Baptized and Confirmed

Hola!
So it's official. David Craig is a newly baptized member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Oh man it was awesome. The Spirit was strong and he was in tears afterward as members of the ward (it was a great turnout even with the holidays) welcomed and congratulated him. There were almost no kinks or setbacks and the ward members were very helpful. Renae came and had an awesome experience.l We also taught her yesterday and she told us that she knows she'll get baptized, but she just needs a little more time. So exciting! It was an awesome lesson.
With transfers coming up on Wednesday I really am looking forward to the new change even though it's almost always hard to say goodbye to the current companion. Sister Bernard is struggling wih the change for various reasons but I know it will be good for both of us. I don't know if I already said this, but I have a feeling I'm going to get someone who will really help me grow and work even harder. I'm excited!
It was awesome talking to you all on Christmas. I find it odd that some of you thought I sounded trunky because I feel quite the opposite. With my time coming close to an end, I feel quite the urgency to double my efforts and really kick it in gear. I'm really sad that the end is in sight.
Um, I really don't have much more to say that you don't already know. I love you all so much!
~Hermana Jackson

SNOW!

Hey Fam,
There are good and bad sides to the snow as missionaries. We got dumped on this weekend and it prevented us from going to a few appointments because none of the members wanted to die by taking us out. Needless to say, when the snow sticks to the roads, we aren't allowed to drive. It saved us miles, but we lost a lot of time. During the day we tracted around our apartment (which are the projects), got into a snowball fight with some random kids, and did all we could by walking everywhere until it got dark. Then we were in trouble. We got a lot of studying in, took a break and made a little snowman, studied some more, listened to Carpenters Christmas, prepared our RS lesson, and then went to bed. Pretty fun huh?
The exchange this week was great. I stayed here and Sister Place (a newbie) came. I learned a lot working alongside her and recognized things I can do better. It's great being with new missionaries and feeling of the newness of missionary work. She's a great teacher and relates well wtih investigators.
This week was interesting. We found a few new investigators, 2 of them Hispanic, 1 a lesbian (we don't know what to do about that one quite yet), and another who is pretty legit but is worried about what her husband might think. Her name is Candy and she originally didn't want to let us in, but she felt she should. The lesson went well (I was with Sister Place at the time) and we meet with her again this week. Please pray for her okay?
I must admit that even though Sister Bernard and I get along REALLY well, it will be nice to have someone who will teach with me on the fly. It was a breath of fresh air being on the exchange. Now, I wonder what President has in store for this coming transfer. I bet I'll get a kick in the pants and be with someone hard core. I'm sure it's what I need though, so bring it on!
I think that's the latest news. It's been great hearing from you and I can't wait to talk to some of you on Chrsitmas day! I love you!
~Hermana Jackson

Jill's address

Jill's mom here - Just in case you'd like to send her Christmas greetings, which, of course she would LOVE receiving :), here is her current address:

Sister Jill Jackson
1300 St. Louis St. #2
Johnson City, TN 37601

And FYI her release date is May 6! Not too far away now...

Personal revelation rules

Hi guys,
What a week. Ups and downs, twists and turns, acceptance and rejection. Sounds like a typical week of missionary life right? Well, yes, it has been, but it's also been one where I was able to truly recognize that I'm not working hard enough. Now, you all remember that this work is of God, therefore only my best effort is expected. No less. Well, with only a short time left I am finding myself reflecting, praying (more like pleading), and expecting myself to kick it up a notch. Oh, what a humbling experience it is to receive answers unexpected but very much needed. In answer to my prayers I have been able to recognize we can improve and that repentance rocks. Needless to say, I am going to try and make the most of every day I have left here in Tennessee.
So we officially dropped David. I mean, he's still coming to church almost every week, but he's not showing enough progress to keep visiting him multiple times a week and I know the Lord wants us to focus our efforts more on finding others who will progress faster. The elect, if you will. Sad, but necessary. President was happy to hear that we finally pulled the plug.
So we found out that Sister Bernard will be leaving this transfer (the 30th) and I'll be staying. Of course, things can always change at the last minute and often do, but President let us know that we're most likely going to be split up. I have mixed feelings, but I know it will be for the better. I'm excited to work and learn with someone new.
We will be doing my first exchange this Tuesday. There are finally some sisters close enough to do it, so we'll be switching companions with the Greenville sisters for 24 hours. I'm excited. Tuesday is also our mission Christmas party, though it's not with the whole mission unfortunately. It will be a couple zones meeting but I'm still excited for some time to meet with other missionaries and have a good ole time!
I think I mentioned that I helped teach Armenio a couple times with the Bristol elders. Well, he was baptized yesterday and I was so happy to see him take that step. What a blessing! There was so much opposition leading up to his baptism (as there often is) but he still made it.
Well, I think that's about it. I miss you all, especially during the holidays and hope you're making the most of your time together. I LOVE YOU!
~Hermana Jackson

A tad bit nippy outside...

