Letter received on October 6th 2008
S-U-P-D-A-W-G Sup dawgs Sup Dawgs. So what´s going on family? O.k. so I had no idea about Dad´s new truck, just some needed info: what is the make, model, the year and the color. Oh and how many miles does it have? Anywho, I´m glad you liked the pictures, I would send them through mail, but I want to save money, I will send a bunch at my year mark probably. I have more today, so I hope you like them. Cambios are soon so Elder Calquin will probably be with me just a couple more days, so today we went running close to Morro de Arica, you need to see it, it´s amazing. There was a cruise line docking in and the waves were huge, there were also two dead pelicans on our run(just for your imformation, I thought you would like) But it is a dream running on the beach, it feels so good and it calms you down so much. There are play grounds everywhere so I got a picture of that also. Oh and Elder Calquin used to be a diver when he was ten and we got pictures at the place where he had a meet.
Anywho, I did get to watch conference. I took 30 pages worth of notes in my journal, so I have to buy a new one soon. It was amazing. There were 5 of us gringos in a room at the Stake Center watching it in English. I absolutley loved it but it killed me to think how close that is to home. But I got over it quickly because that night I got 5 investigatores to come with us to conference which is amazing. But I absolutely loved the talks, oh and I new you would be crying especially in the one about missionaries. I put in my journal, (mom is probably crying right now) but they were all so great, and to hear the announcement of 5 new temples was amazing. We were hoping for Chile so bad but hey they have to pay tithing first. Also what struck me for the family is being unified by studying(not just reading) scriptures and praying together as a family EVERY DAY!!!!!! Please Please make sure you do it, I know it will bless us so much more than we are already being blessed everyday. That is another thing, make sure you all remember who is blessing us and where the blessings are coming from. Give thanks every day for everything, I never realized how much I loved the little things until I got out here. Like being able to walk bare foot on the carpet, grass, drinking water from the tap, warm showers, a conversation in English, or just a hug or saying I love you to your mom or family.
Enough of my preaching, it just meant a lot to me to hear conference. But this weekend Saturday is the baptism of Miguel, Andrea(maybe and hopefully), and Katia. Hopefully everything keeps working out well for them to be baptized. We also might be able to baptize Jesus Patricio, I guess we will see. It´s amazing the things you hope and wish for when you are on a mission. It´s all about them, this mission isn´t about me. I´m glad I learned that early.
That is good Tiffany had a good 16th birthday, oh and how was homecoming, did Fremont win? But Tiff is lucky she got to spend it with the family, the family is where it is at.
Oh and that is extremely loco loco that I have been out that long. Last week was my month in Chile(not Chili, he he) and then this week my 100 day mark. It is flying by. We are getting some 12 new gringos this cambio so I won´t be the nuevo anymore. Since it is cambios soon, we had our 6 week interview with President Urra. I was lucky because it wasn´t one on one, there were 3 other Nativo, Older Elders with me. President Urra just kept complementing me and saying in Spanish can you believe that this is Elder Jacksons first cambio. He is much more experienced then 6 weeks. So it made me feel really good. It is sad to not have much more time with Elder Calquin though. He helped me out so much. But hey, the Lord will bless me with another great companion.
Well I love you all and thank you for your love and prayers. Have a great week and make sure and have fun and make the best of TODAY and dont worry about what could have been.
(There are no tomorrows to remember, if we don´t do something today.)-President Thomas S. Monson.
I love you all. Check ya lata.
Con amor siempre
Elder McKay Bryan Jackson
The First

Arica Chile!

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HOLA FAMILIA!

Hello familia. I am absolutlely loving Arica. It is a little difficult because I can´t Express all my feelings when I talk to people, but it´s all good. I have only been here for two weeks so I cant get upset with myself. This week was my first Sunday and the first time I was able to take the sacrament in Chile so that was exciting. It was also fase and testimony meeting so I went up there and bore my testimony in Spanish first and then in English. Everone in the congregation was amazed and had such a big smile on ther face but the great thing was they didn´t even understand me. It felt good to be the one that understood everything and everyone else didn´t. The funny thing is that when I did bare my testimony in english it was hard to remember english words, I don´t know if that is a good sign or not. Also, we had an investigador that came to church all by himself and then we taught him the first lesson. But the work is going absolutely fantastic. The people are really receptive and so it makes life a lot easier. Miguel and his family are doing great. Andrea, the wife, is the only one I am a little worried about because she says she just needs time to know 100 percent sure. But Either way I think she will pull through and be baptized, I am praying for it. The baptsm will be on the 27th. So I am way excited. All the members and everyone are helping me out a lot with spanish and they know that I am trying so they are fine with it all. They all want me to teach them english and so it´s fun teaching them. I really am loving it out here, spanish is my only downfall. Since I can´t talk great in Spanish I can´t really talk to anybody so it gets really lonely, so then I get homesick. But that is when I just work harder and the Lord always helps pull me through. This week is going to be really exciting in Chile. Septiembre 18th is Chile´s Nacional Independence day and it actually lasts all week. I was in Arica Centro today, the Heart of Arica and they had all the soldiers and all kinds of stuff going on. My area is Pukarani which is just 10 minutes or so away from the Centro. The Centro is where we do all of our shopping and our Prep day activities. Like today, the Zone placed futbol, instead of basketball courts, they have street caged futbol courts. There are 3 gringos(Americans) in our Zone and the rest are all Natives. I am the yougest and the most gringo so its tough when they all talk to each other and I can´t talk back. But it´s all good because while we were playing futbol, your son scored 3 goals. This isn´t just a simple game of soccer Esther, it is intense, well actually it´s in a cage J but they are nativo good. So a gringo scoring 3 is dang good and it felt dang good. Also, Chile´s Nacional team has been played two games so far. The last game they kicked Columbias butt 4-0, and Columbia is good. When they are playing, everyone is incide watching the game. So when they store, you can hear the whole country screaming for ever. It´s amazing to hear. It is tough to teach during those times because you can´t teach anyone, so we just go to a members house and watch the game with them. But I absoluetly love the Culture down here. It is a little hard getting used to, like the Money, and everything but it is only my second week so…. Elder Calquin is amazing. He is a great trainer and it is fun teaching him english. He is a way cool guy, I just hope he keeps his patience with me because I have a little hard time with everything. Oh yeah, I ate at a members house on Sunday. We had everything I don´t like, fish, tomatoes, beets and atrichoke. But you would be proud because I ate it all, it was tough, but I did it. Thanks for the pictures, Jaime has quite the tummy and I am so excited for her. I already know what it is and I am so excited. Dad looks great in his Picture too, although he doesn´t look as pregnant as Jamie. Souds like evereything is kinda crazy right now at home. I will keep you all in my prayers. I love you all and wish I could write you all seperate but it is tough with my Schedule. Tell everyone hi from Chile for me. Have a great week. Talk to ya later and good luck with everything.
Love your son and brother,
Elder McKay Bryan Jackson
The first
P.S. My dream came true. I always wanted live close to the beach so I could run. We run on the beach every morning for exercise. It is so amazing and peaceful. It is the best way to start off the day. Love ya all.

NEW PICTURES!!

He made it to Chile!!

My Mission President and his wife Sister Urra

My companion Elder Calquín.