I'M TRAINING?!?!?!

So, my third transfer has quickly come to a close. Last week in her letter to the president, Hna Andrews told President Bahr, "Hna Jackson is an amazing missionary and is ready to be thrown into the furnace of affliction." Thanks Hermana. So last night came...and President Bahr threw a curveball at us. The phone rang and it was the assistants and they said, "So Hna Jackson, how is Morristown treating you?" "Oh you know, it is amazing and it rocks my world." "Good! Are you ready to have your world rocked even more? We would like you to train this transfer..." I basically fell onto my bed in my stance that has been labeled as Alma the Younger as my heart started racing. Haha, the other sisters thought I was going to pass out and let's just say, I thought so too. :) There are SO many Spanish sisters ahead of me in the mission...I don't know what is going on! It was just weird because all last week, we had a feeling Hna Andrews was going to get transferred but then Sunday it felt different for some reason and we thought, "Well hey, maybe we're staying together for another 6 weeks!" But it was just too good to be true. This has been the transfer of my life, really, I have loved every second of it and I learned so much. I am not ready to let Hna Andrews go so quick! And in one transfer, I am having to lead the area, take over as senior companion, and train. No, I didn't get any sleep last night. But I'm really humbled at the trust that the Lord has in me to do this, I just pray that He will help me live up to the task. With how much I like helping people that are new at things, I'm pretty excited for this, but I recognize what a big responsibility it is. So right now, some sister missionary is flying out straight from the Mtc to spend her first night at the mission home...and tomorrow, she will meet me. :O

Anyway, so since training is the biggest news for right now, I guess it can go unmentioned that the baptisms we thought we were going to have yesterday didn't happen. Lady had her baptismal interview and now we are just waiting on a letter still from her husband in prison giving her permission. She is still so ready and I just love her! It's really hard for Hna Andrews to have to leave with her and Judith so close. Oh yeah, and Judith called us about half an hour before her baptismal interview and told us that she wasn't going to get baptized. We went over to her house and she told us that she'd been reading and praying and just felt like she shouldn't get baptized right now. We tried to explain to her about opposition and distinguishing between fruits of the spirit and whisperings of Satan but none of it worked. She still came to church yesterday but she said she wants to wait more until she feels more ready. Oh agency!...it always seems to get in the way.

I would have to say that is one of the hardest things about missionary work. We were praying and fasting and studying so much this week to help them progress to baptism and to see them get so close just tears you up. But we will keep doing all that stuff and pray that it will come all in the Lord's timing.

So while all that was really hard, the Lord blessed us in so many little ways. We have continued to teach entire houses of people as we just find them one at a time. On Thursday, we went by for a whole bunch of people, all of which juked on us, yet we were able to teach whoever was there instead and picked up a ton of new investigators. It is amazing.

New Years was fun. We went to bed at the same time as always. Haha, woohoo! It's never been one of my favorite holidays. That night, a Chinese lady in the English ward invited us over for hot pot (a Chinese dish) and I was in heaven. We got to speak a little Chinese to each other too! But then on New Years Day, we had weekly planning for several hours, made chocolate chip pancakes, scrubbed down the apartment for end of transfer cleaning while belting it out to Josh Groban Christmas album (thanks Mom :) and had a bottle of Martinelli's and the rest of our Christmas crackers we didn't open on Christmas. Good day, that's for sure. :)

Dang it was a good transfer! I'm sad to see it go but excited to see what the next one brings. I told myself a couple of transfers ago that every transfer, every area, every companion is going to be my favorite one while I'm there because if it's not, then I could be letting some oppotune moments pass me by. So next week's email will bring the full details! :)

I miss you tons but love you more. Take care this week and remember who you are! :P

Love,
Hermana Jackson