Hit the (3pointer) Quan

Hello my dear ones! 

This week i was honestly just full of love for the life i live and my Savior. I went to Crestview for an exchange with Sister Saunders and we witnessed miracles.

 We were lost and driving through the back roads/woods and i saw a guy in his 4XL Clippers Jersey playing basketball and i turned to Sister Saunders and said "DO you play basketball?!" And she said "Not really", i told her to stop the car, i rolled down my window and yelled " HEY! Can we play?!" Ha he looked at us like seriously? And but said sure. We pulled over and jumped out in our dresses and began playing. I said lets make a deal! If we win you have to listen to a message from us! He agreed. And let me tell you the Lord provided. Because neither Sister Saunders nor I have any basketball playing capability and for the first time we somehow made the shots over and over again and won! Hahah we both just looked at eachother in shock. His name was NiQuan. He turned off his jammin beats and put the ball down. So there we stood in the street as we taught him the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was peaceful and powerful. He had just lost his mother earlier that year and accepted the invitation to read and pray about the Book of Mormon with hope and excitement. 

Us and the Destin Elders made Light the World shirts at Walmart and took whiteboards around the Commons (A big outdoor shopping center) and chased people down to write on our boards how they can spread Christs light this season. All while sharing our cards and videos with them. Super neat!

I see God's hand in my life daily. It is neat, painful, and rewarding as i grow to a place where i can recognize him more fully. If i know one thing, i know that this gospel brings joy. When i'm at my happiest it is because of the Joy i feel in Jesus Christ and the plan of happiness and progression for each one of us. There is more to this life than what we take it for. I love you all SO much. Sending so many hugs and kisses from Florida:)

Sister Jackson

Happy PEE-Day

Hi family!

It sounds like you all had the happiest of Thanksgivings! It was really neat to spend this Holiday on the mission! I miss you all dearly but there is nothing i'd rather be doing! Sue, a recent convert took us to YOGA that morning. AH my lanz it was so good. I have missed it so much. I was one happy missionary. In the beginning of  the class we all went around and introduced ourselves and I'm sure that was the first time they have ever had Missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ attend:) It was well needed. 

We have been running with the new Church initiative of LIGHT THE WORLD. It is all about being Christ's hands here on earth and spreading his light. What a great calling we all have. I hope y'all find time to watch the video on mormon.org! It almost brings me to tears. 

I Love my Savior. I am grateful to have the opportunity to put myself in a place where growth is necessary everyday to make it. I am grateful for this Restored Gospel and the love and JOY that it brings. At the end of the day if nothing else, all i want is for His children to find more joy. 

I pray we can all hold strong to him and the impressions of our hearts. I know God needs Brave Daughters and Sons. I love him. 

So much Love,

Sister Jackson:) 

Camille in her Sunday best!

We helped a L.A family decorate for X-mas.

ALSO! MAN.....  Sometimes it hits you with how nutz the South is.It happened again this week.Most the houses we go into are real unsanitary and cluttered but I hit an all time low the other day. We walked into our investigators house and i was sitting down when I noticed the Couch was wet. There wasn't another place to sit so I thought well... here goes nothing. Meanwhile she is just talking our ears off. I smelt the cushion i was sitting on and sure enough i was 100% pee. I asked her if her dog was potty trained and she said yes. I didn't want to believe that i was there trying to teach a lesson as i sat in my investigators pee. The longer i thought about it there has been many occasions where she has gotten up from a lesson with wet pants. I'll admit iv witnessed some pretty filthily things in this house but this was the winner.  hahah Happy holidays!!

Thankful Hearts

Happy Holidays to my lovely family:) 

I don't have much time today but i thought i would just share 10 things i'm grateful for!

