Our Mission Journey Begins ...
In 2021 Jodie began spending more time on Family Search researching her Italian heritage. She began at first by going to the Family Search Center at the Eagle Idaho Stake Center building to receive individual tutoring from Deborah Hoopes.
The initial efforts were to find the family of Grandma Kate. Over time, little by little, with much effort and help from Deborah Hoopes and Nola Serra, she found many Italian family history records, and her family tree began to grow.
September 12, 2023
During Jodie’s ministering interview with Diana VanWagenen. Jodie learned about Diana’s brother (Ken King and his wife Pam) serving a Family Search Mission in Italy serving as Records Preservation Specialists. During that ministering interview Jodie was inspired to help and knew that she wanted to serve this same mission.
September 2023
Blake is eligible to retire from the Idaho Transportation Department "ITD" after 32.5 years. Very soon after Jodie's ministering interview and inspiration to serve a Family Search Mission, Blake announced his retirement date from ITD to be at the end of December 2023.
September 23, 2023
Meeting with Eagle Stake Senior Missionary Mentors, Jim and Arlene McCauley. They were absolutely wonderful as they answered questions about Senior Missionary Service and helped us make contact with Family Search to begin the process to serve a Family Search Mission.
September 24, 2023
Meeting with Bishop Doug Bodily to start mission application and paperwork. He was a newly called Bishop and this was his first pre-missionary interview. Pictured below with his beautiful wife Sara. This led to the many doctor and dental visits required to complete a missionary application.
September 27, 2023
We had our initial Zoom meeting with Ken and Pam King – missionaries currently serving a Family Search Mission in Italy. The more we spoke with the King's the more excited we became about serving this particular mission.
October 1, 2023
Zoom meeting with Ken and Pam King and Walter Zafarana (Family Search Italy) to discuss the opportunity to serve a Family Search Mission in Italy. He then worked with Joel Cole to request our services in the Italy Family Search efforts.
November 19, 2023
Final mission interview with Bishop Bodily.
Thanksgiving 2023
Our first trip to visit Jake and Kara and their boys Jace & Trent in their new home in Maryland.
Jake, Katie and Jenna all travelled to Eagle to be with us for a retirement open house for Blake held in our home. It was wonderful to have all of our "original" children with us for that event. Our thanks to their spouses for allowing them to travel and taking care of our grandchildren for a couple of days.
Our open house was a wonderful event. We felt so loved and supported by our many ITD friends and associates. It was so nice of our friends to travel and stop by and visit with us in our home. We enjoyed the many conversations that we had that evening and in the days prior and since our open house with our ITD family. Blake truly loved his career and the best part by far was his association with so many great people all over the great state of Idaho.
December 2023
President Laren Walker, Eagle Idaho Stake, contacted his friend President Ritch Wood, Italy Milan Mission, regarding our service in the Milan Italy Mission.
December 12, 2023
We had our final mission interview with President Walker and then began to wait for all of the requests to line up and come together so we could officially submit our mission application papers. Family Search was requesting our services as well as the Italy Milan Mission was arranging for a Senior couple slot for us.
December 18, 2023
Shortly after the retirement open house on December 2, Jenna called to let us know that they would be adopting a little boy at the end of December. They had been discussing this possibility, but it wasn't yet official. Blake had planned to work until December 22 and then we were going to head to Utah to be with Jenna and Carson when the baby was born. Well as babies often do, they create their own schedule. Leo was born on December 18 which meant that Blake’s last day in the office at ITD came a few days early as well. We traveled to Utah to meet little Leo.
As we traveled that day Family Search called us to let us know that their request for us was finally in place.
December 25, 2023
While visiting Jenna and Carson in Utah, we learned that Dad was once again in the hospital in Pocatello. So, we travelled from Utah to Idaho to visit with Mom and Dad in the hospital in Soda Springs. We spent the next few days going back and forth from Soda to Pocatello until he was stable enough to be transferred back to Soda Springs.
January 11-15
Trent turned 8 years old on January 11. We travelled to Maryland for his baptism on Saturday January 13. We were joined there by Kara's parents (Russ & Chris Taylor) as well. It was wonderful to see Trent make the covenants of baptism and receiving The Holy Ghost with his Heavenly Father surrounded by those who love him. We were thankful for the technology which allowed more family to participate while watching the baptism program on line. Great Grandma and Grandpa Petersen were among those watching as well as Aunts and Uncles and cousins.
January 22, 2024
President Walker submitted our mission application.
February 8 – 21
We've always talked about going to Italy on vacation when Blake retired from ITD. The trip finally came. Katie and James (interpreter) were excited to accompany us. We have talked about making this trip together since they were married in 2013. James served a mission in the Rome, Italy mission.
We had a wonderful time with them for a week in Italy. Together we toured Rome, Naples, The Isle of Capri, Genova and Cinque Terre. It was fun filled and packed with activities. They returned home from Italy from Genova after a week.
February 13, 2024 - Mission call received.
February 14, 2024
Valentine's Day 2024 Mission call opened in Italy, on a mountain top between Rio Maggorie and Manarola in the Cinque Terre.
