Hey everyone.
This week has been pretty sweet. I`m going to save something from this week for next week to share...you`ll see why. This week was a lot of computer stuff. A lot of making documents ,calling people…the administrative side of the mission. We have been working with the president of a neighborhood group here on organizing the building of a house in the West Mission. It feels pretty good to be able to talk about that kind of stuff a little better now.
Saturday, we helped an investigator with a bunch of service for like 6 hours..they were really grateful. There really is no better feeling than providing service to others with no expectation of a return favor. I have come to realize that Service is the first step in detaching oneself from the things of the world. This single act towards others will always yield an immediate blessing to you, and will always draw you closer to Christ.
It was another week of the Lord`s work. At this point in time, I feel like I am hitting my stride. This is my normal life now. I will say though, I have gotten really close with the other Elders in the house...especially Elder Smith and Anderson. They are great guys. All of them are really cool and really good guys. I enjoy our talks...they make me feel like we really are a family. Though all of us are far from home, we find love in pushing each other in the work and helping one another to better ourselves.
I just want to share a little thought this week. Today, we went to the central of Santiago to buy some stuff. (I bought some weights to workout!) We met a guy, while waiting in line at Burger King, who could speak perfect English. We talked for a few minutes and come to find out he is a member of the church. At a young age, his parents moved him from Santiago to Utah. He studied at the University of Utah and got his MBA. I told him about how after the mission, I am planning on going to BYU to study business. We got our food, and invited him to eat with us...he accepted. We talked a lot about his family and his life. Basically, in the end, he shared his testimony of the gospel, which was really powerful. He told us that although he is a successful businessman, that the biggest regret of his entire life...is that he didn`t serve a mission. At that moment, I thought to myself , "This man has literally EVERYTHING. Several houses, travels the world for work, a nice vehicle, a loving family, a son on the mission in Lubbock,TX, and he says that he has all of that and that the biggest regret of his life is that he didn`t serve a mission." Then he said something interesting...."Though I never served a mission, I continue to serve my Lord each and every day, wherever I am." THAT`S SO TRUE! It`s so cool to me to think that there really are people in the world that get it! We all have to be set apart to be full time missionaries, but we don’t have to be set apart to be missionaries every day in the way that we conduct ourselves. When we are baptized, we covenant with Heavenly Father to take the name of the Lord upon ourselves for eternity...that means we have an eternity of opportunities to share the gospel...both through example and through our words. He thanked us for our service and our act of love to the children of God here.
I just want to share my testimony that there is a reason that our paths in life cross with others. Really, we have a purpose in this life. We need to realize when this happens and take advantage of it. There are always opportunities to better ourselves. Great blessings really are the best, and they always come from something small...like opening your mouth. :)
Love,
Elder Jackson
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