Palermo

Week 55

Hello everyone!

Well, summer is upon us here in North Africa. Just kidding. But not
really. Spring has definitely arrived though, and I'm ready for tights
and jacket season to be over! It's been a beautiful week.

My favorite miracle this week was definitely Sunday. We had called a
bunch of investigators and simpatizzanti doing every thing we could to
help them experience church Sunday morning. Well. Sunday morning comes
around and no one had shown up. I was fighting off a little
disappointment as we sang the sacrament hymn (that's kinda the like
the last chance...they're either coming or they're not...) but then,
as the first speaker begins his talk, in walks cute 12 year old
Christian (Zina's son) all by himself!! His mom had to go to the store
and couldn't come, and so he told her he was going to go by himself!
(They live right down the street from the church!) I didn't know
whether to laugh, smile, or cry when he said that.

This week on Thursday in a lesson with Zina, she closed with a prayer
and it was beautiful. Then cute little Cristian pipes up "Mom you need
to say 'in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.' And the end." I was like
"How did you know that?!" And he goes "I read that little book you
left mom" referring to the Restoration Pamphlet. *cue me picking my
chin up off the floor*

So. This week, we are looking forward to teaching them the plan of
Salvation and helping them realize the importance of our life here on
earth. But judging by how much of that pamphlet Christian read during
Sunday School, he'll be teaching us. ;)

Our leaders have been encouraging us to work with this golden age of i
Giovani. They are searching, willing to change, and will carry on the
church for generations to come after their own conversion begins to
take place. I'm know that this is true! I've seen it in the lives of
so many people who have had such an important role in my life. We are
looking for our youth and GANS, and I hope that each of you will take
the chance to strengthen or help a giovane this week.

Love and miss y'all!
Sorella Carver

Pics from Pday today, hiking in Santa Flavia park/ruins:

Palermo

Week 54

with Sorella Oehler

at English Corso

Valentine's Day Treat

Pday on the coast

Palermo

Week 53

(Written on 13 Feb 2017)

Ciao Folks!

It's been a crazy week! Transfers happened and I had to say goodbye to
my sweet Sorella Ferre. :( she headed to Siracusa Thursday and it was
so sad. I love that sweet Sorella a whole lot and I'm so grateful for
the two transfers of laughing, hard work, friendship, crying, frozen
yogurt, port and people loving we had together. But onward and upward
to the next adventure in the great Italy Rome mission!
Thursday I had kinda a crazy day because all the mission leaders went
up to Rome for a day for a conference. So we casually spent 48 hours
in Rome, and I was companionless and floated between our ZLs and Rome
Sorelle that whole time. :) it was crazy. This mission. It's crazy.
Friday night I made it back to Palermo and met my sweet new
comp...Sorella Oehler!! She's a sweetheart and I'm so excited to
begin working with her.
This Sunday we did a gesso in Centro, and we decided to draw out the
Plan of Salvation on the sheet and write the questions "Where did we
come from? Why are we here? Where will we go after this life?" As we
spent the evening talking to passersby my heart was filled with
gratitude for the fact that WE HAVE ANSWERS to these questions and so
many more. How much more clear, simple, and directed is our life
because of this. We don't have to search. We don't have to wonder.
We have a loving Heavenly Father. He created a plan for us. At the
center of that plan is our Savior, Jesus Christ. He guides and directs
his church on the earth today. He wants us to find the way back home
and he will help us along the way. I know this is true with all my
heart.
Heading into transfer nine and more excited and ready than ever. How
wonderful and beautiful is this work!
Love you all and hope it's a fantastic week!

Love,
Sorella Carver

Saying goodbye to Sorella Ferre

Mission Council in Rome

Saying hello to new comp, Sorella Oehler

Cheese market

Palermo

Week 52

Goooooood morning, amici miei!

This past week, this journey of a mission started a year ago, which is 100% impossible to believe. I've loved and enjoyed and grown and changed and learned so much. I can't believe how fast time is going, and all I want is to continue on and keep serving. I love my mission. 