Hey guys,
I know it's probably colder on the home front but it's getting cold here too. We had snow on Saturday which was fun to tract in. With the humidity, you can feel it in your bones. That having been said, the feeling of Christmas is definitely in the air and I love it, although it hasn't helped us get into very many homes unfortunately.
This week was another doozy as far as finding goes. It's a great test of faith and depending on the moment, I react both positively and negatively. Positively I say, "Wow, so many people are rejecting us, not even listening for a second, slamming doors, and all-around shutting us down. This must mean we're in for a big fat 'YES, come in!' It's coming, I know it and these rejections are only making us stronger." Negatively my reaction would be, "Don't these people know that this is their salvation we're talking about? What am I doing wrong? Does Heavenly Father not trust me?" Thankfully as a missionary you get pretty good at correcting the negative thoughts or else the work would get pretty darn depressing out here. I am so grateful for the opposition because it makes the great times even greater.
We are working with the Stouts, a part-member family. They're an older couple who recently married and Ruthie is not a member. We had a pretty powerful lesson with them and are hoping for the best. Problem is, she smokes...Regardless of that, we're keeping the faith no matter what. Pray for her okay?
Wasn't the First Presidency devotional great? I loved President Uchtdorf's talk. I really am going to strive to SEE Christ more in my life. We also had a really good lesson in Relief Society yesterday about Christlike attributes. Man, it helped remind me of all I have to improve on but also how merciful the Lord is in that process. Don't forget it guys. Our Savior is waiting for us to turn to him in all we do. He knows us, loves us, and it's up to us to let Him in.
You guys rock. I LOVE YOU!
~Hermana Jackson
P.S. We tracked into a couple of older ladies and they thought Sister Bernard was my daughter, Crazy, eh?

There's no place like TN for the holidays!

Greetings,

It has been a week of thanksgiving and frustration. We were in for 2 days and lost some precious time, but thankfully the sickness is gone and we're back to work. Thanksgiving ws spent in a home full of kids and adults so I felt right at home. We even played Chicken Foot. Reminded me of Grandpa Bell. Good times!
So we decided to drop Bonnie. We went to see her on Saturday with hopes that she and Tyler would come to church on Sunday but they showed little interest. We will still drop in on them as the Spirit guides but it's still sad. I'm pretty sure I mentioned Sarah in my last email. Well, she went AWOL and we have no idea why. After deliberately hanging up on us, we don't know what step to take. We're not giving up yet, and hopefully we'll find out what the dealio is. Good news. We received a referral for a Hispanic family in our area. Oh, heaven help me. I had a dream the other night that I was taking a beginning Spanish class at UVU after my mission and the professor wasn't too kind having found out I served a Spanish-speaking mission. Thank goodness it was just a dream, right? Either way, I'll need prayers. I know that the Lord will be there as He always is, but extra prayers are always welcome.
So, BYU WON!!! You should have seen me when I found out. I think I either scared or entertained Sister Bernard. A win in OT...not surprising. I'm sure it was amazing so I hope to hear all about it. More good news. We ate at a member's house last night and they let us shop in their food storage. I'll tell you what---it was an answer to prayer. I got all sorts of toiletries that could easily last me the rest of my mission. Thanks, Nelsons!
I'm so glad you all had fun at Thanksgiving and to top it off with an awesome game must have been great. I LOVE YOU!
~Hermana Jackson

A wonderful rebuking received!

Hey,
The highlight of the week was when Elder Snow was able to come to Zone Conference. It was 3 and a half hours of reflection, guidance, and personal evaluation. Though we all knew our purpose as missionaries before he came, we were able to go into more depth as to how we can help others come unto our Savior. A few of the things I took away were ways I could improve as a missionary in order to better help my investigators progress. If I'm not doing all I can, how can I expect to see results? We also learned about perfection. In Moroni chapter 10 of the Book of Mormon it talks about being perfected in Christ. That is the way, and the only way. I know this isn't news to anyone but it was a great reminder of how I need to constantly and consistently strive to strengthen my relationship with my Savior. I know Elder Snow was inspired and I know we can receive inspiration and guidance through our Church leaders. They are called of God! Aww yeah! Isn't it awesome?
This week Bonnie canceled on us because she was helping her sister move. We stopped by last night but she had company so we weren't able to communicate much. We're going to keep trying, hoping and praying for her progression. Please pray for her too.
David is still coming to church and participating in the ward as if he was a member but the adversary is working hard on him and he's not able to quit smoking. We really don't know what to do next. We're praying our guts out for a way to help him.
We tracted into a college student this week who hasn't been to church since she was 6 for various reasons. In the past week she recently decided it was time she return. She bought a Bible and the next day we showed up at her door. Needless to say she's interested. Her name is Sarah, and she also just found out she's pregnant (and unmarried) and is contemplating getting an abortion but wants to talk about it with us. We don't meet with her until Sunday but we're going to "drop by" and see how she's doing before then.
We also have an appointment this week with a part-member family who have finally decided to let missionaries back into their home so we are praying for a good experience.
So, I basically love life and that's my story. I hope you all are doing well, and that you remember how grateful I am for you and your support--especially during this holiday season.
Have fun together, take lots of pictures, and be happy!
~Hermana Jackson

