November 9, 2009

That is too bad you didn`t get my letter. I don`t even remember what happened the last week or I would sum it up for ya`ll. I had some great experiences this week. I gave my first blessing in a hospital this week and it was the saddest yet one of the happiest moments of my life. I recieved a call from the assistants to the president telling me that there is a baby in really bad condition in the hospital, the family of the baby are members less active in the church, so we went running over to the hospital. Well we entered and we were led right to the baby which is rare because usually the doctors don`t let you in and they only let you in during the visiting hours, and you have to be family of the person, but we were on the Lords errand so we had some help. We arrived finally and the nurse told us we had to talk off our back packs and rings, watches, wash our hands and put on the special doctor coat so that the baby wont recieve any sickness. So then we walked in and the parents weren`t in the room, so we waited with the suffering baby. The baby`s name is Zinadine, and he has 3 months, he recieved a sickness because he didn`t receive all of his shots, so he can`t breathe on his own. He had machines all around him, the saddest thing ever watching him trying to breathe but not being able to. Zinadine would just look at me with the look of being helpless and wishing the suffering could stop. So we gave him a blessing because the doctor said that he needs one quick, so we blessed him with the Lords will saying that he will be able to grow normally without problems. We got our stuff and started to leave when we heard the machines going crazy. What we didn`t know is that we were giving the baby a blessing to return back to the Lord in peace, because right then he passed away. It was tough on me at first, I thought in few years I will have to be facing the same kinds of stuff with my own kids. I don`t want to watch my kids suffer, so then I thought, wow now I know how God felt when Christ was suffering for each and everyone of us. I am so glad that we belong to the True Church, we can receive so much comfort through the truth of knowing that we can be with our loved ones again.I also found a bunch of new investigadores, and the day that we found them was perfect, God led us right to them because that day they accepted baptismal dates. This really is the Lords work and he will not fail. keep going with the hard work Dad, you are the man. Thanks for being such a great example to me of going after your dreams, I hope I can be a man of success like you. I love you all so much, tell everyone hi and give them all hugs from Elder Jackson. Oiga, and what is this you are looking for houses kinda stuff. The Lord really is blessing you all. Have a great week and I will talk to you all later. Elder McKay Bryan Jackson

October 26, 2009

Hola family, That is awesome that you were able to listen to Elder Eyring, he has got an amazing spirit, no. Hey those are some great fotos of the haloween party, looks like ya`ll had some fun. I can`t wait till I get to participate. The leadership meeting was good, Antofagasta is so BIG. It is way fun hanging around President Urra, Hermana Urra, the Assistants and the other Zone Leaders. You learn so much being around such great people that are called of God. My friend Elder Gooch is also a Zone leader and so we were able to talk and remeber the good times in Fremont, he will be coming home in December so he is really excited. The weather is getting hotter and hotter each day, I had to buy some glasses that are clear inside but when you are in the sunlight they become dark, like sunglasses, yeah they are way nice, the mission was selling them, I though hmmm, I could spend 40.00 dollars now or thousands to fix my eyes in the future because it is so bright here. So they help a lot. The zone is amazing, I feel so blessed to serve them, we are all trying to reach 4 baptisms and 10 Inactives by the end of the year and so we are all having a fun time helping each other reach our goals. I sure am learing a ton out here, I can`t wait to use it in the future. I don`t have any investigadores that I will tell ya about yet, but the work is progressing, which is great to think that we just got here 3 weeks ago and opened this sector. The Lord is guiding us to everyone. I`m sorry I don`t have much time to write you now, I have to write President about everyone of the missionaries first and how they are and then I can write you, so it is hard to get into detail with ya, but I just hope you know I love you all and pray for ya every day and night and so does everyone else out here. Have a great and successful week and have fun in the snow. I will talk to ya later. Love, Elder McKay B. Jackson

October 19, 2009

Hey familiy, I cannot believe how fast the time goes by, I swear I was just sitting here writing you. But hey I wont complain. The mission is going real real good, it is extremely tough, probably the hardest it has been because I am opening a new sector, so I am getting to know the sector and the people with my companion because he knows just as much as I do. I am sure having a lot of fun though, I live in an apartment, and we are 4 Elderes. It is fun getting to know so many people, and understand their lives and why they are where they are at in life. I am learning a lot from the Zone, they are really obedient and have the desire to serve, so it really helps me out. It is like what Joseph Smith said, (I teach them correct principles and they govern themselves). I have 4 branches in my Zone, 2 of which are 2 hours away from me so I do all the training over the telephone with them, and the others come from other small towns an hour away or less. My ward is amazing, they work so good with us, so I guess we will be seeing our success in the future. I am going to Antofagasta tomorrow for a leadership training, so that means another 7 hours in bus there and 7 hours back, so that will be real fun, je je. At least I will be with another Elder, the other Zone Leader from the south, when I traveled here to Copiapo I was by myself, it is crazy being by yourself as a missionary. But it will be a lot of time to think right, it is hard because they are nice buses and they have televisions with movies playing so it is hard being a missionary in that moment. I sent you some fotos, it really is so beautiful here, still desert but much much better. We actually have grass at our church and lots of trees.Tell the ward hi, especially the Thompson family and the Price family, and of course all the family. Have a great week and I will be talking to ya then. I love you all. Elder McKay Bryan Jackson

October 12, 2009

Hey I don`t have much time to write, I thought that my letter got sent to you, but I guess not. I will try sending it again. I did get transfered to Copiapo in bus, 13 hours in bus, it was a killer but I got to see all of North Chile. Now I am just 6 hours away from Santiago in Bus. But I absolutely love it here, I have been here less than a week and it is already my favorite, by miles. It is so green and clean. There isn`t pornography in the streets and everything is really family oriented. I talked to 146 people in the streets and out of the 146 only 10 have rejected us and the others we have set up a day to pass by. The people really are so amazing. My new companions name is Elder Montalvo, he is from Ecuador, he goes home at the end of December, but he doesn`t talk about home at all, well trunky like. He is a great worker, and we are being so blessed right now. I don`t know if you heard that now I am the Zone Leader, so I am in charge of all of Copiapo, I about peed in the pants when President Urra told me. Everything was so sudden, it was a special transfer, so I didn`t expect it at all. It was hard leaving Elder Cruz, my son.I don`t have much more time to write, but I will talk a bit more next week. I love you all so much and thank you for your prayers. Have a great week and I will talk to you later. Saludos a todos. xoxoxoxoxox Love, McKay B. Jackson