From the Sunshine State ...

Runnin low on time already so I'll be quick! 

1. last monday we gave a temple tour to a cute les active family we're working with :) it was so special and they're ready to work toward the temple as a family. Their 5 month old baby was SO excited to be there and we all knew why! She knew were she was.

2. we had 2 AWESOME exchanges this week! The first one I stayed here and was super impressed by the sister with me. We saw some cool miracles here in lake nona. We had a lesson with Richard and he was havin a hard time with his wife and didn't know what to do, but after an intense conversation with him and THANKS to the member who came with us he's still really wanting to meet with us and reading and praying. The other exchange I went to St. Cloud with a sister who was just an STL and about to go home. I got to learn so much from her!! I swear these exchanges do more for me than they do for these sisters! We saw the COOLEST miracles. One of the lessons with a new investigator was prolly the coolest restoration lessons I've ever had! He just was the most prepared person ever! That day was a boost of energy for me! Not that I was lacking too much, but I could always use a lil more :) especially after...

3. I gave my first training at ZTM!! haha wow, that was scary. Especially cause it was on comp. unity and communication which seems to be a bit of a sore subject here in our zone. But it was completely inspired of president berry in MLC! We hadn't even reported our exchanges to him yet, when he gave that training. Anyway, it turned out nicely, I think. It was pretty fun too! 

4. Michelle is progressing tons in lessons but not getting to church so we're going to have to push the baptismal date for later. She's SO COOL and a YW came and really helped us in a lesson this week, but somethin's keeping her from church. I think it's her mama though. So we're working on finding a lot. Elder Hamula challenged us to get 4 new gators every week, so we're on it!

5. Had a MIRACLE last night with a member. He invited us over and when we got there he told us his wife isn't a member! She was so ready to hear more! Like, this is manna from Heaven! We're so excited to share the lessons with her! He's also slightly less active so this'll be good.

K I've gotta run!! Love you all so much and thanks for being so good to me!

Haha side note.. We haven't been getting letters really at all in the past two weeks (as in only from mom n dad). This morning we read in Alma 60:6 and laughed so hard. Please read it :)

XOXO, Hermana Jackson

Editor's note: Alma 60:6 And now behold, we desire to know the cause of this exceedingly great neglect; yea, we desire to know the cause of your thoughtless state.

Happy Labor Day y'all!

I'm absolutely baffled that it's Monday again! How? It's like every other day is p-day! This week was a crazy one. To answer Papas question about Kyle... Unfortunately we handed him to YSA (thats not the bad part) and he hasn't been answering for them and such.. We're praying he'll open up to them!!! Man, he's golden. Update on other investigators real quick: Michelle (13) has really been doing well MINUS the fact that she didn't make it to church yesterday (kind of a big deal actually..) but she prayed about a date for a few days and was super excited to tell us that she felt sure about Sep. 20th. She's gotta show her Mama she's committed. Luckily we got to talk to her mom the other day and she seems to like us. We're slowly getting her more involved. Shawn (16) we had a lesson set and he hadn't gotten back to us to confirm, but we went to his house anyway. We were saddened when we pulled up and it appeared like no one was home. But we prayed real hard and told each other he was gonna be there and as we walked to the door he peaked out the window and had opened the door before we got there! He was so excited (not a thing for him, so this was huge) and just seemed happier! THEN his mama pulled in the driveway (we haven't met her before and she's the reason why he didn't get baptized a few weeks ago) and we were able to talk to her some. Her husband is kinda negative too, but whatever, hearts can be changed. Shawn really does want to come to church and mutual but this Sunday his family was going to the beach and he couldn't get out of it. We're trying to talk to his mom more and figure things out. Richard (40's) SOO solid. I wasn't at his last lesson because I was on exchanges in another area, but it sounds like he's really open and honestly like he's already gotten his answer that it's true, but he wants to read more in the BOM first. 