No changes here!

Hey fam,
I am happy to say that I am not leaving the Watauga area and neither is Sister Bernard. We are here for the holidays thank goodness and we get to see the continued progress here. We found a few more investigators to teach so the Lord is blessing us.
Pray for Bonnie and Tyler. Bonnie is a single parent and her daughter Tyler is adorable. Bonnie has a lot of questions about the Church and the only thing keeping her from coming yesterday was Tyler sleeping in. Our church schedule changes soon so hopefully that will help.
David received a very powerful blessing from someone in our ward so we're hoping that will be a strength to him and he'll be able to kick the habit. It's amazing how many people smoke here in Tennessee. You wouldn't believe it. I fervently pray for those who have to deal with such an addiction.
There's not much else to say. We are spending Thanksgiving with Bishop Cannon and his family which is definitely a good thing! I am grateful to have somewhere to be.
Hope you all have fun together! I LOVE YOU ALL!
~Hermana Jackson

How marvelous a work

Hey guys,
First of all...No baptism. Never did I realize just how hard it is to stop smoking. David rocks and he's my brotha! I'll try to send pictures next week.
After some good advice from our zone leaders, we have decided to put more of our focus on finding and teaching new investigators and I know the Lord is blessing us in that regard. We got 5 new investigators this week, and we are praying that they will show potential. The work is progressing here in Johnson City and I love it. I really really hope I don't get transferred. I have a good feeling that I'll be staying but there's no guarantee. Transfers are on the 18th so next week I'll be able to tell you if I'm staying or going.
Sister Bernard has opened up a lot. She and I get along great, and she's even opening up a bit as we teach. I love her so much and I know that as her mission progresses, she will be blessed with the ability to teach with power. She's got it in her, I know it.
I know that throughout my emails I have talked little of district meetings and zone conferences and I'm not sure why. Zone Conferences sets such a good tone for each transfer and having district meeting (as long as it's a good district leader) each week is da bomb and gives me the strength and motivation I need to press forward with faith. This upcoming transfer Elder Snow will be coming for our zone conference and I'm pumped. General authorities often lay the smack-down and I know it will be a good boost.
I haven't heard any updates on President Griffin so I'm assuming that no news is good news. Thank goodness!
Well my family, this week has been another one of learning. As a missionary I am finding more and more that the gift of repentance is my best friend. How grateful I am to have the opportunity to repent constantly. I am positive that the more we repent, the more we are able to recognize how abundantly blessed we truly are. Know that I love you all very much.
~Hermana Jackson

Lookin' good in the hood

HEY!
We had some good lessons with David this week. He has stopped smoking for 5 days now so we may be having an impromptu baptism this weekend. YAY! He has set so many dates for himself that we decided to do everything to be ready at a moment's notice and the ward is very supportive of that. He really is a very spiritual man and is eager to set an example for his family and share the Gospel with them. Yay for member referrals! I don't know if I told you that he's black, but that just adds so much more to the picture. He's black through and through and I love it. He's hilarious and we have a good time with him both spiritually and jovially. Does that make sense? I don't know if I said that right. Anyway, life is good in the hood as David would say.
As for Yareli, we met with her a couple days ago and she seemed pretty distant so we're hoping to get to the bottom of it. After all, she is a teenager (16) and it could have just been one of those days. We meet with Renae again on Wednesday but the elders have been in their home a lot, which is wonderful. As much as we love teaching her, it would be best to see the elders take over since they can support her and her family within the ward. As for right now, Renae still feels like we should teach her though, so we'll see how it all works out.
I'm not sure what has happened this transfer but I feel like I've taken a turn as a missionary. Various experiences have really strengthened my testimony this transfer and I'm so grateful to be surrounded by wonderful missionaries, ward members, and companions. This work is truly of God.
I love you all and just realized my time is ticking. Keep it real, keep praying, keep loving!
~Hermana Jackson
P.S. Pray for Presdident Griffin. He has pneumonia! :(