Madison Madness

HI dear ones,

Sister Jarvis arrived excited and psyched to go this week:) She is from a tiny town in New Mexico will 11 in her graduating class. We are hitting the ground running in Madison.

I laughed my head off the other day. One of her first lessons broke her in quite nicely. It was a lady that we had contacted on the street a week or so ago and when we got to her run down cylinder block apartment she yelled "who iz it?!" ( everyone yells that here when you knock and no one knows who it "iz" when we say the missionaries haha) She said "open the door so I can see yo face." We walked into another world in there. It was dark only lit by the t.v screen. Sandy just laid on the couch talking and would yell across the room every so often to a random man who was asleep next to us. Roaches EVERYWHERE. Sister Jarvis sat down next to a bucket on the floor that was filled with black and yellow liquid. Soon to find out that every so often Sandy would lean over and spit up foul liquid. As we hugged her and left she was crying and pleading to get away from the life she lived. The Book of Mormon fell straight into the bucket of bodily fluid and we stood there and smiled hahaha. She dug it out and whipped it on the rug and continued talking. Haha these people make up a good population of Madison.

I had another tender experience with Kathryn's family. We had all got together to discuss the funeral and share a message with them. We thanked the family for letting us teach Ms. Kathryn as we all sat around in a circle. I began to cry when Cedric asked me to speak at her funeral. I never would have imagined the feelings you feel on a mission.

I love the life I live and I'm so grateful to be here. I spoke on missionary work in Sacrament last sunday and had the chance to teach both youth sunday school and Y.Ws. And talking to the youth is MY favorite. They are AWESOME. I look back at where I was before I came out here and who I was and see so many similarities as I talked with them.I would never imagined being who and where I am today. God is good to his children.

I love you all so much. Keep reading. Keep praying. He knows you.

Sister Jackson 

TRANSFERS

Happy Monday:) 

This has been a tender and tiresome week for me. We have been up and back at the hospital multiple times this week seeing Ms. Katherine. About a week ago we went for the first time. I held her hand around her IVs and looked her in the eyes and told her I love her. I can't explain the experience but the words sounded strange coming out of my mouth. I tell so many people here that I love them and I truly do but this time it came out with the conviction of everything inside of me. She was weepy and expressed the same to me. Leaving the hospital it was as if God told me subtly that was it. And ever sense that day she has quickly gone down hill and at this point probably wont make it. We have prayed with her family on multiple occasion and I get teary eyed still because of how deeply my heart feels for them. She is my family. Cedric will talk to her unconsciousness about how he is still going to go to the temple for her to seal them forever. That was her biggest wish. The whole thing is humbling and the perspective on temples and life eternal has really rooted me this past week.  

I heard a quote the other day that said "If you've found a life you love, you must have the courage to live it." Living this Gospel takes courage and it takes faith. No one is exempt. Sister Cook and I trained in our Zone Conference this week about taking control of the moments in your life. We came to this earth with determination to gow spiritually and amount to something. We promised not only God but ourselves that we would. We owe it to ourselves to keep that promise!

President Smith called us last night at 10:20 when we were laying in bed and said "Sister Jackson are you ready to TRAIN again?!" I laughed. Come tomorrow I will go pick up a brand new Sister and bring her back to Madison. Life is a good one!:) The people here are good to the core. Real fun. For the past hour and a half i'v been sitting next to a pal who has been passionately comenting and laughing to himself about youtube videos on Jesus and Blue Jeans.

Keep seeking Him. I love you all immensely and am happy here.

Sister Jackson

We had a wild storm here and were stuck inside yesterday for Tornado Watches. I was suppose to speak but we all were sent home after the sacrament for safety:) We took "shelter" At the Sherwoods. This is Xiaver who we work with. A.K.A Jimmy Falon Jr. Last week he came to church for the first time in 9 years. He is a great!

Happy MLK

Hey family! 

Things are going swell in Madison. I don't have much time today. Just wanted to say I love y'all! 

This week has God was good to us and we were able teach many lessons straight on the street as we talked to people. Between being serenaded by drunk Baptists and getting yelled off of angry country mens property we had some sweet, dear, experiences.

Yesterday we were leaving an apartment complex and as I drove I saw a lady crossing the street in my rearview mirror and something subtle inside me said talk to her. So I stopped the car at the stop sign and I chased her down. We began to teach her the Restoration and tears streamed down her face in despire. She fights many demons and wolfs in this life. I looked at her brown eyes as I read a few things to her from the Book of Mormon. And I felt gratitude once again for Our Savior and the knowledge he gives us.

