Sorella Nelson: Week 22

Hiked a Vesuvius Volcano for P-Day last week.

(Week 16 Caserta)

Sorella Nelson...

MONDAY: Pday was well spent as well as our money. Quick run to our
lovely mall for some winter supplies! Sure is getting chilly here!
After grabbing some gloves, scarf, and tights we went to see some less
active women. A bidone (no show) and bad feeling later we headed home
to plan and make calls for the night.

TUESDAY: Went hunting for another less active woman but the address we
had led us to a grocery store so that was a bummer... We tried to see
another woman but she wouldn't answer, and we stopped by a referral
named Luisa and she told us that she was busy all the time and she
doesn't know when we can come see her BUT... She talked to us!!!
Making those small steps!!!

Had a beautiful pranzo and lingua then
headed back out to see Joy. She had forgotten about the appointment
and wouldn't answer her phone so we buzzed over to Maria Russo! She
loved the talk on mothers by Jeffery R. Holland about mothers.

English
Course time! The Anziani couldn't come so I took advanced course and
we learned all the words for the nativity! This day was the longest most disheartening day ever and we sat down at the end of the day wondering
what we were doing wrong... BUT......little did we know our week would
turn around!!!

WEDNESDAY: DDM in Napoli! We all brought Thanksgiving items for a
feast! A turkey ( thank you American members) potatoes, pumpkin
cheesecake and whole sort of array of sweets! Haha super healthy! We
met up with the Pozzuoili Sorelle for a scambio in Caserta. Sorella
Puzzey and I went to a member home and then to another member Rory's
home. At Rory's we were going to tell her about the Book of Mormon
because she remembers nothing and we were so glad we did! This
adorable 21 year old Alice lives with Rory and was there! We committed
both of them to read the Book of Mormon and now Alice is an
investigator!

Sorella Hamilton and Hassell went to finally see Joy!
She was super smiley and happy which is rare and they also got to see
the daughter of Maria Russo! So many little tender mercies of being
able to see people and having our plans work out was just the best! 

District Meeting

THURSDAY: we switched companions and Sorella Hassell and I went to
find not active members and see darling Sorella Messina! I LOVE
Sorella Messina! She is the only member in her family and she is in
Chiesa every single week! She made us a "very special pranzo" and we
ate, laughed, had a good time with her and her husband Franco. When it
came time for the spiritual thought Franco just flat out awful. He was
yelling and just totally drove the spirit away. Sweet Sorella Messina
bore her sweet testimony and then we all got in the car for them to
take us home. I thought Franco knew where we lived because he knew the
street name but turns out he didn't... He was yelling at me to give
directions and I was so overwhelmed! I was so grateful for Sorella
Hassell and her help giving directions to get us home. Poor Sorella
Puzzey and Hamilton were planning to see Rosa but the bus never came!
They ended up getting little details like train times taken care of
for the rest of the week. Over all awesome successful scambio!

Sorella Hamilton...


THURSDAY PART 2: After sending the Pozzuoli sisters back to their
city we had a wonderful language study and did a bit of extra
planning.....we tried to pass by some peeps before corso but no one
was digging it. We brought hot chocolate and cookies to eat with the
elders afterwards because it was Anziano Purparis (and we didn't know
it then, but Anziano Mic's as well) last English course! They're good
elders. Anziano Purpari goes home today!! Ahhh!! Also, shoutout to my
girl Sister Nelson for being a rockstar oggi. We had each chosen a few
English course students to talk to about taking the lessons, and I
came out with a big fat nothing and she took down two phone numbers!!
She's awesome!!


FRIDAY: We tried to visit the Izzo's during our scambio, but the bus
never showed up (#italy) so we took the train to a nearby city and got
a ride to their house. On the drive over Fratello Izzo told us his wife
had decided she didn't want to be taught, but he told her that she
needed to tell us herself. So we entered the house, I went to the
bathroom, and Fratello Izzo went upstairs to grab some stuff, and Rosa
told poor poor Sorella Nelson all alone at the table that she didn't
want to be taught. Hahahaha major bummer. But we had a great meal,
this is the first time I've walked out of their house instead of
waddled, and shared a really good spiritual message.

It wasn't the
full lesson we had planned but I know the spirit touched Rosa's heart.
She's not ready yet, it's visible when we mention the church or
gospel, but I know she will be. Piano piano! She's such a good woman
regardless of her faith. 

Rosa and Fratello Izzo

We then got a bidone and a half, started
little weekly planning, and then Anziano Purpari, who's mom is from
Napoli even though they live near Bologna, made us pizza! It was
delicious! So we ended the day with a pizza with the Elders and Daniel
and Denis, our faithful YSA friends.

SATURDAY: transfer call day. There is nothing in the world that
preoccupies a missionary like transfer call day. Especially when
you're in your third transfer with your greenie and there's an eight
week transfer coming up.

The call came right after we FINALLY found
the house of a less active woman who we've been searching for for
weeks. Turns out she lives at number 7 instead of number 8.

This
sounds like a small thing, why did it take us weeks to find it?
Because we're in Italy. And number seven was across the street, a
small park, in the back of a different apartment building, and up the
street a hundred yards from number eight. Don't ask me how far a
hundred yards is. I don't want to talk about it. Anyways, THE CALL.

The assistants called (we were freaking. Usually the assistants call
if nothing exciting is happening aka when you stay together) and I
answered because I knew I was leaving and I just couldn't take it
anymore.

Sorella Hamilton is going to Ostia/Roma 4 with
five-transfer-old Sorella Mckenzie (She is in her 11th and I, Sorella
Nelson am in my 4th to give you perspective) We then ate pranzo and
did a quick lesson with the family (who doesn't dig the vangelo) of an
investigator (who totally digs the vangelo). It was a sweet time.
They're a sweet family.

We then had an AWESOME lesson with a less
active, the daughter of the slightly crazy woman who plucks birds in
her bed, who basically realized during the lesson that she wants to
come back to church and bring her 2 year old sweetness Luisa and her
compagno Antonio. Love her.

Then we really did have to weekly plan
because for the first time in forever we had been too busy to do it
beforehand AND we had an appointment with our amico Gianfranco. Long
story he has but the short story is he's awesome and totally preparing
for baptism.

DOMENICA We had a bittersweet church where I had to say bye to
everyone!! It was a great fast and testimony meeting, I got to
translate for the youth Sunday school class which I LOVE doing, and
third hour was a crazy mix of running around with wheelchairs, women
with fur coats (fur is like, a REALLY big thing here, America too?),
adorable children practicing the primary program, and crazy relief
society translation (done by the awesome wife of the bishop thank
goodness!!!) and then we capped the services off with lots of
pictures, hugs, kisses, promises that the next sister is great. Lunch,
finishing weekly planning, and an evening full of meetings in church.

Sorella Nelson....

I'm so so so so happy to be staying in Caserta for this next 8 week
transfer!!! So many good things are on the verge of happening and this
last week was soooo good!!!! I can't wait to meet Sorella Robertson
and we will just go crazy with our work! I love my job as a missionary
and this wonderful wonderful life! Wouldn't trade it for anything!!!