Father of the bride moment

Well this past week was beautiful! It felt like primavera! There was sunshine, birds chirping, bugs in the air, etc. It was wonderful while it lasted...Now the rain is back with avengence..hah It was a nice little break while it lasted. 

This past week we were walking by a man and said "Buona sera" come sempre.. He then began to say the classic "Do I know you all?" and we told him no. He then started by saying "yeah it is just better to say hello to people and be nice to people that you don't know"....Literally I kidd you not..as soon as those words came out of his mouth he read Sorella Roth's targetta and booked it into the nearest store.. These are the moments that make me laugh. 

The clothes pin. So sunday we were walking home and I see a clothes pin so I pick it up because I see a woman hanging her laundry above where we were walking. So I asked her if I should throw it up to her and she said "prova!"...so I did..I then realized I have lost all sense of coordination skills..it hit a towel and landed on the ground and broke. It reminded me of the classic scene in "Father of the Bride". the classic pool scene...it was hilarious..so I have the pin..I am going to bring it back to her fixed..hah

Domenica we had a little miracle. We had an investigator come to church for the first time in the whole transfer!! We were so happy to have her there in church. Miracles miracles. It's the little things! 

This transfer Sorella Roth and I decided to only speak in Italian..which is going okay. I have had a couples moments where I just completely forget to speak in italian..but sto provando.. It is a lot easier to speak to people when we are outside though. From Monday and Tuesday we were able to have 9 lessons already this week (which is a ton to start out with at the beginning of the week). We were even able to get in on casa and have a lesson with someone which was a great miracle. There are going to be some good miracles this transfer. 

This past week I read Alma 46 about Captain Moroni and his motto della libertà. I was reading this and I was trying to think of what my title of liberty would be. What are some things in my life that I want to protect? I am grateful that Moroni had the courage to stand up for his beliefs and protect that which was most sacred to him (his family, freedoom, and religion)

I also really loved the story in Alma 47 about Amalakiah and Lehonti. I was thinking how there are moments in life where we don't feel like we are good enough to be children of god. We feel as if we are unworthy of this because we feel like we aren't perfect, made a mistake, etc etc. One of the greatest things to know if that we are children of God. Being children of God we have such a divine potential to become like him in this life. That doesn't mean that we are perfect, but we can change. piano piano. I am so grateful to know that I am a daughther of god. Sono un figlia di un re dei re! I feel so special to have that knowledge of this. We all have this to potential to become something meravigliosa! I am so grateful for this chance I have to be here in Italia serving the Lord. His work is hastening and I can see that so clearly here and all that is happening at home as well. 

Love you all, 

Sorella Rebecca Carter

the pin

lingua

whiteboard finding

I am all about the fur coats and so are the italians.. I almost got this today. haha It was so soft. It might have been rabbit fur or something..who knows!

found this little pup while finding one day

we are friends now! his paw was touching my finger..ha 

Valentines Day...Part 2

Well this week has been good. We were going to an appointment this week and we saw a family that looked lke they were from Germany or Holland. Then all of the sudden the Grandma came up to me and started speaking to me in Dutch I believe. I have no clue. She just kept talking to me it was hilarious. Then her family members tried to call her back as if to say, "Grandma grandma come back now.." It was a great start to the week. 

San valentino was great. Sorella Roth and I had a good day with heart shaped pancakes and little San Valentino treats for the big day. It was probably the best Valentine's Day that I have ever had. Teaching people all day with Sorella Roth it was a blessed day. Plus I loved seeing all of the cute little decorations next to our apartment. We live by not 1 but 2 flower shops which we can see outside of our windows. They had some cute San Valentino decorations up. 

This week we brought a member to do casa with us and it was adorable. Shesh! The members here in Bergamo I love them all so much already! I am so happy that I am going to be here in Bergamo for another transfer with Sorella Roth. There are going to be some good things that are going to happen this next transfer and we are getting excited for that. 

Sunday we were walking to our apartment after church when all of the sudden we hear horse sounds.. not a joke. Then we see a man in a carriage with his horse and the horse is just clinking its heels on the ground. They just carelessly went in front of our apartment building and carried on. Bergamo, how I love this city. It is the place of dreams and the occasional farm animal. 

