Sister Josie Jackson: Don’t forget to “feat upon the words of Christ” while you’re feasting today!

Hola mi familia! I hope you’ve all prepared to stuff yourselves with turkey and other delicious foods (ravioli being #1)! I know I am! Two dinner this year and so I’m pretty sure I’ll be stuffed! It’s been a great week this week! We saw a lot of miracles and a lot of the Lords hand!

We met with Maggie this week! She’s so amazing! When we met on Tuesday we taught the Restoration and she only had one question, the rest she just believed. At the end of the lesson she prayed and asked right then if the church was true or not. We met with her again Sunday and she’s already recognizing the Spirit! She said she’d been praying about the church and that when she prays she feels peace so she knows that it’s right. We taught the Plan of Salvation Sunday and again, she just took it all in. She wants to be baptized on the 23 of December. She has been such a miracle for Woodstown and a blessing in our lives. She loved church today, and she’s becoming great friends with the girls! It’s really a tender mercy that I get to teach her, I’m so humbled and thankful that I get to do that. The Lord is so good!

We found a great new potential this week! We had had one of those days where our plans totally changed. We were in one area and it didn’t feel right so we ended up in Salem. We were walking around just doing stop by’s to see if we could catch people at home and we were seeing nothing. We were both just dying to testify to someone, to just get a little human interaction besides “No”. As we were walking there was a man outside on his porch, I felt the spirit tug me to say something. I just said hello and kept on my way. We walked around a tree and I felt the spirit again, “This is one you need to talk to.” We struck up a gospel conversation and talked about all sorts of things. He was very open minded to us coming back and told us multiple times that he wants to come and check out our church. Sadly he had to work this week so he couldn’t make it, but we are seeing him in a few weeks so hopefully he will be able to come then!

We also met this other amazing potential! Sister Taylor described it the best! “I love finding. That’s not something you often hear a missionary say, but I love it! Why? That’s where the miracles come. That’s where we first see the stark beauty of how God’s children are being prepared for the gospel and how we are being led to them. On Saturday we had some good finding time. It was cold and a bit rough because no one was home, out on the street or interested in talking to us. But a few hours later as we were knocking on a potentials door, her neighbor Monica came out onto the porch and we struck up conversation with her. Which led to sharing Light the World and a message about service. Which let to a conversation about God and a return appointment. With a woman who is super excited for us to come back! And that is why I love finding. Trial of faith, then the miracle!”

This week we also met with a lady named Monique! Monique was baptized when she was 9, moved out here and couldn’t find the church. A member actually found her! We didn’t have her records and this member found her because they work together! Somehow religion was brought up and Monique told her that she was a Mormon, the member freaked out! It was awesome! We got to meet with her and her kids who are so sweet! We talked about 2 Nephi 31 and how the gospel of Jesus Christ will always bless us as long as we keep living it. It was a really good discussion!

On Monday we got to have dinner with Brother Roberts and his friend Betsy! We ate at the Woodstown dinner and I throughly enjoyed it. We talked a lot about the scriptures especially Ether 12:27 and how God will make us strong. We also showed the old video for #Lighttheworld it was so great! Speaking of TOMORROW the church releases the new #Lighttheworld program! Tune in to Mormon.org for more information and get involved this Christmas season! Serve as Jesus Christ would serve!

We had an amazing leadership training this week! President Randall talked a lot about practicing how to hope the people we work with and Sister Taylor and I have been practicing ever since. It was a great use of time and a very Spirit filled meeting. One thing I kept thinking of in the meeting was the Saviors gentle rebuke to Martha in Luke 10:40-42 and how He showed great love to Martha. I’m sure that she felt His love for her as He showed her what was more important. Much like we need to do with our missionaries (co-workers, children, spouses, whoever), we need to show them what’s more important, or the eternal scheme of things. We need to show them a better way.

On our way back from leadership training I got super annoyed at people trying to merge (see attached video). The way people merge here are not how they merge at home. Merging goes one of two ways “zip around people, and pray they don’t hit you.” Or “AHHHH MERGING!!!” So yeah, we were late to our appointment and stuck in traffic for a ridiculously long amount of time.

We had exchanges this week with Cape May! It was awesome! I got to spend the time with Sister Anderson in Cape May! It was such nice weather, not too hot, not too cold! A nice change from Woodstown where it has been freezing! We got to teach one of their investigators named Norman! He’s an older gentleman who loves the Book of Mormon and has lots of questions about it! It’s so awesome and he’s so sweet! Sister Anderson and I had so much fun!

We had a rather fun adventure this week. We came home one evening and turned on our heater, the thing is, it was blowing cold air. We turned it off, but it never turned off. It blew cold air for 48 hours. We were frozen. Finally we got the number for maintenance and in two days it was fixed! I came back from Cape May to a very loud heater. So we had to call maintenance again, and they came and fixed it, and now we have a quiet, nice heater who keeps us very warm!

Wow, there is so much to be thankful for this year. Being a missionary has made me realize how thankful I am for the small things. I’m thankful for my companion, and all my past companions, for the people I’ve met on my mission, for President and Sister Randall. I’m thankful for the feeling you can only get when Christmas is right around the corner, for family and for friends who you can always laugh with. I’m thankful for moms meatloaf and homemade ravioli. I’m thankful for heat, for changing leaves, and for dogs. I’m thankful for sunsets, sunrises, the ocean and the beach. I’m thankful for forests, raspberry shakes, and long days in the sun. I’m thankful for apple pie, fireworks, and ice cream.

Most of all I’m thankful for the gospel. I’m thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who gave us this earth and all of the beauties in it. I’m thankful for the Plan of Salvation and the fact that we have the knowledge to get home. I’m thankful that families can be together forever. I’m thankful for the Book of Mormon. I’m thankful to be apart of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the true church. I’m thankful for living prophets and apostles. I’m thankful for the priesthood. I am thankful for our Savior Jesus Christ, and the fact that He was always Plan A. I am thankful for the Atonement He preformed that allows all man-kind to overcome all the things we face in this life.

I’m thankful to be a mission and to testify of all the things mentioned above everyday. I’m thankful to know the Savior like I know my mother. I’m thankful for my life, and for the way I get to be an instrument for God. He truly loves us, cares for us and watches over us. God is real, His Son, Jesus Christ, came to earth. They love you, and They love me.

Happy Thanksgiving! What are you thankful for?

2 Nephi 9:51 “Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness.”

Much love,

Sister Jackson

Sent from Woodstown, NJ 🚜