Week 61

(Week 8 Rome)

September Miracles!!

After a long, hard, vacation filled August, September has arrived and
brought forth our good fruits!!!! Hahaha finally!!!! So during this
whole time being here in Rome I haven't talked much about
investigators well because, we really haven't had anyone. Well... We now
have some wonderful, wonderful people we are working with and to top it
all off, they ALL 3 came to church this Sunday!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope the
exclamation points explain how happy I am!!!!!!! Ah!!!! It was
seriously the best day ever!!!!

Here's more about  these three fabulous people:
Zinaida, may have talked about her before... She is 50 and is
technically from the Czech Republic but grew up here. She loves to
talk and even talks openly about being baptized. We met her as we were
waiting for a bus and we just started talking to her and she was super
willing to meet with us!

Gaetano, he is a Sicilian man and is 70, we met him as we were
"fishing" in a park. He takes his little Book of Mormon and goes to
read when we don't meet with him. He does all sorts of crazy volunteer
work for hospitals and companies around Rome. Very intelligent and
came to church just as he promised! He also had a great time trying to
sing the hymns and when our bishop shared a scripture about Nephi he
just turns to me with a face like, "hey, we read about him!!!"

Jessica, from the Philippines and is 28. Serious MIRACLE!!! Her mother
in law is a less active we were working with who said she would return
in Sept. So when Sept. 1st arrived we went to her house. She wasn't
home, but Jessica was and asked if we wanted to come in anyway...
YES!!!  We taught her the Plan of Salvation and turns out her father
died two weeks ago! Sooooo prepared!!!! Her husband is a less active
from forever ago and they both came to church Sunday!!!!

Okay, now here  is the fill in on the work...
Funny story... Wednesday is one of my favorite days because we have
the whole day free so we can just work work work! We were so pumped to
go to a massive park in the morning to do some finding but on the way
out there it  literally started POURING rain out of nowhere!!! In less
than 1 minute we were 100% drenched. We just started running our little
hearts out to the nearest bus stop and are running through massive
massive puddles and just screaming and laughing the entire time! A
member saw us pass their house and just yelled at us to get in their
car. Haha they took us home and we did some good area book catch up.  So much
for a Wednesday but we had a great laugh!

Being a missionary is the greatest, I just don't know what more to say. :)
Sorella Carrie Nelson
Alma 34:38

Sometimes ya need a cannolo. Pistachio flavor in fact.

Comp unity...

House unity...

Even our dear member Claudia wore polka dots!!

After a long summer...the sandal tan line.

Sometimes the Anziani are nice and make us cakes..

Cutest Sorella Maltese!

She is saying I'm too tall....

This is a dear member who speaks no Italian....So I'm learning Spanish...Below are pictures of her "garden".

Putting Aloe Vera from the "garden plants" on Sister Erickson's poor mosquito bitten legs.

Searching for one name among the many...

The Bari clan back together again!!  Sorella Taylor and Angela!

P-Day at the temple site.  

View from the bus.

All the Sorelle in the Zone!

The temple construction work seems to look the same as it has for years...Supposedly they have had to  change some things on the inside and now maybe on the outside also.....

P-Day gelato.

Pasta, Pasta, Pasta....

Week 60

(Week 7 Rome)

Terremoto....
Yes, I felt it! The earthquake... It happened around 3:30 a.m. here and 
all I remember was waking up and feeling like I was shaking and then
just shutting my eyes. Then I went back to sleep. We got all sorts of 
messages from members asking if all missionaries were okay and we 
had no idea what was going on. Once we found out it was an earthquake 
everything made sense! 

Empty night bus....

Sorella Erickson deep in thought...

Selfies after park finding.

The earthquake has had a huge effect on everyone. People keep talking
about it and many people are a little shaken up about it. We are
grateful that no members of the church were injured and no
missionaries were in the city at the time! We are getting word on what
we can do for the city, but it sounds like after the first initial
help they might have us be involved in some sort of help effort.

This week... We have spent quite a lot of time with some awesome
members and in our "magic" parks! We are hoping to see some more
success with investigators once September rolls around the corner.
EVERYONE leaves for vacation in August! We were super 
super blessed though to have a women we are teaching, Zinaida,  
come to church this Sunday!  Sorella Erickson and I have just been 
praying so hard that we could have someone in church and the Lord 
once again helped us out!

Anziano grilled us up lunch one day.

Fruit and veggies from a members family garden.

How much do I love a caprese salad??  10!!!

Sorelle outing for gelato!

This week we did Sorella Erickson's first full SYL day! Hahah it was
so great! She wouldn't talk to me at the beginning of the day, but at
the end of the day it was fabulous! This Sorellina is so darn patient
with me and all the things I make her do! Shoutout to the wonderful
Sorella Erickson!

Anywho, our parks!!! My entire mission up until about two transfers
ago I've always been scared to talk to families and young people. I
honestly don't know why, but after a zone conference a while ago I
realized that if I want to teach a family I had better start talking
to every family I see! Well, I've been doing that and it is so much
fun teaching families!!! We go to our parks and we teach all sorts of
families the message of the restoration and some don't want to meet
with us again, but it's amazing to teach them and picture them as an
eternal family.

Well, it feels like we did a ton this week but there isn't much to
tell. Work is slow, but miracles are happening every day!!! I'm
grateful for the opportunities to testify of this church whether it be
on a crowded bus, in a park or to my companion. I know our Savior
lives and helps us in our times of need. He is looking out for us and
knows exactly how we feel and keeps cheering us on! I love this gospel
and continue to be grateful for this beautiful mission!
Psalms 55:22
Vi voglio bene!!!
Sorella Carrie Nelson

Bike riding through Villa Borghese for P-Day.