Lots of Miles

 New Haven, Connecticut chapel from the back.

The skyline of Yale

 The portuguese elders on the coastline near Boston.

 Our truck mascots, Walter and Melvin.

Driving past Hartford, Connecticut



Lots of miles were logged this week in our best friend the Black Pearl (otherwise known as the mission's 12-passenger Ford TransVan), crossing the mission on exchanges from corner to corner! We estimate we went about 400 miles in 4 days. No biggie. Good thing the states here are small haha

On Tuesday I went to Boston 1 PO! Like coming home... It was great because we got to see Luisa and the family. When I left Luisandro wasn't old enough for baptism, but he's since had his birthday. We set a date for his baptism August 23rd. 

Wednesday we helped the Millers unpack a little (the less-than-competent moving company stuck it in storage, so they haven't had any of their stuff for two weeks)

Thursday we drove from Needham, MA to Hartford, CT, and I went with the elders in Ellington, CT for the day. Their shotgun-training (whitewash training is how they call it in some missions i think?) but doing an awesome job. We spent the night in the Towers in Hartford and I worked out in a real gym and benched for the first time in.... 6 years? Basically handicapped my arms for the next 3 days.

Friday we headed south to Woodbridge and Southbury, CT, in the New Haven Zone, and I went out with the Woodbridge elders, Elder Monteiro and Elder Chang. Fun fact: Elder Monteiro is from Belo Horizonte, and knew one of my good friends who was in my MTC district and is now the assistant down there. Elder Chang's from Taiwan and is sooooo funny and super humble. He found out his calling in Woodbridge, as a Chinese family just showed up ready to be taught.

Spent Saturday in the heart of Yale campus with the New Haven spanish elders. It was so good to be out walking in a city again, and New Haven is a boss place to serve, with an awesome converted chapel in the heart of the city. While there I saw a big family sitting on their porch across the road and we ran over, ended up teaching them all right there, and the mother felt it was exactly the message her brother needed. And an incoming Yale football player from California called us asking to be taught. PRETTY DOPE.

Sunday was in Ludlow and Springfield, MA, in another new england style converted chapel, and then back to Weston.

My best moment of the week was driving Sunday morning from New Haven to Ludlow at 8am. We were fasting for the mission, the sun was shining, a little bit of Motab going, and I just had an entire talk distill straight on to my mind while we crossed Connecticut. God is good. His plan is perfect. Choose to believe!

Love,
Elder Jackson

The Millers First MLC and First Full Week

 July 4th celebration

 Mormon Tabernacle Choir concert

 At the MoTab concert with Elder Perkes

Changing of the guard -- the Packards to the Millers

Hey all,

A quick update from up here in Boston, where the sweat is starting to fall as real East Coast summertime begins. This week doesn't have quite the stories as last week, but I'll give you the skinny.

The main event of the week was Mission Leadership council, President and Sister Millers first! I can't really imagine their feelings going in (well they told me they were nervous and excited and etc but who really knows what that's like) but they were pro from the get-go. On Tuesday we sat down to plan the meeting and it was awesome to see the vision come together. The goal was a true council discussion where the Lord's will could be made manifest. So we planned things that way. 

Our job was a training on how to begin teaching, but really on how to envision our purpose and our relationship with those we teach, and how to help them understand that relationship and the true purpose of commitments. When we started our planning we just could not get it to work, and we could feel it, so we stopped until we could really figure out what the Spirit was trying to tell us to prep. And after a while (fairly late at night haha) it finally clicked, and from there, the planning was easy. Not giving up until you get it right is something I definitely have learned in these past few months.

The meeting on wednesday was great. The leaders were early and has prepared beforehand, so our discussions were powerful. We talked about how obedience and accountability help us to build Zion. What it truly takes to retain our people. How to prepare the minds and hearts of investigators to receive truth through our first few minutes together. The greatest takeaway for me was a fusing of the vision the Packards had with the new vision of the Millers. They were not replacing each other, but rather standing on the shoulders of each other. This is weird, but my mental image was like a totem pole, where the vertical progression tells the history of the mission. Each section depicts the vision of a mission president, and the next does not destroy but builds from it. The Packards section on the totem pole was pretty unique and very visible, and the Millers will be too. 

