My mission is only the beginning

This past week felt like a rollercoaster. We had so great miracles happen and then we had so many random things happen as well. It seems like the week alwyas seems to go up and down and usually by tuesday it goes well. During the weekend Sorella Yost was pretty sick so we had to stay inside a day but now she is doing well! all is well!

On Saturday there was a baptism with a boy that we set the baptismal date with and the anziani taught him. It was such a great baptism and there were so many non members who came to the baptism. I helped them with the musical number by leading them (the boy and his family) sing "A Child's Prayer". There was such a sweet spirit when they sang altogether. 

I have realized this past transfer how much I have been able to work with less active members. I love it. It has helped me to understand the importance we have as a member of the church. I have realized this past week how important it is for us to love those who are in the areas, wards, and branches that we work in. There are so many people who feel completely alone and need someone to hold their hand along this hard journey. I hope that when I get hoe that I will be better at this. That I will make sure that people will be able to feel that I care able them and that I want to help them. 

I am grateful for my mission because it has been an eye opening experience for me. I realize now that my mission is really the start of my service to the Lord. That I am truly learning how to be a better member of the church, so when I get home I can take the things that I have learned and put them into practice. This is just the beginning my friends... 

We had a interesting miracle happen this past week when we were doing casa. We talked to a man and had a little conversation, but he had to go and take his grandchildren home. So we continued to do casa. Then we saw him walking home but he began to talk to someone, so we didn't talk to him again...

In the mean time we did casa in the most beautiful area..

Fruits trees of everykind.. peach, apple, apricot, strawberries, cherries, lemons, and etc. 

It was just too beautiful.. Even the rejections from people were sweeter. That was a wonderful casa experience. 

So back to the story.. Okay. We saw a citofono and realized that it was the name of the man that we talked to earlier.. So we rand it and the wife answered. She came outside and started to talk to us. She told us tanti anni fa the anziani came and taught them. She told us that her favorite part was the way that we prayed.. How our prayers are from the heart. After she said that we prayed with her and got her phone number. We hope to go back and teach this sweet elderly couple again soon. When people need to hear the message of the gospel, Heavenly Father makes it happen!

I read this verse from the Old Testament this week and I wanted to share it," The Lord your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes". -Deuteronomy 1:30

I am grateful for the everyday trials that we have because the little miracles become so sweet when we can find them. I am so grateful to know that we have the Savior who is fighting for us to find the true happiness in life. 

I love Ravenna and I know that one day it will be a ward. 

I love Italy so much. The other night there was a concert going on and we were able to hear it from our windows. Too good. 

Vi voglio tanto bene, 

Sorella Rebecca Carter

food from a member in our branch. the baptism

pday. my favorite bakery in ravenna..ha. macaroon..this is for you sandi! haha 

mosaici 

she let us take photos in her workshop! and she showed us how you make mosaici as well! It was a once in a lifetime experience! mosaici

 

Blessed be the day!

I love my new companion Sorella Yost! She is wonderful. She is from Washington and is hilarious! It feels like last summer in Italy with Sorella McCann. But seriously it is bringing back all of the good summer memories. We are having so much fun together.. I just hope I can serve with her for more than one transfer.. shesh! that is seriously all that I want. ha But all is going well. 

New beginnings went so well! I was nervous that no one was going to come, but in the end they all made it! Such a relief. I talked about the motto, theme, emblem and all of the different classes in the young womens program. It went well. I hope that the young women will remember that night for the rest of their lives. 

We gave the lesson in young womens on Sunday about making our prayers more meaningful and it was so much fun teaching these young women. I also gave my talk on Sunday and it went well. I am grateful for the spirit because I didn't say anything that I had wrote down to talk about. I had one new convert come up to me and he told me that he cried and it was so sweet. A woman in the ward thanked me as well so I am glad that at least I touched two hearts in the congregation. 

So the weekend of craziness is over. All is well. Tutto ben. 

