The Mission Conference was a throw down ...

I ain't being dis-o! We sep lit our email time cause we had like a zone pday haha I don't have my passport info... You may have to call the office cause they have it.. Maybe I'll have them call you.. Sorry sorry sorry I didn't email a big one today!! I have wonderful stuff to report. What an incredible week! The mission conference was a throw down and definitely needed for our mission. Elder ZWICK talked about the trust given to us wih these iPads. I'll have to tell YALL bout it
next week. He's amazing. I also had an interview with president Pratt about my plans and it was wonderful! He's going to be a mission pres.! Woohoo. I told him to be excited and that he would love it. I've gotta run.
Loves you oodles, thanks for everything! 💋💋

Xoxo Hermanita Jackson II

Pics next week 😘

HaPpY VaLenTiNeS DaY!

Hey y'all! I first have to give a round of applause to Scoz and Chels for starting Bee money on da mountain so quickly!! YEEESSS. She looks pretty good too.

Lots to report this week and little time to type it all.. The Burmese family came to a baptism not too long ago and loved it! So cool. We no longer have a set of sisters which is a bummer- we loved those sisters! We now have a new district as well out in who-knows-where haha it's an awesome district though! Josh was baptized and confirmed this weekend!!! Kade (the 7 year old) gave the opening prayer and it was the sweetest thing ever! Josh gave huge hugs to the men in his confirmation circle and I could have died hahaha my heart feels so full for him. He called us right after church and we missed it but when we called back he said, "I don't need you anymore, I was going to ask you to explain the gift of the Holy Ghost to my dad but I already did." Then last night he texted us and said he wants his girlfriend to be taught and baptized when she's ready! #tastingthefruit. 

Jimmy is doing really well, I appreciate all the prayers for him! Haha side note: I've had 2 oldies (above age 80) graze my chin with their pointer finger in the past week and tell me they'd marry me. Good ol Belleview😊. We had the most AMAZING night Wednesday when a member and his non-member wife, Alma, the Barreto Fam (non member dad and aunt and member mom and aunt) and another member accompanied us to a temple tour in Orlando!! It was so incredible and thanks to the help of Brother Geisler (best WML ever) it all worked out perfectly. On the way home Alma was asking way good questions and it was an amazing lesson in the car! The non-member wife to the member was participating well and intrigued as well. 

Thursday night we went to a Lutheran church where we got to present The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and answer questions. I sent  pictures. It was unreal. They prolly felt like they were drinking from a fire hose, but it was prolly the best taste they've ever had! Haha things like priesthood, the role of women, church organization, missionary work, etc were addressed by the bishop, stake pres, etc. super cool. 

Maureen is sick, but because of Sister Denise Brown's unreal testimony, she wanted to come to church really bad! She couldn't this week due to being sick, but hopefully next week! Herbs surgery went well and he sounds tons better. Another surgery will have to be done in March. Gotta run, sorry this isn't the best email .. Next week I'm emailing Tuesday cause it's mission conference!!! With elder ZWICK :)

💌Hermanita Jackson

Baptism of Josh - photos sent by his aunt

only have 4 minutes left ..... GAAA, Next week, I promise.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! Happy birthday to Matty moo last week! Hope it was bomb. 

Jimmy has a renued excitement and a DATE for Feb. 28th and made it to church this week! He's gonna be in the ward talent show and pretty exctied haha.

Josh is doing wonderfully and his member mom and aunt and non member aunt joined in for Plan of salvation overview with emphasis on temples!! They're coming on a temple tour this week!! Non memebr loved the lesson and is excited!

Herb received a belssing last night before huge sugery Wednesday and I will NEVER forget his face at the end.... My heart it full. He looked like he would cry and had stopped moving during the blessing. he said, "I accept this calling from God" and bore testimony of the power of the priesthood.

maureen is reading the book of mormon (memberlended one with bigger print) and is praying about Mar. 7.

Hasta la proxima semana!

Les AMO!!!!

xoxo hermanita Jackson

to her Mom - 

Mama, I love hearing from you :) thanks for being so supportive and loving! I feel like I say that all the time, but it's TRUE! i actually read this week in Luke where it says, "remember Lot's wife" and didn't think much of it. The part right after is what I wasn't understanding so I went to the student manual (blessings of the ipad and gospel library app!!!). It didn't have anything on that part I was looking for but I read the part about Lot's wife anyway. I read a quote by Elder Holland and in essence he said, "don't be so attatched to the past that you hinder your confidence in the future". It stuck with me that morning and when I shared it (I was on exchanges haha with the cutie newer sister Bronson again!) I realized that I've been kind of hestitant about going forward. I guess just trying so bad to hold onto this time and not looking forward faithfully that the Lord has BETTER stuff ahead! That's been such a comfort to me. I'm excited to apply the things I've learned here, i really am! The Lord sure loves me to give me this mission!!! I can definitely see how it will bless the rest of my life. 

Thanks for a package! Sister Spencer called the other day trying to get it to me asap haha she's the cutest! I haven't gotten it, but I'm excited for when I do :) Loves you oodles Mama and hope you know how proud I am of YOU!!!! Nice work for giving 2 talks in conference! 5 minutes each! That's amazing! I'm scared my spanish is pretty lacking, but we're trying to get 30 minutes in a day. I'mma move onto the big letter, but thanks, thanks, thanks and loves, loves, loves!

xoxo Hermanita Jackson

Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth

First off, congratulations to the stunning couple (Tan & Misa)! Y feliz cumpleaños a Ella! 7? Fo real? 

