Week 63

  (Week 10 Rome)

Ahhh!!! Just no words for a wonderful week!

Necklaces like this are a common find on the streets.  Instead of a gelato why not buy a handmade necklace!

I honestly don't know how to describe just how wonderful this week was
in an email! It's just one of those times where you would have had to
have been there, but I will give it my best!

Dear Sorella Erickson has been feeling soooo much better and it is so
good to have my companion back in action with me! The huge highlight
of the week was having the area president of the seventy, President
Kearon, come speak to our mission here in wonderful Rome. He was so
inspired and it was wonderful to be uplifted for two days in a row!

Since our Roma 1 church hosted the conference the day before we were
crazy busy getting everything ready like setting it up and packing
lunches for everyone and all the odds and ends. Thursday we woke up,
got ready with six Sorelle in the house and went to see our church
FILLED with suits and skirts. BEST SIGHT EVER! Sooo many missionaries
and it was so good to see past companions and other mission friends.

My baby number one all grown up!!

President Kearon... The only words for him is just INSPIRED! He just helped us change how we look at things differently and he kept saying, "stretch, don't stress!!!" We had a super great conference and learned new things to apply to our work especially here in the Great Rome, Italy.

Rome 1 Sorelle at conference.

We're missing a few but here is the majority of my whole MTC group! I think we've all changed since then.

After the conference I left with the other sister training leaders and zone leaders for more meetings that night and then we all slept in the Villa! It was so nice to say a kneeling "family" prayer with President and Sorella Pickerd and just learn from the examples of so many amazing leaders in our mission.

Friday! We had a special conference with all the leaders and President
Kearon! It was just a great conversation of how we can reach our new
standard of excellence, (which is one baptism per transfer per
companionship) we end  up with three things...
1. Attack the morning
2. BE the message
3. Strength in the Atonement

All of the leaders at the mission home villa.

I'm honestly just feeling soooooo full of crazy fire right now!  I will be honest and say I felt kinda tired before this conference, but now I'm just ready to go go go!!  We have absolutely NO NEED TO FEAR!!

President Kearon played us a song from the 2014 conference that the
choir sang, I think it is Let Us All Press On... He had us close our
eyes and just listen. (Those at home should listen to it). In the song
the choir gets super loud and belt the words "FEAR NOT!" And
"COURAGE". Ahh I just can't describe how excited I am to put
everything learned into practice!!!

GAETANO!!!! He is sooo excited to be baptized!!! Biggest miracle of
the week! We taught him the plan of salvation and when we explained
that we can become like God he was soooo intrigued! He kept saying,
"no way! I've never heard this before! It makes sense!" So the next
lesson we went over what we have to do in order to get to the
Celestial kingdom! We also read the scriptures of the waters of Mormon
and when we got to the part about what have ye against being baptized
he just was like, "nothing! If we have to be baptized, we need to be
baptized!"
Anywho, he came to church all dressed in a suit and tie and is making
so many member friends! I was especially grateful for one Fratello of
the church who sat next to him while I had to translate the three
hours... MEMBERS ARE THE BEST!

I'm so tall next to Gaetano.

Sister Erickson and Gaetano.  This is my favorite picture EVER! They are both the same size!

Sunday pranzo with a whole bunch of dear members.

Translating church replay of stake conference for three hours straight.

My companion/translator helper Sorella Erickson. When someone uses a scripture in the their talke she finds it for me quick in English so I can say it.

I'm just really happy right now! Being a missionary is the best! We
ran into some member tourists from Texas at the Vatican today and they
said they felt bad that our mission is a hard one and I was just like,
"Every mission is hard! The Lord blesses us all with miracles and
wonderful people to meet everyday! I may have never seen a baptism,
but it's the biggest blessing of my life."

I'M GRATEFUL TO BE A MISSIONARY!
Sorella Carrie Nelson :)
Romans 1:16

The parks are all green now after all the rain.

The famous Spanish steps are open again..

Tried curling my hair with rags....didn't turn out so well....

I actually may have found some food I don't LOVE here in Italy.  A sweet sister made us plaintains?  Don't know that I like them....

Monday is for gelato....actually everyday should be gelato day.

Week 62

(Week 9 Rome)
Sick Week.....
Buona settimana! Well, work here has definitely come to a little pause
while my dearest Sorella Erickson has been super, super sick. We both
had a finger printing appointment in the morning this week and as soon
as we got up she was feeling sick, but we had to go! While at the
appointment we had to wait for two hours in the heat and we were both
just praying she wouldn't be sick while we were there. Then we had to
wait another two hours inside and finally we were finished! We headed
home and she hit the bed and basically has slept since.
I've been grateful to be with other Sorelle as they have allowed me to
go outside once in a while if it was for more coughs drops, Popsicles,
a morning run, or even a little less active finding. It's been good
though in the house. I've been listening to a whole lot of Christmas
music, reading "Our Heritage" and "Jesus The Christ" and was able to
get caught up on several things, including my journal, and just really
serve my companion.

 
 

We treated ourselves to a lunch at Eataly after a long 5 hour appointment getting documents.

Then the sickness began...Passed out asleep on the bus.

Day one....Doing some serious language study. Haven't lost sanity.

Got her all set up with movies, #thetestaments #meetthemormons #legacy

Cutting onions for homemade chicken noodle soup!!!

    

 

Literally losing my mind being inside all day....

 

Day ended on the floor...

Day two!  Going to be super productive!!

Next read...

The other Sorelle even brought me a coloring book!

Reading more during her "sickie" nap.

One of the Gatorade runs....

The Anziani brought flowers so I made her play dead.

I remember hearing that a good leader focuses on PEOPLE. I think this
was a way Heavenly Father has let me develop that characteristic this
week. I've been super guilty of pushing myself and companionship as
hard as we can to see how much we can do without thinking much about
her! It's been a good time to step back and remind myself what it is
all about. From cooking for her, doing laundry, staying on top of her
meds, I've realized just how much service really plays a role in
loving a person. My little Sorellina is the best and the biggest
trooper!

Sunday.....Stake Conference!!  Thankfully Sorella Erickson was feeling
well enough that we were able to go to church! Stake conference was
supposed to be broadcast, but there were problems with the connection on the other island where they were holding the actual conference so for an hour I just played some songs from the hymn book... Eventually, we all just sang a song
together and said a prayer. It was neat to hear everyone just singing
loud and proud "I know that My Redeemer Lives!" all together! The
spirit was strong and although we didn't hear anything we were able to
feel the spirit and that's what it's all about! That was our Sunday!

Love you all!!!
Tante belle cose!
Sorella Carrie Nelson

Look at her eating a while panino!!  #soproud

We got outside for pday and visited the Trevi fountains....