Family, Temple, Italians

My 3 true loves of this life. 

Ciao a tutti! 

For anyone asking if it's getting warmer here: it snowed in Rome this morning, several inches. None here, yet.

Summer-- where you at?!?!

This week has been an absolute whirlwind, we got transfer calls Monday night and I wasn't expecting anything to change just because Sorella Johnson and I were straight power-housing it and on an upward climb, but apparently the Lord has other plans! Sorella Johnson got transferred to Rome and I cried the whole time she packed and I bawled like a baby waving at her train as it pulled out of the station. BUT

 

One last hug from Sorella Johnson

I got a new companion, Sorella Geertsen! She is so so awesome. From Utah, is going to UVU + culinary school after the mission, goes home in August! It's only been like 4 days together but we are having a great time and we are so much alike it's kind of scary...... sometimes I feel like I'm talking to a clone of myself but it is such a good time because we have very similar personalities and ahhhhh she's amazing. So everyone please pray that I get to do more than 1 transfer with her!!!!!!!! 

Ward members: Castaldo, Serena, Corvasce

That being said, this week has been hectic and consumed by transfers, not a lot to recount. I am just so excited for Sorella Geertsen to meet all of the incredible people and watch her fall in love with Statte because this is my favorite city in the world. When they say that the people make or break the city, they aren't lying, and Statte (+ crispiano/massafra/martina..) has some of the best people, it's a blessing to get to know them. At this point, Statte just feels like home to me. Going to church on Sunday- it's so comfortable, I feel like I've been a part of this ward my whole life and the members are truly my family. 

Oh and speaking of family: here's an update on my italian parents, Giuseppe and Elvira. Giuseppe is still reading the Book of Mormon by himself and praying and learning a ton from it. His hesitation right now is that he feels like he needs some sort of sign in his life. (any advice on how to help with this?). We are praying it comes quickly! Giuseppe couldn't come to chuch yesterday even though he really wanted to, they had an emergency come up at work, something that needed to be fixed Sunday morning :(. They were SO excited to get to know Sorella Geertsen (she was the chef at a french bakery in Utah before the mission.....) so you can only imagine how quickly that bonding began. She brought a portfolio type thing of pictures of different foods/pasteries she's made (it was beautiful) and they were just peeing their pants of excitement. It's gonna be a good transfer, folks.

One last family pic before Sorella Johnson left

 Sorella Geertsen has the game banagrams, we played in Italian for language study this week it was a blast. We also played in english and translated all the words we didn't know, so much fun and a nice switch to language study.  (not sure why I'm including this but it was a blast and my email is really lacking in content...)

We visited with Rosa this week and started a Book of Mormon sfida (challenge) with her too! We are talking about a lady that on the first visit told us she didn't have time for visits, much less reading the Book of Mormon. And every visit since she's said, Nope I don't have time to read the Book of Mormon, I have work. Well, she gladly accepted the sfida!!!!!! We are looking forward to returning and following up on that! She also said she is interested to come and see how our church works!

Carmella is progressing too! We were going to give her a sfida but we forgot to make one....well during the lesson she said "why don't we just start the Book of Mormon from chapter 1 and read the chapters in order?" Self-initiated sfida? Ci sto. I'm down! She really wanted to come to church yesterady (lives far away and no car) and we called the only ward members that live by her, they said they'd pick her up but then they didn't..... Carmella called us Sunday 9:15 telling us she'd been waiting and they never came so that was super sad! We will be planning better for next week!!

At our district meeting this week, we reflected on our mission call letters and there's one part sentence of it that really hit me: "Greater blessings and more happiness than you have yet experienced await you as you humbly and prayerfully serve the Lord in this labor of love among His children." This sentence hit me because, looking back on the 10 months I've spent as a missionary I have been privileged to feel more happiness than I've ever experienced. I know that serving the Lord in this labor of love among His children is the greatest calling and I am so thankful and humbled each day to put my name tag on and be a part of it. I love my savior Jesus Christ! I know He lives and loves and cares about every single one of you and that He hears yours prayers. 

I'm stealing this from Sorella DeMann: Just out of curiosity, who gets to the end of these emails? This was a long one too. Just email me Yes! If you got to here.

I love you!!!! Buona settimana!

Italian hot chocolate

Sorella Carley Neuberger

Sorelle Missionarie
Corso Vittorio Emanuele III, 206
Statte, TA 74010
Italia

Sfida

Buon giorno di San Valentino!

Happy Valentine's Day!

This week we decided to heart attack all the ward members and our investigators, it was a blast! Italians don't really know how to react to that kind of thing so it was really cute getting all sorts of random 'thank you' phone calls and sweet texts during the week. I've probably mentioned it a time or two before but in case you forgot....the ward members in Statte are like no other. It is unbelievable, but they are so faithful and so prayerful and we are seeing miracles in our work which we accredit fully to the members. They are as 'en gamba' as it gets. 

