Following in My Sisters Footsteps :) update for Jessica 9-4-13

Buon Giorno!!


This last week has been so crazy! I feel like I say that every week cause it's true...So Hermana Jarvis and I are in transfers and this week as you might have guessed we got the call. I'm leaving Mestre! I head to the train station (of course!) bright and early tomorrow morning to head to Bergamo, my new city. There are 4 sisters here in Mestre and I'm the only one of us leaving! So crazy! I thought there was no way I would leave because I love Mestre so much and have only been here 3 months. But alas, I'm needed somewhere else and how exciting is that!? I don't know much about Bergamo except they have 2 wards and a branch. Yep. I'll be in the branch!! Yea! Back to branch life for me :) I'm super excited and now that just as quickly as my heart grew to love everyone here I will love those in Bergamo too. And my companion is Sorella Nielson. We're already facebook friends ha ha. (From before the mission).

Last week we had a wonderful experience that I have just been dying to share. So usually on Mondays we have district meetings. These are wonderful opportunities for us to talk about the people we're working with, ask questions, get feedback, and role-play situations. Last week we talked about investigators not keeping committments (no, I can't spell anything anymore). As missionaries, committments are very important. If people aren't keeping their committments, sticking to their word, they'll be less-likely to keep the covenants or not progress, things like this. We talked about this specifically because we had an investigator that wasn't reading the Book of Mormon or keeping any committments really. We needed help understand how to express our disappointment and encourage them to read without being too harsh or too soft. That evening we had an appt with this investigator and we were prepared for anything ha ha (not). Right when we got there they said, "So I was just reading in the Book of Mormon before you got here and I just love it! Can we talk a little bit about the chapter I read?" Um, ok. Sure. Of Course!! What!? It was amazing! I truly know that when we prepare ourselves as best as we can-- it doesn't mean we have to have all the answers but that we're doing our part-- the Lord will bless us. This work is too great for us to fail!

Another crazy adventure you ask? Ok. Well last Friday my companion and I were getting ready for the day when we get a call from President. He said we were moving. Yea! Super exciting! Then he goes on to say that the senior couple who work with the apts will be at our apt in 2 hours to move everything to the new apt. Good thing the phone call wasn't too long or I would have started my panic laughing. Two hours!? Yes. It happened. I packed my life into 3 bags and moved in 2 hours. I don't know how it happened but it did. All I could think about was poor Jessica who helped me pack for college the first time, Colleen who helped me go home, and Carra when she helped me pack for the mission. These are perfect examples of GEMS. It is a lot easier when you have a limited supply of stuff to pack, thank goodness...

Seeing as I'm heading out tomorrow I had to say goodbye to Venice today :) It will not longer be in my proselyting area hehehe. But today we went to Murano which is the island of glass. It was a really fun experience and it's technically in our area too. We ended up handed out 3 pass along cards to locals and my companion is going back next week to give someone a Book of Mormon :) I was really grateful to meet these people today. They all loved what we're doing here-- giving up a year and a half of our life to come here and share the gospel and learn their language while we're "so young." I loved when they said that, it truly touched my heart! But I know that I'm not giving up my life-- I'm gaining it :) Everything I ever knew has changed and I love it! I can't imagine doing anything more fulfilling right now that being here, serving this mission, and loving every step of the way.

Io sono così grata per quest'opportunità di servire mio Padre Celeste. Voglio bene per tutte le persone che sto incontrando qui in Italia. Il Libro di Mormon, in verità, contiene la pienezza del vangelo di Gesù Cristo. Se seguiamo tutti i suoi insegnamenti saremo benedetti per sempre-- avremo la vità eterna.


Vi voglio tantissimo bene con tutto il mio cuore!


Sorella Jarvis