So yeah, we had 2 exchanges this week with the Kissimmee english and spanish sisters!! The first exchange was so much fun cause I'm really good friends with the sister who came here. But their companionship REALLY has some issues right now with communication. She recently had a family thing come up that's been hard on her too. So she was crying a lot of the exchange and unseure she could finish the transfer. But it was really good for her to get away and have a fun day! On the other hand, Sister Kreiberg had a hard exchange with the companion.. Obedience issues. eeek! That was all a crazy problem even into the next few days. But they seem to be doing better. Then at MLC (yeah, we had it AGAIN!) President Berry was totally inspired to give us a packet all on communication that we can use on exchanges! The next exchange we had was way more balanced and the hermanita I went with was SUCH an awesome missionary. Like I feel like I learn way more on these exchanges than they do haha. Like I'm just here to give them a lil break I guess. No, but we had a blast. They're area is struggling really bad to find new solid investigators, so they've been finding a ton. Unfortunately they're having communication problems too, so that's been a stresser, but it'll all work out. Shoot, I've gotta run. I love you all so much!!! Haha sorry that's the most boring letter ever.... :) 

XOXO, Hermana Jackson

most incredible week ever

Hola familia! I'm glad to hear yall are happy and well :) I've just had the most incredible week ever so I've gotta get on it and tell you EVERYTHING. 

1. Zone Conference with Elder and Sister Hamula. They are the coolest people. I could tell he wasn't going by set notes at all, but that he was listening to the spirit and FOLLOWING it so well. He said things that were needed for everyone. He talked a ton about asking inspired questions so that has been the focus of our week here in Lake Nona. Man, they were both so down to earth and sincere. They actually sat next to us at lunch and I thought they were the coolest.

2. MLC was even BETTER. He really got down to how we can be baptizing more and consistently. I'm so so honored to be a part of that council! Then as we were out in the parking lot heading to the car, Elder and Sister Hamula asked to take a picture with Sister K and me! It was just super sweet of them.

3. We've been meeting with a less active family named the Aldaves. We went to see them the other night and they started talking about their desire to go to the temple. The grandma has been before and wants to go back. We had actually planned for weekly planning to go on a temple tour on Wednesday (the next night) with 2 other people and both had fallen through earlier that day! So we planned it for them. They called an hour and a half before we would leave and she said her back was really acting up and that her mom wasn't feeling too great either. We said a prayer after talking to her and then called her back up and told her we knew it was satan trying to keep them from going. We said a prayer with her on the phone and asked her to say a prayer on her own and call us back. We ended up going and she told us that after her prayer and a warm shower, she felt like a million bucks. They seemed to radiate at the temple and just had so much energy. When we got back to the car the mom asked if we could say a prayer and then offered one of the most heart-felt prayers! The grandma had an interview on Sunday and the mom needs to wait a little longer, but we're SO excited for them! 

4. We were exhausted one morning and weren't sure if we could make it that day haha. We were getting super stressed with all the things we needed to do and it was piling up that morning. We got to the mission office and laid on the floor doing the "adjusting to mission life" breathing exercise hahaha. The Spencers who are new were laughing and helped us out a ton. When we got home we said a prayer and that's really what got us through the day. We received the strength to keep going and the peace that our best was good enough. We then met with a kid named Marcus who now has a baptismal date and is being taught by YSA. While calling potentials we contacted a guy named Kyle who wasn't at all interested in the initial contact, but after doing our best with inspired questions we were teaching a lesson ON THE PHONE! hahaha we even said a prayer with him. It ended up being a really successful day. It makes sense that we need to include The Lord in His work.

5. We had a dinner this week that was the funniest most interesting experience I've had in a long whle hahahahaaaa! I'm not kidding, Sister Kreiberg and I were dyin the whole time. They're a lil not with it, but just so full of energy and kinda corky. They fed us some leftover shrimp pasta, a black "banana pancake" and an old salad from the fridge. After taking a few bites it became apparent that we weren't going to get it down without either throwing up or putting our health at risk. Luckily she was back in the kitchen, but her husband was sitting by the table reading the Bible. We urgently looked for napkins or some kind of bag when I remembered the big ziploc bag I had with me for when there's rain :) yeaaaah.. I did put our food in the bag verrrrry slyly. We were SO lucky it all worked out so we didn't hurt their feelings or our health.

6. I had my first exchange this week!!! Haha I always thought STLs evaluated me big time on exchanges, but it turns out that I feel more evaluated as the STL! But we had a lot of fun and did tons of contacting as we were on bike all day. The Lord has blessed me with opportunities to use my spanish EVERY DAY here :) We were on our way to lunch at the house when we saw some people moving. They were from Colombia so I got to chat with them and share our purpose. We helped them out and they asked if they could come to church! I haven't heard if they came or not, but I'll ask the elders. They were way cool! At the end of the day when all 4 of us were on the way back to their apartment we were stopped at a light and looked over to a car full of 3 guys with the window down. Of course we started talking about Jesus Christ and they told us to pull over cause they wanted to know more. We shared a message with them at a 7eleven parking lot and it was super cool! They were part of another church, but really were interested.