The other day we were riding our bikes and all of the sudden we saw pugs...Not just one pug or two pugs.. There were five pugs. I told Sorella Yost we have to take a u-turn. It was a little army of five pugs. It was a hilarious sight to see. 

I have learned never do finding while walking with your bike. 

Firstly because you feel awkward.

Secondly you look like you are being creepy. 

Thirdly because it isn't very effective.

So I will not be doing that again ever. It was just because there was no place to lock up our bikes and I didnt want to get lost and forget where we put the bikes..haha oh well

We found the miracle parco yesterday.. We found 6 new investigators there in just one evening. We are going back there again and are hoping to keep finding some golden people there. 

We have a new simp at a gelateria (I know don't judge us) but she m,et with the misionaries a year ago and when we talked to her she pulled out her book of mormon that they gave to her! what? It was a pretty awesome little miracle in the gelateria! 

Blessed be the day. So everyday after we finish planning we say what our miracle for the day was or as Sorella Yost and I like to call it "BBTD" or "Blessed be the day"..We are having too much fun together. ha 

It is warm. The work is building up. I love it here in ravenna! 

Love,

Sorella Rebecca Carter

our district!

the army of pugs.. 

also I forgot to say that this past week that I got a bug bite on my eye and I looked like sloth from the goonies..no joke.. It was pretty bad yesterday

davide e isabella

spesa. bici. sorella yost! mosaicinouvi inizi (new beginnings) I love Sorella Yost. Our first day together we already had inside jokes together..It is literally too much fun together. 

Firenze e la festa della mamma

This past weekend was a little bit crazy, but it was wonderful. 

We drove to Firenze with some members in our branch to go to stake conference. 

It was so much fun because we were able to walk around Firenze a little bit and see the Duomo, the medusa, the Davide replica, the leather market...I will just say that it was too much fun. We stayed the night with the sorelle in Firenze which was great because one of them were in the MTC with me. 

La festa della mamma was wonderful. It was so nice to talk to mom and dad face to face. It is weird to think that, that was my last skype in my mission. It is strange. The time is going by too fast. 

Well I don't know why but the last 4 companions I have only had for one transfer.. It is kind of sad but it has been good because I have learned so much from each of these companions. 

Yesterday during lunchtime I decided to take a nap or pisolino and then the anziani called and told Sorella Lemos that they had the transfer news.. So I woke up from my pisolino and they said; "Sorella Lemos you are going to Bergamo!" I am so happy for her because she will be going to my last city. She will be serving in a different ward than I served in but she will go to the same city as me. So I will be staying here in Ravenna but I will have a new companion. I think that it is going to be very good and I am excited to meet her on Thursday at the train station in bologna.  Change is good but hard. I have to give a talk this sunday in church, also the lesson in young womens, plus we have new beginnings this friday! I am going to miss Sorella Lemos. She is seriously such a strong person and has taught me how to make things happen. 

mamma mia! la mia vita in questi giorni!

It is going to be good. I am going to be pushed a ton so it should be interesting! 

So please just continue to pray for me because I have a lot to do! 

Yesterday we went to the home of our young womens president and we were able to hear her conversion story. She is meravigliosa!!! I have so much respect for her because she was the first member here in Ravenna. The church wasn't here, so she decided to write Salt Lake City to the churches headquarters. She continued to do this for a very long time..Finally one day she recieved a phone call from anziani who said that they were coming to Ravenna and the branch of Ravenna was started. She is such an example to me and also the young women here because even when she is facing trials she continues to serve the Lord and gives him everything that she can. I am grateful that I get to serve with her in the young womens because she is teaching me how to serve the Lord with your whole heart. It was another weird deja vu moment being in her home because it seemed very familiar like I had been there before. I know that we are going to do some good things for the young women here. I am excited for new beginnings this thursday. It is going to be a good night. 

Well things are about to get interesting here in Ravenna! ha

Vi voglio bene,

Sorella Rebecca Carter

Firenze

medusa

the gypsie and the street preformer

classical quitarist in centro

duomo in firenze is spectacular!

firenze

la festa della mamma

sorelle in firenze e rimini