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

September 28, 2009

Hey familia,Hey I don`t have much time but i just wanted to say thanks for your prayers, they worked. President had a good conversation with the bishop and everything is going great, know lets just hope nothing more happens because President told me the next thing that happens call me and I am going to take you both out to a sector that will appreciate your work. I love Iquique so hopefully not. Sounds like Dad and Lennie are kickin some serious hynie, it will be fun coming back and working with them a bit, it they accept me. Tell Alex hi for me, it`s crazy how all my friends are coming home now, time goes by way to quick. The baptism was just great, her uncle from Peru baptized her, I tower everyone in the foto, it was real funny. Being District leader is a great experience, I am learning a ton. Just another opportunity to serve, so I am happy. Tell Sonia and Allan congratulations, they are going to love it in Lima, I know a ton of people from there. They have a temple and everything, they will be close to Maichupichu, a lady from Cuzco(close to Lima) is going to hook me up so that when i want to travel to Maichupichu I can much much cheaper. The blessings of the mission right. Thanks for everything.oh for the Christmas package, I just want suprises, I can`t believe you are sending another Christmas package, it seems like yesterday. Oh Michell, my convert asked for a big picture of the Salt Lake Temple. So if you can, he would love it. Have a great conference weekend, prepare yourselves because revelation isn`t free. I love you all, thanks for everything. Tell everyone happy birthday. Elder McKay B. Jackson

August 31, 2009

Hey ya family, we did have two baptisms on Saturday, the other two for another week, but it was beautiful. I talked one of them(Alberto) to let Elder Cruz baptize him because it would be his first time baptizing someone, and so Elder Cruz was so happy. Alberto was Evangelico, and is married to an hermana named Janka who was inactive but now no, so we got two in one with that family, activated someone and baptized someone, talk about blessings no. The other, Jorge was baptized by the second counselor who is preparing to go on a mission in January, so we were all happy. Now we just have to help Jorge`s wife and child so they can be baptized and then after go to the temple. My health is good and we had a fun preparation day today, we(Iquique) played soccer against the other zone(Alto Hospicio) and we won, also we got new jerseys from Iquique, they are sweet, so I will send ya a picture. Anywho, I have to run but i love you all and I will talk to ya later. Have a great week, tell Dad and Tiff I love them I pray for them everynight as well as the whole family. Have a great week at work and have fun. Talk to ya later fam.Oh by the way, this week I will complete 1 year in Chile, the 2nd of Septiembre, how cool huh, I am pretty much Chileno now. Love, Elder McKay B. Jackson

August 23, 2009

I am almost jealous that you are in school, but then I think...... no, not jealous. Je je, but really I hope your school year goes fantastic. I am telling everyone here that you are all starting school just now and they are saying, oh that would be sad to just be starting. Anywho, the work is rolling right along. I will let you know how the baptisms went next week. They have all decided yes that they for sure want to be baptized so i am going to keep my faith and see how it goes. I can`t believe that Jared is coming home soon, I remember when he left and I was all alone because Sam left me for his girlfriend, je je what a stud he is huh. But when he comes home, give him a big hug for me and tell him to start looking for a girl with a twin sister to put on hold for me, je je. ;) That is cool that they dedicated the temple in Utah, the work surely is progressing a lot. Elder, well now Brother Verwer told me he was going to be an ussure at the dedication, that would have been sweet. I can`t wait for that moment to go to the temple, if I arrive in Utah I would love more than anything before we do anything to go to the Salt Lake Temple and do a session or at least baptisms. Anywho, I hope all is going well in Utah, oh I have a question, Is Dad still the Secretary of the ward? Keep talking with the people in Mia Meadows, Iam sure they want to talk to you. Oh and I cannot believe the picture of Kimberlee, she has grown so much. Give all the kids a big hug for me and tell them that Uncle McKay loves them. I love you all so much, thanks for everything. Have a great week and I will talk to ya next week. Oh and if you could send me the adress of Elder Chase Jensen and Elder Carston Taylor, I would greatly appreciate it. I am going to connect the letter that we are teaching to all the inactives in Chile, it is in English so I hope you enjoy it and actually use it, it is AMAZING. Anywho, talk you all later. Elder McKay B. Jackson