Email #10 April 26th, 2010

well hello! yo espero que todo esté bien allí.

well another week has come. i´m not gonna lie. this week has gone by a little slower…a LOT slower! Gerardo changed his baptism date to this week. last week he had a baptismal interview and had some doubts, so they talked to him for quite a while and changed it to this week. he is so great and i can see in his eyes the desire for the church. but i hope and pray that he will actually get baptized. one day we went and made some contacts. we contacted this girl who was about 19. she was nice and said we could come by, as almost all Chileans do. we went by this last week and we taught her and she seemed interested. she´s supposed to read this week and we are gonna stop by and check up on her. i love chile. i love the members and atmosphere… even though it´s pretty dirty. but its great… i´m so humbled!

the reason this week has gone by so slowly is because of my companion. i don´t want to talk bad, but he doesn´t really have a desire. he´s a great teacher when we’re doing lessons. but he doesn´t like the rules. everyone tells me that he doesn´t follow them. so honestly i don´t know what the rules are here... but when i have control, i´m doing the right thing! don´t worry. it´s pretty frustrating. i pray alot. ALOT. and it helps, i know this is a trial and i´m trying to make the best of it but it plain sucks sometimes. i´m really trying to make the best of it. i´m learning how not to be when i train a nuevo. so i guess i am really learning something from this. However, because of it the situation, i have been kind of home sick. i get really down sometimes, but i do have ups. everytime i´m down i just get on my knees or say a prayer in my heart that i can feel the love of our savior… that i won´t worry about my family and my friends… and that i won´t be looked down on because of my companion’s attitude and actions. and when i do that, i really do feel the love. it´s just hard to have the spirit with us. i´m trying to do and think the right things, but he´s saying and thinking things that shouldn´t be said on the mission. we have been called by God, we wear a name tag where two things stick out-- our last names, and jesucristo. the two most important things about our church! we are representing both the church and our families and he is showing such a poor example.. there´s not a ton i can do, but pray and work as hard as i can. just please pray for me! i need all the help i can get.

i am working hard. and i am loving the people. the spanish is hard. but it´s coming very slowly. oh, my companion left yesterday with another missionary for zone conference in Concepcion. so it´s me and another “newbee”. i have learned more with him and have had a good time. we had some contacts yesterday and visited Gerardo, which was fun. we just don’t know any Spanish… ha. but yeah, it´s been fun. oh and i might buy a sleeping bag and a couple other things, so i might use my card. it´s just really cold here and i kind of need two of everything. nothing expensive though. and if you ever send me a package. please o please send me reeses or muddy buddies. i crave them so bad! but if it’s too expensive don’t worry about it. i only get my mail and packages about once a month.

i love you all. i miss you tons! los quiero. p.s. i´m glad your healthy mom. i pray for you every night. let me know how kim’s doing. oh and don´t worry about pouch mail. just send it through normal postage. Send packages to the mission office and then we get it when we have our zone conferences… that’s about every month. umm i think my address is

Elder Keegan Jackson
Chile Concepcion South Mission
O’higgins 940 Oficina 503
Concepcion

Bio-Bio Chile

feel free to send me reeses and muddy buddies ha ha or any other treat. we really only get one meal a day.. so i like to snack on stuff. but it might be expensive to ship, so no worries.i would have you send me some hoodies, but i think it would be cheaper if i just bought one here. and thermal garments? should i have you send me some? they’re really nice and i could use some more.