The other funny but true comparison that came to mind during a welcome conference was comparing the style of each to an apostle. The Packards were kind of like the Hollands, in approach and manner and vision. Plus they referenced the Hollands often, and he visited here twice.  And.... the Millers are a lot like the Bednars! Well, really, Elder Bednar, since I've never met his wife. But their approach, vision, mannerisms are so much like how Elder Bednar teaches: bold, simple, straightforward, organized, commitment driven, yet filled with love. President Miller doesn't beat around the bush, but he's the real deal. And strangely enough, the Millers quote Elder Bednar way more than anyone else! I think its meant to be. My prediction: Elder Bednar visits the MBM next year. Muahaha.

Not much else exciting occured, but I know many are interested in how the change has been. Change is change! Its good, and hard, and good because it is hard. But I've seen that the Millers know what the next line up the totem pole is, and were going to seize it and run with it. Miracles will follow.

I love the Lord. I've changed so much. I filled up my journal this week, read my first entries in the MTC, and just laughed. I didn't even know I'd be in the MBM back then. Its been such an amazing journey. And I'm not dead yet!

Love,

Elder Jackson

New President, Little Sleep, Prayers for Family‏

Dear friends and family,

My hearts a little heavy now, and my prayers are with my family. Its a heavy burden to bear and hurts me to be so far away, that I can't help you carry it. The only gift I have to give is evidence of God's love in my life and the lives of those around me here in Boston, so here goes.

Dad spent years putting together a book of family history stories from the McCormick line. When I became an assistant and started working in the office, I learned that the office couple, the Denneys, are actually Dad's cousins and have many of the same ancestors. So I gave them the copy of the stories Dad gave to me for them to study and enjoy. This past week they took that spiral bound book to the copy store to try and make copies of the common ancestors' stories for their own records. One of the managers at the store who was helping in the copy center noticed what they were doing and asked what the book was. They explained that it was the history of their ancestors. She responded that she herself was interested, and wanted so badly to discover more of her roots. They began to talk and she ended up taking their card with links to the church's family history resources to begin her own research. Full circle!

Elder Perkes and I were finishing up a day at the office, and were tired of typing reports, so we decided to log into the digital mission and do some work. One of his contacts in Brazil started messaging him, since he hadn't been on in a while, so we struck up a conversation. He spoke about 2% english so E. Perkes threw me on to go for it in Portuguese, and it was awesome. He agreed to video chat with us, but his camera and mic didn't work (but he could see and hear us) so I spoke to him through the webcam, and he responded with comments on the side. Turns out he grew up in Bahia, the missionaries used to come over all the time when he was little, and he had left his Livro de Mormon back home when he moved to Sorocaba. So we offered to get him another copy, to which he agreed, and then sent us his address and phone number. Next step is always to call the local missionaries, so we grabbed the number of the missionaries assigned to his local chapel, and called. An american elder answered, I gave him the referral, then he asked where I was from. "Virginia." "Really? Where in Virginia?" "Ashburn." "....seriously" "...yeah?" Phone got passed to companion. "Where are you from?" "..Ashburn?" "...ME TOO!"

Turns out of all the companionships, in all the wards, in all the stakes in all 34 missions in Brazil, I had called Elder Andrew Allen from Leesburg! I grew up around him, we went to youth conferences together and studied music at BYU together. We talked, caught up real quick, confirmed the referral, and were both REALLY surprised... I promised to follow up about our Brazilian friend... Coincidence? I'll let you decide. 

Finally, I was reading a copy of the father's blessing dad gave me the day before I left for the MTC. I used to read it in Brockton, when I was sick, and be so frustrated that none of the promised blessings had happened. So I put it away, and didn't read it again until this past month. What I discovered was that every single blessing had come to pass. I learned the language fluently enough to speak all my thoughts and teach. I developed a deep love for the people. I was able to find joy in the small moments and daily, tender mercies. And my body was finally, finally brought back to normal, with the help of miracles and modern medicine. Everything promised was fulfilled. 

The Lord knows us just as much in our darkest hour as in our brightest day, and if we have covenanted to choose and follow him, he has covenanted to never leave us alone. The sunlight does not cease to exist when we pass into the dark valley; it isn't visible; and we want to curse the valley, and curse the sun with it for not being there. I have done that. But I found that the Lord was turning the whole world beneath my feet to bring me back to that light, and make me so much stronger through faith-filled footsteps on the way. 