Today I was reading in Alma 36:5-16, 17-27. I love this chapter. Alma is talking to his son Helaman and he is giving him advice. He begins by telling his son how his soul was so sad and weighed down with pain because of the sins that he had chosen to do. He said that these sins were weighing him down, but in verse 17 he says how he remembered someone said that Jesus Christ would come and be our Savior and Redeemer. He began to rejoice and those burdens that he once had went away. I love how he experienced the greatest pain and also the greatest joy. I am very grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ. I feel so blessed to be able to have this precious gift so we dont have to have those pains of guilt forever. I know that only through Jesus Christ atonement that we can have the opportunity to have la vita eterna. I am grateful that I can use this atonement everyday to better myself and help me to recognize the things that I want to change. 

I love you all and I hope that you had a buon san valentino last week! 

vi voglio bene, 

Sorella Rebecca Carter

sorry for the short email

so much dessert polenta! they are all about the polenta here in bergamo

one of the two flower shops

cità alta

Vespa's

Flower stands

animal friends.. rabbit, fesant(forse?) e poi duck

bergamasco

Gemma...the best gelato

Buon San Valentino

heart pancakes..

creepy matching velvet gloves

rain

Valentines Day

This last week has been good, but has also been a little bit rough for me. I dont know why but for some reason this last week I just felt giu. I think it was a combination of the rain and that we were dropped by some of our investigators. It was the strangest week because I have never felt like this before. I was not like myself. We two breakups with investigators before Valentine's Day. It was the pre-valentine's day break-up before the big day. Both of which break-ups were via text message. ha

 

 So I decided to asked for a blessing from the anziani because I was just feeling strange and not like myself. So I was able to recieve a blessing which was needed. I am so grateful that I did because after I was a changed person. I was back to my good old Sorella Carter. I am so grateful for Priesthood blessing and that we have the power to act in God's name today. That is such a huge blessing that we have today that we can have this authority to be able to feel of his comfort and to do important ordinances such as baptism. There have been so many moments on the mission where I realize how important a certain principle is for me. I am so grateful for the sweet anziani here who are worthy to have the priesthood so that I could receive a blessing. I feel blessed truly. I have felt so much love these past couple of days and I am grateful to be here in Bergamo.

 

Here in Bergamo there are lots of animals..not just any animals but farm animals. It is great. We have to take busses into the mountains of Bergamo, so we are able to see the cute little animals such as minature horses, roosters, geese, bunnies, and etc. This is one of the reasons why I love Bergamo.

 

Well we had to hike down another mountain because the bus was never going to come..hah so we hiked down the mountain in the rain. It was funny because that morning the sun came out and tricked us all. So I wore my red coat just feeling all happy that the sun had made an appearance. So I didnt bring a umbrella! No! never again! So we had a fun little adventure hiking down the mountain in the rain. Then we saw a bus pass by and I waved at him. So he rolled down his window and asked where we were trying to go. So we told him and he told us to get in his bus because we were both drentched. Then the next thing we hear is the bus driver calling his fellow bus driver friend telling him to wait for us to come! Bless his kind soul! He saved the day. We were able to make it home safely because of that kind bus driver who called the other bus driver. I know that Heavenly Father is watching us and protecting. The only downside now isthat I have a cold now..ma tutto ben tutto ben!

 

We were so excited this week because the miracle family that we found on the tram came to english class! We were praying so much that they would be able to come. It was wonderful because we had our stake presidente there and his wife as well. We gave a really quick tour of the Church for them and one of the boys said to us that he has a classmate that is mormon and he told us her name and we all started to smile...because the girl he was talking about is a girl in our ward and her family live on the floor above us. We are just hoping that through english class through time they will become interested in the Church because they have all been so well prepared it is ridiculous! Vediamo un'po!

 

Buon Sera Signora is what I meant to say while doing casa over the citofono but what I really said was "buona singorata!" This seems to happen a lot in both inglese and italiano these days. I have started combinding words together. It is pretty hilarious because I never mean for it to happen and yet it happens.

 

This past week I read Alma 27 and in verses 17-18 it talks about Ammons joy. I love these verses that he was consumed with so much joy that he fell to the earth. So I began to think to myself "How can I have this much joy in my life?" I began to think about this some more and I thought of a few things. I think the greatest ways for us to have this sort of joy is through service. I have seen a difference in myself from when I have served Others and I have only been thinking about myself. I have know that service è un bellisimo modo che possiamo sentire la gioia durante questa vita. The greatest joy that I have felt in my life has been through serving Others and by living the gospel. Not just knowing the gospel but actually living the principles of the gospel. As it says in 2 Nefi 2:25 that we are supposed to have joy in this life. Even though there are moments in cui we are facing trials and turmoil that we can still find the joy in life. I know that God wants us to have this joy and I have felt that stronly this week. I know that he is aware of each of us so personally. I love you all and I hope that you will all have a wonderful Valentine's day!

