Monday, September 11, 2017

Ciao

Hey family!! 

Rotary Club sign in Sassari?
I made it safely to Rome! Left Tuesday morning at 7am, got to Rome Wednesday at 8 am and went straight to work with the Rome 2 sorelle. I crashed their district meeting and we had a district lunch it was a lot of fun. I also got my transfer call to......Sassari! It's a city on the island of Sardinia. Flying into my new city was amazing- it is absolutely beautiful! 

My companion is Sorella DeMann, she was in my MTC district so we are super good friends, ah it is going to be a great transfer. We work so well together and definitely push each other, it's awesome. And she is so much fun, we are almost always laughing no matter what we are doing. 
Carley and her companion Sorella DeMann enjoying gelato

There is an actual church building here in Sassari, a mile walk from our house so not bad at all! And there is a small branch here, I am so excited to get to know everyone. Our district is us + 4 Anziani. 2 in our branch and 2 in a branch in a different city. 

The English course is pretty small here, but I think it may be because it's still summer and people are still on vacation. So hopefully we can do some more corso finding and get it full!! English course is always super fun though, we have a great time with that. 

We have 2 investigators, Joy and Gift, they're both African. Joy has a really cute 3 month old baby boy named Jeffery oh my he is so adorable I will have to get a picture. Too bad missionaries can't hold babies :/ Neither of our investigators can read very well so they aren't progressing a ton, but we taught them how to listen to the scriptures, we just aren't sure how much they actually understand. I got to help translate for them in relief society which was an adventure but really helps with learning the language. Anyways, It's kind of a difficult situation but they are so awesome and love the gospel. And while I'm thinking about it, there's an African refugee serving in our mission right now, I haven't met him yet but maybe I'll get to! They made a video about his story so I'll put in the link for y'all to maybe watch! 

As for the rest of the work, it's struggling a little but I'm ready to get things rolling and I know that we will. We have been going through contact lists calling people and setting up appointments and doing lots of casa in casa (ringing citofoni) and are hoping to see something come of those efforts. Planting seeds :) 

We met some ragazzi (teenagers?) in the park the other day when we were doing finding there! They were super nice and very interested so we taught them the whole restoration, gave them copies of the Book of Mormon and exchanged phone numbers! That was on Friday. Then last night we called and texted trying to set up something to meet up this week and we got a text saying "You have the wrong number". Sorella Demann and I were heartbroken about this because they put their numbers in :( . But it's okay! I know that one day the time will be right for those ragazzi.

The missionaries here in Sassari have a great setup where every Saturday from 9:30-1 we help out at a Caritas! It's a place where people go that don't have food. So we sort through the food that is donated from local stores and shelve the good stuff. Help cut up fruit, prepare the meal, etc. And then lunch is from 11:45-12:45 we serve lunch and it was a lot of fun and a really good community service here. The people that run the caritas and the other volunteers are really good friends with the missionaries. It's a blast. I'm really looking forward to doing that every Saturday that I'm here in Sassari! 

Helping out at the caritas! Do you like the hats and aprons??
Church yesterday was nothing short of amazing. Being back in an Italian ward I've been thinking of it forever. I got to play some prelude music on the piano until the pianist got there and then I got to introduce myself and bear my testimony, in Italian of course. I shared a scripture, like the only scripture I have memorized in Italian, Alma 29:9, "I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy." 

The flight was long, jetlag is real, and my body is trying so hard to keep up with walking and working but it is, so good. The work is good and I absolutely love being a missionary. I know that Sassari is where I am supposed to be right now I am excited to further the Lord's work here!! The Church is true and I'm thankful for the happiness the gospel brings to my life. 

Love y'all and hope you have great week! Zone conference is next Tuesday and we are traveling down to Cagliari on Monday for that, like a 4 hour train ride, so not sure when I'll be able to email. 

Also I'm just now realizing how long this email is.... I'm sorry. Congrats if you made it to the end! Just so much happening and I'm loving life.


XOXO, Sorella Carley Neuberger

Pizza in a cone!  So cool!!
Gelato #2.  Can't get enough!