1 Week of Fall annnnd it's Winter!

 

"Me with Alex"                                      "Paul Revere's crib"

        

                                  "Boston at Sunset"                         "Sleeping on the T . . . we try so hard"

What is upppppppppppppppppppp everybody! Elder Jackson tuning in from Dorchester. Now that my first two companions are on this email list and home, I'm starting to feel old.... 17 days until I'm halfway done with my mission. Nao acredito. The time has flown away. As Jacob says in his final words, the time has passed away like a dream. 

This week was amazing. Elder Carvalho is a champ and with 1 brazilian, 1 half-brazilian american and 1 white americano we've been tearing it up in Dorchester. This week we found 12 new people to teach and this month may turn out to be miraculous, with four of our brethren set to be baptized! We do need some prayers for our friends Alex and Alexa-- their father is a member of the church who has been afastado since he came to the US 14 years ago, and he didn't let them come to church yesterday, and more or less threatened them with never going to church again if they didn't "shape up". The kids aren't perfect, but they're both ready to make a covenant with God. We fasted and prayed and its in the Lord's hands now.

Got some results from the Columbia Lyme clinic, and hopefully more coming. We'll know it all in about 16 days. post-lyme Limbic encephalitis? Who knows. Its a struggle every day but theres not stopping yet. 

It snowed yesterday. Nao gostei...

I took the advice of the doctors and started eating more vegetables-- instead of cereal, green smoothies every day sure does wonders for the bowels and makes you feel really good about yourself. "Hey guys, I drank a green smoothie this morning. Lets go bench some cars!"

On a spiritual note, I've come to a visceral understanding of the reality of the Holy Ghost, and what happens when its with you, and what it feels like when its not. I felt it powerfully in church when a 20 recent convert spoke of how the missionaries helped him change his life. And I felt a home where the Spirit couldn't reside. It was all dark. And now I know that He is real and present and that his absence is something I never want to feel. Conversely, I had chances to be enveloped in truth and light as we taught. I want to do everything I can to have that light forever. 

I pray for you. I love you all! Be safe, enjoy the fall, and I'll see you in a week!

Love, 

Elder Jackson