Twenty-onnnnnneeeee!‏

 A van that cares for us Elders no matter how much we stray.

My favorite TP holder in the local T station.

There's a live concert that Jenna and I used to listen to by a guy I can't remember because my mission has made me forget all music ever; but in this live concert the guy starts talking about birthdays and he suddenly just says in a growly tone twenty-ooonnnnee, which now is perpetually stuck in my head. I guess for me I'm feeling a strange sort of twenty-one, insomuch as nothing at all will change on my birthday!

Except for a few things. 

Elder Griffiths is getting transferred to Brockton (I seem to send all missionaries to Brockton) to serve with my two sons.

Elder Santiago, hailing from Brasilia, Brasil, is coming to Boston 1 Portuguese and together we will be the zone leaders for the Boston East zone! New adventures ahead. Only question that really matters.... does this mean they'll give us a car?

In other news; this week I went to MGH for a follow up appointment with Dr. Flaherty, got a prescription for a new medicine to help treat the brain fog, and so far, it seems to really be helping. I know brain medicine takes a while to build up, so it could be placebo. But perhaps not. I'm feeling very hopeful about it and very thankful for all the work that has brought us to this point. 

This week was exceedingly cold, like freeze-your-water-bottle-shut cold, but I got to break out some new thermals and enjoy hand-warmers scalding my palms. We taught some people, had some miracles, and had a stellar zone conference where we established goals for the last six months of President and Sister Packard's tenure. I'm recommitting myself in a lot of ways to full consecration, and in that respect my birthday will bring some changes. And some new responsibilities. Send up some prayers that I won't lead any missionaries into apostasy!

I love you all.  

-Elder Jackson

eh moooooooodi‏

 The diagram of a training in district meeting.

A column in a T stop they named after me, Jackson Square.

ta fixe here in Boston. This week was good, and really cold, and it snowed a few inches, and we walked a ton. Pretty basic!

New Years: nothing exciting, because we had an appointment with a family at 7 and then went home because the missionaries had a curfew because everybody else was drunk! So we used those noise makers and some poppits and ate a feast of hot dogs and ham and eggs, and went to bed. HAIL 2015!

Stories from this week:

Edson, our friend who disappeared on the morning of his baptism, ran away from us twice this week in his car. It was pretty hilarious because he is the fastest backwards driver in all of Cape Verde and thus all of Boston, and so it was pretty obvious the second time that he didn't want to talk to us when he went flying up a side street and literally threw us for a loop. It was kinda terrible, but at the same time, really funny.

I ate a salad, a HUGE salad, covered in cold mackerel, with an inch depth of fish oil in the bottom. I ate all of it except for the last few carrots. I felt like a hero. #smallvictories

We gave a training in district meeting using Alma 49:17-20 to explain teaching the Apostasy and Restoration. We played Sprach Zarathustra (2001: Space Odyssey) while reading the verses. I encourage you all to try to recreate that moment.

I got growled at by a hooded man hiding in the space between construction scaffolding and a brick wall and nearly peed myself.

I got schooled by Cape Verdeans at church soccer.

And I'm still here! I approach the 21st anniversary of my birth in 9 days, also transfers, here's hoping my birthday present is staying in Boston, because I wanna stick in our pequeno grupo. Really bad. And nothing else will change when I turn 21 :)

Love you all!

-Elder BDJ

prophet of the restoration ≠ it's a wonderful life‏

Christmas!

Christmas Day baptisms

Ainda assim, christmas was flippin sweet. its strange to be away from home. this is my second Christmas as a missionary, the first being in the mtc under 7 inches of snow. This one was different for several reasons. Mostly, I'm in Boston, and I passed the holiday teaching and walking and bussing and train-ing and, in a fabulous fashion, baptizing. Specifically, baptizing Maria and her daughter Vanessa.

We met these two ladies on December 7th when they came to church, and I remember when the fire alarm went off maria shouted over the screeching peal "I think I want to get baptized!" The process was not without opposition and struggle, but that miraculous start led to a miraculous baptism. And on christmas maria, vanessa, elisangela, melinda and rosilda were baptized. Nothing more fitting than rebirth on the Savior's birthday!

On the 27th we ran around like crazy preparing people to go to the temple and a recent convert, Ildo, drove me, Elder Griffiths, Djeison and Ely (2 more recent converts) up to belmont to spend a few hours there. it was a sweet experience. Not much better than seeing someone you helped join the church give that potential gift back to their ancestors. 

My personal growth over the course of 2014 has been immeasurable. I landed here in Boston Dec. 31st, 2013 and spent the first night as a real missionary overwhelmed with what lay ahead of me. 2 years is a long time when you're looking up at it from day 1. But now I'm here on Dec. 29th, 2014, and I can look back at day 1, and just laugh. Time has gone so fast, and its only going faster now. But through it all the Lord has refined me as his servant and as a man; he's given me His vision, piece by piece, and continues to offer more each day as I learn what I need to sacrifice to understand the way He works. I've received a glimpse of the life God lives. Just a microcosm. Its worth every price--truly, a pearl beyond price. I'm in no place to give advice to those who already know so much more than me... but maybe take a chance to reflect on what God has in store for you in 2015. What it might take to reach the gifts and blessings he's waiting to give you. What there is left to put on the altar.

