"These things I know" update for Jessica 10-29-14

So there are 3 mottos that I have said my entire mission:

Do the best you can and the Lord makes up the rest. I am so grateful to finally understand that not being perfect is ok. I definitely struggled at the beginning of my mission with a great need and desire to do everything right all the time. That is just stressful. What I came to truly understand was that this is not my work. If there is one thing I am sure of, it is that the work of the Lord will always go forward. The Lord calls us in our weakness, knowingly. He trusts us so much more than we can possibly know. Why can we not trust ourselves? The goal is to always try a little harder to be a little better. 

There is a reason we serve 18 months (or 2 years). I am so grateful to be able to serve a mission. There have been times when it was really hard to continue, when I wanted to throw in my hands and give up, but I couldn't. We can't ever give up in times of trials. There are lessons I needed to learn at 1 month that are different from those I learned at 6 months and 1 year and even until last night. I know that each and every one of these experiences are going to help me in the future for things that right now I can't know. I know that every time we get back up, we get back to work, we win. We understand what it means to prepare to meet God. We all have our individual missions. I know that this applies just as much outside of the mission. There are experiences throughout every phase of our life that our hard but we need them. We just keep pushing through and learning even more! 

You cannot do this work alone. I am so grateful to know that Heavenly Father leads and guides our chosen leaders. I know that I was supposed to come here to Italy and to serve with the amazing companions I have had. Each and everyone of them has change my life in countless ways. I have learned the importance of working together. Of letting go of my pride and loving them for everything they are. I am so grateful for all the lessons they have taught me. I believe that there is always someone in our life who we can lean on and learn from. We are never alone because we are not meant to be alone. 

I know that my Heavenly Father loves. He knows me, one on one and He hears every single one of my desperate pleas, He sees my smiles of gratitude aimed at Him every day and He knows the desire I have to follow Him. 

I know that the atonement applies to each of us individually. It is our greatest help for persevering right until the very end. Jesus Christ is our Savior, our Advocate, our Friend and everything we need Him to be. 

I know that we have a prophet on the earth and I finally understand what that truly means. This knowledge cannot be taken from me as long as I continue to act on everything I have learned in the last 21 years :)

I know that I have the best family ever. I am so blessed and grateful. Heavenly Father gave me the best friends I could ever have in the ones I love the most. 

Love you all, 

Sorella Jarvis