Prospero Año y Felicidad!

December 28, 2020

Hola hola a todos mis queridos!! 

What a week here with Christmas and all the fun things with that! We had so much fun, which I was a little worried would be tough with all the restrictions for covid but President allowed us to do some great stuff!

Christmas Eve we went to a member's house and ate with them and it was so good!! They made the best tamales I've ever had and some really good ham too. I felt the plate summed up El Paso pretty well, a perfect mix of Mexico and the States haha. All was going good until the Hermana asked us for seconds and she heaped double of what she originally served. Elder Woods and I both looked at each other with a little bit of worry. We could hardly breathe we were so full by the end but it was such a blessing to be able to go over there! After that we went over to the Calderon's house and played games with them and shared a little message and they even gave us each a blanket. They are an incredible family!! I'm praying they can get their personal witness of the Spirit of the truthfulness of the gospel so they can progress to make their family eternal. 

Christmas day was a blast too, we played some basketball in the morning, got together as a district to play some games at the chapel, and I got to go to another dinner appointment that night because Elder Hannemann didn't want to go to his so we did a little 2 hour exchange haha. And to cap it all off I got to talk to my family for awhile which is always the best. It was a great first Christmas as a missionary! 

Then it was right back to the grind Saturday and Sunday and we had a couple cool miracles at church! I was able to give a blessing to a lady, my first one in Spanish! It was a tender mercy I had my consecrated oil! And even more exciting, we had a guy named Fernando come to church!! I for sure thought he wasn't going to come but he walked in about 10 minutes late to our pleasant surprise. I loved what he said after the meeting when he said he "felt free." Really excited to meet with him tomorrow! 

I can't believe we are turning the calendar this year. I'm so grateful to be a missionary, and am excited for this next special year where I get to do it every day. I was reading in Alma this week about his own missionary experience and these two verses have been on my mind since. Alma 4:19 says "And this he did that he himself might go forth among his people, or among the people of Nephi, that he might preach the word of God unto them...bearing down in pure testimony" and in verse 20 that Alma "confined himself wholly to the high priesthood of the holy order of God, to the testimony of the word." I absolutely love this description of missionary work, that Alma went to bear pure testimony!! As well, the way he fully consecrated himself to the work! This is what I strive to do too in this coming year and I am excited for it to get started. Make sure to take some time this week and write down some goals for this coming year, I know it is going to be a great one!

I love you all so much!! Thank you for all the love and support! I hope you all had a merry Christmas last week and a happy New Year this week!! 

Con todo el amor,

Elder Jackson

1&2 Lights as a district 

3 I swear I'm not that white it's just the flash

4 Christmas morning sunrise