The Best Mother's Day Gift Ever‏

 

Dearest friends and family, mostly friends because the family heard all of this when I called them yesterday (#twiceayear #missionperks), this week has been spectacular. And full of miracles. Legit ones.

 

A miraculous thing happened yesterday. And I want to quickly relate the story that led up to it.

 

Elder Lopes and I have been teaching Socorro and two of her sons, Luigi and Carlos, since I arrived here in Brockton. And when it came to their baptisms some wrenches were thrown in the way. Two weeks ago, Luigi and Carlos stopped answering the door for us. This was scary---we usually meet with them every day after school. Eventually we got to Saturday, when we meet with Socorro, and they still hadn't talked to us. Socorro was interviewed for baptism that night, but felt she hadn't completely adhered to the Word of Wisdom (health principles of the church) and wanted another week to prepare. That night we talked to Luigi and Carlos about what scared them, and it was baptism. They felt too young, they felt like they didn't know enough, and when we asked about the Restoration, they weren't sure about it. We made a compromise with them: we can't help you if you don't talk to us, so open the door for us and we'll get everything resolved. They agreed.

 

We met with them every day this past week. We turned their apartment into a maze to teach the role and power of the Holy Ghost. We played Post-it pictionary to demonstrate the apostasy from Christ's original church and how the original picture needed to be brought back, not simply redrawn or reimagined. It came to friday night, three days ago, and we were sitting in the hallway going through the baptismal questions with them. We came to Joseph Smith and the Restoration and asked them if they believed. And they said they did. Luigi said he didn't know why really, just "had a feeling". Carlos just said he believed it. And so we finished the questions and asked them if they wanted to be baptized. Still, they weren't sure. Then this thought came to my mind, and we expressed it to them. "This sunday is mother's day, and your mom is getting baptized."

 

A little light turned on in Luigi's head I think, because he said out of the blue: do you think we could make it a surprise? Do you think we could get baptized but not tell her until right before?

 

And we said.... OKAY!  Carlos concurred, and thought I thought it was pretty audacious to try a surprise baptism we decided to do it. They were interviewed 30 minutes later, and the next evening we interviewed Socorro. Sunday arrived and we made the programs with all three names on it, careful not to show Socorro, who still believed she was the only one getting baptized that day. After church the members gathered in the cultural hall for the baptism and Socorro went to go change into white. We took Luigi and Carlos to go get changed and prepared. And then Socorro was waiting in the room with the other members, we stood out in the hall with Luigi and Carlos. "Ready?"

 

Elder Lopes walked in first and told Socorro, "we have a present for you for Mother's day today."

And I followed Luigi and Carlos into the room.

When Socorro turned and saw her sons, dressed in white, walking towards her, it was like getting hit by the Spirit train. She started crying and embraced them as me and E. Lopes just watched beaming. I looked at the members and most of them were crying too... it was the most beautiful expression of motherly love I've ever seen. Pure joy at the thought of being baptized with her children.

 

Elder Lopes baptized Socorro, and I baptized Luigi and Carlos. When we walked in and I saw her face, it was one of the sweetest feelings I've ever had. I know this work is true. There were a million ways for our surprise baptism to go wrong, but every piece fit perfectly. It was a miracle. HAPPY MOTHERS DAY.

 

Love,
Elder Jackson

Spring sprung in brockton

Just a quick shout out to let you know I'm alive and haven't fallen into a canal yet! The work here in brockton is spectacular and I'm actually like talking to people in portuguese now. Its pretty legit.

Also, transfers are this week but I'M STAYING. Thank goodness for that. Our family didn't get baptized last week due to one of the sons "sleeping" like an iron rod and never opening the door for us. 6 times. MAS we had a spectacular testimony meeting on sunday, in the which they they had legit fun and just about every member of the branch bore testimony, including me. A member of the stake presidency leaned over to me when I was sitting up front and said "I love coming to testimony meetings here..." and I swelled with pride for the branch that has just barely adopted a large americano that tries to speak criole. 

This month is gonna be awesome. 

Ate mais!!

-Elder Jackson 

The Elders Five

Boston Harbor -- Marathon Day

April 28, 2014

That is the name by which our fans know the singing elders of the Brockton Branch. We are currently working on booking our post-mission tour and also take requests.

 

So Carvalho, Vargas, Lopes, Jackson and Miller (with Sister Miller tickling the ivories) have become the singing sensation and have so far sung in sacrament meeting and a baptism, which basically makes us professionals and entitles us to red carpets and open doors everywhere in Brockton. Just kidding. Actually not completely because literally everyone will invite us in to hear the word of God... AHH A IGREJA DE ELDERS FALA FALA! Commitments are hard but at least 80% of Brockton probably has a Book of Mormon somewhere in their house now!

 

This week was a little crazy--- we had interviews and then Elder Lopes got sick, so we stayed inside for two days, after which we had one day together and another day on exhanges with the zone leaders in Franklin, then a raiiiiny day and then Sunday. Some weeks fly, others drag. This one did both.

