Week 16

(Week 10 Caserta)

"I do not fear tomorrow, tomorrow must fear me, because I have God on my side."‏

Famiglia e amici!!!

The quote in the subject is from the one and only Joy Ezekiel!!!
(African less active) She never comes to church because she is too
busy but she sure loves our God! Haha she's awesome! 

Weather in Caserta is always a guessing game. While we study in the morning it always
looks like it will be sunny so we dress accordingly and then it is a
down pour of rain later in the day or it looks rainy and ends up being
sunny! We have to always wear a lot of layers because better safe than
sorry! The evenings have cooled down a lot and I always keep a cardigan
close. Usually it rains at least once a day, apparently this is what
Italian winters will be like but just a lot colder.

Here's a couple highlights from the week...

PRANZO con RORY- Rory is a 50 year old member and has a friend
John Franco who comes to church with her. We planned to have pranzo
with her and talk about sharing the gospel with John Franco. When we
arrived at the set time we were surprised to see John Franco ringing
Rory's bell as well! Towards the end of our pranzo with Rory and John
Franco, her roommate (a crazy Ukrainian woman) came in and was so rude
to John Franco and Rory and her started yelling at each other! It was
crazy and then her roommate left the room and cute sweet John Franco
goes... "Hamilton, Nelson, do you have a message we can hear?" We
watched the "Egli Vive" and you could immediately feel the spirit come
back into the room! It was incredible! John Franco has sooo much
potential! He smokes, like every single Italian, but he shared that he
has always wanted a reason to quit. I'm so excited to see his
testimony grow! 

MARIA RUSSO (less active who was seriously burned and doesn't come to church)-
Normally I DREAD going to visit Maria Russo because she cries all the
time, is super hard to understand, and always shows us her burns all
over her body... But this visit turned into one of the best this week.
We found her sitting at a sewing machine with all sorts of fabric
around her. She was actually out of bed doing something!!! I know I
had the biggest smile on my face after this wonderful sight! She told
us all about things she loves to make and places she has been and we
shared parts from the conference talk "choose the light" and she
LISTENED to our ENTIRE lesson WITHOUT CRYING!!! 

ZONE CONFERENCE!- Sorella Hamilton and I woke up at 5:20 so we could
make bacon, chocolate chunk, pancakes for Sorella Hidalgo Guzman's
birthday! Perfect breakfast to start the day! Haha zone conference was
SOOOO GOOD!! We did some serious role plays and really learned about
setting goals and seeing those goals through. It's always so fun to be
with all the other missionaries and hear from Presidente and Sorella
Waddoups. And of course we had a delicious Napoli PIZZA!


WE LOVE ZONE CONFERENCES!!!!

While Sorella Hamilton translated for Young Women's, I was able to
teach senior primary this week the story of Stephen the martyr ( I
didn't know who he was either...) and about the Godhead. It was SO
MUCH FUN! Most of them had been baptized within the last two years so
it was so fun to hear about their thoughts about the Holy Ghost and
who he is. We also had a nice discussion about what stoning a person means... Hahaha! 

Here is something I had stuck with me this week... "You can’t do wrong
and feel right. It’s impossible!" - Ezra Taft Benson. We can tell if
we are choosing the right by how we feel. The Spirit only brings good
feelings, He will never make us feel unhappy! It's so simple but I
sometimes forget! It is super rainy and wet here but there is sunshine
in my soul! Haha see what I did there...? 

Love hearing from you all
and seeing your beautiful faces! 

Vi voglio bene!
Sorella Carrie Nelson 

"Ponderize" scripture: Matthew 25:23

Awesome, beautiful P-day at La Reggia gardens.

Daniel, Felix and us at the train station at Aversa for a lesson.

Exercise one morning (we promise we exercise).

Kingsley and Anita! They are so dark so we will have to take another when it's light.

Waiting to eat our pancakes for Sorella Hidalgo Guzmans birthday....

They finally arrived!!!

Time at the church.

Daniel said, "act crazy like Sorella Nelson"!!

Week 15

(Week 9 Caserta)

I cannot tell a lie. This week was a toughie! We had problems with our
baptism, there were many many factors as to why they were not allowed
to be baptized... And lots of investigators who are no longer
interested and it was just a very long, rough week. BUT, there were
literally still miracles everyday. Sometimes the miracle was a
reassuring phone call from president, an English course student who
was extra kind, or when your only two investigators show up to church
in white shirts and ties! That last miracle was the best of all. Felix
and Evans, our Ghanaian's, just have the biggest desire to be baptized
and we will help them be baptized! 

The two best parts of this week happened during meal appointments. On
Friday we had an appointment with Anita and Kingsley (two of the three
Africans in the ward) at their home. Anita cooked us THE SPICIEST meal
I have ever eaten in my entire life! It was rice, fried chicken,
peppers, and tomatoes. Spicy level compares to the top level of the
Buffalo Wild Wings chart! I was literally crying and trying not to
throw up it burned so bad! Kingsley was so excited that we were there
and he turned on the restoration movie in Italian for us to watch
while we all ate. Thank goodness because I would have felt so bad if
Anita was watching my ears blaze red and my nose running like a fire
hydrant! Anywho, we shared a message about conference and they told us
that they want to prepare to be sealed in the temple! HAPPIEST MOMENT
EVER!!! So we are going to help them re-activate so they can have this
wonderful blessing! 

Second awesome experience was with the cutest old couple, the Izzos.
Fratello Izzo has been a member since he was 19 but Rosa has always
refused to attend church or even consider listening to anything about
the church. They had us over for pranzo Saturday with the senior
missionary couple. Rosa is the most AMAZING, kindest woman and LOVES
TO COOK!!! Sorella Hamilton and I had still been trying to digest our
flaming African food and then we came to the Izzo home... 

