From Rhode Island with Love

Gonna miss seeing these guys every day... But adventures await

Hey all! 

Holy cow! 

I'm speaking portuguese again!

It feels really really really good!

Safe to say I'm happy down here in Rhode Island. Central Falls is great. Pretty ghetto, full of people that need help, and they all speak portuguese and kriolu. Its my final promised land of my mission. 

My companion is Elder Araujo, a brazilian from Sao Paulo (my 7th companion from Brasil #bencaos). I trained Elder Lopes, and Elder Lopes trained Elder Araujo, which in mission lingo makes him my grandson, or "neto" as i so fondly call him! Were the zone leaders over the Providence North zone, more commonly called LOB City, which covers from Warwick, RI north to the RI border, and west to Ashford, CT, including the whole city of Providence. In our zone, 9 out of the 12 companionships are training. Safe to say, we have a lot of fire. 

The area is sweet. It is a lot like Boston, except the city is smaller and the portuguese group has a more stable foundation of members and leadership. The group leader is Brother Machado, who used to teach me in CTR 7 or something! I knew he looked familiar... But him and his family are solid. Church yesterday was an awesome experience as we did the old Sunday morning round up and came to church to find50 people ready for sacrament meeting in Portuguese. Brother Machado asked me to bear my testimony (in Kriolu). I had a serious flashback to all the many testimonies and talks I gave in Boston. Basically put in a plug for general conference by telling about my experience with Elder Holland. It was fun. 

Its strange to be here after six months in Weston, especially because I felt my vision of the whole mission sort of slip away. Its like I could visualize every missionary and area in the mission before, and now I'm really just able to laser focus on the zone and its needs. I guess thats just a weird way to say my stewardship has changed, and I felt it pretty strongly. 

The Lord, through me, Elder Araujo, Sister Couto and Sister Capece, will make this group into a branch by the end of this transfer. Thats what I feel I'm called to do here and were ready to sprint. I consider the chance to serve here one giant tender mercy. Heavenly Father truly does know what we need... 

Last thought--- GET PUMPED TO HEAR THE LORD'S WILL. General Conference has arrived.

38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.

 My mental image is this-- imagine Christ himself standing at the podium in the Conference center. How close would you pay attention? Would you do what he asked? Would you dare miss any moment?

D&C 1:38 is saying that there is really no difference between his voice and the voice of his servants. His chosen representatives will speak, and through the Spirit we may receive the will of the Lord for our lives. Are we ready?

Love,
Elder Jackson