December beginnnnnns.....

 

I'll start this weekly update with a shoutout to Darren--- who either already is or will very soon be a real-life sworn in attorney of the state of New York. Stella is proud <3

In other news, this past week was TRANSFERS! And I am staying in the promised land of Boston. Elder Rodrigues did a switch and went to my previous area and old promised land of Brockton, and in his place I am now companions with Elder Soller who had been in Brockton 4 months. I am exceedingly sad that Rodriguinho is gone, but E. Soller is also a boss, so in that I do rejoice. See pics embaixo 

Also a shoutout to all the Sisters who are coming home. Basically all my women friends who went on missions are reaching the 18 month mark right now, which is weird, and really cool. 

This week was legit. After the miraculous month of November I was worried the mission might get spiritual whiplash, but instead we are in a crescendo, and yet again there are amazing things happening in Boston Portugues...

On Tuesday, we were riding the bus through Roxbury when E. Carvalho started talking to a man Francisco-- turns out he's a member living in Cambridge going to visit his brother. We got off the bus and kept talking to him, and turns out he's walking to the same street as us. And the same house as us... In fact... the guy were going to teach turned out to be his brother Manuel. We had a powerful lesson and Manuel expressed to desire to be baptized in January. 

Saturday night we got a call from the Spanish Elders, who had just met a woman, Maria, on the bus who wanted to meet the portuguese elders and talk to them. We called her and invited her to church. Sunday morning our investigator Edson drove us to church and we picked her and her daughter up on the way. Church was packed--- we had 46 people there for the not-so-pequeno group. Then during the third hour the group leader's son pulled the fire alarm, and because 50% of the people in the building speak Spanish, Portuguese or Haitian creole and not English some confusion ensued. In the entryway Elder Soller yelled to Maria, "HOW WAS CHURCH TODAY?" She yelled back to him, "IT WAS AMAZING! ME AND MY DAUGHTER WANT TO BE BAPTIZED ON CHRISTMAS." We were pretty surprised but pleasantly so. Not something earned or qualified for. Just a tender mercy to a woman who had been looking for the church for 2 years.

-This next week I'll be playing soprano sax and cello with the mission's musical fireside in Providence, RI!

  

-Edson, who I mentioned earlier, will be baptized next Sunday. He's sick. And has a sick chest tattoo to match. I'm pumped

-next saturday I get to play futbol with a bunch of Cabo Verdean teenage boys at church for 3 hours

-Lyme symptoms were, suprisingly, a little better this week :)

So all in all? Shaping up to be a great December.

Love,

Elder Jackson