This is an Italian pranzo...
We started with a pasta course: homemade Gnocchi with fresh red sauce
Then Rosa served us the meat course: Two helpings of sausage along with... two helpings of Ribs. Rosa then takes our plates and brings out... two helpings of Fried
Eggplants with cheese and ham inside. While she is serving us these main courses she is constantly saying
"mangia" (command to eat) the other foods that are on the table such
as...
Peppers, Mushrooms, Salami , Cheese, Bread, Olives... After the Eggplant course she serves us tomato and onion salad. I thought we were done after this salad, but NO!!!! Nuts!
Rosa cracked walnuts at the table and passed them around for us to eat. 

About this time I am literally dying! I CANNOT eat anymore and all I
want to do is throw up. I excuse myself to go to the bathroom just
hoping that something would happen... I returned to the dining room
with no luck and dreading what was going to be served next...
Fruit course. Rosa brings out a massive bowl full of fresh fruit and gives you a
knife. I took a pear but I couldn't even eat half of it!

I'm sitting in my chair trying to find a comfortable way to sit but it
just won't happen... Sorella Hamilton is doing the same and I just
start laughing and then I realize that laughing makes the pain worse
and then I want to laugh at that! AHHH!!! Troppo cibo!

Then Dessert...
Jello course: I would put a spoonful in my mouth and squish it around
so I could just swallow. I finished it so fast in hopes that this was
the final item of food and then Rosa explains that she doesn't like
Jello so she brings out gelato to eat with her!!! AHHHH NOOOO!!!! I
can't even tell you what the Gelato tasted like, I just wanted to be
done...
END OF PRANZO!!! 

Spiritual side of the visit: Rosa wanted to just serve the whole time
but luckily we got her talking enough that she opened up to us that
all her life there have been things that she didn't ever want but then
once she had them she was super grateful, like her marriage, home, old
age, and other examples. We shared a quick testimony of the happiness
the gospel brings and hope that she will see that she may not want the
gospel right now but once she has it she will never want to look back.

Good week, we are excited about this next week to see if we can get
our work back up and going again! 

Vi voglio bene! Tanto amore!
Ci sentiamo 

Sorella Carrie Nelson

 Morning outside the apartment.

Aversa train station at night. This was after we taught a lesson to Felix here.

Usual district meeting pizza pic.

Week 14

(Week 8 Caserta)

This week has been soooo fast yet soooo slow!!! To start off the week
I was in Prato, northern Italy, with the family of Sorella Hidalgo
Guzman while our companions were at a meeting in Rome, so we could get
her permesso finished. Sorella Guzman speaks 0% English and neither
does her family. I was forced to speak Italian for 24+ hours until we
meet our companions again super late on Tuesday night. Such a
wonderful experience and I actually feel more confident in my Italian
now! She and her family took me on a little tour of Prato and it was
sooo cute and sooo wonderful! Sorella Guzman is 26 and the only member
in her family. As we blessed our meals and prayed with her parents I
could feel her faith. She is an awesome missionary and is
sosososososososo full of faith and love for the gospel.

Pictures from my adventures in Prato with Sorella Hidalgo Guzman.
Twenty minute layover in Florence train station






Ate a Peruvian style pranzo with her mother and friend.
We ate French fries with rice, meat and tomatoes.

This cat slept in Sorella Hidalgo Guzmans bed with us that night.


Three men and one umbrella.


This week we have been really really trying to finish all lessons with
Felix and Evans so they are ready for Baptism on Wednesday! I want to
share a wonderful slash favorite moment from the week that we had with
Evans. He did not show up to sacrament meeting and I felt absolutely
sick about it. I began wondering if he was really ready for baptism
and began feeling angry and upset that he wasn't here at church. I
honestly have thought and prayed A LOT about whether he is ready or
not, just testimony wise. Sorella Hamilton and I decided that we were
going to go to his house (just down the street from the church) and
get him to church. He was home and I just flat out told him that if he
wants to be baptized he better get to church. He arrived in his white
shirt and tie ten minutes later, but I still wasn't sure if he should
be baptized... Well that night we taught him about temples and
baptisms for the dead and this lesson was like no other lesson we have
had. He shared with us how happy this made him, because both of his
parents have died without being baptized. He told us that our church
is true because of this wonderful ordinance we do. Lo Spirito era
molto forte! But really, it was a huge answer to my prayer that this
investigator is ready for baptism. I cried and I cried and thanked
Heavenly Father for listening to my prayers. We showed Evans pictures
of the temple in Ghana and his face was just a huge smile and he was
just full of so much light! The church is true and I've been reminded
again how much happiness and joy this gospel brings to others. 


Sorella Hamilton taught me how to fry chicken and onions.

I just received news that my grandpa also just passed away. Two and a
half weeks after my grandma. This was a shock and not expected. My dad
shared with me that he knows that there was a beautiful happy reunion
with my grandparents in heaven. I know with all my heart that is 100%
TRUE!
After sharing the beautiful message of the temple with Evans, I was
reminded how grateful I am for the sealing power that we find in the
temple. My two dear grandparents are together again, but this time
they won't be parted ever again.

Something Ive been praying about and making are my mission goals. One
of them came from this conference from the talk by Devin G. Durannt.
I'm going to take his challenge/invite and ponder a scripture each
week for the remainder of my mission. I invite you to do it with me.
Read his talk again and pick a scripture. My scripture for the week is
3 Nephi 5:13!

Love y'all so so much and hope everyone is looking for the light!

Con tanto amore!  Sorella Carrie Nelson