Aventura a Alpasinche !!

February 7, 2022

Hola a todos!! 

This week flew by and I'm honestly shocked I'm here attempting to write another email. There were for sure some ups and downs as I review in my mind all that happened, but I love Aimogasta and being a missionary con todo mi corazón. 

Just a quick list of blessings and other random things then I'll get into some stories and our amigos. 

- The harvest of the olives started and a ton of people were busy working with that. So many olive trees here, pretty unique! As well the chicos are about to start school this week 

- Cooled down for a couple days which I thought would be a nice change but turns out no one goes outside when it's "fresquito" and I really think I prefer the summer sun even when it cooks us 

- We stumbled along BBQ SAUCE this week at the supermarket!! Elder Keller and I were completly shocked and on the verge of tears since we both were convinced it didn't exist here. Also had some really good contacts with a handful of people in the store so it was anhuge succes all the way around. 

- The familia Ramos had us over for lunch yesterday which is always the best! They seriously do it all. 

- After searching for a solid 2 months of searching I found some legit Argentina soccer jerseys 

Alpasinche !! 

We had such a cool experience yesterday as we took a quick morning trip out to a little pueblito called Alpasinche, about 30 minutes north of Aimogasta. Hermano Ramos gave us a ride and we went from what I thought was a little town in the middle of nowhere to an even smaller town in the middle of nowhere. But we eventually pull up to this little house and met Hermano Navarro and had church in the  kitchen of their two room cement house. It was just us missionaries, Hno Ramos, and this little family of 6 for sacrament and two cousins of the mom who aren't members showed up for our Ven Sígueme class for the second hour! They want to continue to be taught so that will be awesome!! It was so neat to be in such a humble setting and feel the same Spirit, partake of the same sacred preisthood ordinance, renew the same eternal covenants, with the same focus of our Savior Jesus Christ. This truly is His Church!! I'll never forget the feeling of God's infinite, personal, and individual love for these faithful children of Him.

Amigos 

- Paola. She is golden!! I think I mentioned this last week but our other amiga Gladys invited her friend Paola to church last week and she came and loved it!! She has had some hard things in her personal life and has always gone to another church but said she wasn't feeling the peace she desired. Last Saturday she said went to herchurch with angustia and left with angustia. And then when she came to ours she came with angustia and left with light and joy. Guau. We were able to have some really solid lessons this last week and best of all is she came to church and even bore her testimony!!! We really haven't done hardly anything in this situation, it is simply a blessing to see the her light. We are hoping she'll accept a baptismal date here soon!  

- Gladys. Gladys herself is doing well! We were able to have a couple solid lessons a huge highlight with her was we fasted with her this Sunday for her and her sons health and so she can kick the WoW addiction. She has so much faith and is a very funny old lady we are praying for her a ton as well. 

- Soledad. Most exciting with her is that she is read a chapter of the Book of Mormon every day this week!! She has some doubts about her faith and struggles to feel ready to act in a lot of ways but we are super hopeful that the power of the Book of Mormon will help her along. 

- Ivan y Analía. They are still the absolute best and I feel such special connection with them when we get to meet with them, which we were able to do on Monday!!! I was beaming the whole time and their faith is still so strong. But sadly the adversary is working extra hard on both of them and they are having some struggles. Please please keep them in your prayers!! 

Pensamiento Espiritual 

My spirtual thought comes from a verse I think a lot about every time we have the opportunity to fast. Mosíah 3:19! We had a devotional a back when I was in Albuquerque from Elder McKay of the 70 where he talked about fasting and it completely changed my perspective on it, I really felt I learned so much about what it truly means to fast. He explained how as we fast we are putting off the natural man, and really becoming more like our Savior Jesus Christ in this time, which allows us to "call down the powers of heaven". It was powerful stuff and there's a lot more he explained but the part that has been on my mind the most is the idea from King Benjamin about "putting off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord" and "yielding to the enticings of the Holy Spirit." As we fast we are striving to remove all the impatient, irritable, ungrateful, prideful parts of us and replace that with the divine, pure love of our Savior. As Elder McKay put it, "we thrist and hunger for righteousness." I am so imperfect and have so many things I'm trying to put off but rejoice in the knowledge that we have a Savior who invites us all to come unto and be perfected in Him. 

Creo que eso es todo por esta semana! Muchísimas gracias a todos por su apoyo y amor! Nos vemos! Chau Chau !! 

Amor, 

Elder Jackson