Sorella Nelson: Week 25

(Week 19 Caserta)

Cari amici!!!

I can't believe Christmas was here and has already gone! What a fast week it was. I feel like I say it every week that everything is just super great, I love Caserta, and my dear British companion the one and only Sorella Robertson. She has pushed me to be better than ever and I'm so grateful. The work in Caserta has never been better and I know it's because she believes we can always see one more person or get one more investigator. She is "dying" really really well. Just to let you know that I'm not lying and everything really is superb, here are some awesome stories from this week...

Our Stake President called us this week to open the church so he could meet with the police. Apparently because of all the crazy stuff happening in Europe it's pretty common for the police to do weird checks and what not. Comunque, President Dinucaci says, "I'm not going to answer their questions now so if they take me call your President to try to call my wife." Sorella Robertson and I were trying not to freak out the entire time they were here, but President came back out and says with a little smile, "They didn't take me."

The best part of this experience was while we were doing our language study inside, he had seen a woman looking at the English Course information down below and he told us to go talk to her. Of course we stopped everything, ran down the stairs and found the woman. Long story short, we have another investigator named Lucia who is about 70.

This woman (Lucia senior) is sooooo hard to teach! We went to her house the day right after we met and once again and she now knows how to pray and who Heavenly Father is, and basically she says if she knows it's true she will be baptized. We are taking it really slow with her to make sure she understands. The last time we taught her, her husband, son and son's friend all came in. We were thinking "this is awesome, hashtag an eternal family plus friend", but instead, they asked us all sorts of questions about what we do as missionaries and what we can and can't do. Since they wouldn't really give us a chance to speak, they think we can't eat lemons because we wouldn't drink their alcoholic lemon drink. Awesome family, and Lucia really wants to come to church, but this will definitely push me to be more bold.

Our other investigators, especially Lucia (young one) and GianFranco are stellar! Lucia is basically fellow-shipping herself when she comes to church and got an interview with our bishop to go to a youth conference up in northern Italy! GianFranco now has a baptism date and the next step is helping him to stop smoking! Work is really really killer right now!

Now to the CHRISTMAS EVENTS! Italians start eating around 10 o'clock at night and finish around 1 in the morning so unfortunately we had to turn down our Italian friend invites so Christmas Eve was just like an American Christmas!

We spent the night with the Anziani and an American family on the military base, decorating cookies, drinking eggnog, reading Christmas books, opening gifts (missionaries received "Navy" hoodies), and reading the Bible Christmas Story. It was so wonderful and I'll always be grateful to the Salvitti family for making me feel right at home.

Christmas day was spent sleeping in one hour (permission from President), watching Inside Out, going to lunch with the Anziani and our Ward Mission Leader Bini, and his wife Astrid who are awesome! They gave us missionaries American chips, cookies, and other american snacks. Haha the best!

Christmas dinner with Bini and Astrid

Our adorable little Albero
Christmas Day photoshoot

Best part of Christmas was definitely SKYPE! I literally couldn't believe I was talking to my family and seeing them in actual time! As soon as Dad answered the call and everyone started popping into view, Carli, Kendra, Kirsten, Kadia and then my dear Mom, I was just so overwhelmed and so happy to be seeing the six faces I love most in the world! Nothing beats family! Not even treasured American food!

Day after Christmas we watched Despicable ME. After that, we went back to work! Teaching the Gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ! It was so great to celebrate the season, but in all honesty it was nice getting back into our routine of teaching. Nothing beats seeing others progress and learn. Seeing people I love in church and having this unique opportunity to be here with them is the greatest gift.

ELDER OAKS in ROME!!! Sunday Elder Oaks was in Rome with his wife and decided spontaneously to have a quick conference with the missionaries in the mission! Lucky missionaries who are in Rome we able to be right with him, but the others of us throughout the mission watched and listened through a webcam. HE IS AN APOSTLE! His testimony, his countenance (even over a webcam) and his message witnessed to me he is really an apostle of the Lord.

He talked a ton about the temple that seems like it will never be finished. He instructed us that we will never have a temple here in Rome until there are people to fill it and work in it.

I have a new perspective on missionary work. Instead of just a perspective of bringing people to baptism it is more focused on helping them get to the temple. It was the best experience to have Elder Oaks and his wife with us.

Gospel is true everyone! I love each and everyone of you and pray for your success in life! Thanks for all the testimonies you share and Christmas wishes!

Vi voglio bene!

Sorella Carrie Nelson