1. The simplicity of PB and Js that sustain me everyday:)

2. A man who had pity on me as i biffed it as i biked up Palm Ave... Hahah its a busy street. We laughed our heads off as i struggled to get back on  and crossed the street to talk to this man.  a few moments  into the conversation he said i saw you go almost go down over there, are you okay? It was clear he just felt bad for us but sent us to his ex gf appartment instead.. hey you take what ya can:)

3.Our investigators who take our investigators to the hospital during relief society because of knee pain from falling and smashing their head into the concrete from clubbin a few days prior.

4.The new skill of sliding our apartment lock to break in that was acquired this week when we lost the keys. I can now break into almost anything!

5.The SOUTH. It will always be a part of me.  

6. The absolute best support team back at home that i love with all that i am.

7.The faith God gave me  to serve a mission.

8.The pure and unlimited chance to talk to God, our heavenly Dad.

9. Sundays:)  

10. The redemptive power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Yesterday Camille showed up to church in her pajamas and crocs. I was so so truly happy. Nothing is better than having someone you love so much come to church. I put my arm around her as we took the sacrament and as I sat next to her smoke stained clothes i couldn't help but feel so much gratitude for Gods plan. How it is our destiny to become more than who we are today. I looked a few rows up and saw Ray covered in tattoos. He is someone who we work with as well but has a lot of legal situations from his past life that he has to take care of first. A less active that we have also been working with came for the first time in 4 years. All of these people gathered together in one grand cause. To become MORE. 

Every single one of us fights our own battles in this life. But i feel so deeply of the love that our Savior Jesus Christ, has for us as we take his hand to reach tomorrow. I have felt of the power that is within God's plan for us to grow. To overcome. To progress. And to Become. This life has purpose and potential. I pray that we all may reach to Our Savior for strength to be who he wants us to be. I know that as we do this we will be filled with more love not only for others but for ourselves. Because you are going to love who you are becoming so much more than who you were. 

I hope that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving full of everything that truly matters in this life:)

I love you!

Sister Jackson

My happy place:)

Loads of stray dogs out here. Some are nicer than others.

Knocking the Socks Off

Hello Hello my favorite people. This week was a good week full of biking, dropped appointments, trailer parks and door knocking. All to find the one! 

I can't count on my two hands the number of times Sis Fox and I chase someone down a street to talk to them. Just this morning we left our car that was filling up with gas to chase a lady that was 2 blocks away. Although its work and half the time we are laughing our heads off at how ridiculous we look we almost always see miracles. On one occasion we were biking and i got of my bike to run to a girl who was a few blocks in front of us. She was 16 and was currently kicked out of school. When i asked if we could share a message with her that will change her life she said yes! We all walked backed together to her house and taught her the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Her life was absolutely nuts and she unloaded every thing that has ever happened to her and every wrong decision she has made. If anyone was lost, she was. When we got to the Book of Mormon she said "OH i remember that book! "Two guy missionaries came and taught me 6 years ago on my porch in Georgia." I got chills because i felt how much God truly prepares his children. How easy it is and would have been to just let her walk away. They next time we went to see her she said her Mom threw away her Book of Mormon and needed another one. One of the hardest things to see out here is how deep the adversary has a grasp on Gods children.

Sister Fox and i had set up and appointment with a lady in a trailer park for later that evening. When we came back her Sister's boy ran out yelling at us to go away. The Sister walked out and said "Yall need to leave!" I started explaining who we had talked to, and she said "you ain't talking to anyone here and slammed the door shut." We both just stood there. Hahah some days are simply...long.

BUT IT is worth it. Because every once in awhile you get to see first hand how God works. This morning during studies i couldn't stop thinking about a lady who i had glanced at as we drove to someones house 4 days earlier. I fought within my self for a good while then decided we should go. Even though it was P-day we went and knocked on that door. The lady was not interested but said we could try to help her friend who's life is absolutely falling apart. She told us that God must of sent us this morning. 

