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
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| 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!!!!!!!!
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| 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.
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| One last family pic before Sorella Johnson left |
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!
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| Italian hot chocolate |
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Sorella Carley Neuberger
Sorelle Missionarie
Corso Vittorio Emanuele III, 206
Statte, TA 74010
Italia
Corso Vittorio Emanuele III, 206
Statte, TA 74010
Italia