Love,

Elder Jackson

p.s. the Millers (new president) are incredible, dedicated, and so new. I haven't really slept this past week but I don't really mind. We toured the mission so they could meet all the new missionaries, and I learned that change is a celestial principle. 

Crazy Day and a Quick Update‏

Friends, family and everyone:

Today is Presidential Transfer Day! I haven't gotten much sleep and were working furiously to prepare all things to be ready for the Millers. So this is just to let you know that I love you, I'm praying for you, I'm alive (if a little overwhelmed) and being fortified by the Spirit in all things. If I don't get to respond to your emails, know that I read them! 

 

Hebrews 4:14-15:

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 

 

Mosiah 14:4-5:

Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Love,
Elder Jackson

The Last Week

First, a shoutout to Mark and Marcia Jackson who were wed, a week ago, 34 years ago! (if I did my math right) I owe my existence to them and they are really really great. Happy anniversary. Keep it real.

 

So, last week I didn't email because I was in the hospital! I threw up a lot, lost all my fluid and got super dehydrated and delirious, so they filled me up with 3 bags of saline and a bunch of other meds and sent me back home at the end of the day. Not my finest hour but after a steady diet of B.R.A.T. I was feeling much better by Thursday. 

(In the ER getting IV fluids; home with the "BRAT" diet - bananas, rice, applesauce, toast)

This week we did some things, including training the new missionaries all day thursday, which is always a blast. But the majority of our brainpower was spent planning transfers, which we finalized and sent out last night! A lot of changes for this last transfer, partially because were trying to set up the Millers with an easier transfer next time. I'm really excited about how things are going.

I'm also starting to get antsy and the actually Presidential transfer day approaches. It always seemed very distant but now that its less than a week away I'm being torn between excitement to meet the Millers and disappointment at losing the Packards. We had our last Book of Mormon webex on Tuesday, on Alma 32. I'm consoled only by the fact that I know the Millers were called by revelation to do what they're going to do; that they were foreordained for their work (something Elder Holland explained to me); and that they will be qualified to take the mission the direction it needs to go. 

So this week we'll be with the Packards, touring the zones as  they have farewell conferences and preparing for the big transfer weekend. 

My prayers and thoughts are with you all, especially this week!

love,

Elder BDJ

The Countdown Begins

The Boston Temple

 

The John Adams house and library

The ORIGINAL Dunkin Donuts in Quincy, MA

 Some Brazilian hot sauce with a fantastic name.

 A guy we talked to in Providence... he turned into his backyard and ran after a bird on the ground (couldn't fly), chased it behind a shed, caught it, and brought it back to show us. In Spanish we joked, "are you going to eat it?" He looked back at us and just... smiled...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

... as we prep for the craziest transfer of all time in 3 weeks!

This past week was slightly less intense than last, so the update today will be much shorter. Thanks for all your responses, especially to mom for sharing her experience.

Monday after emailing we went to the Adams National Park, which we actually went to before the mission on family vacation! Don't know if you remember. I remembered everything from before, but this time the experience was a lot more.... inspiring? Something about being a missionary makes you appreciate history and leadership and the nations early period, when everything was in flux and a few key players like the Adams changed the world. 

Wednesday we had our mission leadership council, which was largely focused on how the leadership can help the mission transfer from the Packards to the Millers. It was a great meeting with tons of the counsel process and discussion. Elder McCann and I led them as we talked about the trending needs of zones across the mission, based on their feedback, and helped plan ways to address them. How to increase our unity with the ward leaders and ward council, how to stay under our miles, how to extend baptismal dates and explain baptism right, etc. The best part was the testimony of the departing missionaries, esp. the Packards. They want to sprint to the finish. We have to keep reminding them they need to find a house in texas to move into...

Went on exchanges in Providence on Saturday and I spent most of the day with Elder Shibuta, who's from Ponta Grossa, Brasil, and is 1/4 Japanese, 1/4 Italian, and 1/2 everything else in Brazil. He's a great missionary and it felt AMAZING to be walking the streets in a city again talking to everyone. Their area is growing rapidly and experiencing amazing success; they meet on rented out second floor in an office building in downtown Providence, and the majority of their members are Liberians. First time I ever met, let alone talked to, a Liberian person in my mission. We have several missionaries here who were reassigned with Liberia and Sierra Leone were shut down, so I've heard some crazy stories about those countries. 

