Week 21
(Written June 29, 2016)
It's currently 6:30am and I'm on a bus headed to Taranto. We've been up since four...SO this email might be a little bit more all over the place than they normally are.... 😜 Haha just a little forewarning!
How do I even describe this week?!! It's been crazy!
I'll just work backwards from today and hit some highlights.
Our new mission president (President Pickerd) came in this week, so we are headed to Taranto for PDay today with the whole zone, and then tomorrow we'll all heading to Bari for a special conference with him so we can meet him for the first time! We're all super excited!
This week we have been focusing on working with members and less actives. Our little branch here needs some serious strengthening! So we've had some fun experiences with that this week.
Yesterday we had Pranzo with Sorella Spizzirri, a really strong member here. Her daughter also was there, who is an inactive member. It was such a fun time with them. We weren't expecting the daughter to be there, but it was interesting to see how the little "spiritual thought" we had prepared for Sorella Spizzirri really worked perfectly for both of them. The spirit was really strong and we were all strengthened and edified together.
Last Friday we were invited by a sister in the branch to go "gather strawberries" with her. We really didn't understand what this activity was going to be exactly haha so we showed up at the meeting point in our skirts and flats and Sorella Fillipelli just gave us a glance and said, "You're picking strawberries in that?!" So she drove us home really fast, we changed into more appropriate clothes, and headed for the mountains with her, another Sorella (Zicharelli), and Sorella Fillipelli's non member grandson Luigi. We spent un bel po' di tempo together and picked a handful of the tiniest, most delicious strawberries I have EVER eaten.
While we were eating panini at Sorella Fillipelli's house, Sorella Zicharelli and Luigi were sitting next to each other, and I guess they accidentally touched feet or something, haha and Sorella Zicharelli (an elderly, 4 foot tall woman) shouts out "PIEDINI!!! Oh no! Piedini!" For a second I was so confused, but then she said something else like "I'm so sorry, Luigi, and I didn't mean to do that to you. I'm way too old for you!" And then it hit me. Hahahaha Italians have their version of Footsies too!! It was so hilarious and once I connected the dots Sorella Caliò and I couldn't stop laughing for a good five minutes.
Last Wednesday we also had a Scambio at Crotone! It was so good. On the way there the sunrise was SO beautiful. Sorella Dustin and I were together this time and we learned a lot from each other and had a great time while doing it! We're both really new in the mission but we work really well together and play off each other's strengths. Missionaries always argue that they have the best mission in the world, but I can argue that I'm in the best mission in the world WITH the best Sorelle in the world too. 😉
ALSO we went to teach a member at her store during lo Scambio and GUESS WHAT? She had huge jars of PEANUT BUTTER FOR €3,50!!!! You better believe we went back during Pranzo the next day and bought some. Hahah four months without peanut butter is toooo long (secondo me...😉) So now we've each got a jar and I'm making mine last as looooong as I can. That may have been the greatest (unspiritual) highlight of this past week for this missionary. 😍
So like I said, this week (and a half) has been kind of all over the place...! But one thing that has continually come to mind this week is the scripture in The Book of Mormon, in Alma Chapter 30:
"...all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator."
Whether it's been early morning sunrises on a Pullman, Lungo Mare at Crotone, or high up on the mountainsides of Cosenza picking strawberries, this week I've seen the beauty in the world around us, and for me, all these things say that there is an all powerful, all knowing God, who watches over us and cares for us more than we can comprehend. All we are and all we have is from him.
I'm trying to do better everyday to recognize those quite moments or the beautiful creations that I'm so lucky to enjoy, and then take a second to thank him. For me this helps me recognize more my abundant blessings and the hand of the Lord in my life. I know he lives, I know he loves us, and I know that he blesses us in more ways than we can recognize. I'm so grateful to be here in such a beautiful part of the world doing my best to serve him and help others feel his love also.
Thank you all for your prayers and love! Vi voglio un mondo di bene!
Sorella Carver
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