Met Ken and Pam King in person in Genova, Italy on Valentine's Day. We had a nice dinner together along with another missionary couple assigned to Genova, the McCullough's. The Kings then traveled with us over the next few days to several of Jodie's ancestral cities, Carpeneto, Comuneglia and Oltre il Colle and Zambla Bassa.
February 15, 2024
Very fittingly, our first stop was Carpeneto. The birthplace of Grandma Kate. This information had only been obtained in a record found the month prior to our visit. It was a wild trip getting there. After several hours of windy mountain roads we learned that the road into Carpeneto had been washed out. This meant that we had to turn around, go back down the mountain, follow a road along the river and then go up and over another mountain on somewhat sketchy roads. At one point the road went from paved to gravel, then gravel to dirt, to a two track trail, and then back to gravel and then pavement.
When we finally did make it to Carpeneto late in the afternoon the town was essentially deserted until a man walking his dog happened by. He asked what we were doing and we explained that we were in town looking for information about Jodie's relatives. When we mentioned that we were looking for information about Orrochi's, he said with excitement "I'm an Orrochi!"
Jodie presented a photo that she had been inspired to print on the morning we left on vacation. "A picture is worth a 1000 words" are the words that came to her mind. Roberto recognized the photo that Jodie had of Grandma Kate and told us all about her. He shared details about how they had immigrated to the United States and lived in Hoboken New Jersey and Reno, Nevada. Jodie had learned these same facts in the sources she had found in her research.
What a miracle to be related to the only person out and about in town. He called another woman named Mafalda and she promptly came to open the church so we could see inside. She brought a history book of Carpeneto covering the last 300 years of the community. She offered it to Jodie as a gift before they even formally met. Inside the church, Mafalda showed us the original baptistry. This is where Grandma Kate would have been baptized 179 years ago.
Roberto and Mafalda invited us all to attend a celebration in August and told us that they would help us meet the priest who is over the church there and several other surrounding communities. Pam had tried to set up an appointment with the Priest for us for this date, and she had previously tried to contact him years earlier for a former client and had no success. Roberto told us that he would help get him there when we return.
February 16, 2024
Our next stop was to visit Comuneglia in the Liguria Italy province. The trip from Genova took several hours so we arrived about lunch time and thought that we'd better get something to eat before everything closed up for the next few hours. The only place to eat in town was the Ghiggeri Bar which was right next to the church and overlooked the valley below. It turns out that the Ghiggeri Bar is run by Paola Ghiggeri (a possible cousin). She fed us a wonderful lunch. She then directed us to the oldest cemetery in the area which was up on the hill behind the city. We would not have found this older cemetery without her help. Upon our return from the cemetery the church was open and we met Marina Ginocchio (not sure of the relation just yet but her surname is mentioned in records of Jodie’s relatives). Marina graciously gave us a tour of the church and connected with us on social media.
February 17, 2024
We met President and Sorella Wood in Milan Italy. We were able to participate in the activities as 19 new elders and sisters arrived in the Milan Italy mission. President Wood informed us that we would be living in Bergamo, Italy. This is very near one of the locations where Jodie’s family is from (the Balsi’s). We stayed the night in Bergamo before traveling to Oltre il Colle.
February 18, 2024
Met Italy Family Search Lead, Walter Zafarana at church in Vercelli. Meeting him in person was a special moment.
February 19-20, 2024
Visit to Oltre il Colle. Early in the morning on February 20 we met Luisa, the keeper of the records for the church in Oltre il Colle and Zambla Bassa. We were able to view birth and marriage records from 1816-1867. We took pictures with our phones of 178 pages of birth and marriage records. Jodie has found many relatives and has expanded her knowledge of several families.
March 28 – April 1, 2024
We love visiting our children in their homes. As Katie and James had decided to move to Idaho while we serve our mission, we wanted to visit them again in Florida before they moved. So, we scheduled an Easter trip to Florida. Florida here we come.
April 2, 2024
As we returned from Florida, we promptly went to the title company and were able to close on the sale of our home in Eagle as well as the purchase of the new home in Soda Springs. The conveniences of technology allowing for both events to happen for us at the same time without scheduling a trip across the state just to sign a few papers was a blessing.
Ironically, this was a true 360 for us as the home that we purchased in Soda Springs is essentially the same layout as the home we enjoyed while living in Pocatello for 8 years. We were returning home to Soda Springs where we grew up and fell in love. A true 360 life change. Our kids each experienced some crazy flash back feelings as they visited our new home for the first time because it was so similar to our Pocatello home.
April 4, 2024 - Load Penske truck in Eagle.
April 5, 2024 - Unload Penske truck in Soda Springs.
April 10, 2024
Dad passes in the hospital in Soda Springs.
April 11, 2024 - Return to Eagle for last load.
April 12, 2024 - Return with last load to Soda Springs.
April 19, 2024
After months of sickness and numerous hospital stays, Dad's body had finally had enough. Sometime along the way, he had also suffered a couple of heart attacks which resulted in congestive heart failure. The doctors were able to stabilize him enough for the family to gather. In the wee hours of the morning on April 10, Dad passed after requesting a priesthood blessing to be released from this life.
