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Week #34 Elder Jackson "Small Miracles"

Wow...I just started typing in Spanish and realized that I`m writing to Grengos...haha.  I found out this week that I get at least another change here in Ducaud, so that means I`ll be doing my second skype from Ducaud as well! 

All is well here.  Elder Ocarez got transferred this change to San Miguel.  It was sad to se him go, but the missionary that replaced him, Elder Aguero, is super awesome!!!   He was in my district in the Missionary Training Center, so we are already good friends.  :)   Also, he is really big into exercising, so that will be fun to have someone else to do that with.  :)

This week  for my message home, I would like to share an experience that happened today.   As a house, for preparation day we went to the Temple.  So off we went, Elders Dowdy, Smith, Anderson, Aguero, and I.  Elder Smith and I were standing by each other on the bus, talking about the mission.  We both served in the ward Gran Avenida, so I said "You know what, I`d really like to visit CXXXX and see how she is doing."   He nodded his head in agreement.  CXXXX is a women who is married and has two kids that we both used to teach.  She had a lot of issues associated with her husband and his ability to live the standards of the church.   After a little while, we get to the train station and are heading towards the train to get on.  It was really packed, so he got in one train car and I got on the other.  As I started to get onto the train, a women bumped into my back....and I bet you already know who it was...CXXXX!  She got onto the train with me and we began to talk about life and the things that were going on in her life.  It was so amazing to see her face, and to know that all is well with her and that she was doing well.  

More than anything, my point in accounting this story is to testify that I know that our Heavenly Father loves each and every one of us and he knows us individually,perfectly, and compassionately.  Of all the 5 million people that live in Santiago, Chile, Heavenly Father felt it necessary to show forth his hand and provide me with a miracle   Neither of us expected to see CXXXX that day, but it happened anyway.

I want to share a verse that has been my favorite verse for as long as I can remember.  John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, and that whomever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” 

Now I have a living testimony that our Father in Heaven loves us so much!  We don`t have to pray to him for him to know our wants and desires.  We don`t have to make is something "official".  Just like many times...our parents know what we want and need loooong before we ever say anything to them about it...our Heavenly Father is EXACTLY THE SAME! 

I love my Heavenly Father, so much.  I have learned to trust and lean on him.  He knows what we want...we just have to open the door so he can provide us with these blessings.  Open your doors...ALL OF THEM!  Let Heavenly Father fulfill all of your hopes, desires, and dreams.  All it requires is a bit of faith...it all depends on that.  I share this, knowing that it will change your life for eternity if you will heed my words...I testify of it, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Con amor,

Elder Jackson

Week #33 Another day in Paradise!!!!

Hello All

This week was just amazing!  It was the best feeling in the world to have a full week of working and studies.  Elder Cabrerea and I are doing things together to try to have the Spirit with us stronger now.  It is so amazing.  :)  I really have learned to love studying the scriptures...it makes such a difference in the day and how strongly we have the spirit.  If you have a good scripture study to start off your day, I can promise you that your day will ALWAYS be good!  Maybe it won`t be the best number wise, contacting, you`ll probably still walk a ton, but at the end of the day....I guarantee that you did everything you could that day and that you were prepared to be an example to the world.  Preparation is everything.  

This week was a great week of good old fashion WORK, but to top it off, I had the privilege of baptizing my good friend Glover Matias Vaca Cariqueo!   It was such an amazing experience!   His family worked hard on making it a special day for him.   He is 8 years old.   His family is members and they asked me to baptize him.  He just had a heck of a time!  Especially with the play dart gun someone gave him!  Haha.  :)  Also, we got 2 new people to teach from the baptism.  Pictures to come!

More than anything this week, I have felt the Spirit really testifying to me about the power we have as Missionaries.   After the baptism of Matias,  I kept on receiving promptings from the Holy Ghost about the power I have as an example to other people.  I kept on having the feelings that I needed to improve as a missionary...that what I`m doing isn`t enough.  That feeling was reaffirmed when the Stake 1st Counselor invited him to the ward...he told him "Remember always Matias, that you were baptized by a Missionary...that Missionary sitting beside you...Elder Jackson.  Remember that name forever."  That just really got me thinking about the influence that I have on Matias.   Then, I got to thinking, if I have such a substantial influence on Matias, who knows who else actually looks up to me in some way!   I have felt a higher calling ever since that...a calling to be more obedient, to be more specific in my prayers, to work a little harder....we have definitely seen results from the increased efforts.

Jacob 6:12  "Be prudent, what more can I say." My prayer for all of you is that we can think about the influence that we have on someone...one person...and then ask yourself "Am I being the example I need to be for that person?"  Then, if you aren`t the example you believe you should/could be, change it.   Make the changes.   Be that person.   That`s what our Heavenly Father wants and expects from you.  

I love you all??

Con amor,

Elder Jackson

Week #31 Food Poisoning

As most of you probably know, I was sick with food poisoning last week.  None of us could leave the house Tuesday-Sunday with the exception of going to General Conference at our local meetinghouse.

Really more than anything, this week I learned things about myself.  I learned that when I get lost in the work, I don`t even realize what is happening to me.  I get so caught up in just doing the work that I don`t see the changes occurring in me...it seems normal.  

During my week in the house, I felt TERRIBLE.  Not just because of the sicknesses, but more because I was preoccupied with the people that we have been teaching.  "How are they?  Are they reading?  Are they becoming closer to the Savior and learning?"  I can`t even tell you all of the questions that were in my head.  

I feel like I have felt the preoccupation that all of the prophets from the scriptures felt for the people they were teaching.  It is a preoccupation  but more than that, a love.  A pure love...the love of Christ.  I feel that without me even realizing it, I have at least started to develop a Christlike Brotherly Love for the people here.  It really is one of a kind.  It truly HAS to be from my Heavenly Father.  I felt soooo good when I finally was able to see the people that I had been missing.  I felt like a hole in my heart had been filled.  

It`s funny how as missionaries, many times we think or say to ourselves.."Man I`m so tired...it sure would be nice to take a nap or something", but it`s not really this way.  It made me sad.  Now, I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that my Father in Heaven, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are with me here.  Though I may not be as "successful" as some other missionaries on their mission, I am serving my purpose.  The change is occurring in me that my Heavenly Father has promised each and every one of us if we will "lose our life for his sake", to find life eternal.

I`m so grateful for this gospel.  I am so grateful that I have been chosen to receive the gospel in this life and that I have the opportunity to take advantage of this for the rest of eternity.  I want to promise each and every one of you that we all have this opportunity.  If you are reading this, you are chosen too, but you have to do your part.  You have to learn what you must do to receive these blessings as well.  I pray that each of you can see this opportunity in your lives and that really from this, you can feel the Savior`s love for you.  He loves you.  His arms are eternally extended out to us...we just have to reach out and take his hand. 

Con amor,

Elder Jackson