Socorro and her family... man they are the coolest of all. Their baptism is scheduled for next Sunday and none of the problems other people have last minute are coming up. She taught us about how to help your kids keep the law of chastity by keeping all the doors in the house open all the time, aka, she's got in on lock. We've got the interview to set up this week and then we shall be opening the door of baptism. And everything gets better from there.

 

William is um rapaz 13 year old that has a mind like a steel trap-- he came to church the first time after we taught him and after class the young mens president came up to us and said... I want to come to your next lesson with him

golden

and another kid predicted to me that william will be the deacon's quorum president when he ages up. he's not even a member yet. SO COOL.

 

Oh yeah, one of our zone leaders is my twin from the other side of the country. we bonded over disc and a mutual love for gardening, which he believes is not effeminate but rather incredibly masculine and awesome, to which I readily agree

 

-The half sister of a recent convert named Jessay, who is like 11 I think, wants to get baptized and thinks it is the coolest thing ever that there is a living prophet on the earth today. Only problem is her dad is totally not okay with it, even after our fast for her. God's got a plan for how he wants that situation to work out and we're working on seeing what He wants us to do.

 

-Some cops told us that we shouldn't be out walking the streets of Brockton at night because "the kids will pull a pistol on ya like that" and "one of your people got caught in a shootout and ended up a witness to a homicide".

we said thanks for the advice and laughed a little

I think that witness might have been elder lopes but not positive

 

I experienced someone pull out on the morning of their baptism. one of the hardest 20 minutes ever for me. The Lord doesn't, wont force people to make promises to him. Tis a difficult thing.

 

The Brenton Jackson episode of House continues with the internal medicine department at Mass General! Symptoms remain the same-- generally described as "I feel like I drank a bottle of nyquil", repeated every morning. Incredibly I'm actually getting better at Portuguese and learning a little bit of Creole, and coming to love this place. 

 

Second to lastly, the predictions are that this transfer Lopes will leave and I will become a trainer. I can't tell if they're just messing with me or actually predicting my demise but its in the Lord's hands!!!!

 

Lastly, I know that the Holy Ghost is real and more subtle and more powerful than anything else on this earth, and that it has the power to change even those who seem irretrievably lost. 

 

NOT THAT ANY OF YOU ARE IRRETRIEVABLY LOST. YA'LL GOLDEN MKAY

 

Love,

Elder Jackson 

April showers brings May flowers so what do Mayflowers bring...

The Brasileiros and Cape Cod elders on the bridge to Boston

 

TEMPLO e Boston Marathon

April 21, 2014

Literally no time to email today-- we went to the Boston temple really early this morning and spent the day, PATRIOT'S DAY, in Boston watching the finishers of the marathon and having people from all across the world yell HEY ELDERS and some give us $$ for food. Twas a good day.

The work is progressing, and every day I know more that God lives. He really does. He's present in our lives and loves us. And since Easter just passed, and as we elders sang in sacrament meeting yesterday, Jesus Christ is risen! HE LIVES! Man it's the coolest thing ever. 

Love you all immensely. Also--Mass General is the most ginormous and amazing hospital in the world. Full of brilliant brilliant people. 

-Elder Jackson

Believe in your Dreamsssss

April 14, 2014

 

Hello everyone, this email will be quick today! A longer one next week for sure.

-We had 6 investigators at church yesterday; one came to us in an unexpected way, when we were waiting for the elevator in our building. A mom came up to us and said, in portuguese, "will you guys come teach my son? He doesn't get out of the house much and you have lots of activities right?" and we said... MOST DEFINITELY.  his name is william and he is a little shy/awkward but totally legit.

-yesterday we went to find a guy who helped us move a member of the ward across the street, and when we got there he wasn't there, but his family was... his dad is Francisco, who is the patriarch of a ginormous cape verdean family with 10 adult children. and 3 of his daughters were there, and we taught the message of the restoration to them. they all wanted Livro de Mormons and one wanted the address of the church. ask and ye shall receive.

-had a super spiritual lesson with an investigator, Taj, who was unsure about his baptism happening soon. like everyone ever he wanted to delay 3 or 4 months; we opened up the scriptures and talked about how much it really matters. and nothing was planned but we followed the Spirit and miracles occurred in that little classroom. and he decided to be baptized April 26th. $$$

-I have a medical appointment at Mass General on tuesday!!!!! YES! hopefully there will be answers. and candy. but mostly answers :)

Love you all! Believe in your dreams!

Jejum and Miracles‏

April 7, 2014

 

Aloooooha everybody. this week was pretty spectacular. First off I'll just quote my dear Sister Jenna Jackson because she spoke the truth--"I wouldn't be a missionary or Mormon if I didn't say BEST WEEKEND OF THE YEAR". General Conference was beautiful and actually, except for approx. 10 minutes on Sunday, I watched the whole thing in English! I probably should've watched it in Portuguese for language study and all that, but I was selfish and wanted to hear it in the tongue of the homeland. So me and Elder Vargas, who wants to learn more English (but is going home to brazil in 4 weeks so won't exactly get much practice) watched with an assortment of the branch's children in English. there was a far larger group that watched it with live Portuguese translation in the gym; Cabo Verdeans get out to conference. I loved it.

