In August 2012, my husband and I were invited, as stake indexing directors, to learn how to index Italian records. The invitation came as part of a test initiative that would make many more records of Italian ancestors available for research.
My husband felt confident he would be able to do it. I, on the other hand, was a little apprehensive, not having had any foreign language training. However, being desirous and willing to learn, I sat at my computer with him and applied what we had been taught in our training. After two hours, we were able to index 15 birth records and complete one batch. I felt exhausted!
I sat there and struggled to find the information on the typewritten record, and before I was even half way through the batch, I had a raging headache. I was getting quite frustrated and felt that I was probably not cut out to index in a foreign language.
But I had determined that I really wanted to do these records. I wanted to help in the effort to provide records for Italians so they could find names to take to their new temple when it opens in Rome. I bowed my head and fervently prayed that I would receive help and see the necessary information in the records.
I went back to my batch and continued to work through it. The next batch I opened had really good handwriting, and I was able to see what I needed to index and finished it in a shorter time. It seemed as if the information I needed stood out in the record! I continued to index, and through that process, I was blessed with “eyes to see” the information the Italian Saints would need to connect to their family members.
My ability to correctly index those precious records increased with every batch. Soon I was teaching others what I had learned, encouraging new volunteers to try and reminding them of the confidence I gained and the guidance I received as I prayed and dedicated myself to the work.
My husband and I have now been serving as Church Service Missionaries since 2014, and we are dedicated to teaching others how to index Italian and other language records. We love being a part of the worldwide initiative recently launched by FamilySearch that helps anyone who is willing to learn how to index specific types of records in French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish.
I know that with the Lord’s help and with trained volunteers who have a sincere desire to contribute to this great cause, many of our brothers and sisters around the world will finally find their family members and form eternal bonds in the temple.