Our emphasis this week was a "sfida" del libro di mormon (a book of mormon 'challenge'). We made a calendar of the week and wrote in 2 successive chapters in the Book of Mormon every day with little checkboxes. We gave a sfida to Antonella and we also gave one to Giuseppe. We weren't sure exactly how it was going to go over but...

Antonella told us, very lovingly, that we are brats and she knows the sfida is exactly what she needs to do. She'd never read the Book of Mormon on her own, but when we came back later in the week she greeted us by saying "I read my two chapters!" And the next time we came back: "I read my two chapters!" She's growing her faith and slowly gaining a testimony. Unfortunately we didn't do FHE with bishop and she couldn't come to church yesterday because her family is all in town and they are moving houses (still in Crispiano, menomale). 

Giuseppe and Elvira

Giuseppe also was really excited to accept the sfida! When we presented the idea to him the first thing he said was, "well, 2 chapters a day isn't very much... is it okay if I read more than that?" I don't see a problem with it, do you Sorella Johnson? Hahahaha mamma mia everything Giuseppe says just leaves us with our mouths hanging wide open because he so gets it. I don't know how else to say it, but we have front row seats to his conversion and I've never experienced anything more beautiful. And the best part? He came to church yesterday!!!!!!!!!! It's moments like that as a missionary that bring joy like nothing else.....we got home Saturday night and were just jumping up and down dancing around our apartment because we were so full of joy. That sounds totally cheesy but I can't say it any other way! The work of the Lord really brings this fullness of joy into my life, it's something everyone has to experience. Giuseppe stayed for all 3 hours of church and afterward he said "Now THIS is what church is supposed to be like. I think I'll be frequenting this church from now on" <-----That's what we like to hear :))))))) We went to their house after church for a little and he told us that from the moment bishop picked him up for church at 9 am, he hadn't had the desire to smoke. (he has a cigarette dependency). Just another huge miracle. We are praying really really hard and have faith that he will be baptized on April 7th. The day for Giuseppe.

In other news.....

We made brownies for some of our investigators and some members this week, italians love brownies, it's the cutest thing to watch them eat them. Dessert in Italy isn't super sweet so brownies are really rich for them hahha.

I went on a scambio with Sorella Baielli this week, she's from Idaho but was born and lived in Sardegna until she was 12! She's super cool and we had a great time, I loved getting to show her around Statte and Crispiano!

This past week was my first week of driving in a foreign country. It's exactly that: foreign. We are the only sisters in the mission that have their own car so it's weird that I'm actually in an area where we need a car to get around because everything is so spread out. Italians are crazy drivers and it's an adjustment learning to drive like them but I'd be lying if I said I'm not enjoying it. 

Sorella Johnson and Anna (Anna's birthday)

Anna didn't come to church yesterday so we were really really sad about that....

Io e Sorella Johnson abbiamo fatto un piccolo digiuno della lingua inglese per un giorno, e andato molto bene :) Sorella Johnson and I did an english fast for a day and it went well and was really fun :)

We visited Rosa this week and really bonded with her, showing her pictures of our families and other fun mission pictures/videos! Next up for her will be the 'sfida' !!

One of the spiritual highlights of my week came in a conversation with Giuseppe after church yesterday. He said that his favorite part of sacrament meeting was partaking of the sacrament, the bread and the water, exactly the same way that Christ asked us to do it in the Bible! He was in awe of the beauty of that ordinance, it was a humbling reminder for me too, to remember the importance of the sacrament and the atoning sacrifice our Savior made for each of us. I invite you, next Sunday during sacrament meeting, to remember the significance and the importance of the sacrament. It really is a blessing each week to partake of and remember my commitment to Him. I love the opportunity I have to be a full-time representative of Him and feel his love for the people of Statte. Nowhere I'd rather be.

Love yall!

xoxo

My faves: brownies, cake, Giuseppe and Sorella Johnson

buon appetito

Sorella Carley Neuberger
Sorelle Missionarie
Corso Vittorio Emanuele III, 206
Statte, TA 74010
Italia

Casa del Panzerotto

Not sure if I've explained panzerotti yet. Here goes. A "panzerotto" is basically a fried pizza....I need to take a picture to send so you can have a visual of how heavenly the food is here. Panzerotti are unique to this zone! You can get them with cheese and sauce inside or with meat, or ricotta, they even make nutella panzerotti! Blessed. 

