Sorry this is sooooo long, it was just sooo good!!!!!
( In the words of Sorella Hamilton)
TUESDAY we went less attive finding around Caserta, there are sooooo
many addresses on the ward directory that just don't exist or are
uninhabited by members in these days. We're doing a little clean up
with the Elders Quorum President. We missed a train back to main
Caserta so we missed almost all of English course!!! Two good things
though 1) we met a Ghanian brother named Sparky who led us to the most
Walmart like grocery store I've been to in a year. I testify that bulk
is the way to buy. There is no better way. 2) I felt extra love from
the English course students, our class has grown from about 5 to
somewhere near 40 since we arrived, and they adoooreeee us. You
should've heard the uproar when we walked into the chapel and took the
whiteboard from the dear elder who subbed for us. We said goodbye to
Anziano Brandon this evening, he was transferred to Taranto!
WEDNESDAY DDM was it's usual greatness, amplified by the presence of
the Coppia Bryan!! They contributed a beautiful spiritual thought and
a fairly American (grazie American military base) lunch. Roast beef
sandwiches with Doritos, Pepsi, and double stuffed Oreos. After all
was said and eaten, I judged an Oreo-filling-licking-contest. It was
pretty disgusting to watch. We then stopped in the little city of
Maddaloni to visit a fairly but not too much less active woman who has
so many amazing stories of miraculous things that have happened to her
as a result of her joining the church! Tender mercies dapertutto.
She's going to bring us to meet one of her friends this week who's
been asking her questions about the church!
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| Last district picture for this last transfer! |
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| Pranzo with some English course students, and GianFranco taking a selfie, we are trying to convert him since he comes to church every week! |
scambio and I just wanted to be back with my baby Sorellina Nelson,
the other was this day. Everything that could have gone wrong
literally went wrong. We were running around the nooks and crannies of
Caserta trying to do my permesso (my visa to stay here) and I forgot
things, printers had no ink, I had no money, there was language
confusion, we almost got roped into signing up for medical insurance,
and I can't even remember what else. Thank goodness Sorella Nelson was
there to smile her little smile and buy us dark chocolate and ritz
crackers to eat with our lunch. The most redeeming part of the day was
when we were in the grocery store during lunch and the song 'Who Says'
by Selena Gomez came on and I had a little moment where I took all the
words very personally and felt like she was literally telling ME that
I am beautiful and to not worry about my problems. We definitely sang
it out loud and it was probably the best moment of the day. Until we
went to the house of a member. This woman has two children, one who is
a newborn baby girl and was just blessed by the bishop because the dad
is super inactive and doing who knows what, and she's just incredible.
She has a lot of faith and returned back to activity after following
her husband a little bit to the dark. Basically she's incredible and
adorable and I would love to have her strength.
( In the words of Sorella Nelson)
FRIDAY great weekly planning in the morning and then a pranzo
appointment with some English course students! Rory is a member,
GianFranco, Cristina, and Silvana are all some great potential
investigators. As soon as we walked in the door at the home of
GianFranco, they whipped out their cameras and started taking photo
after photo of us with them and us sitting at the table! We felt like
movie stars! Hahaha so funny! We shared an awesome thought on the
atonement and used food coloring, water, and bleach as an object
lesson. It went SOOO WELL!!! Cristina was in tears and you could tell
everyone felt the spirit, super awesome experience and hopefully more
work will come from these great friends! The rest of the day we tried
hunting down some more less actives, it's a really good thing I love
Sorella Hamilton so much cuz we do a lot of walking and talking with
each other when we do this and people don't live where we are looking for them or no one is
home.
SATURDAY This morning we had our proprietor and others come to help
fix our leaky heater. Basically she is this short little woman who for
some reason loooooves us!!!! While they were fixing our heater she
took us to a market to buy "fish on ice" and taught us how to clean
and gut them ourselves, hashtag master chefs! All you do is pop the
head off and run your finger along the belly to pull out the
intestines! After they finished fixing our apartment up, she invited
us over for pranzo the next Monday! We said goodbyes and then realized
we don't even know this woman's name and she wants us over for Pranzo!