 

I will be finding out next week for transfers. I think Sorella Roth and I will be staying together but you never know!

 

love,

 

Sorella Rebecca Carter

Happy Valentine's Day!

Baby left on the tram...and the half way mark!!

Well on the 1st of February I hit my halfway mark which was very strange to think about. So I am not going to talk about that anymore. ha Anyway. 

This past week it snowed in the mountains of Bergamo. We had an appointmenmt with one of our less active members and she literally lives on top of a mountain. And we have to walk down the mountain because the bus doesnt come up the mountain very often. She we hiked down the mountain in the snow which was an adventure. I felt like a little kid again walking in the snow. Trying to make sure I didnt slip on the road. ha It is these little moments that I love about my mission. 

Tram is always very interesting... Last week we were on the tram going home and a woman was going to get on the tram with her stroller, so she pushed the stroller in the tram but the door strted to close and the mother was in halfway but backout of the doorway. So there was a baby on the tram. The mother was left at the tram stop. It was strange. Everything just felt like a movie and it was all going in slow motion. We were all whistling and trying to get the tram drivers attention but he couldnt hear us because his door was closed and there was a curtain that covers the front. So we got his attention and told him that there was a baby on the tram. So luckily we stopped at the next tram stop and the mother was able to retrieve her baby.. tram. 

We went to Verona on Friday and Saturady for a Scambio which was fun because it was my first time there in Verona. I was excited until I found out that I would be riding a bike. NO! Fears do become a reality in the mission! haha Everyone in my family knows that this was one of the few things that I was scared about for the mission. So I was a little bit nervous to say the least. I was scared because it has probably been over 9 months since I have last rode a bike. I just prayed the whole time I was riding the bike in the rain that I would be protected and I am happy to say that I am okay. Tutto posto. I can say now that I can ride bikes in the mission and be okay, but the after affects of the bici were painful. That is the only reason I hope that I will not have to ride the bici again in the mission.

 Yesterday we were so excited because we had 4 lessons planned in the presence of a member. But everytime we would leave to go outside. All bundled up and ready the person would call and say"Sorry I can't!" 3 out of the 4 lessons were cancelled. So I was a little bit giu that day realizing we would be doing lots of finding and casa. As we were going on the tram we started talking to a man and he started speaking to us in english so we were able to teach him about the church. But he had to get off so we could only give him a passalong card. Then out of the corner of my eye I see a man and he is trying to get our attention. He is signing something to us. He signed in sign language"asl", so we went over and tried to communicate with this man. We texted him messages on our phone for him to read and we found out that he is italian and that he wanted us to come over to his home and talk to him. So he gave us his address and we began to go to his home. Along the way the people we asked for help were all so kind to us (this doesnt happen like this all of the time) People were asking other people if they knew where the street was for us... We asked a man if he knew where the street was and he said,"I will walk you there! I live on that same street" So we finally got to the deaf mans home and we realized that we forgot to ask for his name. So we had no clue what his name would be on his citofono. So we rang one and we asked the woman if she knew a deaf man because we didnt know his name. The woman told us the mans name. People dont like to give you names to citofonos even if you accidentally forget there name, they just tell you to leave or that you have the wrong address. We made it inside and we saw the man. And we taught him a little lesson in the doorway. He had a pad of paper ready and we would write things to one another. We read scriptures from the book of mormon with him and we said a prayer with him at the end. I said the prayer and Sorella Roth wrote it down so that he could read it. We are going to meet with him next week because he seems so interested in the gospel. It was such a sweet miracle after a hard day. The Lord knows which of his children have need of his message and I am grateful we were able to teach this sweet man that is death and mute.

I was reading today in Alma 24:16-19 which talks about the Anti-Nephi-Lehies and how these people buried their weapons of war and would rather die than to sin against god again. This help me to think today " what are my weapons of war". "what things do I need to bury like these people". I am going to try to bury those things this week and be a little bit better than I was this last week. I am so grateful for the book of mormon and the atonement of Jesus Chrits. Today I had so much gratitude for his atonement. I know that I am not perfect and have lots of things to work on, but through Christ I change help to strengthen those imperfections. 

