Scott Roberts

My wife, Mandy, and I have been married for 12 years, and we have 5 beautiful children-- Savannah (11), Kimball (9), Tessa (6), Lincoln (4), and Camille (1).

2009 was our best year, despite some trials. Camille, our youngest, was born last December with severe heart defects. She's had two open heart surgeries and two angioplasties in the past year. Her heart has been reconfigured to pump with a single atrium and a single ventricle. You can follow our adventures in hypoplastic left heart syndrome by registering here: http://www.carepages.com, and then going to http://www.carepages.com/tiptoe.

We are blessed to live close to both of our extended families in Virginia; we're even more blessed that we LIKE them (mostly). We're also blessed with lots of good friends who supported us during our months in the hospital with Camille. I'm reminded constantly of the Savior's injunction -- "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John 13:35) We are grateful to live in a ward with so many of Christ's disciples.


By day, I'm a technical writer for a government contractor; I translate technical plans into plain English so non-technical management folks can understand them. When I'm not writing software development life-cycle documentation, I'm either working on my own writing, or editing for Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show. It figures that the job I love the most (editing/writing science fiction and fantasy) is the job that pays the least! :)

My favorite memories of the mission: tracting with Anziano Donald Sandberg in Settimo Torinese...really, doing ANYTHING with Anziano Sandberg. Visiting Anziano Alma Tolman in the hospital in Torino after his appendix almost ruptured... Speak Easy, aka, the Matt and Scott Show (I cannot believe Presidente Clegg allowed us to translate rock'n'roll songs as an advertisement for English classes)... ,Thanksgiving in 1996, in Milano Turro; caroling on the steps of the Duomo in Milan and doing strada; teaching Ophelia Redoma with Anziano Kent Roper-- again, doing ANYTHING with Anziano Roper was memory-making. :)


Scott M. Roberts
http://www.lordofallfools.com

Joel Washburn

I returned from my mission in 1999 and was fortunate to attend BYU, where I met my wife. We met in one of the singles wards there and the rest is now history. We now have two children. Their names are Julianna (6), and Blake (3). We currently live in San Jacinto, California. I guess all those English clases in Italy rubbed off on me, because I now teach high school English in Moreno Valley, a nearby city. My wife, Kera, who also majored in English, helps to raise our kids at home and occasionaly does some online editing. We enjoy serving in our ward, where Kera serves in the Relief Society and Joel serves in Elders Quorum.

Some of the fondest memories I have from my mission are the visits I had with the Battaglia family in Milan. Anziano Derr was my companion. During one of those visits, Tecla, the mother, explained to us that she had not been in contact with her sister for a long period of time because of a certain argument that had transpired between them. We asked her if we could offer a prayer to help resolve the situation. She said we could, and then she had us follow her into another room where there was a painting of the Savior hanging on the wall. Apparently, she often prayed next to this painting. We offered a prayer, and the very next day she called to inform us that her sister had called her that day and that things were now better. We knew that it was a miracle that had come about because of the power of prayer.

Amy Matheson (Waldron)

After I returned from my mission, I worked at a brokerage house and then a bank. I met my husband on a blind date set up my his sister. We have been married almost 12 years. Our first daughter, Taylor 10, was born with a heart defect. She had open heart surgery at just 6 days old. She is very sweet, smart, physically active and luckily, okay. After many years, I was unable to have another child. We adopted Annabelle, 6, from a beautiful couple not ready to marry. She is funny, smart, social and very dramatic. After feeling content with two children, I was surprised to find myself pregnant at 36. Jack, 18 months, is a typical boy...very distructive, but adorable. We have lived in Utah, Michigan for law school and now Arizona. We have been here 2 1/2 years and love the weather.
I have great memories of my mission... riding bikes, eating foccacia, volunteering and sharing the gospel. I hope to return to Italy with my family in a few years.

Emily Cogdell

Fayetteville, NC. I am a clinical psychologist and behavior analyst.

Nancy Tibbitts

I'm living in Dubai, teaching special education.

Jared Loosli

For Anziano Loosli's update, he sent his family blog address. It is
looslifamily.blogspot.com. Enjoy!

Matt Madden

For Anziano Madden's update, he sent his blog address. It is
themaddenfamily.blogspot.com