Ladispoli

Week 24

Buongiorno a tutti!!

This week has been great here in the lovely city of Ladispoli! It's
also flown by. Can't believe it's already Monday.

Last Monday we had a great PDay in Rome and joined up with a handful
of other missionaries to see some sites! It is crazy busy this time of
year, but it's still so amazing.

Trevi Fountain

casting coins in the Trevi Fountain

sightseeing in Rome with other Sorelle on Pday

Tuesday we had Zone Conference in Rome as well. ZC never fails to
inspire and uplift me, and I love our new mission president and his
wife, the Pickerds. They have a great work placed on their shoulders
but they handle it like no one else could. ALSO I got to see SORELLA
LEATHERN at conference who is now in my district!!! (My MTC comp!)
Holy happiness...and lots and lots of laughter. ;) So excited that we
get to see each other every week this transfer.

Sorella Moro, Leathern, Cueva, and me :)

This week we've been working hard to get to know a lot of the members
and less actives here in Ladispoli. The members here really are
amazing and want to work hard with the missionaries to share the
gospel. We set a goal to try and visit all of the members, and teach
them using the Europe Area Plan that the area leaders have put out. So
far we've had a lot of success and I'm excited to see how the rest of
this transfer goes.

Friday we went to Bracciano (a little town outside of Ladispoli) for
the day to do finding and missionary work there. We had Pranzo with
Diana, a member who lives there. She's recently married and just about
the cutest thing ever. She served a mission at Temple Square and is so
wonderful in helping us get to know the area and who were working
with. She also justifies eating gelato if we also eat salad, so we're
already great friends. ;)

She introduced us to her friend, Martina, this week. She's come to
church a few times and has started to read the Book of Mormon. We are
so excited and hope to start teaching her the lessons this week. She
is ready!!

Funny for the week:
The mamma of our ward mission leader is visiting from Messina (a
Sicilian city) and she is just the most southern Italian woman I've
ever met! Everyone calls her Mamma Giorgianni and she's hilarious. She
knows Sorella Cueva from when she served in Messina, so whenever she
sees on us Sunday she always shouts out (to not only her but me also
haha), "Ciao, gioiaaaa!!!!" And talks to both of us like she's known
us for ages. She seriously reminds me of Mamma Voodoo from Princess
and the Frog. But Italian instead of Cajun. So so great. She also
broke her arm so she's got this huge cast on that the grandkids drew
gelato on which just makes the scene that much better.

Spiritual thought for the week:
In Zone Conference this week we talked a lot about being consecrated
missionaries. Later, I read a verse in the Book of Mormon that
reminded me of the things we talked about. Omni 1:26 says,
"And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto
Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation,
and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your
whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and
praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be
saved."

My favorite part is the phrase that says, "...come unto him and offer
your whole souls as an offering to him..." As missionaries, we're
asked to give all our time, energy, and thoughts for a year and a half
or two years to the Lord, leaving behind worldly desires and worries.
But this invitation isn't just extended to missionaries, ALL are invited to
come unto him. As we come, and as we offer him our whole souls (all
our desires, our dreams, our will) to him and accept his will, we
become the people he needs us to be, and we are blessed with strength
and power beyond our capacity to understand.

I know the work I'm engaged in now is the Lord's. It is not always
easy. What he's asking for in that verse is a lot! I was so blessed to
be called to the Italy Rome Mission for more than one reason, but it
isn't a vacation, we're not here to study or to sight see or eat great
food. There are hard days, hard weeks, good days and good weeks. 
Times when I've never felt more capable or inspired and times when I feel
more alone than ever before. But this is the Lord's work. And he is
helping us!! He's there enduring with us, helping us every step of the
way. He always keeps his promises. I'm so grateful that for the next
part of my life I can give my whole focus to him and his work. And
though I'll eventually come home and take my name tag off, my mission
will never truly end. Once we give our will and souls to him, there's
no going back! And I'm so grateful for that. Because truthfully, there
is no better work than this in the world!

As always, thanks y'all for the continual love and support. I miss and
love you all!
Forza Italia e vi voglio un mondo di bene!

Con amore,
Sorella Kaitlin Carver

P.S.
The mission mailing address has changed....just a heads up! It's now:
Piazza Monte Gemma 9
00141 Roma
Italia