Cosas Nuevamente !!

February 14, 2022

Hola Hola!!! 

This week was another busy one and seriously the time continues to just go by at an accelerated rate each week. 

Lots of big things I haven't experienced in a while this last week that were huge miracles!!! 

Hace mucho desde... 

- Hot shower. After two months of a cold shower we got a hot water heater installed in our pension and I can't even describe how nice it was. Especially since the day we got it working it was rainy and actually chilly at night. Huge tender mercy!! 

- Peanut butter. Another thing that is hard to find in Argentina and in Aimogasta is completely non-existent, but we were blessed by our mission presidents wife when she came to Zone Conference!! What a saint. 

- Zone Conference. We had our first in person zone Conference since I've been here in Argentina and it was fantastic!! It meant we had to get up at 4:30am and take a two hour bus ride to La Rioja, and then another bus ride back that night, but it was absolutely worth it! It was great to be with other missionaries after being on kind of an island for so long, and it is always a huge blessing to be able to be with and learn from Presidente Hintze. Very different from President Weathersby in New Mexico but just as inspired and loving. 

- Exchanges. We were able to do exchanges with the other elders in our apartment which is always a little anticlimactic when we already live together but we switched comps for the day and had a great time. Always super valuable to be able to be able to learn from other missionaries. 

- Lección por teléfono. We do everything in person here, just biking from appointment to appointment and talking with people as we go. Basically the exsct opposite of what my mission was at some parts in the heart of covid haha. But we had a lesson over the phone with a girl named Mayra who me met at the grocery store and she seems super legit! 

Amigos !!

- Paola. She couldn't be doing better to be completely honest!! She is so elect, it is just a blessing to be able to teach her and see her accept and learn about the gospel. A few things she told us this week were just how she really felt she "has found God" since coming to church a couple weeks ago. She's reading the Book of Mormon daily, and each chapter several times over to make sure she understands it all. And probably best of all we taught her the Word of Wisdom and she's already living it so she's looking great for her baptismal date of the 6th of March! 

- Lisandro. He is actually the neighbor of the Contreras and works in the main city plaza where we run and do our morning work outs so we've gotten to know him pretty good the past little bit. This week we were finally able to have a set lesson with him and it was so solid!! He said everything with the restauración all just felt right. We are hoping he will accept a baptismal date this week. 

- Contreras y Brenda. Our dear friends are struggling a little still, especially with getting to church, but we praying and fasting lots for them. We were able to meet with them this week which was an improvement but the advsersary is definitely working hard against them. I love them so much it is hard to see them struggle but I know it's all part of Heavenly Father's perfect plan. 

- Roberto y Celina. Straight miracle here!! Yesterday at church this young couple walks right as we were about to start sacrament meeting!! They both are here from another part of Argentina to work in the harvest of the olives for the next few months. He has been a member for about 3 years but served a mission in Chile and she isn't a member but recently started going to church with him. It seems like the perfect situation so we are super grateful and excited to start meeting with them! 

Pensamiento Espiritual 

My spritual thought comes from Presidente Hintse and one of the things he shared in la Conferencia de Zona. His "insights", as he refers to them, always leave me feeling I understand a scripture or principle about 100 deeper, más profundo. The other day he talked about the importance of repentance and specifally about the process. We listed all the steps of repentance and he told us really it doesn't matter the order, except for the very first step, which he taught is to recognize our mistake. If we don't first recognize we have sinned we can never feel Godly sorrow, confess, foresake, make restitutions, and the other parts of the process. As I've studied repentance I really have felt it is humbling ourselves before the Lord. Repentance is work, it is powerful, it is joyful, and it is an invitation of love. So I lovingly invite you all the reflect, recognize, and repent this week!! 

One last verse for the week. Mosiah 23: 21-22

Los amo un montón!! Que estén bien! Chau Chau!! 

Amor, 

Elder Jackson