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!

All About the Delivery

Happy Monday! WELCOME TO THE FAMILY ELLIE MAE. I can't wait to kiss her lil cheeks. 

This week I truly felt the awareness of God. I will tell you two simple times real quick!

Im not sure if you guys remember the lady that broke down in the laundromat that we prayed with right then and there. We lost contact with her for a bit then tried her one day and she was in a very very terrible place and there was not a thing we could say or do for her but pray. WELL, yesterday was a breakthrough. She came to church with her little daughter. She looked so good and i promise the spirit in the church brings out the best of people. It was fast and testimony meeting and as she sat there she leaned over to me and said something inside me feels i need to get up there (she has terrible social anxiety so i was totally taken back). I told her i would get up there with her if she wanted to go! So up we went!

As a missionary you always get a little nervous for what is going to come out of the mouth of the people you bring to church.  AND it was BEAUTIFUL. She was a completely different person. She was in tears with her story and the day the "sisters knocked on my door and saved me from the lowest place possible". That whole day she just thanked us again and again for saving her life. It was a humbling place to be that day. 

Second story: Sister Shank and I were both praying one evening and a pizza delievery guy knocked on our door (a loving member sent him). We ended up talking to him for a good while about the restoration and the Book of Mormon and set a return appointment with him for next week! Cool guy just searchin for peace in his life. 

I love you all. The Savior has trod the very path He asks us to follow. And i love Him for it.

Sister Jackson:)

Our pal Esther who just got back from her mission!

Staying In The Breeze

Hello family and friends! Transfers have come and gone and Sister Shank and I are here in Gulf Breeze for another. We are excited to hit the pavement and do our best to get this area flourishing. 

We mainly had another week of finding! We are in the push through phase of the work because as always miracles are abundant you just got to get out and find them!

After a long day of every single appointment falling through we got "stood up" at a park and we began looking for others to talk to. We ran over to a boy getting in his car and ended up having a great chat with him about the Savior and what he can truly offer. We watched the #Because of Him video with him and testified our lil souls out. I know we were meant to be at that park for someone.

I have felt such strength from my personal prayers this week. It really is a refuge and thats something i never experienced before my mission. Gosh what power genuine prayers can bring! I know the Savior has trod the very path he asks us to follow. And I love Him for that. 

I love you all dearly! Thank you for being such a strength and inspiration to me:) 

Last Monday we went to a Blue WAHOOS baseball game SO fun.

An exchange last week with Sis Mantlo! She hit her 19 months and so we celebrated with #3 best ranked tacos in AMERICA... good but debatable! 

Hey Hey

Hey my favorite people! I don't have much time this week but just wanted to shoot a quick email! We had two exchanges this week in Pensacola and Gulf Breeze! The sisters continue to amaze me. 

ONE cool tender mercy happened after a long day of tracting and on our way home we felt impressed to turn around and go back to a guy we saw. So after we knocked that last door we went back for him. He had just moved here from Alabama and happened to be roomates with a guy(Chris) from my first area who got baptized my first week in the field! It was crazy. He said he totally saw Chris's  life changed as he was baptized and wanted that too. So a few days later we went taught him the Restoration at a park and set a Baptismal date with him. Teaching and testifying to him with passion felt so natural. THE LORDS HAND IS IN THIS WORK!

I really do see the blessings of pushing and fighting through the long hard days out here. And nothing makes it more worth it then our Savior and doing it in His behalf. 

I love you all!

Sister Jackson

Happy Mother's Day :)

HI fam! I so loved talked to you yesterday. I am oh so lucky. I just wanted to share a neat experience from my week.

Sister Cook one of my past companions came down for an exchange and we were tracting in an apartment complex and one person led us to another and we ended up teaching all sorts of people in the laundromat. We had our portable dvd player and copies of the Books of Mormon with us. It was so neat. One lady in particular broke down into tears in despair because of where she was in life. 

