Happy/Sads

In miller 13 we used to go around and say the happys and the sads from our day. So these are the happys and the sads:

Happy: we have a baptism planned for this week! Elio Mostacero (70 años) is the father of a member of our ward. He's jewish. He has his interview planned for tonight, so we'll see. :) He's ready, though.

Sad: I won't be here!

Happy: I'm heading to Huaraz! I've heard it's really beautiful there. Hna. Bakaitis was there for 8 months. Hna. Parque, Hna. Shearman's trainer, started her mission there with Rachael Bakaitis. My companion will be Hna. Mendoza, from bolivia. Her companion, Hna. Coronel, will come here to Primavera. Hna. Coronel was in my group. She's from Argentina.

Sad: I will really miss my district. We have now 4 hermanas, but Hna. Shearman is going to Salaverry and they're going to put Hna. Lamas in the other district in our zone. Hermana Parque will be in this district with Hermana Petherbridge. :) And one of the companionships of elders will come from the other district. I'll really miss everyone. Our district leader, Elder Pillajo is great. He's training Elder Spencer, who reminds me of me, when I first started out. :)

Happy: I got to talk to you for Christmas! It was so good to hear your voices and listen to you talk a little bit. :)

Sad: I still haven't received my package and I'm not sure when I will. Huaraz is about 8 hours from Trujillo... It looks like I should have asked for more tights, because it rains a lot there. We'll see.

Happy: I'm healthy and happy. :) Guess what?! I can do real push-ups now. And I actually have a little bit of muscle on my arms that you can see when I flex (crazy, huh?). Yeah, well, I thought it was exciting. :)

Sad: I'm feeling a little bit stressed because I have to finish packing! Yikes. And I'll have to travel through the night either tonight or tomorrow night to be in Huaraz in the morning. Yuck.

Happy: I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's kingdom on the earth. This is His Church, as he established it anciently, and it has been restored with prophets and apostles. The Book of Mormon is tangible evidence of this Restoration and of God's never-ceasing love for us, his children. I know the God lives. I know that Jesus Christ lives. They watch over each one of us and care deeply for all that we do. Jesus Christ came to earth to show us the way and to provide the means whereby we can become like God and return to live with Him. I know they love each one of us. I know that the Book of Mormon, as well the Bible, is the word of God. It contains the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Through continual faith and repentance, we can make and keep sacred covenants that entitle us the the company of the Holy Ghost. This enables us to make the changes in our lives that are necessary and become what God would have us become. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's organization to help us become more perfect. I know that the Church is true, that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and the Thomas Spencer Monson is the Lord's prophet and representative on the earth today. I know that Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father love each of you, and as you trust them, you will be happy. :)

Love, love, love, x 50 bajillion.

Hna. Jackson

¡Feliz Navidad!

Wow. The ultimate week in this ''cambio.'' and christmas and everything. We had interviews and training with the President this thursday, and the upcoming thursday all of the missionaries in the Trujillo area will be singing in the Plaza de Armas de Trujillo. Tuesday is all the missionaries from Chimbote and Huaraz. So our P'day this week is thursday, but we get to write home today, because we'll be having a devotional and practicing all day thursday, and then performing thursday night. It starts at 10 a.m. Hna. Lamas and I have to be in the capilla at 8 a.m. to check the toilet paper levels because it'll be in the Primavera chapel. And today after this our zone is cleaning the chapel. Woohoo. Reminds me of the good old days when I worked early morning custodial...

Also, next week we have p-day on tuesday (so I will be writing on tuesday), because the cambios are on wednesday. since 3 months is the longest any companionship is together, hermana lamas or I will be transferred.

