The first shall be last! Update for Jessica 9-17-14

There have been many new developments in my life this last week. First and foremost: Jasmin was baptized!!! 

 

Baptism day: Saturday was the craziest day of my mission. We have some experiences that morning that I will never forget. We spent the whole morning in Firenze cleaning and filling the baptismal font and during our little tiny lunch both of the people we asked to give talks told us they weren't coming. BUT, luckily our anziani (elders we serve with) are so great that they both offered to give the talks! When everyone got to the church there was such an air of happiness and excitement! I was so lucky to be in the bathroom with Jasmin right before she walked down into the font. We walked and the bathroom and she said, "Sorella, I can't do this! I feel so sick!" I thought to myself, "Oh no! What's wrong? We're gonna have to send everyone home!" And then she said, "I have never felt the spirit so strong before. I feel so happy that I just can't handle it." That was the best sickness that I've ever heard of. 

Immediately after she came out of the water her mom ran into the bathroom. She was beaming! "She was so beautiful! It was so beautiful! I've never seen anything so beautiful before! I'm so happy!" It was such a beautiful day that I will surely never forget! 

This week we got transfer calls! After 5 transfers I am finally heading out. I love this branch so stinking much! We now get transfer calls on Saturday so we can say goodbye to everyone in church and share our last testimony. This week instead of sharing my testimony I shared a song. I sang 'I'm trying to be like Jesus' a cappella. It was perfect. I've shared enough words with them. This was my way of leaving with them a little piece of my heart :) Our first counselor stood up after and thanked me for the song. He said by now it just seems like I'm part of the branch, that I'm just one of the family so it's kinda be hard for me to leave. I was sitting my our investigator Susan who I just love so much and she was crying. She just gave me a hug. There are few moments in my life when I have felt so much love. Another one of those 'moments' was yesterday. We visited 3 families of members and investigators. Each one of them made me a goodbye meal. It was hilarious! We have a big 'ole lunch and then only a few hours later (because Italians eat lunch later) we had dinner (we made them eat dinner early, American style) and then we went to say bye to another family and thought we were going to share a lesson then go but they ended up having dinner already made. It was precious. And we couldn't tell them we had just eaten... Sorella Hamblin was in so much pain! She hasn't gotten completely used to not eating dinner and then all of a sudden having to eat for 3. It was quite an experience! 

I have had some time to reflect on my time here. I really wanted to make sure not to regret anything. To leave no stone unturned, person un-taught, no business owner in our tiny town that hasn't met us, and at first I was getting overwhelmed. It's not possible to be completely perfect. We wouldn't be here right now if we already got that down. My mission motto: "Do the best you can and the Lord makes up the rest!" That's what I did!

Now, I'm off to Rimini! I am staying in the same stake, whoop whoop! Rimini is the place that everyone goes during August when they're not home. Hopefully now it will be back at peace! I will be with Sorella Killpack, ciòé my MTC companion. "But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first" (Matt 19:30). Looks like my first companion will also be my last. That was unexpected :)

Love you!! Sorry if I can't always get back to you but I love hearing from you!! 

Sorella Jarvis

 

Sorella Hamblin, Jasmin, Jessica and Elder.
 

Sorella Hamblin, Jasmin and Jessica

 

 

So the next photos were shared with me by Sorella Hamblin's mom. Sandra! The computer wouldn't load Jessica's photos. Thank you Sandra!!! These are from September 10, 2014.