I love you all! 

love, 

sorella rebecca carter

9 months in the mission. I love my life

trying to dress more italian..haha 

bless you sweet mother for the brownie mix

obessed with the blood oranges

YOMO the best yogurt that I have ever eaten! I am addicted to this yogurt

Kinder eggs

Miracles of the tram

Well this past we we have been talking to a lot of people who speak french.. If only I remembered something useful from when I took french for 3 years. Everytime I find out someone speaks french. I say the only phrase I can remember in french "Je suis soeur carter"..(with a very american accent when I say my last name). Then the person tries to speak to us in French and I have to tell them I dont remember french. It is really cool though because I never thought I would meet any people that speak french her in Bergamo, but there are actually a ton. We have a member in our ward that only knows french and luckily the mission office accidentally gave me a temples magazine in french. So I tried to send her a text message in french, which I am not sure if it was actual french. I love it though. It is great to see these people who speak french and partially understand what they are saying. 

This week I was reading in the book of mormon in Alma 14 which is about Alma and Amulek. They are both amazing people and went through so many trials during their time preaching the gospel. They were smote several times, mocked, spit upon, laughed at, and etc. They truly recieved almost all forms of ridicule. In one verse Alma cried," How long shall we suffer these great afflictions, O lord?" As I read this I thought to myself how in life there are so many times where we think to ourselves "How long will I have this trial?" or "why does this trial have to happen to me?". But I love how these men continued on. Through all of these trials they continued doing the work of the Lord. I thought about this alot because as a missionary we recieve some much criticism from people everyday I can understand how Alma and Amulek felt when people reject what we say, when we are mocked for being so young, etc. But I have yet again realized how grateful I am that I can represent Jesus Christ for a year and a half of my life and talk about him everyday. 

Although there are moments when people are rude and tell you that you look like dracula or that you are so young to have experienced any trials...It is those sweet little tender mercies that I am so grateful for each day that I have to be here. 

We decided to do some whiteboard finding work this past work and we wrote "What makes you happy" and drew a smiley face above it. We recieved lots of great responses.. "Gesù!", "sole"..but my favorite that made us laugh was when I asked this old man probably in his 70's or 80's this question and I just smiled at him and pointed at the board. The old man smiled and said as he caressed my cheek "Looking at a pretty girl like you"...Sorella Roth and I just started busting up into laughter. It is the little moments..mamma mia..too good. 

We had a wonderful miracle this past week. We were on the tram and we both wanted to speak to someone before we got off the tram. There was an old womn..But she kept falling asleep. I told myself "as soon as she opens her eyes you are going to talk to her and compliment her on her hat"..she never woke up..then three old italian women walked on the tram. I thought to myself "Yes! I am going to talk to them! I am so excited to talk to these cute old women"..Then they all started doing Italian Sign Language to one another.. caspita..

We were both just praying in our hearts that we would be able to speak to someone. Then a woman and her son get on the tram. They sat next to Sorella Roth. Her nametag was perfectly facing this woman and the woman starts talking to her and asking about the church. She tells her son probably 9 or 10 years old "They are from the church that you have been wondering about". We talked to her and told her that we are going to have an open house of our church and that we also do english class. She was so excited. It was really cool because we made english class flyers the day or two before and changed the location to the church. She was so excited because the english class will be held in the church because she wants to visit it. After she asked us if we wanted to meet her other son and her husband. So we met them all as well. She told them "These girls are from the church that you all have been wondering about!" So know when have this woman's number. We hope that they will be interested in the gospel because It was such a miracle that we met here because we have been praying and fasting because we are trying to find new investigators. Vediamo. They are so great and they are such an elect family prepared to recieve the gospel. 

Tram is wonderful. I love it! We also met a woman this week who knew about Torrance, california because she lived in ca for three years. We meet lots of good people on the tram. 

Well all I can say is that I love blood oranges! They are so delicious and are my favorite fruit that I have had in Italy. They are my go to questi giorni.. Much better than the cachi. Also dessert polenta? who knew? it is a real thing and tastes delicious. 

This week the snow is supposed to come. It should be interesting. ha I am going to Verona this weekend for a scambio and saturday I will hit my 9 month mark in the mission! yay! 

I love Italy. I still don't speak Italian very well but I love the culture here. I love how they use their hands when they speak (I do that now), and just their love for life. I love these Italian members. We have a ton of great members from Ecuador and Bolivia.

Every once and awhile I have to take a moment and stop and realizing everything that I am doing. It is crazy how now I just start speaking to people on the street with no fear. Not every moment in perfect or easy, but I am grateful to be here. 

love,

Sorella Rebecca Carter

                                                          Blood oranges

                                                             Language study

                                                       Spesa polenta