I love President and Hermana turk. They are really fantastic. All of our leaders are, really. Our trainings are always awesome. For this presentation that the missionaries are doing we'll be singing ''seize the day'' from newsies in english and a song in spanish to the tune of ''do you hear the people sing'' from les miserables. How cool is that?! And sister Petherbridge will be doing a solo. Also, we'll be having different musical numbers for the devotional, and Hermanas Shearman, Parque, Lamas, and I will be performing one of them. Yikes. I'm thinking we're going to do a primary song. ''This is the Season'' probably, because it's easy and we can elaborate it. but we'll have to see. :)

I get to call you tomorrow (it may actually be wednesday or friday) for 5 minutes to coordinate when we're going to skype. It will be sometime sunday afternoon for 40 minutes, because we have church in the morning too and we have to be in our rooms in the evening.

Ay. My english is really deteriorating. I'm grateful for the gift of tongues, though. :)

I haven't been able to send letters because we haven't been to Serpost in el Centro these past few weeks for p-day. Tal vez this tuesday.

I hope that Mom and jon and kirsten are feeling better. I did send kirsti a card. What is impetigo?

Right now we're teaching a man who is Jewish ( i don't know if I've shared this already) and it's been really interesting to see how the book of Mormon really is a testimony to the Jews that jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and the Messiah. (Oooh. Random Christmas wish: I want to hear Handel's Messiah! I'm musically starved.) We read with him 2 Nephi 25:17-19. I know that Jesus really is our savior, the savior and redeemer of the world. He was born in Bethlehem as the prophets fortold and he lived a perfect, sinless life. He suffered in Gethsemane and on the cross, died and resurrected, to redeem us from the effects of the Fall, from sin and from death. I know that he knows and loves each of us personally and I am humbled to be able to represent him as a missionary of his restored church. I know he lives.

Merry Christmas!

Hna. Jackson

hola

Primeramente: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KIRSTI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There. I did it. (!!!) I remembered. :) Woohoo. I love you, K-bug. :)

This week we found out that Paula, who was baptized about a month ago, has ovarian cysts--more than 13. And she's only 13. :(

While we were contacting on...Thursday or Friday, I think it was...we met a woman who's husband is a member. We were talking to her about how we like peru and where we're from and she asked me if I was going to marry a peruano. ''uuuuuhhhh...'' And how cute our kids would be if I did ''cruzarme.'' Ay. We had a good laugh about that.

This week has been good. I can't think of anything particularly interesting...just life. Christmas is soon--I believe we can skype. Stay tuned. :)

I am so grateful that as a family we've always had family prayer and family scripture study and gone to church and paid tithing. And almost always had family home evening. We have our fair share of challenges, and it's hard because most people don't see them (becuse we're always in church :) ), but really, I'm beginning to understand a little bit of how greatly we've been blessed. There are a lot of parents who wouldn't (and don't) do these things because of the challenges that they've had, but ours have, and because of that, we have the tools to face our challenges. That's a really incredible blessing. Thanks, Mom and Dad. :) Seriously.

I love you all!

Hermana Jackson

¿La virgin María?

(Sorry, this is from last week...it didn't send...)

The other day a man passed us on the sidewalk and made some comment to my companion about how I looke d like th evirgin maria. Ridiculous. Ay. I hardly wear makeup anymore, I haven't shave d my leg sin a coons age, and let's not even think about my hair. Ugh.

Anyway, I don't know if I tol dyou, but our distric t now has four hermanas and t wo elders, which is a really interestig and unusual dynamic. Hnas. Shearman and Parque are in our district still, Eld. Pillajo is now district leader, and Eld. Spencer is in the newest group of greenies. And I only have 6 weeks left of training! Yikes!

Thanks to the activity days girls and sister Clark for their letters. :) So fun! and Regan, too. So amazingly consistent. :) I love hearing about how everyone is doing. Even if they're all married by the time i get back.

God is a God of miracles. From the finding of a lost toy to the saving of a los tsoul. This week was really hard, in that we haven't been seeing the fruits of our labors. However, one of our investigadors, Pilar, genuinely wants to be baptize dthis month .It kind of took us by surprise, but she seems to be happier and more patient with her daughter .it's wonderful how th egospel works in people's lives. a miracle.

love,

jane