I'm happy and feeling very healthy. I'm grateful for the hand of the Lord in my life, which had become inescapably evident these past few weeks. He's dropping signs left and right to show me that He's there. I can't do much to thank him, other than thank him, and keep  on working. 

I love you all! Have an awesome week! 

-Elder BDJ 

A day with Elder Holland and Mountain-top Experiences‏

Hey everybody! Hope all is well with you. The sun is shining. The tank is clean. And this week a lot of really cool things happened. A lot. 

I went on exchanges in West Bridgewater with the Zone Leaders this past week. They happened to have an appointment in the middle of Brockton, so I was riding with them and we pulled up next to one of the classic three-story apartment/house things that define Brockton. Got out of the car, recognized the neighborhood, but couldn't remember from where... then Jane walked right by the car, who I taught in Brockton, asked about the missionaries, said her mom had changed and would let her come to church, that she wanted to meet with the Sisters and come to church with them. They have an appointment with them.

On exchanges in Boston, a young woman contacted us as we were walking into Ruggles station. Her good friend from Ireland was serving in Idaho. She talked to us for a minute, then said goodbye. I grabbed one of E. Turley's passalong cards and literally ran down the walkway in the T station to catch her; I surprised myself; but she accepted it gladly, and then talked to us for another fifteen minutes about missions and the church, culminating in the question: "so tell me in 2 minutes, what makes Mormons different?" Elder Turley explained, then Elder Nixon gave her a Book of Mormon and left Alma 32 to read, and I asked her to text us when she finished the chapter. 20 minutes later (approximate length of T ride) we got SIX texts from Alex:

 "So here are my thoughts on my girl (I mean guy) Alma... The first thing that caught my attention is how most of it was about humility and humbling of your heart. This is something that has been very much a work in my life over the past year, so I thought it was very interesting that you picked it out. My favorite part 32:28-- so true that the joy of Christ literally enlarges my soul and my heart and breathes life into my body and my happiness. The more I believe, the more I understand and the more joy that fills me. I have never thought about my faith the way that this says-- how because it is true, it has grown immensely. When I think about false beliefs, untrue happiness, and lies I have bought into, its true... At some point they cease. They stop making me happy or giving me what I think they will; however; my faith is the one thing that stays true, never ceases, literally can never and will never stop growing. Alma is right-- because it is true, it continues to fill me."

(Mom's note:  Elder Jackson's companion is Elder McCann who is the grandson of Elder Jeffery R. Holland.  Elder & Sister Holland visited Boston last week where one of their sons lives.  He also conducted several special conferences with missionaries and members in the region.  Elder Jackson had some very tender moments and experiences, which he shared in his weekly email but feels should not be posted to a public blog.  Therefore, the rest of this entry is highly edited.)

 

On saturday, we had a special mission leadership council. We were in charge of setting everything up, making the program, getting the room, making sure everyone was there early, fasting and preparing spiritually for the special guest: Elder Holland.  It was a powerful meeting because everyone was spiritually prepared. He spent the whole time taking the mission leaders' questions and responding; the messages were simple; he spoke about E. Perry and his love for him; about selfless love; about staying active and making covenants; about the ups and downs of spiritual growth. 

Sunday night was the mission-wide Latino conference where recent converts and Elder Holland spoke.  The Spirit was overwhelming. Boston 1 PO rented two buses to drive everyone there :) He asked all the recent converts of the last year to stand up, and I looked across and saw Djeison there. It was a supernal experience. A Haitian woman came in from the street; she was driving from a hospital in boston to home in Worcester but got lost, her GPS stopped working, and she ended up at the church asking for directions. I printed out directions for her and explained what was going on. She said she couldn't stay because of her kids; I told her that we had Haitian missionaries in Boston who could visit her brother in the hospital; she said she would love for them to help. 

God's hand is in our lives, sometimes more powerfully than others. We have weeks of loneliness, weeks where we pass through the valley of darkness will only our memory of that light to guide us. And then we ascend, and He overwhelms us with the light of his truth and the warmth of his love. I had that mountain-top experience this week. 

Stay true and faithful! I'll talk to you next week.

-Elder Jackson