Hey Everyone!

This week has been interesting but good. I got a new companion today. I think I mentioned last week about Hna Barfoot having to get surgery. Well, her district left for the field this morning so I have been assigned as her new companion. My fourth one already! Haha, it's cool. She is in a wheelchair right now so it makes for quite a bit of extra pull on my end of the companionship but things are working out just fine. I'm greatful for the opportunity I have to serve her. And also, I had the same opportunity with my last comp, Hna Andersen, because on Friday at gym, someone landed on her during the volleyball game or something and she dislocated her kneecap. So she and our other comp spent all Friday morning at the hospital and I spent all Friday afternoon with her in the room while she was drugged up and napping. She is so grateful that nothing tore in her knee, which is a miracle to say the least, so she still gets to get out of here in time.

So yeah, it's been fun. :) I am doing well...no passing out or close calls even so we're good. And I even went running some laps with another hermana last week and did fine! This makes me happy. We had a devotional on Sunday that was so good! He talked about the importance of charity in missionary work, but he put a new twist on things. He first led us to 2 Nephi 32:2-3, where it says that angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost. Then we went to D&C 42:6, where it says we are supposed to declare the word like angels. The last place we went was to 1 Cor 13, where it says that though I speak as an angel and have not charity, I am nothing. I've thought about that a lot this week and how I can apply that in my mission. It is not enough as a missionary to say what Jesus Christ would say, but I need to feel as He would feel for these people. It reminds me of a quote I kept up on my wall in China that I have written in my journal here by Pres. Eyring that says, "The Lord will let you feel the love He feels for those you serve; the call is an invitation to become like Him." I love that. I love that I have that opportunity to become like my Savior Jesus Christ here on my mission and throughout my life. It will take a lot of praying and help from the Lord, but I know that I can come closer to Him everyday.

Spanish is good...I feel like I'm getting more fluent in what I know and getting more comfortable with the lessons and stuff. It's kind of neat to think of how far I've come so far and I know I didn't do it alone. We are now the oldest hermanas in our zone (my district is second oldest) so we're the vets now that the new missionaries in our zone look to for help and critique in teaching the lessons, in speaking Spanish, in getting around the MTC...It's fun. The new hermanas are way cool and I like getting to know them all.

So, we are holding a baptismal service this Saturday! Ha ha, I think I might have told you that our teachers have been acting as investigators that they had on their missions that we've had the chance to teach progressively. So now we have taught them all the lessons and prepared them for baptism so we're having a little service this Saturday for us to practice planning one. Don't worry, we aren't doing the actual baptizing part. But it's pretty fun. Last week, I taught "Eddy" how to fill out a tithing slip (all in Spanish, by the way, because English died) and we taught "Angie" the process for the actual baptismal service. The elders get to practice doing the interview this week. Haha, it makes it all seem so real...even though they're not... :) It's just been neat to have a chance to have to figure out what to teach in each lesson and help them overcome certain things to get to this point. I've loved it.

That's about all for today. I love you all and am so grateful for your love and support to me. Give all the little ones a big hug and kiss for me, especially the two birthday boys. And tell Tino that I am proud to be the aunt of Spiderman. :) I've sent a letter to Nana today. Could I have Grandma in England's address too? Thanks.

I miss you tons but I love you more!

Love,
Hermana Jackson