Charissa's mission 20091202

Subject: So this is it...the last email from Slla Black!
Date: Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:15:36 +0100
From: Charissa Black

Buon giorno!

I can't believe it, but it's here--the last email I'll send you all as Sorella Black.

Charissa's mission 20091125

Subject: I love Sicily!!!
Date: Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:04:59 +0100
From: Charissa Black

Buon giorno!

So this Sunday was the twice yearly meeting with all the members from Sicily, and we were all together in Catania where we heard some wonderful remarks on unity and love, and how we can improve ourselves.

I took advantage of the fact that I had to go to Ragusa for scambi anyway

Charissa's mission 20091118

Subject:	Here's another one....
Date:	Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:36:58 +0100
From:	Charissa Black <sorellablack@myldsmail.net>

Buon giorno!

What a gorgeous day! I really am loving the Sicilian sun, and the smiling Sicilians...We've gotten to know some more families here, and are happily going around Siracusa talking with them.

Charissa's mission 20091111

Subject: from Siracusa with love
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:07:03 +0100
From: Charissa Black
To: ...

Buon giorno!

So this week has been another great week in Siracusa! We are proud owners of a fixed toilet, and a new vegetable peeler.

Charissa's mission 20091015

Subject:	Musings from Monday's Meeting
Date:	Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:57:37 +0200
From:	Charissa Black
CC:	...

Buon giorno!

It's officially fall now (there are some torrential rains outside the door here), and I am wearing my little flight attendant type scarves and everything. Yet another fabulous week in Siracusa and Catania has flown by. (I'm what's called the sorella coordinatrice, and so I make sure that the other sorelle in Catania and Ragusa are doing ok...I'm so happy for the chance to see Ragusa next week :).

Monday we had a conference at Catania with all the missionaries from Sicily and so we heard many wonderful suggestions

Charissa's mission 20091007

Subject: the week from slla black
Date: Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:49:07 +0200
From: Charissa Black
To: ...

Buona sera!

So it's a wonderful week here in Italy. I am just loving every minute of it! (I know, I say that every week. Sorry if these are just super monotonous, repetitive emails. But I really do love it...) It's been full of more tasty Sri Lankan fried things, a week full of

Charissa's mission 20090930

Subject: Saluti da Siracusa...did I use that already?
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:53:12 +0200
From: Charissa Black
CC: ...

Buon giorno!

Recently the sun has been back, we've been walking all over as usual, and we're very excited because this Saturday and Sunday is what's called General Conference.

Charissa's mission 20081119

Sorella Charissa Black wrote:
Sicilian greetings...ca tutto va beh...
11/19/2008 4:58 AM

Buon giorno tutti,

So, this week has been wonderful. I only have a few minutes to write thanks to a virus filled computer

Charissa's mission 20081112

Sorella Charissa Black wrote:
Weekly newsletter from Sorella B and Bé
11/12/2008 4:37 AM

Buenos dias!

Spanish class last week was wonderful, I am really starting to feel more confident. The people are all very humble, kind, and good people. Also 2 of the other missionaries here

Charissa's mission 20081105

Sorella Charissa Black wrote:
Another letter from Ragusa!
11/5/2008 4:44 AM

Buon giorno!

This past week has been wonderful...last wednesday we went to the Marina di Ragusa to play a little soccer on the beach, and I am constantly amazed by the beautiful world God made for us. Thursday we went to a little paesino called

Charissa's mission 20081029

Sorella Charissa Black wrote:
Happy Giorno di Moltisanti this Saturday!
10/29/2008 5:34 AM

Buon giorno amici,

So there is no Halloween here, but on all saints day (Nov 1st) everyone goes and puts flowers on graves. Also it is olive gathering time, everyone is out helping people, and it is really wonderful to think about olives and their symbolism throughout

Charissa's mission 20081022

Sorella Charissa Black wrote:
How to feel happier...
10/22/2008 4:53 AM

Buona giornata!

I hope all of you have had a wonderful week. Recently, I have been thinking about this idea that if we want to become truly Christlike we need to serve the people around us instead of wanting things for ourselves. As a mission rule

Charissa's mission 20081015

Sorella Charissa Black wrote:
Ricotta, Albania, Nigeria, Australia...
10/15/2008 4:26 AM

Buon giorno da Ragusa!

It's the start of another wonderful transfer (6 week period of time) here with Sorella Bernabé. I probably will be here until Christmas with her in this wonderful city. For a quick update on life here: It's officially ricotta and ricotta calda time now,

Charissa's mission 20081009

Sorella Charissa Black wrote:
A temple is coming to Rome!
10/9/2008 12:38 AM

Buon giorno tutti!!