Cuttlefish (same family as squid or octopus)
Not as tasty as the panzerotto

So the best panzerotti place in Taranto is called "Casa del Panzerotto" and Sorella Barnes took me there this week since I was in Taranto for a scambio! It was so much fun being on exchanges with Sorella Barnes but also weird because the last time we did a scambio we were both greenies! So it was kind of cool to see the progress we have both made. We saw tons of miracles in those 24 hours! We had a lesson with one of their african members, Analisa, she was so cute and totally reminded me of Gift which made me kind of sad and missing her haha. And then we did some finding with a twist: whiteboarding! We took a small whiteboard and wrote "Do you believe in God?" and had a column for yes, no, and maybe. Then we walked all around the city with this whiteboard, handing the marker to so many different people having them mark their answers. It was a really awesome way to find because the people who want to talk about religion will stop! One girl we walked by looked right at me and said "Why do you believe in God?" And the way she said it just really struck me and that's kind of where my thoughts have been throughout the week. Why do I believe in God? Why do YOU believe in God? I believe in God like I believe that there is wind! I can't see Him, but I can feel Him, I can feel His presence in my life every day, which is truly something beautiful. I believe in God because I know He hears and answers my prayers! Maybe not on my timing or in the way I'd like, but He always does. 

In terms of big news.... Antonella came to church again yesterday!! So I guess that answers the question of whether or not she liked it :) We were so excited that she wanted to come back. She also really loves the hymns so this past week we got her a new hymn book and wrote her a dedica and gave it to her! She was so happy and immediately started singing "I need thee every hour". Wow. We also helped her download the gospel library app on her phone this week, she loves it!!!! We went to visit her the day after she downloaded it and she was so excited to tell us about the talk she read "Three Sisters" the one by Elder Uchtdorf. Ahhhhh Antonella is so amazing and just living proof that everything is in the Lord's hands and His timing because she's been an off and on investigator for about 7 months or more!

Sacrament meeting yesterday was nothing short of amazing, it was almost like it was planned specifically for Antonella! All of the talks were given by members who were converts and they told their conversion stories and how they decided to be baptized. It was so perfect!!!! And then Bishop got up and told his too, which was extra personal for her since she grew up with him! He talked about how he had member friends and when he went to their houses he could feel something different and he wanted that in his home. After sacrament meeting, Antonella asked him "When can I come to your house?" We are planning FHE for this week. :)

Sorella Moses and daughter Gioia

Also at church yesterday: Sorella Moses brought her husband! Sorella Moses is the only african member of the ward here in Statte but she's lived here for about 8 years and speaks italian really well! She also has 2 really cute kids. Her husband isn't a member and I don't think he's been to church before, we asked her how she got him to come, she said: "I took the keys and locked the door so he had to come with me!" Savage. But it was so great to meet him and see their whole family in church together :) And it was also great getting to translate gospel principles for him, felt like I was back in Sassari!

Unfortunately, Giuseppe and Elvira didn't make it to church yesterday, but their 25 year old son, Enrico did! He stayed the whole time, asked tons of questions, it was really great. So hopefully he talks it up to his parents and they all come together next week! We visited Giuseppe and Elvira last night at their house and Giuseppe promised us he would be in church next week so I'm already looking foward to that. Also we took them zucchini bread and they loved it so much that they put the recipe in their recipe book for the Panificio!! Last night we talked with them more about the Restoration, watched Joseph Smith the Restoration and then I asked Giuseppe to be baptized when he receives his answer that these things are true. His response: "Assolutamente." (absolutely). We told him that we had prayed about April 7th and he said he would pray about it too. He said "I know I need to read my Book of Mormon every day by myself, not just the days when you come to the panificio to read with me. And I need to be more sincere and specific in my prayers". Giuseppe. He knows. I just love he and Elvira with my whole heart!!!!!!!! They are going to be the ones I save up for to fly them to America so they can stay at my house for a week (if that's okay mom and dad..!) 

During the week we felt prompted to stop by and ex-investigator, Monica. Well, she was home! (we've stopped by their house probably more than 10 times this transfer and they've never been home). Monica is this cute young mom with 4 really cute daughters and they just seem like they are already mormon hahaha. We talked about the family, read a few parts of the Family Proclamation, and are going to go back this week!

We also saw a cool miracle with our investigator Rosa this week! We stopped by her house one morning and her granddaughter was over visiting!! Her granddaughter is 23 years old and her name is Daniela and she is our newest investigator she's the cutest thing and we are such good friends already!! They invited us back on Sunday, so yesterday we went for pranzo and got to talk more about the Restoration! Daniela just ate it up, asked for our phone number (plot twist..) and asked when we're going to see each other again. Statte miracles people. I love this place. And I love these people even more. 

