop you!”

“Don’t wait to be called!”

Reminders quoted from President Thomas S. Monson:

“Whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies.”

“The Lord will shape the back to bear the burden placed upon it.”

“When you are on the Lord’s errand you are entitled to the Lord’s help.”

My phone notes are full of gems and ideas; it was treasured experience.  I want to implement and become a better servant!


Anziano and Sorella Smith have been serving in Palermo; they leave Saturday to return to Idaho! We will miss our island partners!

Sorella Shelly Smith

Anziano Stan Smith