Crawfords On A Mission

It's March in Catania Italy and spring is in the air. Of course by Utah Standards we never really had a winter. No frost or snow and only a few days where you really needed a warm jacket and/or sweater. Yet everything is relative weather wise. On days we thought were merely cool, some of the locals would be dressed in parkas and heavy gloves.

Below are pictures of the Sigonella Navy Support Activity, our good Sister Toronto...the mission President's wife, and the office in which we work. The mission office and mission home are located in the same rather pleasant 'residence' at the end of a scenic street. The Jesuits have a quiet home next to us so you can tell this is a wild neighborhood!

Your perhaps are aware that the Church is creating several new missions and consolidating several others. The new missions (and missionaries) are going to areas of the world that are exploding with Gospel growth...Africa, South America and parts of Asia.

On the other hand, areas that have established Church populations with 3rd and 4th generation members are assuming more and more responsibility for sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Soooo, for us it means the Catania mission will close on July first and be consolidated with the Rome mission. Jan and I will probably be heading to Rome sometime in July; after we turn out the lights in Catania.

We will miss many delightful things here in Sicily but look forward to new challenges and opportunities in Rome. In less than a year we will be home and plan to make the most of our remaining months in Italy in doing all we can to build the Church of Jesus Christ in this wonderful country. Talk to you later...Rick and Jan