This last week of the transfer has been a whirlwind. Highs and lows and everything in between! Seeing as how the Savior taught often in parables and experiences, today I want to share the Parable of the Lasagna. (Not every missionary can do that in their weekly email, ya know? 🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹)

Yesterday we were blessed with two meal appointments. Our first one was right after church with the funny and sweet as ever Albanese family. As we drove home from church, Florinda goes "Sorelle, oggi vi facciamo la lasagna." Our hearts exploded. This is the first time we'd both had members ever make us lasagna. (And it was fast Sunday so...blessings.) 

We get to the house and we get to cooking. We carefully prepare the Besciamella sauce (Sorella Albabese cautiously hovered over it for 15 minutes and wouldn't let us stir because we were...unworthy. ;)) We resalted and prepared the sugo which had been sitting and stewing for "ALMENO" 3-4 hours. We rounded the corners on the pasta so it'd be nice and tight and just perfectly layered. 

Things were looking good. Great, actually. (And smelling better than I can possibly describe!) 

Then we got to work on assembly the whole thing.

And that's where things started to go...downhill...fast. 

One sister layers the sugo, and then the momma complains that it's too much.  The Besciamella is a little too thin. And then we kinda run out of noodles so each pan's got only two layers (which makes one sister a little bit (read: very) unhappy.

And then. We forget to layer in the mozzarella!!! Mama Mia...come mai?! Haha this was the funniest part. At this point we're all just laughing and dying and starving and like come on let's get this thing in the oven. 

But first. We must put in the mozzarella! 

So cute Florinda grabs a spatula and we get on our operating gloves and lift up the layers and throw some mozzarella in there. 

It was not the prettiest thing I've ever seen. But it was all put together and in the end I think all two sisters and the mom were happy enough. And Sorella Ferre and I are just dying of laughter. 

We threw it in the oven and waited "patiently" for our beloved lasagna. And let me tell you, in the end it was not the prettiest plate I've ever seen, but it sure did taste good and you could literally sense the time and care put into it. 

This week...has felt a little bit like that lasagna. In fact, life a lot of times is like lasagna. We start out, ready to go and super excited. The ingredients look great and we're in a roll. Maybe we have lots of potentials and our investigators are progressing. Or in "real life" we did well with our exams, we found time to exercise everyday that week, and our house is clean and the fam is happy. Its gonna be great. 

And as time passes things may seem to quite literally fall apart. Or at least slide around a little bit. That final you studied for for hours didn't go like it should of, the stresses of life ruin our New Years diet haha, and the never ending to do list just gets longer. Our investigators stop progressing,  our work slows way down, and it seems like we have nothing to show for the work we've done and the things we started with. And we're just trying to do our best and do all we can. 

We literally go through the refiners fire, so to speak. 

But then (maybe I'm dragging this Analogy out a little but too long haha) the layers of good and bad and mistakes and triumphs and heartache and joy all come together.

And we may not be exactly what we hoped to have become or things might not look exactly like we envisioned.

But. Somehow, in the end, the lasagna still tastes like the best lasagna you've ever made. And in the end life is sweeter and more rewarding and full than ever. How is that even possible?

Romans 8:28, 35, 39 say:

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The promise from our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ is that if we do our best to love, to serve, to change, and to grow every day, it will be enough. And not just enough to get by, but more than enough to change and become the people they want us to be. No tribulation or distress or persecution can separate us from their love and their watchful care. 

I know this is true because I've seen it work every day of my mission. When the ingredients start to not work and the layers appear to be falling apart, I hope we can remember to press forward and remain faithful through all things our Heavenly Father asks us to do, so that we can receive all of his help and blessings. He's there..."pronto a consolare". :) 

To quote Elder Holland: "All things work together for them that love God. So keep loving. Keep trying. Keep trusting. Keep believing. Keep growing. Heaven is cheering you on today, tomorrow and forever."

I love you all and I'm eternally grateful for your love and support and prayers and emails. I hope it's a week full of good things and if your lucky, some lasagna. ;)

Love 

Sorella Kaitlin Carver 

English Corso

with Rosy and Mattia

The Parable of the Lasagna

Palermo

Week 51

(Written on 30 Jan 2017)

Goooooood morning, everybody!!

