Hello friends and family! Life out here is good, as stated above, I’ve lost my original weekly, so here is a few things from my email to President Randall and I’ll add a few other things here and there. 

We had a miracle this week! We were on exchanges with the Newark 1st sisters, Sister Tate was with me and our lesson had just fallen through. There was a potential in the area so we decided to go and find them, well it turned out that they didnt live there. It was at this point I started to panic, Sister Taylor and i had forgotten to set backup plans so i had no idea what we were going to do. As we were walking back to the car there was a woman outside. As we started talking with her she expressed to us that she was raised Christian and her father is a minister but she had fallen away and really wanted to come back to Christ. We explained that our whole purpose as missionaries is to help people find Christ again, or to find out more about Him. She was so excited! She set up a time right there for us to come back and told us she would be at church! Sadly, she couldn’t make it today but she promised to be there next week! 

We also taught Elizabeth this week, she is a former investigator who has popped back up! She is very excited to learn again, but we have a few struggles. She really just wants to talk about her family issues. The best part was being able to testify of the Savior. I know that He truly knows all that we feel!

We also taught Santiago again! He is doing so well! He reads from the Book of Mormon everyday and he really understands it! It is amazing to watch him progress. When we met last we talked about faith and how faith is in everything that we do. We have faith that the sun will rise, that our car will start, etc. and it really clicked for him! He saw that he has a lot more faith than he thought. It was an amazing lesson and faith is really the whole basis for our whole lives!

We had another miracle! There is a girl who lives in our boundaries but has been attending Sewell ward. Today the sisters talked to her and she asked how she could get baptized! The sisters talked with her and explained the boundaries and gave her our number. She is also great friends with the bishop and his family here, so it will be great! 

So that was the end of the email to President Randall, here’s a few other things that happened this week! 

We went to visit the Johnsons and it was so fun! Brother Johnson can’t move, but they tell us the funnest stories! They are both converts and they were some of the first converts in New Jersey! They drove from NJ to UT back in the 60’s and were sealed for time and all eternity in the LOGAN UTAH TEMPLE! We bonded over one of the most beautiful temples ever. 

We went to visit Scott, and finally set up a lesson! He’s been looking for a new church again and we just happened to show up at the right time. Isn’t it interesting how the Spirit works?

Another quick thing that happened on exchanges! We met a less active, and it was hilarious! She came up to the door and goes “well, well, well, the Mormon missionaries” was the surprised she had never met either one of us and then proceeded to tell us that she “won’t be a part of a church that is racist (points at my black companion) and misogynistic.” And that she’s “drinking a glass of wine right now and I smoke” we then asked if we could do anything for her and she said “pray for me, but not that I’ll come back to your church.” While all of this is going on Sister Tate has her hand on her hip just waiting to explode about how the church is not racist and that she’s sick of people telling her that we are. It was a grand time

We had a super fun event in Camden New Jersey! The Camden County Police had their quarterly awards show and we were invited to attend by President Sikahema, who MC’s the event. The chief reserved us one of this tables, there was free food (a Missionaries Dream), and the chief was so caught off guard when he announced us as special guests he called me Elder Jackson, because he’s never met Sisters. It was a pretty interesting event! It was also fun because now I can say that I’ve spent a day in one of the most dangerous cities in the country! One thing that really stuck out to me was the senior officers all saluted the junior officers at the end of the event. The chief said “Respect goes from the inside, out.” It was an interesting concept, but that’s how it works in life. If you respect yourself, you respect others. 

We also had MLC this week. We talked about a lot of things pertaining to our purpose and to the culture we have as a mission. It got me thinking about my purpose and my culture. What makes me, me? I finally came to the conclusion that as long as I am centering my life on Christ, I am doing the right thing. This transfer I have been studying Christ. I have a five subject note book that has five questions pertaining to Jesus Christ. I have learned so much about our Savior. I know He died for us, that He stood in our place. He was wounded for our transgressions, and He did all because He loves us. 

This week I’ve also thought a lot about the priesthood. The priesthood is so important! It is literally the power of God given to man and it. Is. Real. It is a real power. I have felt it in my life and I hope that each of you who hold that power know exactly how important it is that you are always worthy of that. I hope that those of you who do respect that power and authority because it’s not a joke. The priesthood is real and it has the power to make weak things strong. This I know to be true. 

My testimony this week is strong and simple. Jesus is the Christ. He is the Only Begotten of the Father. He is the Messiah. He died for me. He died for you. He suffered for more than just our sins, but our pains and afflictions too. He knows you perfectly. He love you everlastingly. The power of His Atonement is real, He can and He will heal each of us. He is the only one who can save us from all things. He is my Savior, my Redeemer, my Best Friend. He lives, and while He lives I’ll sing. He lives, my Prophet, Priest and King. 

I love you all

Much love,

Sister Jackson

event in Camden

Pumpkin carving

Josie and Sister Tate

Sisters Tate, Jackson, Taylor, Garlick