On Sunday, April 7, Jodie and I were called to the hospital. Dad had been visiting with Mom, Craig, Jill and Shelby and had outlined his funeral. Dad was alert, coherent and sitting up in his chair, actually leaning forward during the entire visit. This was a physical rally as he had not able to do this physically for weeks. Kneeling at his feet, I was able to receive a father's blessing from him during that visit. This was a tender precious time for us. Heavenly Father continued to bless us with this final gift from Dad.
We had a viewing for Dad on April 18 and then held the funeral service in Soda Springs on April 19. All 9 of the siblings were able to gather to pay tribute to him and reminisce. We then travelled to Smithfield, Utah for his burial. We sang "Here We Have Idaho" at his funeral and listened to "Pine Trees in Heaven". So it was quite fitting that Jim and Jill brought a bucket of dirt from the house on the hill in Soda so that he could be buried in Utah with Idaho dirt.
April 20, 2024
Prior to Dad's passing we had planned a family gathering in Soda Springs to celebrate Mom and Dad’s 50th wedding anniversary. Dad was looking forward to this day but unfortunately didn't make it quite that long. We rented the Senior Center in Soda Springs for our gathering and catered Dutch-oven chicken, potatoes and peach cobbler from Lallatin's in Soda. We ate, played bingo and had a chance to catch up with each other. It was wonderful to be together as a family.
Prior to leaving on our mission we were able to speak in the Eagle 5th Ward Sacrament Meeting. Upon arrival we were completely surprised to find that Mom, Craig, Jim, Jill and Seth had traveled to Eagle to listen to speak. What a wonderful surprise! We didn't expect any family to travel so we were excited to share this experience with them.
We were joined by several ITD friends as well: Caleb & Suzy Lakey and their kids, Randy & Cheri Gill, Vince Trimboli, Monica Crider, Julie DeLorenzo, and Jim & Shirely Ross. We feel blessed by the love and support we have felt from family, friends as well as ward and stake members since we decided to serve this mission.
Following the Sacrament Meeting, President Walker set us apart as full-time missionaries with the assignment to be Record Preservation Specialists in the Italy Milan Mission.
Later that afternoon, Kent & Erika Soelberg hosted an open house in their home for us so that we could gather with many ward and stake friends. Thanks again to the Soelbergs.
May 5-6, 2024
We were excited to have Jake & Kara visit us in Soda Springs for a couple of days. We had travelled to see them in January for Trent's baptism but wanted to see them again before we left for our mission. We also wanted them to see our new home. Kara's brother was getting married, so they made the trip from Maryland to Utah for the wedding and were able to stop by to visit us for a day or two as well in Soda Springs. When they left it was the first of several difficult good-byes for us.
May 11, 2024
Katie and James will be living in our new home in Soda Springs while we serve our mission. They are selling their home in Pensacola, Florida and moving to Idaho. As they move they will be trading warm white sandy beaches for blowing and drifting snow. We are excited that they will be in Soda Springs and will be able to be close to Grandma Petersen while we are away. The kids are excited to see snow and go to the mountains. They flew into Salt Lake City just in time to be with us for Mother's Day.
Before leaving we had some hard goodbyes with Katie's kids.
May 18, 2024
Typically it takes at least 6 months to finalize an adoption. Jenna, her mother-in-law Joy and Joy's mother Marie all share June 5th as their birthday. Jenna and Carson desired the opportunity to go to Canada to be there when his Grandma celebrated her 100th birthday. In order to get Leo across the border they needed to have his birth certificate; however, they couldn't get that until the adoption was final. Their attorney suggested that they ask the judge for an early appointment to finalize the adoption, which he granted. So on May 13, 2024 Leo's adoption was final.
This meant that they could have him sealed to them prior to our mission. What a blessing and miracle for us to be there to attend. Leo was sealed to his parents for Time & All Eternity in the Saratoga Springs Temple. Another blessing was that a high school friend and classmate, Rich Houseman, is a sealer in the Saratoga Springs Temple and he was able to perform the sealing.
May 19, 2024
The following day, Leo was given a name and blessing in Sacrament Meeting in Eagle Mountain, Utah. Carson gave him a wonderful blessing. What a blessing little Leo is to our family. It was wonderful that Grandma Petersen was able to travel (thanks Jill) for both the sealing and the baby blessing weekend.
May 20, 2024
The blessed day finally arrived. Our mission started.
We entered the Missionary Training Center "MTC" in Provo, Utah. Needless to say, with the retirement, multiple trips, buying and selling homes, moving, selling Jodie's red car, etc. etc., we were exhausted, but yet excited to start our mission.
We recognize that Heavenly Father has truly been in the details of our lives. He has inspired us, prompted us, and paved this path for us to follow. We are excited to serve Him for the next two years in the Milan Italy Mission.
The scripture that we chose for our missionary plaque has been and continues to be fulfilled in our lives ... I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up. (Doctrine & Covenants 84:88)