This week started out with a fun cold/flu/fever thing that hit both
Sorella Ferre and I Monday night and had us pretty out through
Wednesday morning. Not fun. We survived on Gatorade and popcorn and
justified short excursions from the house because we couldn't stand to
be in all day. We are 100% better now though and glad it was short!

This week we saw sweet Cynthia enter the waters of baptism. It was
such an amazing experience and to be able to help prepare her for her
special day. We love her a lot. :) and we know she's in good hands
here in Palermo Three. After she was confirmed on Sunday, Elizabeth
comes up to her and hugs her while saying, "I got another sister!" How
true that is!

This week we had a world wide missionary Broadcast and it. Was. So.
Good. Even if your not a missionary (which you all are in one way or
another...;)) I encourage you to go watch it. I'm grateful for and
bear testimony of inspired leaders who guide Christs church!

We also had some neat experiences finding other lost sheep this week.
A cute girl that works in a store nearby came back from a month long
trip. We met her before Christmas and felt strongly that we needed to
keep working with her! And now she's back! We are hoping to get things
started this week with her!

Another favorite experience this week was going to visit sorella
Gennaro! Ever since we started visiting her when we first got here,
we've tried to see her once a week and it's amazing the light that has
come into her eyes. Every time we sing two or three hymns and read a
verse from the BOM. This last time as we asked if we could leave her
with a prayer she said "But do you have to leave already?!" Heavenly
Father loves her as his sweet daughter, and I'm so glad we get to be a
part of sharing that love.

We also finally got to meet Sorella Costa this week! After two months
of trying to set up an appointment with her, we decided to just stop
by. And she was there and desperately needed someone to talk to in
that moment!

While we are searching and trying to find those lost sheep who are
ready to accept the message we carry, I'm grateful Heavenly Father has
led us this week to other lost sheep who maybe know the way home but
are just struggling to see the next step.

I know that we are all part of the family of god and that no one is
really lost forever. It's my hope and prayer that each of us will be
instruments in Gods hands to help rescue those lost along the path and
help those who haven't even found it yet to enter in.

I love you and thank you all for your love, support and prayers!! Have
a fantastic week!

Love
Sorella Carver

Cynthia's baptism day

Palermo

Week 50

(written 23 January 2017)

Hey, everybody!
It's a beautiful day in Palermo and we're out exploring our beautiful
city so I'll keep this week's email short. It's been a good one, and
it went by super fast! Like they all are!

One thing I've observed about this week especially is the beauty of
the gifts and talents God gives each of his children.

We are helping the Anziani from P3 teach on of their investigators,
Cynthia. We taught her in the hair store where she works this week,
and we watched her as we waited for her to finish braiding a mans
hair. It was seriously like an artist painting something. She was so
concentrated and precise, and just in the zone. She loves doing this
work, and I felt like I knew her so much better after watching her do
something so "her"! We are excited to continue working with her as we
prepare her for baptism this Saturday! :)

Today for PDAY we wandered around Palermo. We have discovered so many
beautiful stores here where locals make things right in the store and
create these beautiful creations, for lack of a better word. From
Sicilian pottery, to tapestry, to clothing, they are all 100% unique,
just like the people we meet in each store we go into! It's been an
adventure and we've loved it.

It's interesting, especially as a missionary, to see just how
different...yet how alike...we all are. We like different thinks, have
different ideas, and come from very very different places. But one
thing is common among us all.... we are all children of a loving
Father in Heaven who create us and gave us this life to become and
create and learn and grow. We all need to know this and we all search
the comfort that comes from this knowledge. If there's anything I've
gotten so FOR from my mission, it would be a deeper and more profound
testimony of this eternal truth. He loves us more than we can possibly
imagine.

"The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and 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."
Alma 30:44

I love you all and I'm grateful for your emails, prayers, and love! I
hope it's a great week. :)
Sorella Carver

with Cynthia