Sorella Nelson: Week 29

(Week 23 Caserta)

Last District Meeting with Sorella Robertson

District at Sorella Robertson funeral (thank goodness for Relief Society Room tablecloths and flowers)

World Wide Mission Conference Can you spy Sorella Nelson?

Cari tutti!!!! Another wonderful wonderful week in the Italy Rome Mission! Started off the week with the funnest P-day in the books! POMPEII with the Anziani from Napoli! Sooo fun! Running around Pompeii and laughing our heads off. We ended the day with some wonderful visits and then right before bed we received a phone call from our zone leaders that our Caserta Anziani didn't squillo (when we call and hang up to let our leaders know we are safe and home). We were freaking out!!!! Anziano Borden is literally the most responsible person and was an AP so we were thinking the worst happened! Long story short we made a million phone calls, eventually Denis and Daniel (some members) went to their apartment and found out their phone just wasn't working properly. Sorry for all the times you waited up till midnight for me mom! I understand the lack of sleep and worries now!

GianFranco. He is stillllll smoking. We had a really really great lesson on repentance and we see he has a desire to change, but we have kinda hit a wall with the smoking... We are super super grateful he continually is coming to church and is always happy to meet with us. Today I was walking down the road we saw him smoking. I yelled out his name and he looked over at us with the most sheepish smile. He immediately dropped his cigarette and carried on. Maybe we just need to stalk him throughout the day...?

Ornella! She came to church!!! Sadly she came right after the sacrament and missed the first talk, BUT we were happy to have her there! She is progressing super well, La Parola di Sagezza is coming up next so we are hoping helping her to stop smoking will be easier than GianFranco.

Quick story: Maria Russo is a less active woman who cries and cries every time we visit her. Before we went into her home this week we agreed to keep talking about happy things and nothing sad. We had her laughing and making jokes with us up until right before the closing prayer I say "siamo così contente di vederti felice!" Haha wrong move... She yells "it's not true!!!! I'm not happy!!!" And breaks down and sobs! WE WERE SO CLOSE! Good visit with Maria and now we know not to mention that she is happy...

THE MISSIONARY CONFERENCE!!! Oh my gosh this was the best!!! All the missionaries in the world coming together for training! So happy to be part of it! Our leaders are soooo inspired and I really took a lot away from the conference. Something I loved was the training on how to recieve referrals. Referrals have been basically non existent during my mission but this week we had two! Asking and being persistent for referrals really pays off!

Saturday morning we swung by a less active woman Antonietta who has the most wonderful family! Sara about 11, Daniele a 7 year old boy and little Roberta who is the cutest 2 year old girl. We talked about how we as families can remember Jesus Christ, especially on Sunday (hint hint, get to church). It's the saddest because Sara the oldest daughter wants to come to church so badly so we hope Antonietta now understands the importance of coming.

We ended Saturday with the family of Gaetana. Oh. My. Gosh. I have never felt so at home here in Italy! She has a 23 year old son, 11 year old daughter and 7 year old daughter. Gaetana and her husband are so wonderful and we LOVE this family. Her husband had lost his job and the youngest girl had been in the hospital this last week, so they have had it pretty rough... We all sat together as I showed the two girls pictures of Carli building a snowman (They loved her)! The oldest son speaks English pretty well so we spoke a little with him. We ended our little time with them with the short film "Grazie a Lui" and shared that because of Him we can have these new beginnings and we don't have to dwell on the past. We wished we hadn't. We had the most perfect opportunity to share with this entire family the message of the restoration or how their family could be eternal and we didn't!!! erg! We are praying for another opportunity to share the wonderful message with the family! This week we are going to go for it! Lesson: don't be afraid to share the message!

I will end this random email with the best story of the week!

Sorella Roberston and I were sitting on the train coming back to Caserta when all of the sudden 7 ragazzi (Italian teenage boys) come onto the train and sit a little ways away from us. Sorella Robertson and I are so tired of creepy men and annoying boys hitting on us all the time so we were thinking of what to do if they tried to flirt with us. We were thinking of either teaching the law of chastity or pretending like we don't speak Italian. Sure enough, all 7, ragazzi come over to speak to us. Sorella Roberston explains that we are missionaries and they proceed to tell her how beautiful she is and "Robertson è carina" (cute). They are being so creepy and at this point I haven't said a word. They then turn to me and ask what my name is. I reply "Beep Boop". I continue speaking gibberish and Sorella Roberston is DYING of laughter and I'm trying not to laugh as much as I want. I think we confused all 7 of them pretty well because they left us alone after that.

Well it is rather cold here in Caserta. Sorella Robertson leaves for home this next week and I'm trying not to stress out if I will be blown out of Caserta or what will happen. I'm so so grateful everyday to be a missionary. Sometimes at night as we walk home we hear an accordian playing Italian music or see silly old men smoking their cigars together in their little suits and leather shoes and I just thank my Heavenly Father for these wonderful people, this wonderful language, but especially that I get to help these people learn more about our wonderful Savior.

I miss and love you all soooo much!!!

Don't forget to ask for help... Ponderize scripture: 1 Nephi 15:8

VVB!

Sorella Carrie Nelson