 

The biggest takeaway for me was a theme, something that I've been pondering a lot lately when thinking about the future of this restored church and gospel. That is, there is a cost to discipleship and we have to let our faith show. I have a bad habit of expecting too much from the people around me, but this I believe is true; that if members of this church are going to survive in a world where its ever harder to be a Mormon, we have to embrace the cost of discipleship. Defend the faith, but not make ourselves martyrs.... in perpetual gratitude, like President Uchtdorf counseled, we can EMBRACE the load that gives us spiritual traction and stand firmly rooted in the rock of our salvation. aka Jesus Christ. Boom. Roasted.

 

And I am seriously so glad for a prophet that teaches about courage and love... that they are inextricably tied, in a world would tell us that meekness is weakness. Charity is power, and the courage to be faithful.

 

Now for the jejum and miracles.... We have a bunch of investigators but there are two families we're working with the most. the De Pina's ALL came to conference and loved it (they're all quiet and reserved so sometimes its hard to tell. except for cassia the 3 year old, who likes us only for our chocolate). We called their other son, who always works and we've never met, expecting disinterest--- turns out he was almost baptized in Cape Verde, has seen the difference in his family since they started coming to church, and committed to be at our lesson on Tuesday and come to church next week. UNH.

 

The real miracle was with Raymond, who's wife is a member but the rest of the family is not. We challenged him to fast all of Saturday for an answer to his questions about the church, and to watch conference. and he DID. He's still not sure if he wants to join, but his experience on Saturday was special enough that I don't want to broadcast it here; serious revelation through the Book of Mormon. He has been so prepared, all the way back to when he followed the Spirit that told him not to falsify his records in order to play for the Cape Verdean national soccer team, which led him to go back to get a masters in Portugal, which led to a masters in the US, which led him to his wife and kids, the gospel, and this church in Brockton. He knows so much and I can see his family sealed in the temple... There is nothing I want more.

 

Therefore my beloved friends and family; (D&C 123) let us waste and wear out our lives in bringing to light the truth, cheerfully doing all things that lie in our power. then let's stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed. lets trust Him and be patient. Lets have courage and love and follow the prophet. lets never forget the standard to which we are committed. Because this world needs more of that, neh? 

 

love you all and thank you for all the miracles you do every day. STAY SWEET!

 

-Elder Jackson 

BELEZA Brockton

March 31, 2014

Tudo bemmmm familia e amigos. I write this time from the chapel in West Bridgewater, MA as the rain/snow/sleet/stuff continues to fall outside. And seeing as P-day ends very soon I don't have much time to write. HOWEVER.

Welcome to Brockton.

The Brockton Portuguese branch is CRAZY. Crazy awesome. And a mercurial shift from Bloomfield. Lets just say... at sacrament on sunday, I was more than a little envious of the kids who got to wear the translation headphones. It would be bad form for a portuguese-speaking missionary to use the translation, but then again, who says I really fit into that category anyway?!  I think maybe part of why I didn't understand the talk was because it was in Portuguese creole, which leads me to the most interesting discovery that---

something like 70% of Brockton is from Cape Verde. So the (small amount of) portuguese doesn't sound like the portuguese of the ward and most of the people we teach. So I must learn creole! Or perhaps just portuguese first... Adventures of missionary life neh?

My companion is Elder Lopes, who was born in Recife, Brazil and moved to the US when he was 8. He's lived in the states since then but visits Brazil often and his dad and some siblings live down there now. There are 6 missionaries in the branch, 4 elders and 2 sisters. the other 2 elders live with us, and they are both from brazil also. Sao Paulo I think. Its me and three brazilians and its FANTASTIC.

The work is on fire here. We have 4 baptismal dates and on sunday we had 7 investigators at church. But it is not without work. I'm busy trying to learn as fast as I can and open my mouth when I don't know what's gonna come out. That's hardest for me, because I'm used to expressing myself easily, and now its like BACK TO KINDERGARTEN ELDER JACKSON and I'm struggling to accept it. 

BUT. One of our investigators, Socorro, is a mom who's husband is in Cape Verde (like many many families here) and has 4 kids, 3 of whom came to church on Sunday. And Socorro's brother served a mission in Portugal but is less active and she wants us to go find him. And she accepted a baptismal date on Saturday. And unlike most of the branch, we didn't have to wake her up to go to church-- we showed up and they were all getting ready. AHHGHH. beleza. 

The lyme disease is sticking around and being a stupid butt BUT I got good news kids.... I'M GOING TO YALE! They accepted me as a patient and will see me sometime in the near future. So maybe they'll discover something and I will know I was called here for a reason. The Lord works in mysterious ways, neh?

 

I know the gospel is true, people. I know Joseph Smith was a prophet. I know Cape Verdeans are awesome. And I know that talks on the Law of Chastity in Portuguese Creole are THE BEST.

Love,
Elder Jackson