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Hi, I was born in Italy 20 March 1950, in Prato, an industrial city, pretty close to Florence, about 10 miles. I grew up in a very nice family. My dad (Raffaello) was a seller of wine, all my ancestors were until 1300 a.c. and also he owned a little restaurant. He is still alive at the age of 86.
My mother (Fiorenza) helped in the restaurant, like I did until I was 13.
She is still alive at the age of 79. I have 2 brothers. When I was 19 I was engaged with
Teresa, my wife, she was 15.
I
begun to work in a little company of deliveries. At the age of 20 I served for 15 months
in the Italian army in a company of tanks. When I was 22 I got married and I changed
company because I received a promotion.
At the age of 23 I had my firstborn (Daniele, he was missionary in Italy
Catania mission 6 years ago).
At the age of 25 I had Claudio (he is serving now in Italy Rome mission)
In the 1976 I met the missionaries and after 3 months of tough discussions I received my testimony and I was baptized with my wife on 12/17/1976. 3 months later, I had the privilege to baptize my mother.
2 months later on may 1977 I had a terrible car accident, a tire blew up while I was surpassing a long truck, I did hit the guard rail, I went across in front of the truck and I finish in a field 10 feet under the freeway. My wife was pregnant of my first girl, she was in coma for 5 days. The doctor suggested me to make an abortion, because she was taking strong medicine and he was fearing that, maybe, my baby could be born with physical deformity. I didn't accept his suggestion, I took the risk. My wife needed several months before to be normal. My 2 kids remained only 2 days in the hospital, I was fine. By the way, during that terrible night surely I did the best prayer of my life. I was fearing for the life of my beloved wife. At the end of the prayer I clearly heard the voice of the Lord:" Don't worry, she is going be fine and she will be like before." I felt the spirit so strong that my fear disappeared in a moment. By the way it was at this time that I made my study about the Book of Mormon. At the end of the year Gaia was born, no physical problem for her and my wife perfectly health. (now Gaia is happily married with Shad Peck, she had a baby: Gabriele)
On September 1977 I received the Melchisedeck priesthood.
On March 1978 another miracle happened in my beautiful life. My dad,
at the age of 61 accepted the Gospel and was baptized in Pisa, during a conference
meeting, from President Grincheri, now he is an authority general, I guess in Australia.
At that time I was a branch President in Prato for about 5 years.
In 1978 I was vice manager in another company.
In 1979 this company was out of business and at that time I had my second girl: Ilenia. I had to do several different jobs before to find another company, in the same field, and when I found it I had to start from the beginning, the salary was very little.
I had financial problems, but I always paid my tithing, integrally. One day my little son Claudio ask me to buy a short pant for him, but I was out of money, so I had to say to him:" Sorry Son, but I can't ." He was staring at me and he said:" I know dad we are poor people" Man, I wasn't caring about that, but when I realized that my children were suffering because our financial situation, I felt so sad for them. I decide to go to the Lord in prayer, fasting. I didn't ask for money, I was asking to give me a better opportunity in a better job, I was remembering His sacred words:"and prove me now herewith, If I will not open you the windows of heaven.....".Well do you know what happened the same day, while I was fasting? In the afternoon, while I was working, I received a calling from another city, in the northern of Italy. An old partner in another Job told me:" My company is looking for a top supervisor in your city to lead the area, what you think about it?" I accepted, after the calling I went in a desert place, I knelt on the ground, and crying I thanked God for His love, I knew it wasn't by chance.
In the 1980 I was called like President of the Missionary work in the district of Florence. In the 1981 I received the calling like 1 councilor in the district presidency.
In the 1982 the company I was working for failed, so I was in the same situation like few years before. I found another company I was manager like in the other one, but the salary was very small, they took advantage of my situation. Anyway in 1983 I opened my own business a little company in the same field. The start was terrific, in a good sense. In 1984 another wonderful experience came across my life. My wife was born with a problem in her back, nothing terrible, but she was starting to limp, so we went to a chiropractic, an American guy, a member of the church in Italy: Flogrey. He said she needed a surgery in few month to get better. In the same time I felt a prompting from the Spirit to have another baby, but considering the situation I didn't say anything to my wife. But the prompting came again, so I shared the feeling with her. She told me: I would like it, but I really can't, and also it is not wise, you need help in your company, I am coming to help you, managing the phone calls, so think about both situations. I agreed with her and for a while I was in peace. Only for a while, the same feeling came upon me. I shared again with Teresa and this time she said: if you assure me it is coming from the Lord I will support the feeling.
