Sorella Carter

This past week has been crazy!!! Literally so much has happened this weekend! So saturday was the day for us to find out about transfers. I honestly thought that I was going to stay in Ravenna with Sorella Yost. We did kinder egg transfer guesses with eachother and I got a green little frog.. And based on what you get the other people have to determine what it means with the transfer news. She told me that she thought that I was going to train and have a greenie. Well she was right!

The phone rang during pranzo hour and I freaked out because it said," Sorella Dibb". So I knew that something good was happening because they only call us for big news. I responded and it was President Dibb. He told me that I am leaving Ravenna... That I will be going to MILANO and that I will be training a new missionary there! I am going to have a cute little verdina!! I amso excited because I never thoughtthat I would train, but I am also a little bit nervous as well. So this should be an interesting experience for me.. He continue by telling me that I am pink washing aka we a replacing an old set of sorelle there..But there was another twist..

I AM IN A TRIO.

Yes another two week trio.

Her name is Sorella Haslum and she is great! She only has two weeks left in the mission so she is going to be our guide in Milano so I don't get completely lost and confused!!! I am so grateful for her!! I can do this! I will have help from another. I am just a little bit nervous because I don't know the city, people or anything yet and I am going to be the senior companion... scary. So I am just hoping that everything will go well and I hope that my little verdina will like me..

I am so excited for milano because I mean I am serving in the Italy, Milan mission it just makes sense that I should serve there. Our ward is called MIlano Cimiano.. It was actually the first church building that I went to in Italy on my first day here. So it actually is a pretty cool thing for me. I still remember going there and meeting Sorella McCann there! Also hearing everyone singing the hymns in Italian with the windows open the breeze coming in and the birds chirping. That was when I realized that I was serving in the best mission for me!

The best part is that Sorella Yost is training too! Here in Ravenna!

It was like that moment in "Father of the Bride 2" when the mom says, "Annie's pregnant and I'm pregnant too!" It seriously was too funny because I am getting old in the mission..

basically a nonna.

so I never thought that I would train on my mission. haha

We are both soo excited because we are both training and we are going to Milano together today!

Yesterday the branch had a little goodbye party for me and an another anziano that is leaving Ravenna as well! They were all so sweet to me and I made one of the sweet members cry.

I love Ravenna.

I have been through it here in Ravenna to say the least. I have been through the burning fire here in Ravenna, but the Lord has blessed me in so many ways. I have been blessed with an amazing branch and companion! I am grateful for the testimony that I have now of my Savior Jesus Christ. He truly is our advocate and has felt our burdens that we will feel each and everyday. The people here in Ravenna have been a family to me and I will never forget the love that they showed towards me. It is always hard leaving behind a city, but I just feel grateful and blessed to look back at thae things that I have learned here in Ravenna. It was probably I would say the hardest part of my mission, but I was able to truly able to see the hand of the Lord each and everyday here. I know that that God can work miracles and I have seen them here in Ravenna. Most of all I have seen myself change here in Ravenna.

I still can't believe that I am training in Milano. I am so excited to meet my verdina tomorrow and I hope all will go well. I love you all and please pray for my little verdina, sorella haslum and I! I will miss the branch, Ravenna and Sorella Yost!

Vi voglio tanto bene,

Sorella Rebecca Carter

lasagna with one of our members

grapes growing

ticket machine in ravenna! It's a big deal!

the church

meno attiva that came to church again on my last sunday!

members

that one day we rode to our bikes outside for 5 minutes and got soaking wet and then had to get on the train right after to go to a members home.. they let us borrow some clothes because we were so wet!

last district photo

meno attiva, membri e simpatizzanti

cake a english class student gave me! too nice!

I love this women!

la festa! I love italians!

they made a cake that said, " Vi aspettiamo". I love Ravenna

membri

This past week has been a little bit crazy to say the least! First of all the talent show went so well! Almost all of the branch members were there! It was a success! We had some friends of the members there as well which was wonderful. We sang with one of our members "Sempre vicino a te" and I sang contralto (alto). So it was a great festa for the branch.

This past week was a little bit rough.

We have been trying so hard to find new people to teach, but almost all of the people that we have found have dropped us already. I have had some hard days on my mission but I dare say this was the hardest week of my mission thus far.

The weekends always seem to be the roughest because that is when our investigators are out of town, busy and etc. So we did lots of finding this past week. It has been so hard because we call to set return appointments with the people and they either just just respond, answer and hangup when they find out that it is us or are a little bit mean to us.

But..

This week I realized something that helped to put everything into perspective. I began to think who I am doing my mission for and why I am doing it. When it all comes down to it I am doing this for my Savior Jesus Christ whom I am grateful for. I love my Savior and I realized that I am going to have to suffer at times because he suffered everything for me and all of the people who will ever live.

As I began to think about that it made it easier finding all day realizing that I am doing everything out of the love that I have for my Savior. Seriously I feel like Ravenna has been so challeging for me. Especially starting from square one. But I can say that all of the trials that I have had here in Ravenna have been for my good. I have learned so much here and I am grateful because it has strengthed my love and testimony of my Savior.

There are always tender mercies each and every single day.

It was pouring rain again in july. We had our rain boots, rain coats in all. That day a women that we met told us that we could meet her again. She is so sweet. She asked us to pray that she can find the right path for her in life. I am praying that will continue to meet with her.

Sorella Yost's birthday went well and we had a good day together. We got gelato to celebrate her birthday and also mom's birthday! AUGURI MAMMA! I got gelato in honor of your birthday mom!

The things that got me through it this week: the fragola and cocco granita, they now have a ticket machine in Ravenna and realizing that everything I do is because I love my Savior.

I am grateful for this time that I have to serve the Lord. I am tired but I love the Lord and I am doing all of this for him and his children that live here in Italy!

Vi voglio tanto bene,

Sorella Rebecca Carter