7. Yesterday was the most miraculous DAY! 2 People we had met on the street while contacting came to sacrament meeting.. Unfortunately it was the most slow sacrament meeting I've had in a while so they were kinda falling asleep. We'll see if we can get them to come back. After church we got a text from a former investigator, Michelle Melendez who is 13 and had a date not too long ago but her Mom didn't want her to be baptized and she went to Puerto Rico. She asked us to come over. She asked to set a new date and to set up all the times we can meet. We said a prayer with her and she was so excited!! Then we went to a lesson with a guy that SIster Kreiberg had met on exchanges and SIster Aldave! Richard was way prepared and the lesson was so altered to his needs. We almost set a date with him, but he'll take a little time and he wants his wife to be involved. THEN we met with Kyle (refer to #4) for the first time in person at a college campus. He biked 20 minutes to get there and called us 30 minutes before the lesson to confirm again! Lemme tell yuh, I've NEVER had someone asking as great questions as he did. He asked during the restoration: What does Jesus want of me and how do I get on the straight and narrow path? What happens when people die without a knowledge of Jesus Christ? There should be a prophet today then (after us talking about prophets and why we need them)! After telling him there is a prophet, he asked, "who is he?!" He thought it was SO cool that we knew who it was. Then, shouldn't there be ONE true church? Why are there so many churches? How can Satan be so evil to seek misery of others? haha man, it was almost funny how prepared he was!!! We were finishing with how he can know it's the truth and he stopped us and said, "No, I feel that this is the truth! I feel like it's not you guys telling me all this but that God is!" He said a wonderful prayer too. Then we stopped by another former with a date who has been super flakey lately. We asked him if he still wants to meet with us and he said, "I really do. I can notice a difference from now and when we met."

I LOVE being a missionary!!! We read in Alma 26 this morning and kept saying, "sister that's us!" "Sister, that's how I feel!" haha. Love it, love it. And i love you all! Have a wonderful week!

Hermana Jackson

Hey mommy! Don't worry for not emailing me, I know you're running around like crazies over there haha. I love hearing your adventures though! Thats funny that you talk about the straight and narrow path cause we had THE COOLEST investigator last night ask about why it's so narrow and what is the process to get on it- I'm tellin you mama, he was the most prepared person I think I've ever met. He was asking some incredible questions- more to come ;). Did you get a picture from Elder Hamula this week? He asked SIster Kreiberg if they could get a picture with us!!! I LOVED them so much!! Like they were the most in-tune, just genuine people. They came and sat next to us at lunch at zone conference and I just loved that they were normal people and totally down to earth. In fact, they were hilarious. I hope yall got that! He said he would email you. ANyway, we had the most incredible, miracle filled week eva!!!! I'll be gettin to the email now so I can share it all :)

LOVE YOU!
Hermana Jackson

Vanessa the van 

Aldaves

the food... 

Sister Trainer Leader

Parents love emails like this one!

Dear President and Sister Jackson,

My wife and I were privileged to meet your missionary daughter during our tour of the Florida Orlando Mission this week.  She is an extraordinary missionary.  You can be very proud of her.  Here she is with us, and her outstanding companion, Sister Kreiberg.

Thank you for raising such a wonderful young woman and placing her in the hands of the Lord for these 18 months of her mission.  Best wishes also to you and your wife in your sacred work in Spain.

Elder James Hamula
Of the Seventy

Tillyke med foedselsdagen! (aka Happy Birthday)

Psych, I'm going Danish speaking!! ;) haha so I'm 99% sure yall got pictures from the Grovers and the Larson's this week and you already know my new comp! Sista Kreiberg (still workin on the accent..). YES! She's the coolest and we couldn't be happier to be together!! Funny story.. The day I got to the mission home Sister Berry asked me if I was Danish because I looked so much like the Danish sister who had arrived a few weeks earlier! haha so it's been a joke for months and now we're finally comps.