We sat her down hugged her and counseled with her about the healing power of the atonement of Jesus Christ and after a while we just asked if we could pray with her. So there in the middle of the laundromat we all got down on our knees and prayed aloud. Gosh the spirit filled each one of us. 

We went back a few days later and taught her the Restoration and set a Baptismal date with her. 

Amongst the heartbreaks this week was full of tender mercies. As it always is. 

I love you all dearly. Jesus Christ Lives!

So much much love,

Sister Jackson

Bay Side

Exchanges with Sister Whatcott

Doors on Doors

Hello! I don't have much time today but i just wanted to shoot yall a quick email! My zone leaders and I sang at MLC this week (Missionary Leadership Council) and we had exchanges with the Pace sisters. Which was SOO fun because Sister Fox and I got to be companions for a day again. It was a riot. They came down to Gulf Breeze and I just took her tracting in the rain all day. We were able to testify of Christ to a lot of neat people. 

Other than that our whole week was basically full of good ol door knocking. It was a tougher week from getting told to shut up to threats of getting the cops called on us. All day everyday. I could tell by the end of the week it was beginning to wear on me. SO when Sunday rolled around I couldn't have felt more relief to be able to take the Sacrament. Gosh what a blessing it is in my life. I could not raise myself to do what i do and be who i am with out the Savior and his matchless life. 

2 Nephi 11 teaches of the truthful principle about opposition in all things. I have read this scripture time and time again but for some reason it hit me hard this week! In order to feel greater happiness we have to feel greater pain. To grow our testimonies stronger we face even greater doubts or temptation to get there. I felt that this week. How true this is on a much grander scale! 

If we expect a place in the Kingdom of God we best be expecting TUMULTUOUS  seas to get there.

I am grateful to be on the front lines of this battle. For all of you who inspire me back at home. Jesus Christ is the Master Healer and will forgive and strengthen us time and time again! I LOVE YOU ALL!

Love,

Sister Jackson:)

The Good Life.

Hello! Loads of tender mercies this week. I went up to Fox Run this week to do an Exchange with Sister Johnson who is awesome. UWF (University of Western Florida) is up there and they do family history booths on campus there. Gosh nothing is better than proselyting on a College Campus with your peers. I could do it all day! 

Sister Shank and I trained at our Zone Conference this week on a tool that helps you set goals for baptisms. The conference was remarkable. It is always refreshing after weeks of work to be around missionaries who are doing the same thing in a spiritually filling environment! I LOVE my mission. For more than just the homeless men you find behind warehouses who show you all their scars:) I want to tell you 2 quick moments this week that make it all worth it. 

FIRST we all went to the bishops store house to help hand out food to people. There was one lady that i was talking to who was visibly shaken a bit and struggling. After she left in the swarm of people I had the small impression to go find her. Sister Shank and I went out to the parking lot and all i said was "I just wanted to come give you a hug." She had no idea who i was but just hugged me and sobbed. Saying she hates having to do this (come here). Amidst a whole slur of trials i felt such gratitude to have the opportunity to commend her for strength she possess and testify of better things to come.

SECOND as we were driving home yesterday and pulled over when we saw a guy working construction on a house. We walked over and at first he said im busy but as we got talking it turned into a 35 min lesson/discussion on where we came from, why we are here,  where we are going, and role Jesus Christ plays. Hahah he had some wild ideas and philosophies but really AWESOME questions. Nothing makes my days as a missionary happier than to be able to testify to anyone about simple truths that bring meaning and understanding. It is thee best.

Jesus Christ did a whole lot more than just die for us. This week i have come to feel of his power in a much more real sense. Something Elder Bednard said i love..."The enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ strengthens us to do and be good and to serve beyond our own individual desire and natural capacity."

I feel that strength push me past my own natural desires. I love you all always!!!!

LOVE,

Sister Jackson:)

A view while tracting... Right?!

Sister Johnson

Zone Conf.