I'll leave yall with a quote this week, something my mom sent me "the harder you fall, the higher you rise". Yep it's true! Sometimes it takes a fall to get us on our feet, to give us our motivation back but we can always rise! And when we do fall, we have our Savior Jesus Christ to help us get back up. I don't think there's anything in the world that gives me greater comfort than that knowledge. And I love sharing that with the Italian people every day! I love being a missionary and I love you all! 

Buona settimana a tutti!

XOXO

Sorella Carley Neuberger

Editors note:  The following pictures are from the town of Matera where Carley went for p-day.  This link explains more about Matera.  Copy and paste in your browser to learn more.               https://www.neverendingvoyage.com/sassi-matera-italy/

The best week of my mission.....so far

I am not exaggerating a single bit when I say that this past week was hands down the best week of my mission. So far. Because we are on a straight crescendo here in Statte! It is so beautiful and amazing and I still have no idea how I got lucky enough to witness it all. 

One of the biggest miracles was our meeting with Anna di Giuseppe. We hadn't seen her in almost 2 weeks so we were starting to get kind of worried. But when we finally did have time for a lesson, we were geared up to break boxes and explain the importance of keeping commitments and coming to church. Plot twist: the first thing she said to us was "I know, I know, I need to come to church and I really want to! Especially because I still want to be baptized on March 10! So I asked at work if I could switch my Sunday shifts to Saturday and they let me do it!" So next week, Anna will be in church. She's already started inviting friends to her baptism!! 

Other biggest miracle of the week: Antonella came to church. She has been an investigator since September or maybe even before, but yesterday she came to church for the very first time. Turns out that she and the bishop and the stake president's wife all grew up in Crispiano (one of the cities we cover) and went to school together! It turned out to be a beautiful testimony meeting and she had to pull out the tissues after bishop and his wife both bore their testimonies. She had to leave right after sacrament meeting, but we are beyond excited to meet with her this week and hear her thoughts on everything! We stopped by her house almost every day this week to read the Book of Mormon together dal inizio (from the beginning) and she LOVES it. Like she just eats it up and we will finish a chapter, look at her, and she keeps reading. 

At the bakery with Giuseppe and Elvira.
(our adopted Italian parents)

And we started the same thing with Giuseppe and Elvira!  Reading the Book of Mormon from the beginning and talking about it chapter by chapter. It has been really amazing to see how much they understand and comprehend!! That's something special about reading The Book of Mormon with Catholics or with people who know the Bible really well: is hey realize that the Book of Mormon is a lot easier to understand and so they understand absolutely everything.  Honestly, I've been surprised with Giuseppe. After we read a chapter, we asked him what he understood and he gives us a perfect summary of everything we just read, complete with quotations and his own personal thoughts!! It's incredible. One night while we were at their panificio (bakery) reading The Book of Mormon in the back, we heard a voice from up front, someone entering the panificio, and it was none other than our bishop which it turns out that Giuseppe and Elvira are really good friends with him and just love him and know him pretty well. Bishop said to Giuseppe, "Oh I see you guys are reading the Book of Mormon! Well, that book changed my life." And that's been something that's really stuck with Giuseppe! 

We also told Giuseppe and Elvira this week that they are our Italian parents, they really are. They take care of us, give us tons of food, and will sometimes call to see if we made it home safe at night it is so cute. They have a 25 year old son, but we are their adopted daughters! I just love them with my whole heart.

We met with Carmella this week again, this time she brought her 23 year old daughter, Sara who is AMAZING and our newest investigator. We are counting down the days until we meet with them again!

Our neighbor Ida came to church.

Ida came to church again yesterday! It was quite the miracle, with her being 85 years old and all, but the ward really seems to like her! As far as teaching her goes, it's pretty tough to keep her focused and actually understanding what we are saying and the points we try to make. But hey, we love her to death, our little Italian grandma.

Sorella Johnson is really good at following spiritual promptings, that's something I've really been learning from her. Well one day this week we were driving and we passed a girl and a few minutes later she said "we need to go back and talk to that girl" so we park the car and chase her down and show her a video and exchange phone numbers!!!!! COOL!

Someone shared this quote last week that I really love: "Set your goals—without goals you cannot measure your progress. But don’t become frustrated because there are no obvious victories. Remind yourself that striving can be more important than arriving. If you are striving for excellence—if you are trying your best day by day with the wisest use of your time and energy to reach realistic goals—you are a success." Marvin J. Ashton. Striving can be more important than arriving. How key is that in our everyday lives? We may not see immediate success or progress or results, but as long as we strive, eventually we will arrive.

Vi voglio un panzerotto di bene!! 

XOXO

Yummy food from the bakery!  They are keeping us well fed.

Sorella Carley Neuberger
Sorelle Missionarie
Corso Vittorio Emanuele III, 206
Statte, TA 74010
Italia