I'm not even sure where to start this week but I'mma just dive in cause there's TONS! I'm in Lake Nona now and yes, I'm technically an english sister, but will get to go on exchanges with the spanish sisters as well so that'll be good. There isn't anyone Sister Kreiberg and I can't talk to here haha. Between her danish and german and my spanish which can sometimes help with portuguese and then of course the english.. we're set to conquer. So the coolest thing is that we're equally excited to share this message and to just give it our all!! The term "equally yoked" has new meaning in my life haha. From the second transfer meeting was over I've just felt like I'm running like a mad woman and it's stressful and whatever else, but I'm. SO. HAPPY! This week Sister Kreiberg and I have had a breakthrough. I've loved and enjoyed my mission thus far and that's the down right truth. But this week something happened where I've just consistently felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude to be here!! Its the funniest thing that missions are exhausting and frustrating and sometimes I feel like I'm so inadequate.. But it's the most beautiful, rewarding, joyous experience I could ever ask for. Sometimes I feel like the physical looks are really on a downhill haha but Im the most beautiful on the inside that I've ever been- don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I'm perfect by any means. But I'm being refined. So yeah, this week wasn't even a way successful week- we started out with one investigator having a date and getting pretty close and now his mama isn't sure she's ok with it. Then within the first 2 days and teaching 2 lessons that were so filled with the spirit and so directed to their needs to a super awesome mother and her 7 year old son, we had set solid dates with them, but then we received a text that she was having reservations and we haven't gotten in contact with her since.. We met a man (when we were supposed to be meeting with his son) that was oh so bitter about some trials he's had in his life recently that he believes there isn't a God. And if there is.. He aint happy with him. We spent 2 hours talking with him in his garage about God. Normally I would be stressed on time or frustrated with that kind of situation, but he sincerely wants to know and we felt a real need to help him. He went inside after a long period of time to grab something and Sister K and I turned to each other and both said, "I feel totally calm about this. We need to stay here". We basically tied everything to the BOM and in the end asked him to try it out. We knelt in his garage and he gave the prayer. At first he was maybe a lil sarcastic and through expressing his bitter feelings, he began to calm down and started to really ask if there was a God. This whole weekend we've been receiving inspiration for how we can best meet his needs. Ay church there was an incredible talk given about trials. Unfortunately he wasn't there.. but then we had a way cool fireside last night with Elder Hamula of the 70 there!!! It was so awesome! Recent converts shared their conversion stories and then when Elder. Hamula spoke he told how he truly came to know as a teenager and was super bold but lead by the spirit. I wish I could tell yall everything, i just don't have time. Slash, words are sufficient for all these expereiences haha. I can't wait for all the meetings this week (I never thought I would say such a thing haha). We have zone conference tomorrow and MLC on Wednesday! woo, should be a FEAST. 

Oh, also the other night was a movie night at the chapel and about 90 people came!! the spirit was RADIATING. A cute lil family stopped Sisdter K and I in the hall and asked us how we know Jesus visited the Americas. We taught them about the BOM and testified. That was a way cool idea and tons of people are interested!

Fun facts: we drive a mini van hahaha. Please picture two lil blondies in a mini van with a bike rack.

The man who plays Jesus Christ in the Testaments is my comp.'s sunday school teacher.

We ride bikes like no one's business in this area :) loooove it!

My birthday was the greatest eva. Thanks to all those who sent me cards and emails and packages!!!

Jeg elsker dig

(I love you)

Hermana Jackson

Melvin. How cool was HE?!!! 

itty bitty 

The Cortez family (refugees from Venezuela)!! I LOVE them! And their lil cinthia loves meee :) 

Kissimmee mission'ries 

My comp bought me a cake! 

Sista Moffitt- loves her 

Look who it is!!!!! lil cheater hahaha totally fine with it. 

the Grovers! 

Cutest lil thing. We instantly became friends here in LN. 

We celebrated :) Thanks for the fun stuff!! It was her birthday on the 9th!!

Yeah, I'm la peor and don't have much more time after all the birthday emails...

MMM happy birthday, I need a root canal..... I went to the dentist this morn and it turns out I need a root canal. So should i get it here, or just settle on antibiotics for the rest of the mish? Also, i did get one package from anthro (!) and one from the fam. Their calling my name from under the bed haha. Thank you!!! I'm sorry I don't have time.. I know that's the worst. We saw SOO many miracles this week and I really do love these people!! Man. But excited for the adventure ahead! and honored. I love you so so much! Have a good week!