Sorella Carter: Feriale Agosto Continues..

Saturday

Our american investigator was baptized Agosto 10th! It was a very good day and the water was not boiling hot like the last time. The man who baptized our investigator his daughter asked him"Tutto Bene?" It was so cute. A woman in the ward asked Sorella McCann and I to do the musical number for the baptism. So Sorella McCann played the piano and somehow I learned the alto part in a day or two for a song called "I'll find you my friend" which we sang in both english and Italian. After our investigator bore his testimony and the spirit was so strong. On Sunday he recieved the gift of the holy ghost and the aaronic priesthood. So he is at the temple this week with the whole ward!. It all happened very fast but his is ready and has been prepared for the gospel. He is so happy and he will be able to help so many people in the ward.

Thomas's Baptism

Feriale Agosto

So pretty much every store in Italy is closed.. So one day during pranzo the sorelle in apartment said "Let's go get a nutella crepe!" Of course we were all excited and were so happy to get a crepe. So we are walking to the crepe store..closed..every store on the street was closed basically.. then all of the sudden Sorella McCann says"Where can a fat girl go get a crepe in feriale agosto in Italia?!" hah We all started laughing and somehow my eagle eyes spotted a gelato place that sells crepes. So we get in there and say we would like four crepes and the woman told us sorry we only have three..hah placed in quite the predicament we get the three crepes and split them. Ferie is a difficult time to be preaching the gospel because every person tells us call me after september. All the Italians are on vacanza. I will be very grateful when it will be fall and everyone will be back in town.

Awkward Moments

The other day we were doing something and all of the sudden we see one of our investigators that was "out of town"...ha it was pretty awkward. well hopefully they will be honest with us next time if they don't want to meet with us. ha

random

The bugs are out. 10 or more bug bites on each leg..at least I have the benedryl stick. that is all I have to say about that.

Bug Bites

Also I can't spell english or italian words anymore. Now I accidentally combine them together. for example: august+agosto=augosto

Walking home

On monday we were having a lesson with a recent convert and then we left because we had to catch the bus...oh wait! there was no bus..after a certain time in the day the buses stop coming and during feriale that do not come as often. So we had to walk home. So next time we will know to leave on an earlier bus. Now we know.

Miracle

Sorella McCann decided to call an ex investigator and see if we could teach her agian but she said to call later. So monday I called her again and we set up an appointment for tuesday. She even called us on tuesday to tell us that she was going to be late. So yesterday we had a lesson with her about the restoration and the Book of Mormon. I know that she felt the spirit because we are going back for another lesson on friday. Sorella McCann and I felt the spirit and we could see tears welling in her eyes as we bore simple testimonies and said the first vision. Also she met the missionaries initially in 2006! I think she is ready for the gospel now and I think that she would be an amazing member of the church. She has a family and is very humble and hardworking. We are hoping she will turn into a progressing investigator because we really only have a few that are progressing now. Speriamo bene!

The New Testament

This week in the New Testament I read in Luke chapter 15:4-7, 11-32, which is an amazing chapter. I love how often in the scripture the savior is referred to as our shepherd. In this story it talks about a sheep being lost and how although it was 1 out of 99 sheep the shepherd went out to find the one lost sheep. When the shepherd found that sheep it said that he put it on his shoulders and that he told his friends to rejoice with him. The prodigal son story is very similiar where the son wastes what his father has given him and when the prodigal son came back to the father, the father forgives him and treats him as if no such thing had ever happened. Likewise the father rejoices to have his son back. I love these two parables because they both refer to the atonement of Jesus Christ. Through the atonement our mistakes can be made clean. I know that the Savior wants us to use this gift of the atonement and he will always try to bring us back to the fold. He will rejoice when we use this great gift and put us on his shoulders to ease the burdens which are placed on our backs.

Although everyone is out of town, miracles are happening everyday. Even though they may be small they are there and I am grateful for those little glimmers of joy.

Well I hope you all have a great week! I am excited for saturday so all of the ward members will be back from the temple.

I love you all very much and I can feel my testimony growing each and evryday I am here.

Love,

Sorella Carter