Last P-day in the MTC!

Wow, I cannot believe the time has already come for me to hit the field! I am excited beyond words. I don't remember what I told you last week in my email but yeah, I feel like the only way I'm going to learn more at this point is to just be absolutely thrown into it...I'm a hands-on learner anyway. :)

So, I received my flight plans at the end of last week. I leave the MTC at 6am on Sept 1 up to the SL airport. My flight leaves directly for Newark at 9:45am and we land there at about 4:20'ish. There are 13 missionaries heading out there (7 Spanish).

So last week and this, I got to be a host for the new missionaries coming in! Remember when I first got dropped off and I thought that day would never come? :) Well, now I get to help the new sisters around and show them where to go and give them a little tour and stuff. It's pretty neat. I love it!

We haad quite an interesting lesson in Relief Society on Sunday...President Smith (the MTC pres) spoke to us and basically "clarified" a bunch of the rules (It kind of felt like the guys say they feel after Priesthood session...haha). He told us to follow the "exact letter of the law"...which is risky saying because some missionaries could find lots of ways to get away with things like that. Anyway, he told us that at meals, we're not supposed to sit by the same elders all the time and to glare at the elders if they keep trying to sit by us. Well, that's kind of hard in our district, considering we only have 2 elders and 4 hermanas. :) So we devised this way awesome "seating chart" for our meals so don't even worry, we're obeying (I hope you catch the humor in this...it's kind of hard to write). Our plan is called Operation Transmorphers. I will send you a photocopy of the plan when I get the chance...it's like a really intricate football play that Elder Lamoreaux and I had fun divising. It rocks my world!

This Friday, our teachers have planned what's called a "Dia en el campo" (day in the field), where they have appointements set up for us with other teachers all over the MTC, back to back, just like in the field. We're teaching 12 lessons that day, and we have teaching records for all of them. Some are progressing investigators, some are new, some are recent converts. It will be a highlight, I'm sure. I'm looking forward to it a lot.

Last night I had another cool experience at the RC. Sorry that's what I bring up a lot, but it is what makes this work real right now! I called this guy, Juan, who sounded really depressed (it was in English). I asked him if he had received his Bible yet and he said no but he really wanted it. I asked him what was up and he told me that his wife just left him and he has no kids or other family. He then thanked me profusely for calling him because he had been contemplating ending his own life for the last several weeks. He talked to his pastor on Sunday who told him he basically has no hope and is evil for thinking about taking his life, but the pastor told him he would pray for him anyway. Juan told me over and over again that my call to him was an answer to his prayers. He has been searching for God in his life and wants hope. I bore testimony to him of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and told him I would pray for him. He wants the missionaries over as soon as possible. I don't even know all that I said to him but I know the Holy Ghost was working through me to bear the truthfulness of what I was saying. He was putting words into my mouth I didn't know were there. I am so grateful for that opportunity I had to share the love of Jesus Christ with him.

To close with a quote by a talk from Elder Bednar from a devotional here a couple of months ago. He answered the question, How do I know if it's the spirit or just me? He said, "Quit worrying about it. Quit fussing, quit stewing, quit analyzing, quit worrying about it. Press forward with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Be a good boy; be a good girl. Honor your covenants, keep the commandments, and I promise you, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that your steps will be guided. As you open your mouth, it will be filled. You will be in the right place at the right time, and in most instances, you'll have no idea how or why you got there. So quit worrying about it."

Thank you for your support and love. I guess I will email you all next from NJ! If you send me anything here at the MTC, make sure you send it by Friday so I'm sure to get it. I miss you tons but I love you more!

Love,
Hermana Jackson