Find Today's Miracle

Hello! Its a happy rainy day here in Florida this morning. Man. This week flew by. I cherish every day out here. 

This week i went to my very last zone conference as a full time missionary. It doesn't feel real. Sister Sant and I wrapped up the conference and workshops with the passion to find. It was tender to reminisce on how far a mission takes you. I got teary at the close of the conference as i testified with my heart about the Savior and the Master Healer that he is. 

He truly has the power to change the desires of our hearts and i have felt that first hand out here. 

We saw miracle after miracle this week. God is so good. His timing amazes me everyday with how and when we are led to good people every day. 

 Some miracles you have to dig a little deeper than others to see. One prompting from God i still laugh about. We were driving down the busy road and saw a lady about to cross it. As we kept driving the prompting didn't leave so we turned around parked at Starbucks and chased this lady across the parking lot only to have her not break stride as she told us to GO TO HELL! Ha we stopped dead in our tracks and told her to have a nice day. As we walked back to the car we knew that wasn't it. There is no way God took us this far to go home. We ended up knocking on the window of a ladies car and got her info to go back to see her. Moral of the Story KEEP SEARCHING:) Miracles only cease because we do. 

I have really felt an increase in my capacity to love this week. Something Sister Sant and I do now is every time we are rejected we walk to the edge of their sidewalk and say a prayer together for that individual. That there hearts may continue to soften for future missionaries and that God will not give up on them. Its been a powerful addition to this work!

I have 100 more ridiculously funny stories i wish i had all the day to tell you. In due time :)

I love you all!! Keep reading. Keep praying. Keep searching truth. 

Sister Jackson:)

Departing Sisters from the Zone

Sister Smith

                                               Sister Sant and I celebrating her year mark with some Thai. 

Gulf Breeze Loves Sister Sant

Happy Monday!!

This week was great. Sister Sant is my new companion from Washington State. She is ready to get out and work our butts off so i am just excited for all that this transfer will hold. 

Its heating up real quick here. Our AC is currently broke so weve been sleeping with ice packs. You do what you got to do for Florida. 

Ha one of our first lessons together was WILD. We met this lady on the street the day before and she was angry with God for taking her husband. She let us come and she had some unfriendly family who was leaving so we sat on their floor and waited. We taught the Plan of Salvation with a reaking garbage can between our heads and a little chubby 3 year old who was on a rampage the entire lesson. Her hands were busy between tearing our book of Mormon apart or down her pants that were too small to cover her little bum.

At one point she came tackling me from behind placing her entire hand in my mouth so much that i could taste it. Nasty. 

I put some good ol mouth wash to the test that day. 

I love it all. The crazy, exhaustion, and the sweet filled moments of the spirit where i can testify of the Savior. 

I recently have been doing the TG Jesus Christ study that Elder Nelson suggested last conference. Boy it has already impacted me. I love the Savior. And i feel of his power. Nothing is better than it. 

Thank you for being my best friends. 

So much love, Sister Jackson

Blue Angel Week

HELLO!

This week was wonderfuly busy as usual. We had a inspiring MLC this week in Tallahasse. The spirit hit me hard with just how powerful this work and calling really is. How ready Heaven is ready to assist. It was a great reminder. 

I feel like my consecration and understanding of what this is all about is at its greatest poin in my whole mission. You wish you could be where you are now and have a year and a half all over to apply who you've become and the spirit you let guide. Its just the process of a mission though. It been through all the trial and error and experiences that have helped to this place. 

Yesterday it hit me again with just how in love with my life i am. There is nothing id rather be doing. I have felt the happiness the gospel brings evelope me this week. I am excited for next transfer. Ready to give all my heart and might to the end!

I excited for the upcoming adventures and memories with Sister Sant my new companion who will be coming to Gulf Breeze this week. 

I want to write off with something i read this week! We are not slaves to our circumstances.

How true that is. Whether spiritual or temporal. The Savior has all power to help create the lives and testimonies we need and desire no matter the conditions that surround. 

I LOVE YOU ALL. 

Sister Jackson

A member took us to see the blue angels and made took this great picture. They ROCK.

The Promised Land

Happy Fourth Friends!! I don't have much time but just wanted to share a quick tender mercy.

We went on an exchange with sisters in Brewton AL. Our appointment fell through so we tried the neighbors to see if they knew if they were in town/meet them! She was not having it and barely cracked her door. As we were introducing ourselfs she said thanks and shut the door ha. We started to walk away and i knew we couldn't give up that easy. We went back and knocked it again. Gave here our info and asked for referrals. She pointed to her two neighbors. The first trailor was a no go. As we moved on to the second house, barbra greeted us with hesitancy but then something flipped and she let us right in.

We ended up teaching her the restoration and setting a baptismal date. The lord provides!! 

The love continued when we met an AWESOME guy while he was tanning his feet on the side walk. He reminded me of the hobbit. He ran and got his dog for us to show us his pride and joy.