She remained pregnant the same month and she was healed, no surgery at all
and no more limping. we understood that the thing was surely come from the Lord and we
decided to stay in touch with Him trough the prayer for everything concerning the new
baby. I wished the Lord told me the name for this new guy (we felt was a boy). One day,
when I was walking on the beach a thought came on my mind:" Enos 1:6 "And
I Enos knew that God could not lie;" Well I thought, it would be wonderful if my
child will have this knowledge, and suddenly the Spirit came upon me and I understood that
was an answer to my wish, I talked with my wife and together decided to put to this coming
boy this name. The delivery was for March 1985, but one month before, and precisely the
first of February, while I was praying the Lord at the beginning of the day, at the end of
my prayer a voice came on my mind:" Watch out Massimo, your child is dying" I
knew was the voice of the Lord, but what I could do? Could I go to the Hospital and say I
heard a voice and so on? So I was worried but I was just pondering what I could do,
but I couldn't see any solution. Fortunately in the afternoon something happened,
the waters were broken ,My wife was unaware of everything, I didn't share anything
with her I didn't want to scare her. I blessed her and we went to the hospital. For
the first time she asked to me to be present at the delivery. I didn't wish to do that,
because I didn't like to see my wife suffering, anyway I decided to make her happy. We
wished to do a prayer but a nurse was there, luckily she get out after few minutes
saying:" Don't worry we have time, maybe hours, anyway I will be back as soon as
possible>" So we could pray, she was asking my presence at the delivery, I asked
for her to have a fast and safe delivery. When we said :" In the name of Jesus Christ
amen." She said:" Is being born, is being born" and the baby came out
in 2 seconds, man we were receiving our blessing right the way, I was there
and my wife had a fast and safe delivery, no pain at all. Anyway I was alone, so I begun
to scream:" I need help, I need help>" What I could do in a situation like
that, I wasn't a doctor. Fortunately somebody came in, was a doctor and he took care of
the situation. I will remember all my life his words:" Hey ,this new guy is very
lucky, look the umbilical cord went around his neck twice, look at his face is violet,
maybe one day more and he would be dead. Well it was really the voice of the Lord to warn
me that morning and when He see my weakness in doing something he took control in
the situation.
This picture was about that time.
In the 1986 I was called again like branch president. In the 1988 I was called again in the district presidency like president of missionary work and after few months like first councilor in the district presidency.
In the 1989 I came here in U.S.A. to visit the historical places of the Church and sure many ex missionaries. My company was a very good company. In the 1990 I came again in U.S.A. for vacation.
At the Beginning of the 1991 I discovered that my partner in the business was trying to kill me financially, He was doing bad things to my, so I talked with my lawyer and I came to the conclusion that instead to have a big fight in tribunal, it would have been better to sell my part of the company to another big company, I can't explain all the stuff related, but the Lord helped me out in finding a very large company and I was able to sell my part in 3 weeks and I became General manager in the same company, I was able to fix everything and my old partner was in trouble for his misconduct. Anyway the Lord was preparing me for moving here. I was so sad, I was working so hard to build up my company and now, well it is the life. One day a thought came on my mind:" Why don't you go in U.S.A. and start a new life?" The feeling was so strong that I decided to share it with my family. The next home evening I told them my feeling and I asked to everybody to express their opinion. We decide to fast and pray before to take any decision, I talked with my branch President, with my Quorum President, with my home teachers, and strangely the answer was the same: They felt that the thing was coming from the Lord. Usually the leaders warned the members don't abandon Sion, Sion is where we live and I knew that. One of my best friend (no more) told me :"don't worry I will help you, I have a friend in Los Angeles......... " After 2 years I discovered he was lying to me and you know why? I told him look I am tired of words I need to verify if it is true I will go to meet your friend in Los Angeles.
He told me:"I assure you no problem" I went in Los Angeles, I spent a lot money, I took all my vacation to stay 3 weeks there, for what? For nothing. It was impossible to meet this guy. My friend, no more the best, when I came back he feared my reaction, I told him : We are friends, we remain friends>" I was hoping for him to tell me the true, instead he was lying again:"It is true, He couldn't meet you...."Well strange people in the world. This guy, I mean this friend, came from Africa, I took him in my home, I gave him a job in my company and I did for him many other stuff, I put my life in danger to help him, and he repaid me in this way, we are still friends, but I don't trust him anymore. So when I came back from Los Angeles I told my wife: "We don't have any sponsor, I met 2 layers in Los Angeles, there is no way for us to get there." She said:"Massimo, we prayed, fasted and done everything according to the church, and the answer was always the same, the feelings were always the same." "I know, but I did everything I could, now the Lord has to open the door, and I really don't know how." Well the next day a friend of mine, who lived in the same building, (By the way, we were 4 apartments in the same building, Mormons, Catholic, Protestant and Geova's witnesses, pretty cool, right?) the Protestant, told me:"Massimo I am very sorry for your situation about the U.S.A., maybe I can help you, I know a guy in Los Angeles, is a Bishop in my church, He own * Italian restaurant, he could sponsor your wife like Italian cook>" "Thanks , I said, I will try to contact him"
Sincerely I did but the hope was very little, think about it: I didn't know him at all, I was in Italy and this guy in Los Angeles, His friend were years didn't meet him, and their relationship it wasn't so strong. At one o'clock in the morning I made a call. The guy in Los Angeles answered:"Hello" I presented my situation, he stayed silent and at the end he said: "What I can say I don't know you" " You are completely right, don't worry I understand your point." He remained silent for few seconds and after he said: " well I don't know why but I will do that, maybe I need an Italian cook" He gave me the phone number of his layer and in 2 years we obtained the green cards. In those 2 years the Lord helped me out to do all my genealogy 22 generations ( I will speak about it in the section genealogy) and also for my wife.
We arrived in Los Angeles at the end of September 1995, we stay few days, the life was too expensive for the income of only my wife. I had a good friend in Mesa, He told me: come over here, the life is cheaper and I have found Job for you and her. We moved in Mesa. I begun to work in the night, doing inventory and on day working doing furniture.
My wife was working in an Italian Pizzeria,as cook. Few months and I found
a very good Job in a Ford dealership
In 1 year I became warehouse
manager. Unfortunately my wife was in the hospital 1 day (4.000 dollars) she wasn't
covered, and the restaurant was sold to an Italian family. They didn't need my wife. She
found another job in a company for air bags, but she was working at night and I didn't
like that, so I decided to quit on my job to stay with her in the same company,
fortunately after a while we could change our schedule time on days.. I was sad to quit my
job in a dealership, but I am more happy to stay with my partner of the life
Well that is it.
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