In his home country of Venezuela, Israel Bilancieri was well known.
He was the expert on whom movie stars and TV celebrities called to make them look as beautiful as possible. In fact, he was so good at what he did that his services were requested in places as far away as Argentina, Spain and even China.
When he joined the Church in 1988, he owned a thriving business with 27 employees. In 1989, he immigrated to the United States. Even though he is now 67 years old, Brother Bilancieri still has a dream of opening another studio, this time in the United States.
"My problem is that English comes slowly to me," he admits. "I knew that it would be difficult to go into business if I couldn't speak English and so I went to my bishop and asked for his counsel."
The bishop realized that part of the problem was that it was too easy for Brother Bilancieri to go through the day speaking only his native tongue. He also knew that Brother Bilancieri was looking for a job. The bishop remembered that Deseret Industries offered excellent training and support for those wanting to learn English, and so he filled out an approval form and urged Brother Bilancieri to investigate.
It wasn't long before Brother Bilancieri was put to work.
As part of his personal development plan, Brother Bilancieri attends English instruction sessions at Deseret Industries twice a week. In addition, he has multiple opportunities to speak English throughout the day.
"It is still coming slowly," Brother Bilancieri said, "but I am learning."
And he is not the only one.
As Deseret Industries discovered more about his background and skills, they became interested in having him teach others about personal grooming. Brother Bilancieri was delighted and is now teaching a group of 12 others who work at Deseret Industries the importance of dress and appearance.
"I think it is making a difference," he says. "I feel that I am growing myself and, at the same time, I am making a difference in the lives of others."
There is a saying that what goes around comes around, and, in Brother Bilancieri's case, that appears to be true. For years, he devoted his time and talents to making others look good. Today, he is confidant that his experience at Deseret Industries will have a similar effect on him. — Neil K. Newell
