Another Week in Nuevo Mexico !!

October 11, 2021

Hola hola!! 

Another great week in Nuevo México that seriously seemed to fly by! 

Our amigos here are all doing well, steadily progressing which is fantastic but nothing too wild or crazy! 

We started off the week back at the carniceria de la familia Medrano, stocking shelves and helping them get ready for their big grand opening this week. We also had some awesome lessons, the kids went to several ward activities throughout the week, and they all, except for the dad who had to work again sadly, came to church! And another highlight with them was showing up for our lesson last Monday and the mom had made us a huge dinner, it was a blast and they have a special place in my heart. The familia Saucedo is doing well and excited for their baptism in a few weeks! We still are struggling to meet with them throughout the week but they continue to read the Book of Mormon, come to church, and have some awesome fellowship that are supporting them a ton too. Anddd lastly Adela is making some really great progress as well!! She is really getting into the Book of Mormon and said she feels such a peace as well as energy to continue learning as she reads, it's so cool to see. 

A quick update with our recent convert friends!! They both have been experiencing some hard challenges and attacks from the adversary since their baptisms and it's so sad to see them struggle. But this week we had some major miracles to be able to be with them again this week. Crystal's son is walking again and had a successful  surgery on his wrist after a car accident a couple weeks ago. It was so powerful to hear how much faith Crystal has and that she's been immersing herself in the scriptures throughout it all! She is such a light. Our dear friend Liz has been really stressed with a number of things lately as well. She still is fighting the good fight but has definitely seen better days. However she still has been reading a little and is planning on going to the Mesa Temple open house with a member in our ward in just a few weeks which we know will be an incredible experience for her! 

Last event from this week was an exchange for the ages on Saturday! I got to go with two elders that both are new to speaking spanish, so it was a really great opportunity to have them lead and grow, as I just stepped in when they really were stuck. They were a little hesitant at first but it was crazy the amount of miracles we saw as they opened their mouths and trusted in the Spirit. Their spanish wasn't perfect in any means, but the spirit truly worked through them and I'm not kidding when I say nearly every person we talked to was open to hearing a message. We ended up teaching 10 lessons and finding 8 new people in just a few hours, it was nuts!! 

With as many miraculous and exciting things going on here in Albuquerque, it is crazy to think about my original assignment in Argentina, but this week I've heard a lot about it opening up soon. It will probably still be a little before I possibly go, but I can't imagine not having been able to serve here in this mission, meeting these people. The mission is such a sacred time to serve the Lord and feel His divine love for His children and I know the relationships I've been able to build will be ones I'll have for eternity! At the same time part of me definitely wants to feel that perfect love for the people in Argentina too. But really it is all in the hands of an all knowing and all loving Heavenly Father! 

I just want to leave you with a verse I really dug into deep this week, studying more about charity and this pure love of Christ that I've felt for the people here and constantly striving to have more of.

Moroni 7:45, "And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."

This love is infinite, and I really hope you can feel it as you turn to and focus on your Father in Heaven and Savior Jesus Christ.

I love you all!!!

Con todo el amor,

Elder Jackson 

1-2 Carnicería de la familia Medrano 

3 Morning grind w the one and only Elder Woodhouse