I love you all! 

-Elder Jackson

Jenga Rameumptom

The full Christmas Day baptism.

Skyping with the family.

 

3 More Daysssss

The Musical Fireside with Pres. Packard on the far left.

Boston Temple at night

 

I'll keep this brief, because I'm going to skype call with a large portion of you on Christmas day between 4-7pm. Lets save the good stuff for then.

SHOUTOUTS:

-mai e pae jackson for sending some delicious boxes. I had to duct tape one closed to resist the urge to open it before Christmas.

-Scott and Kiersten for responding to my letter request in remarkable fashion.... never have I opened up a tiny apartment mailbox to see 11 letters inside all for me. You guys rock. And I can't figure out your secret message on the envelopes.

-to Heavenly Father, for blessing us with His Son. And the gospel, and music, and salvation. and saxophones. 

This week was sick. I performed at the Christmas conference two more times and got to see someone I taught my entire time in Brockton 5 months ago get baptized. We're prepping for a beautiful Christmas day and Maria (future RS president, pretty sure) and Vanessa (8 year old genius cat impersonator that loves primary)'s baptisms. I love Christmas. I love the true meaning of it. I'm glad I'm here. I'm glad life is hard. I'm glad it was hard for Jesus too, because he knows what its like deeper and fuller than any of us can comprehend. I'm just glad.

Lets get some pictures. I'll talk to you on Thursday!

Raymond's baptism

 

Christmas Firesides and some sweet chapel saxophone‏

Hey everybody, hope y'all are doing spectacular. The work continues this week with me and Elder Soller. Not sure if I mentioned this week-- Elder Soller is from Porto Alegre, Brazil, in the south of the country where it actually gets cold. 

-Shoutout to Sister Mitchell who returns home from Campinas, Brazil this week after 18 months of hard missionary work. Everybody go to her homecoming with signs and raucous cheering since I can't be there!

This past week I had the opportunity to travel to Rhode Island, first to Warwick and then to Groton Connecticut to play soprano sax and cello in the MBM Christmas musical fireside. It was a sacred experience honestly, and I'm so glad that I was given musical gifts and also the chance to learn instruments and be able to perform. Playing sacred music teaches me a lot about how God allows the Spirit to work through us. Often we ask ourselves if promptings are from God or our own mind, about which side of the invisible line our desires and ideas fall on. But when you play sacred music, you can't distinguish that line. You can ask someone who has just done an inspiring performance, was that you, or was that God? And the answer: it was both. God takes our abilities, our talent, our hard work and practice; he takes the notes we produce, beautiful in and of themselves, and infuses them with the power of the Spirit, which drives home the actual message of what were performing. You form a symbiosis with the Spirit in that situation; he cannot reach out without your performance, and your performance cannot reach out without him. 

That's really what being a missionary is like too. Its a symbiosis with God; a covenant relationship where both He and I are all in. His work is my work because my work is His. I think that's why it feels so good.

I'll shoot out some pictures, and end with this request: 

All I want for Christmas is a letter and a photo from you guys, if you have time. I'd love to read your handwriting and see a glimpse of what you're doing right now.... plus I need some more pictures for my wall :) my address is 19 Ackley Place #2, Jamaica Plain, MA, 02130.

Love, 
Elder BDJ

p.p.s on the way to a fireside this week we stopped at Panda Express and guess who was there? the founder of panda express. got a picture with him. he likes missionaries and has a second home in Park City. best part? $10 GIFT CARD.

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

A November to Remember

I have never been more tired, and I have never been more happy.

This week was an emotional and spiritual roller coaster here in dorchestah, including almost losing a baptismal date twice and bringing them back twice, having a Turkey bowl then a Thanksgiving feast at the Packards home that basically made me die of trunkiness (incredibly good food & the same rolls that I usually destroy at home).

This week I had the chance to interview 4 people for baptism, and that was a very special experience for me. It is sweet and humbling to give them a chance to witness before the church and bear testimony of what they learned. Coolest part for me? I succeeded in doing an entire interview in Cape Verdean Kriolu...to a man who was half blind and couldn't read or write, but had a powerful testimony. His signature was a + sign. 

This sunday was huge for the group-- the culmination of a momentous effort was a baptism of 4 people from 4 families (3 of whom were part-member families); 56 people came, mostly the extended families of the people getting baptized. Just in sacrament we had 40, again. The Lords hand is over this work and this area.

I cannot describe, nor do I have time, to tell what my mission means to me. So I'll just send PICTURES! 

Love you all so much! Happy post-thanksgiving and start your Christmas music!

Elder Jackson