Note to self: dont ask if you can hold a dog who come to find out was fed a joint for dinner the night before, because when you give the pup to your companion it may cry while peeing all over her. 

I hadn't laughed that hard in a long time!!

I love you all so much.  I know God is in the work of every piece of this Life. Keep reading. Keep praying. Keeping seeking.

Love Sister Jackson:)

Dark Stormy Nights at Waffle House

Hey Yall. Happiest of Mondays. 

This week had some wild storms and memories. It is the small moments where time stands still and you just feel gratitude to be out here, that i live for now a days. 

One happened on an exchange with Sister Baker. Its been pouring buckets lately here. One evening after eating dinner it was getting late and we both were drenched head to toe from from the day. We swung into waffle house to try to tract down one of our former investigators who we lost contact with that works there. We ran in there drenched. It was late and only the workers were inside. We ended up contacting every one of the workers all with individual heart touching stories. One girl had dropped out of highschool to take care of her mom who passed away. Another lady was in tears with nostalgia from her journey with God. It felt so natural to testify and teach as if i were standing there talking with my friends from home. How i LOVE this work. Later on i realized friends from home they really were. 

Another cool experience happened at a door step where we were able to talk to a kid from California who was atheist and had no desire to know if there was a God. After an hour back and forth of questions from the heavens he was able to say his very first prayer in his life. 

Afterwards he said "im confused." "I don't understand why I just did what i did." The spirit is so cool. Surely we were accompanied by it that day. 

I love you. Thanks for being the absolute best. Jesus Christ loves and lives. Be bold for what you love!

Love,

Sister Jackson

ALSO if you have some spare minutes go give Dealing With Uncertainty by Bruce C. Hafen a read. One of my new favorite talks:) 

Happy Fathers DAY!

Hello loved ones. I hope you all had a wonderful Father's Day. It was bitter sweet being away from home in the arms of my Hero of a Dad. Yet i felt such a love and closeness to my Heavenly Father. How grateful I am.

As i was studying for an Exchange this week i came across Romans 8:28 

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

It hit home because in the chaos of life and the internal battles we all fight daily it comes down to the simple promise that ALL things work together for good when we love God. And when we truly truly love God with all that we are, our lives and purposes will fall into His will. 

I am grateful for the opportunity He gives all of us to find our selves and find out what His personal will is for us. It is a beautiful, intimate journey!

I love you all. Keep reading. Keep praying. Keep searching. You will find Him.

Sister Jackson!

 

Johnny my Diabetic buddy on and exchange in Brewton Alabama hah! 

Sister Hulstine and I reunited!

So on one of my last days in Madison we were driving home and there was a huge family reunion outside a house and i had the internal battle to pull over or not to talk to them( Huge groups intimidate me ha) Anywho we did and showed a mom and a nother lady the prince of peace video. Sister Hulstine my old comp sent me this pic and the son got baptized last week. Cool huh! 

This is Real.

Hello!!

Gosh this week was incredible. Elder Uceda from the 70 (spoke last conference about missionaries at Machu Pichu) visited the mission. I wish you all could just sit in on some of these meetings because at times the spirit almost feels tangible. I promise. It is the coolest. He is a humble, inspired man of God. 

One of my most cherished memories of my mission happened this week. Words can not and will never do justice but i am going to attempt to try. 

I went up to Tallahassee for an exchange with Sister Leavitte. We were in a smaller part of town and all our appointments fell through so we were just contacting. Inside some of the doors reminded me of my days in Africa. 

Many City workers were mowing lawns and such and as we stopped each one of them they were not interested. As we began walking back to where we had left our car to head to our next appointment we said lets try one more person. Then we met Gary. He said "so whats your message? I know God stopped me for a reason today." We began teaching the Restoration. So there we stood in the heat of the day with sweat running down our faces teaching and testifying our hearts out on that little sidewalk. Sister Leavitte handed him the pamphlet to read the 1st vision. He stumbled a bit as he read aloud. As he finished he paused and looked up with tears in his eyes. All he said was "wow. i really feel God at this moment." The spirit was touching him. 

Sometimes it is easy to doubt what you or other people are feeling. But in this day there is not a single thing someone could say or do that could detract from the reality of the spirit that he felt testify to him. The spirit that we all felt. It was undeniable.

Just as we finished the lesson his van pulled down the street to pick him up. God allowed him just enough time to hear this message. We all held hands as he prayed allowed. Before he left the spirit was playing its roll and I said Gary we have one more question for you. When you come to feel and know that this message is true, will you follow Jesus Christ and be baptized by his authority? Amidst the cars and yelling neighbors it felt as if us three were the only ones on the block as time stood still. With his humble teary eyes he replied "yes."

The sisters called me last night and said that as they went back to teach him, his cousin who had been baptized two years ago showed up saying she wants to go back to church and just wasn't sure how to transfer her records. They are now teaching His cousin and interested Non-member husband. 

Miracles. 

This work is real and I love my Savior. Thank you for the support and love you send me from across country. I love you all!

Sister Jackson:)

My two babes are companions. How i love them!