Another neat highlight happened last night when we were driving home last night a sister called me and told me news that made me want to cry. A few months ago I wrote home about a boy named Quan, who we stopped at and challenged him in Bball. And if we won he had to listen to us.... Sound familiar?? Quan is the winner now because he is getting baptized! I couldn't believe it. The work is pressing forward!

I love you and I love the Book of Mormon. There is truth in it. Keep reading. Thank you for being my best friends!

Sister Jackson

Not a bad place to live:)

We snapped this one foggy morning in a route to get our investigators ready for church.

Good to Come

Hey hey hey. 

I hope you all are enjoying the snow. I sure miss it. It still is frigid here. I've been wearing my coat around my apartment all morning because our little Florida Heater can't keep up with this whether! Man. I don't know what to say about this week. It has been hectic. Sister Anderson had to be emergency transferred because of somethings going on with the people we see and my new Companion is Sister Cook. And she is a real sweet and a great missionary.

Other than that really all this week has been is knocking doors, prayin,  and trying to find people to teach. I love the people here and there is a lot of good here we just are on the hunt. (Usually are:)).

We were listening to a talk the other day and a scripture it talked about was Luke 4:18

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised."

That call is upon all of us missionaries or not. And even though we can be the one to feel poor, brokenhearted, captive, blind or bruised, God delivers us along our paths to help others. Keep serving and loving the ones that surround you in your life. I love you all, miss you all, and pray for you all daily! Thanks for being my joy and peace:) Sending you loads of love from the Florida Georgia Line!!

Sister Jackson

HAPPIEST NEW YEAR

Hello my wonderful family. I hope y'all had a rockin' New Years! There sure isn't another place/life I would have rather woken up in on Jan 1! I love the life I live:) 

2017 could not have began any more miraculously. On a mission I believe you hit a time where you feel like you are working harder than you ever have, doing everything you possibly can to go the extra mile, mentally tired stretching for earnest heavenly help with your heart completely submersed and vulnerable and yet...you see nothing. And that's where i felt I was at. Day after day I gave Him everything I knew how to.  Of course I knew God was with me and I knew the work has absolutely nothing to do with me and me seeing the fruits but you can't help but feel defeated at times. I have done pretty good at staying full of hope my whole mission but Sunday morning after we had tried to pick up a family of kids we teach and their struggling mama refused it was a little punch. And Jashanti and her mom who we've been really breaking though with lately didn't show. And my heart hurt. I sat there during the sacrament emotionally and physically exhausted asking God what more I could possibly do. Asking him for his hope and strength. Questioning where am I going wrong. 

I know this is a raw, emotional draining email BUT what I want to say is that God is real and he knows all well better than me and all of us. That afternoon we went to see Katherine, Cedric's bed ridden mom whom we have been teaching extensively. She had gotten her answer. Cedric was standing in the kitchen the night before when she said "I want to be sealed to you FOREVER." She has had so many concerns and questions and doubts (as any one who is honestly seeking should have) and she finally has felt God connect it for Her to feel the truth of this Gospel. Both Sister Anderson and I became emotional. I sat there in awe at how aware He is. How no matter where we are in life or how much we have lived he will provide. He knew Katherine and has been by her bed side much more than we were ever able to be. There are still some set backs we are working through as to how to physically get her baptized and to church but peace is in her heart and mine. 

The lesson God taught me that day and every day roots from the divine principle of trusting our Maker. He has a plan for each one of His children. I know my sole happiness is only present when my TRUST in him is also. How he loves us. How he knows us. 

I love and miss y'all daily:) I have the best family, how I am BLESSED!

Sister Jackson

Take a look at my cute New Years KISS:)

Madison Madness

Happy Monday:) 

Madison is AWESOME. I love it here. SO country. I live in the middle of no where. It is TINY. I'm in a lil branch of about 40 people on a good day. It is the strangest feeling here. We are an hour away from all the other missionaries and you will go miles and miles at night sometimes with out seeing a single light or a sign of civilization. In some places it truly feels like a third world country with its poverty stricken and neglected people. Most don't have phones or internet here which makes it tricky but the people are Wonderful. Simply wonderful. We live in an old hotel from the 60's that smells like a cabin ah. Sister Anderson is great. We could not be more opposite but we will put in some good work together. She is teaching me a lot!