So for those of you who read the title and are thinking, «a what?» here is a brief explanation. This past weekend

Charissa's mission 20081001

Sorella Charissa Black wrote:
Today this is coming from sunny Siracusa!
10/1/2008 5:46 AM

Buon giorno tutti!

I am here in Siracusa--today and yesterday we are doing scambi with the sisters here and so I got to meet a few of the people they are working with here, see some beautiful sights of the ocean, and today we went to this greek theater and some other ruins here.

Charissa's mission 20080924

Sorella Charissa Black wrote:
4 months into my mission, 2 months in Italy!
9/24/2008 7:03 AM

Ciao tutti!

I promise there is a good reason I didnt write last week. I'm sorry, but hopefully that will be the last missing weekly email for a while. Again, if you are a friend who is emailing me and wants to hear an individual response back, I am happy to write you by snail mail but I need your address.

So last Thursday I was on a train all day and night to Torino; my companion needed to renew her permesso di sogiorno [visa]. In summary the trip was long and exhausting, but definitely beautiful scenery. My favorites were

Charissa's mission 20080910

Sorella Charissa Black wrote:
9/10/2008 7:22 AM
update from your amica in Ragusa

Ciao tutti!

So last week we ended up working a lot on Wednesday and only had a bit of time for internet, and sorry but my immediate family gets priority.

Charissa's mission 20080903

Subject:	Re: hello from us
Date:	Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:12:39 +0200

im glad you liked us singing. that was the toned down version. bummer we never recorded our gospel version while running down the stairs to go to gym.... :)

aww!!! i seriously love lydia. everyonce in a while when i see kids (there are actually families and kids and babies here now that the festa di san giovanni happened, and school starts in a few weeks)

aww. sounds like everyone is doing great. i would believe some of this stuff more with pics. but not to be hypocritical, because i left my camera at the house today. we have pday half today and half tomorrow because the capi zona are at catania and we want to go to some city around here all together as a district. i love that ill always be with 4 elders, meaning ill never be alone!

so i had this discussion with slla bernabé the other day and she was saying how her family raised her to go to school to learn to love people. that just living life with adults or going to school just to learn was being to selfish. i really lvoe this philosophy. i dont know. i think i want life to be easy, and so instead of trying to understand other people all the time, i wanted to be in school for myself. maybe that is waht other people need to do, but i know that at the end we need to learn how to love everyone, not just people who are smart or whatever. yes the glory of god is intelligence, but at what cost? (btw this is all out of the mouth of her mom) so when she was in school and growing up she was taught that we need to only answer when it helps other people. not brag or show off or want to just read teh textbook in the back of the book. but help everyone around us and not just try to gain knowledge for ourselves. we need to make friends with everyone adn help them come unto christ-realize they are children of god by our example. no one wants to think that the black family are just those smart mormon kids but that we are nice and helpful. i think some of us have learned this already. but i dont know. i feel like i really didnt understand this when for example i was in elementary school and middle and high school. weve all been given these talents so that we can help other people to become better. i hope we can all strive to help those around us and reach out to others.

ah i have no more time to even get out a weekly letter to everyone this week!!! ...

the other day i was really frustrated because here everyone interrupts, and because i cant speak italian fast enough i often cant get a lot of thoughts communicated during lessons and such. but i'm trying to constantly pray for more courage to talk to everyone, remember teh atonement every day can help me, and taht i have been so ridiculously blessed! this work is great, and so are the people, language, weather, food, everything.

... yay 42 ppl we talked to on teh street already and one lesson. yay! but ah, its spanish at home today (alternate with english) and i need to practice so bad...ugh. my brain goes from italian to spanish sometimes, adn inglese to spanish sometimes. its so confused!

love youtons frmo ragusa, charissa

Charissa's mission 20080827

Sorella Charissa Black wrote:
Spanish? Albanian? Twe? I think I'm in Sicily...
8/27/2008 6:00 AM

Salve tutti,

So I've officially been a missionary for 3 months now, one month in Italy. Its amazing to think how the time passes. I really have come to love Sorella Bernabé and am learning a lot from her. I can almost get around Ragusa, am still sort of scared of talking to people on the phone, my hair is lighter already, and I am starting to feel like this is home.

Charissa's mission 20080820

Sorella Charissa Black wrote:
Fresh figs, lots of interested people, and summer sunsets in Italy
8/20/2008 5:11 AM

So this past week I didn't get a normal day off (preparation day) because we had a maxi conference, that is, all of the missionaries in Sicily (1/2 our mission)got together wednesday in Catania (our mission headquarter city). It was great to be able to see