Anziano Nathan Eads in the Rome, Italy Mission. : Anziano Eads becomes the "Star" Bari Specialized Training Pictures Dec 2013

Missionaries in the LDS Church do a variety of things on their missions. They spend their time sharing our beliefs with others and inviting them to come unto Christ and be baptized. They also provide service and attend trainings. Sister Waddoups on her blog at this link shares that missionaries also receive specialized training on a on-going basis to help them. You also need to know that a LDS Mission is a geographic area, divided into zones and each zone has a missionary called to be a leader over that zone. There are also Sister Training Leaders also in the zone that work in that capacity with the female missionaries. The Zone Leader's job is to still be a missionary but to also help those missionaries in their zones and provide training through a variety of ways. Sister Waddoups explains it better than I can so I'll quote her here:

"The approved agenda is to hold a Zone Conference in each zone once a quarter or every other transfer and then to hold Specialized Training every other transfer or once a quarter. This transfer we are doing Specialized Training. It's the first time we have used the current format and were anxious to see how it turns out, but we were pleased. Instead of meeting 5 or 6 hours like we do at Zone Conference, the meeting is only two hours long. The goal is to not have any missionary travel more than 2 hours each way. Because of the vast area our mission covers, it isn't always possible to do that, but we try whenever possible to accomplish the goal.

The agenda for Specialized Training is decided by the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders in each zone. They are the ones who are really in tune with the needs of the missionaries in their zones. We are there to help them in anyway we can. The Zone Leaders do most of the teaching with the assistance of Sister Training Leaders and District Leaders. Sometimes we are asked to teach a certain section or answer questions. This time around we asked for 30 minutes to do a special presentation.

President Waddoups and I centered our adestramento (teaching) on the importance of teaching how simple the gospel is. Most investigators are very childlike in their knowledge of religious teachings.

3 Nephi 9:22

"Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God. Behold, for such I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again; therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved."

We dressed the missionaries up in simple costumes and re-enacted the story of the birth of Christ just like they do in primary so we could help them understand how they can teach simply and still have the spirit with them in abundance.

Anziano Eads attended the Bari Specialized Training. To see all the pictures please go to the Waddoups Blog at this link. It is here that we assume Anziano Eads finally became the "star" he always wanted to be! Hmm, at least I didn't need one of my telescopes to see this "star."

Anziano Eads, Presidente Waddoups and two Anziano Singing at the end of the Training. The Anziano in the gray suit is Elder Rasmussen who was with Anziano Eads in the Missionary Training Center. That means they are most likely in the same apartment as Anziano Eads (Nathan) and they will eventually, in March 2015, come home when their mission ends.