I love my Savior. I love this Gospel. I love you all with everything I am!

xoxo Sister Jackson

AMERICA

Happy Election day! I haven't watched media in 8 months so i honestly forgot this was happening untill someone said something today about it! Good luck America. This week was crayazy to say the least. From trying to help hoarders clean to someone trying to break into our apartment. We are all safe and its a wonderful life we live:)  

We had an Indian Pow wow and the whole zone came down and we did a family History Booth. It was awesome. I completely love the south. I help a 6'4 hairy 300 pound man from the backwoods find his lost family. I just looked at his as he talked to me and thought he could 100% be Hagrid's twin from Harry Potter.

Sister Fox and I are still out tracting the town trying to find those searching for more! God truly puts us right where he needs us.So many times we just walk away laughing because of the life we live. I sure love her. 

Something that we recently went over with our investigator Kat is our purpose here in Life. It is something that I love with my whole heart. Progression. We are here to become.

 What a beautiful plan that our God has given us. We ALWAYS have the potential to become more than who we are. 

I am grateful for the grace of our Savior that elevates each of us daily if we but reach out. 

I LOVE YOU ALL to the moon and back!

Sister Jackson

My 2 babies. When you train someone its mission lingo that they are your kids...and I am one proud momma:)

Happy Halloween!

I don't have much time today but i just wanted to let you all know how much i love you and hope you are all loving life! 

We have biked all week and we able to meet some really neat people. I will just give you a glimpse of my morning....:)

 As of late i'v been really trying to do things for God. Whether its turning back to talk to someone or being present in a lesson when i feel exhausted. So this morning as we biked home an investigators home we passed someone sitting on her porch and I got the feeling we should go back so i yelled at Sister Fox and we turned back and sat down with her for a good hour. Sweet old Samoan lady. We had a good talk with her. Missionaries had tried to stop at their families home in Samoa. Its neat to see how many people have at some point in their life had connections to missionaries or the church. At one point she shouted " I feel need to pray." And we there we sat in her front yard holding hands as she gave the most wonderful, loving, praising Jesus prayer.  And i thought to myself im glad we turned around:)

 A few hours later when we went shopping i felt the need to talk to the guy bagging lettuce but thought to myself its my pday now i don't need to talk to him but sure enough when we came back 30 min later he was still standing there shelving the lettuce and we got his number and address. 

We smiled and said hi as we walked past another man and he stopped us and and said "Im mormon i havent gone in a long time because of my Methodist wife, but i still believe! " I know its true!!" Thing got heated when his wife came back but still a tender mercy:)

My point of this little rant is that i am just grateful for the opportunity to be the best of friends with God. To do things for him and for each other!

Yeah we let him down sometimes but unlike any other friend he will never walk away. 

I know that He is aware of his children and that he wants to be apart of every step in our lives. And life is simply better with him by your side!

So much love, 

Sister J

HA ALSO funny side moment. Two days ago we were weekly planning and I started itching my neck and i said to Sister Fox '' I am not feeling too good." I went to the mirror and i had completely broken out in hives. They are filthy. I must have eaten something im allergic to because the next 48 i was swollen head to toe with red spots. The elders nick named me a giraffe and to top it off when we came home some one had thrown pizza at our appartment door. #Missionary

Niceville Eagles For the W

Hey fam bam! I don't have much time but i thought id shoot you some pics from the beautiful beaches of Destin from last P-Day and the Niceville Football game we went to with Kat and Jordan!

I know I have talked about the surreal moments out on a mission or really in any time in life where you simply cherish every minute of what your doing and living. Where what your doing is raw and real.On Sunday Kat came to church and i could not have been happier. Sitting next to people at church who are far from the spirit is a neat thing. Because they are different people as they worship God. Even if it is but for a few moments. I will never forget sitting next to her Yesterday hearing her mumble the words to I am a Child of God. You experience so many humbling real moments as you seek to see the world as our father does.

I know that our Savior has the power to enable and truly change us. He loves us for who we are but more importantly for who we are to become. I love you all so much and count my lucky stars everyday for my beautiful family back at home:) 

so much love, 

Sister Jackson