Mindset Shift to Grace

We were so beyond blessed this week! Elder Drebot and I have been working our tails off this past transfer. We were able to find a fairly good amount of new investigators and put them on date, but we really struggled with having people be solid. We knew that our goal was to baptize 4 people in the month of February and we knew that we were completely able to achieve a goal that we had set before the MLC. We have committed ourselves to hitting that goal. As we worked through this transfer, something felt like it was missing. After we received our wonderful trainings on grace and then turned around and gave those same trainings, our whole mindset shifted. We realized how little we had been including the Lord. We decided to ask for His help doing His work and to apply better the counsel we had received. Instantly I became so much more gracious for the Lord and what He has done for me and how He has helped. I felt the Spirit much more and was able to receive more personal revelation. I felt myself being enabled. And then we started seeing all of the miracles!

Even though we had a lot of people to work with, they all seemed hollow. We had people start dropping us and we felt the necessity to drop others as well so that they could further be prepared. But in so doing, the Lord allowed the floodgates to be opened. He blessed us with tons of referrals, 3 of which asked if they could be baptized! We also were able to have much more powerful lessons. This past Sunday we had 6 nonmembers come to church and 4 of them are progressing towards baptism! We are so excited to have these people be baptized and follow Christ. We cannot take credit for any of it. It wasn't that we worked any harder or did anything different other than follow the counsel and ask for (and notice) the enabling power of Christ's Atonement. God is the One Who did all the work, we just were fortunate to be the conduits through which He could! This is how I came to know the Savior more.

Look how green it is!

So yes, the Lord really blessed us this week! The work is going stupendously! One of the people who is progressing is an 11 year old boy named whose mom is a convert who went less active but now is returning and wants him to be a part of the church! He loves church and is such a great kid!

MLC

All in all, this week was just the best! Even though I've been sick this week, I've never been happier as a missionary. My great friend Allan Raymundo is also leaving to his mission this Wednesday. He is a cool convert I got to know in Corona. We also had transfers this week. Elder Drebot and I are staying together! Woo! It is crazy to think though that the Sister who came in with us who is Spanish speaking goes home tomorrow! This has flown by! Oh my gosh! 

Our Mission President has a goal to have us each do 10 hours of service per week. Right now we are at about 3 hours on average. Service is so much fun!

First Presidency Posers

I'm glad that dad liked the birthday gifts! I thought he would. I love those pictures! haha he looks great. Man, I love you guys. I hope he had a great birthday!

Those pictures you took were beautiful! Nevada and Utah are really quite pretty! I'm glad that you were able to be safe in your travels back home. I'm sure dad is happy to have you back home too! It'll be nice to be back home after 105 weeks away from you all :)

It's funny that you talk about traveling because I was reading my blessing this week too and it talks about how I'll travel to see the world and to support my family as well. I wonder if I'll be just like you when I'm grown and be traveling as much. Time will tell!

I love you mucho! Have the best week ever! 

Love,

Your Elder Jackson :)