... For Such a Time as This: ...The Spirit was just RADIATING

holaaaa familia Jackson! que pasa? 1. sorry I'm on slightly late today, due to Vanessa (da van) breakin down on us this morning and 2. I have so many exciting things to tell you that I'm just starting with this email this week :) I know Mama's excited about that one!

First and foremost, Happiest Birthday to Chlo Chlo this last week! I promise I didn't forget. Is it true that she's 10 though?!!! There's no way! Then again, I'm 20...

Last Tuesday I had the BEST present ever by going on exchangies with my trainer and best friend Hermanita Allred!! We reminisced on the good ol days when we were both the newest lil chikas back in Windy. This is so funny, but I was a lil bit emotional being with her because she's changed my whole mission! I can't imagine what type of missionary I'd be without her influence to work like a dog and have fun while doin it! She's an INCREDIBLE missionary.

The day after was actually probably one of the hardest days on the mission haha. Sister Kreiberg and I both were so worn out. We think it's because of all the exchanges and not to like toot my own horn, but we've been trying to really consecrate ourselves. We both were feeling sick and almost out of energy. We were on bike for a good part of the afternoon and it was a hot one. Not gonna lie, that was the first time on the mission that I thought I might cry haha. BUT we said prayers, we got some quick frozen yogurt and of course the Lord provided the people WE needed to help us go forward. The next morning we woke up kinda icky again so we got a blessing and I'm not kiddin, immediately I felt so much better and so much energy! Woo! That day we saw some cool stuff too! We have a less-active of 20 years who the sisters were working with before I got here and then my first week we got a text from her saying she decided not to meet with us again because she was scared her husband would find out. He still doesn't know that we're meeting, but we're all praying. We've been praying for her every day to open up to another sister in the ward who "got a foot in the door" the first time they met at church last transfer and has been inviting her over for lunch dates. Well our prayers were answered and she messaged us on facebook the other day to go see her! She's so cool! We asked what made her want us to come back and she said, "because I know it's true". She's been wanting to get a patriarchal blessing and this Sunday she came to church (the sister in the ward gave a talk and asked her to come for it too) and stayed all 3 hours and then received a blessing. She just found out recently that she has MS.. We're so excited for her. That same day we saw a recent convert whom we've been slightly worried about because she doesn't seem to have "that friend" in the church yet. She loves the church and knows it's true, but hasn't quite come to feel comfortable. Through some inspired questions the spirit helped her open her heart and us to discern her needs! Man, there's nothin better! That night we saw a potential named Dane whom we met the other day and got a member to come with us. Lemme tell yuh, he was a lot like Kyle in the way he had such good questions and understood things!! He told us at the beginning that he had already been baptized, but after explaining baptism and authority and Jesus Christ and everything he said, "well I think I need to be baptized again!" haha. I don't even remember the rest, but I remember it was a really cool lesson. He was supposed to come to church this week and didn't. This next week though! We stopped by Michelle's the other night because she hasn't been answering our calls and such. Her grandpa passed away this last week and it's been hard on her. We were straight forward in telling her we couldn't keep coming if she didn't come to church and she said, "No, I want to be baptized! I want to be a Mormon! I want to be married in the temple one day! I want to go on a mission!"... We were honestly beside ourselves haha. She really means business this chika!! She wrote a promise that she would always go to church, signed it and then had us sign it. She wrote down goals for what needs to be done for her to be baptized and had us sign it. She pulled up a calendar and chose a date and we prayed about it. She's the coolest AND has fellowship with another YW in the ward who bore her testimony last week in church about coming out with us and loving it! haha. Michelle came to church with that YW this week and seemed to have a good time and even went ot the fireside last night about dating.

We saw Richard on Saturday with a member and at first he answered the door on the phone and said he couldn't meet today. Then he said to come back in 30. When we came back he had hung up and let us in! It was a really cool lesson in helping him understand the power of prayer and the need for him to give his all to know if this is the truth. Our member shared experiences that were PERFECT for him and he came to church yesterday!! I couldn't have been happier at church yesterday! The less active family we took to the temple a few weeks ago came and stayed all 3 hours for the first time in forever and they're both receiving callings. they both loved it! as well as their kids! We met with a Tom and Claudia this week for the first time and it was insaaane! I've never been so exhausted after a lesson. We had to really listen to Tom and the Spirit. Man, I wish I could explain it all... I'll send a picture of the teaching record haha that's how crazy it was. We met with the Rolon (part members) family last night! The lesson started off super rough for some reason and didn't get good until the first vision. The spirit was just RADIATING, especially when the member husband (and kinda less active) shared his feelings of the first vision! Then we were nearing the end when I noticed him with the BOM open and deep in thought so I asked him if he had anything to add. When he shared his thoughts of Mormoni 10:3-5 and cried and spoke so sincerely to his wife, I coulda cried! It was super special.

Ok quick funny story.. We found a gecko in the apt. at about 9:50 the other night. It took us 30 minutes to get a bowl over the top of the thing (mostly cause sister k hates em and we were laughing out heads off). We cheered but then realized he was stuck under the bowl.. We used the restoration picture from the wall to slip ever-so-carefully under the bowl and then, arm-in-arm we carried it to the door and let him free. Woo! Good ol wild life :)

Hermana Jackson