Semana de Fiestas

July 5, 2021

Hola hola!!! 

Feliz 5 de Julio!!! This last week was full of parties with my birthday Tuesday and then the 4th last night!! It was a great week start to finish. 

As I said, last Tuesday I completed 20 years!! The first birthday on the mission honestly was a heck of a day! We had some really solid lessons with our friends Jesús and Kíke which were some major highlights!! An epic 4 hour MLC, Chilis for dinner with the elders in the apartment, and numerous kind messages and emails made for a better day I could've even asked for. I'm so blessed to have so many thoughtful and loving people in my life, it really is so humbling. I love you all and cannot express my gratitude enough!!

As far as the work this week, the Familia Medrano, who we found last week when the mom asked us to help her 12 year old son, is so solid!! We had an incredible lesson with them about the Plan of Salvation and eternal families and they loved it. But of course they did, it seriously is the greatest thing ever!! The most merciful, loving, and happiest thing ever, that through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ we can return to the presence of our Heavenly Father with our families. It is a huge blessing to have this knowledge and for the opportunity to share it worth others full time right now. I'm really excited about this family's potential to progress and have these eternal blessings! 

We had quite a few other solid lessons with the people we've found lately and are really just trying to help them all progress. Hopefully a few of our friends can get some answers to their prayers and accept some baptismal dates here soon!! 

We had another cool finding experience too yesterday afternoon as we were knocking the door of a former. The lady answered and wasn't really interested in a message but wanted us to come in and teach her kids, as some elders had done before covid. So we taught her 3 kids, a 15, 12, and 10 year old and they are all so cool but especially the 15 year old!

Lastly this week the 4th of July here was lit!!!! I wasn't super sure how big it would be since literally everyone in our ward is from either Mexico or a handful of South American countries. But it ended up being great!! We went over to our Obispo's house and had a carne asada with several families in our ward. We had to be home by 8 so we heard a lot of fireworks and gunshots but they definitely had a good time here in Albuquerque!! However, the real fireworks came from the transfer news we got last night!! I knew I was getting a new companion because Elder Johnson is heading home, but I am ecstatic to find out my new comp is an absolute stud!!! He played soccer at Pleasant Grove and I was able to serve around him a little in El Paso. I am excited to get him up here in ABQ and get to work!!! I know there are a lot of big things on the horizon in this area!! 

For my spiritual thought I just want to share a couple verses from the Book of Mormon that prophesied of the divinely blessed land we live in!! 

2 Nefi 1:7 

"Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them...unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever."

I'm so grateful for a nation that allows us to have religious freedoms and that God prepared to allow for the Restoration of Christ's church again to the earth.

I love you all and again want to thank everyone who made my birthday a fantastic one!! Have a great week!! 

Con mucho amor, 

Elder Jackson 

1 Chilis for the birthday dub 

2 Almost forgot, lol, someone stole the Sisters whole TIRE this week in our complex 

3 Church on the 4th with a few awesome members here 

4 Carne asada for the 4th !! 

5 Some views from the 505