Hahaha super great! The rest of the day we visited the family of Maria
Russo and there were soooo many people there it was impossible to do a
lesson! One of her friends kept stroking my hair and wanted to adopt
us hahaha. Didn't get to share our message, but we let her know we
loved her so that was great.
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| Our Proprietor helped us fix our heater and took us to buy fish and gut them ourselves. Hashtag master chefs!! |
was Relief Society. We have tried to visit all the sisters in the ward
and we just have soooo much love for each one of them now!!! While I
was leading the closing hymn I was looking at all their faces and into
their eyes and I just wanted to cry because I've never seen such a
beautiful sight! So many of these women are the only members, have
lost husbands, and so many other problems but they are ALWAYS in
church! Watching them baccio each other and greet each other as well
as Sorella Hamilton and I, was just the sweetest moment. WE LOVE OUR
SORELLE! Then we ate a wonderful pranzo, soup made by the one and only
Sorella Hamilton and then visited the famiglia Galardo. Plan was to
have me play the piano and we would sing together but we ended up
listening to Fratello Galardo sing all his old Catholic hymns he used
to love.... Hahaha Love It! We then did a gesso with the Anziani and
it went splendid!!! We asked everyone along the street how they
receive answers from God. People are sooo wonderful here and loved to
stop and talk with us! Super awesome night and we are so happy to have
some really great Anziani now who want to really help the work grow
here in Caserta. Our new Anziano is Anziano Pulperi from northern
Italy!
MONDAY/Today Went to our Proprietor's home for our pranzo appointment.
Her name is Rosa (we finally found out) and they made us sooo much
food!!! Olives, bread, tomatoes, sausage, steak, artichoke, lasagna,
fried potatoes, clementines, pomegranate, salad, and some sort of
chocolate pie something... Super good and their home is proprio
BELLISIMO!!!! They have a vineyard and make their own wine, which they
tried to get us to drink... We didn't... They make their own olive oil
and have all sorts of plants and fruit trees!!! They sent us home with
fresh lettuce, clementines, pomegranates, some sort of American
eggplants, eggs and even freshly cut roses! Sooo wonderful!!!!
This week we had only 4 lessons total taught but that is OKAY!!!! As
long as we are working hard I know the Lord is going to continue
blessing us! I love Italy so so much and the people here even more!!!!
But most of all I LOVE THIS GOSPEL!!!! Soooo happy!!!!! Ponderize
scripture for the week: Helaman 10:5
Vi voglio un sacco di bene!!!!
Sorella Carrie Nelson
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| It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!! |
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Can't believe how fast time is flying!!!!Some of our English course students thought it was silly we borrowed
two bikes for Pday and wanted to teach us how Italians ride bikes so
we put Sorella Hamilton on the back and we practiced right outside the
church. Sorry I never let you sit on the back of my bike Carli...
Apparently that is what it is made for...
Pictures of my apartment.....
 
Carrie's reply when we asked how the language is coming........
There are some days when I feel so so so awesome at Italian and there
are days when I feel like I know three words. Sorella Hamilton and all
the other missionaries always are surprised how quickly I've learned
as much as I know and always compliment me on how well I speak. The
wonderful wonderful, kindest Italian people always are shocked how
well I speak when I tell them I've been in Italy for 3 months. I hope
that answers your question... We have an hour for language study
everyday and I have FINALLY just gotten in a routine that helps me
really learn and remember what I study. I still have a LOT to learn
but I'm feeling really good. Sorella Hamilton told me last night after
we did a display on the street that she stood close by while I was
talking to a couple in case I choked or didn't understand but she was
super impressed that I didn't need help and carried a conversation and
taught and invited to church! Super grateful for her, she has
seriously been a HUGE help. Whenever we say prayers, if I said
something wrong she helps me fix it and then the next time I fix it
and then learn another thing! Super great! I Love Love Love Italian!
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