I will give yall just a few glimpses into Madison....:)

We had a powerful lesson the other day. We sat in plastic chairs at the end of Kathlene's ( a Recent converts sick momma) bed. Her lil sassy son got baptized a few months ago so him and kathlene and his sister all had a great lesson from the Book of Mormon. NOthing is better than teaching people who are genuinely trying to learn more! Despite their being cockroaches everywhere literally (all over the walls, falling from the ceiling, and running across my feet) but no one seemed to notice besides me ha so on we went. Now I just shake them off my feet with out breaking thought. God provides:) We invited them all to be baptized. And we are really making progress.

Another night we went to a less actives house who is a strange man. OH Brother Starlin. I chased one of his 12 cats with pink eye around his yard trying to catch her for him. She bite me and he said " I hope she don't give ya cellulitis." He thinks one of them gave it to him and isn't sure which one... I just laughed and said "ME too!" 

The second day here Sister Anderson told me we were singing in a rest homes Christmas Program. When we showed up it was all the residents and all their families and all the workers. Hahah it was actually a pretty big event. First a female Deacon got up and praised her soul out with Hallelujahs and Amens and then another minister got up and taught from the Bible. And then the missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints got up and we sang silent night. Hahah yall know my singing is less than average so i was lucky that every one was so good and loving and we all worshiped together.

Almost everyone here is African American and we went to Methodist Cantada last night that one of our investigators was preforming in. Man. I love that no matter where we are as God's children, or what we believe, or how we show it. We simply show it. We all are here worshiping and trying to love.

I love this Gospel. No where eles do I feel the spirit stronger than within this Divine, Christ led religion. I really felt the power of prayer sustain me this week. No matter how far away we are from those we love our loving Father is only a prayer away. Prayer is something so subtle and the help it gives is hard for me to put into words or feelings but it IS REAL. He lifts us to do and be who he calls of us in this life. To rise us in our environments to stay true to the Sons and Daughters that we are. I can't wait to see you all on SUNDAY! I love you!

Sister Jackson

Farewell Niceville!

HI FRIENDS:)

THANK YOU FOR THE BIRTHDAY WISHES. I am 20 and 10 pounds heavier with the 5 too many cakes i ate this week:) Thank you for loving me:) Transfers are HERE and I'm headed to Madison Florida this week! It is the very edge of the mission past Tally! It is always bittersweet leaving but I know God needs me there. My last week in Niceville was a really really good one. I am just soaking up the memories... sometimes literally!!!!

SO I don't know what my luck with pee lately is but somehow I just can't get away. Every week we help a grumpy lady change her sheets and clean her little trailer. With out fail there is always Dog poop and pee all over the floor. This time I managed to stand in it until Sister Fox gave me the cue to move and because of our back to back appointments I had soggy sticky shoes and feet for the next 7 hours. It was straight FILTHY and all we could do was laugh! That day was just all laughing as we knocked on houses in the back woods where the only thing people were interested in was the F word and using sharpie to write the house number address on the outside of their house haha.

We had contacted into a lady at the food bank were we volunteer at and was able to make it over to her house this week. She is an organized hoarder and her house was sensory overload. She was broken. And searching for purpose. It astounds me daily how much love the Lord gives me for those I teach. It is REAL. We sat there for 2 hours with our arms around her as she cried and cried. I was reading in my setting apart blessing and one of the things it mentions is the chance to help others recognize who they are and what they mean to God. This week that opportunity came time and time again. It is SO humbling.  

Goodbyes are hard. When you leave an area you look back and really think about who you were there for. There is a 27 year old girl named Kristy who I know I needed just as much as she needed me. She grew up in the church but stopped going when her parents got a divorce. So many steps have been made from the first time we knocked on her door and she barely let us in, till yesterday when she came to church for the first time church in 8 years. Gosh how I love her. It is the GREATEST calling to be able to be there hand in hand with someone as they come closer to God and his gospel. On a mission there are lots of promises to you with gifts that you are given or blessings to help you and to be honest sometimes it is really hard to see those on regular bases. But with Kristy they could have not been more apparent. I know if not for anyone eles I was sent to Niceville for her.

I know that is how it is with all of in life. We all are given our personalities and hearts to help someone or something in the World for the better. And although its a life long pursuit I know God leads us to exactly where he needs us in life. I pray we can all trust that and have the courage to be the Sons and Daughters he needs! I know I have questions or doubts weekly and what it comes down to is clingy to our Father. He will hold and carry you.   I LOVE YOU I miss you! And I can't wait to see all your beautiful faces in 2 short weeks:)

Love, Sister Jackson

BROTHER PAULUS. He is a Mennonite that we visit. He is awesome. 

This is Rhonda from the email!