I've got lots to share with y'all this week since last week was so lacking.. We had MLC 2 weeks ish ago I guess and it was so awesome! We talked all about the spirit and I wish it would have come sooner, cause it's changed the way we work!! There's a difference between working hard and working smart. I've been "slowing down" a bit to seek the influence of the spirit more. The spirit really is so necessary! It's not like I haven't had the spirit, but I'm more conscious of it now and it's changing the dynamic of EVERYTHING.

Along the same lines of seeking the spirit, I'm making my year plan today. I've been preparing it lots and the time has come haha. I'm just so stinkin grateful for ALL the things I've learned and get to apply in real life (not YET! Still got plenty of time here :). 

Lets talk about good ol Jimmy Ray!!! Eeee! We've been keeping in contact with him and our members have been so sweet and helpful. I LOVE the Belleview ward. Oh so much. They're amazing at missionary work. We saw him last night and he wants to come to church so bad! He's still a little under the weather and hates "being a woman" and doing things around the house all day haha. The latest on his surgery is that there won't be one.. The doctors are afraid he wouldn't make it out. Awe, he's the biggest hoot, most positive lil cutie eeeever! GUESS WHAT! He surprised us by telling us he's been reading every day in The Book of Mormon (on his own, cause we kinda backed off in the last lil bit) and had made it to pg. 295! 

Alma made some headway this week! It was so inspired.. We invited Alma to Denise Brown's for a lesson. Her sister, member in the Leesburg ward, was there as well. We kinda wanted to talk about the Word of Wisdom but it up wasn't feeling right at the beginning so we kept going with prophets and such. We failed to ask Sister Brown to invite Alma to church and stuff, but she brought it up herself by bearing testimony of her first time at the chapel and never having felt so at home and so loved. It was the sweetest testimony and Alma was turned toward her and listening INTENTLY. It was even better when she found out how "fresh" Denise is. The lesson went totally different from what we had planned and I'm really grateful for that. President has been talking about teaching PEOPLE. Haha he joked with missionaries in interviews and told them we won't be using PMG lessons anymore. He's a hoot as well. Low and behold, Alma didn't make it to church this week, but we're really getting there! Our WML set a dinner for Thursday with someone who we think would be perfect for Alma, we then tried calling her to switch to tomorrow for Alma and before we said anything she asked about Tuesday at 5! What do yuh know? 

Ps Denise straight up already bought her temple clothes so she can look at them every day! Eeeee. My heart is full <3

Josh is doing faaabulous!! We had 3 amazing lessons with him this week and a dinner Saturday night where he said he wants to be baptized the 14th instead of the 21st cause we have stake conference that weekend. He really knows his stuff, is loving The Book of Mormon and church and the ward is loving him! The beginning of his story goes like this: we have a new program in the Belleview ward called "sprint families" where we and the WML and bishop meet together and prayerfully choose a family (we just chose 5 more- go big or go home) who then meets with the bishop and is asked to prepare some/a friend(s) within 3 months. The bishop met with this family and their 7 yr old son invited their neighbor (Josh, 20) to church! Josh said he couldn't say no to him haha. Simplicity at its finest.

Maureen is still doing well! We met with her once this lady week and she said there's something different about us. She initially had us over just cause there is something she wants! The Plan of Salvation lesson was so spirit filled this week as we focused on temples as her husband is.. On his way out. She has been trying to read The Book of Mormon with a magnifying glass and went out last week to get an iPad so she could read it, but couldn't bring herself to pay that much haha. We got a Book of Mormon from the ward and will give it to her tomorrow. She's also praying about a baptismal date and really does desire to follow Christ more fully! 

We're so stinkin blessed with all these sweet, spunky, dedicated people  

Simons lesson went alright. He seemed more into bashing more or less at the beginning but because of a member it went lots better toward the end. We focused on the basics and mostly prayer and reading The Book of Mormon. Sister Carey mentioned the temple at the end as she was bearing testimony and he stopped her right in her tracks. He loved that idea. It's actually a big plus that he knows the bible so much. Last night he texted to see when we're coming by haha. We hope that means he's seen the light ;)

These, of course are the highlights of the week. Missions aren't always as swell as they may seem from the outside. But one thing that rang true this last week, was.. IT IS WHATCHA MAKE IT. We had several moments when it was either laugh or cry and we chose to laugh it out. I love having sister Taylor because she is so positive and sweet all the time!! She's helping me to be so much better- definitely more patient and wise. Aaaand we have a blast!

Thank you for all of the prayers on my behalf and on the behalf of these special people I get to work with! They're much appreciated! 

The atonement is so real! As I've tried to apply it daily in my own life it makes me that much more excited to SHARE it with others! This calling is so sacred and people need to know truth! I read about "FEAR(ING) NO MAN" this week. It talked about Peter being a rock, but denying Christ three times. But as he accessed the atonement and felt that guilt lift, and of course SAW the resurrected Jesus Christ, he was a new man and went forth boldly. It talked about him converting guards as fast as they could change them while he was locked up haha. I WANT TO BE LIKE PETER!! I want to fear no man and LOVE my God to proclaim his word. 

Have a wonderful week y'all! Share the gospel at every chance you get!invite someone to church with you like that 7 year old :x

xoxo Hermanita Jackson