Hola...you know what? i honestly don't know what to write..... i'm just going to start to blab. first off, Richard is doing great. i love that family! his baptism is set for this week, but ugh.. the branch doesn't see the importance of baptism! they planned a party (even after i told them about Richard's baptism) for the "18th of September" (which is Independance day for Chile) on the 24th. so in the class on Sunday i brought up the subject of his baptism when the announcements were made. it seemed like all of the priesthood turned against me and said that we will have to cancel it because they can't cancel the activity. i got a little frustrated because we want the support from the branch. i realize that we can move the baptism a week, but who knows what temptations can happen. and to top it off... our zone is only going to baptise 3 this month, 2 if we move Richard's. i know that numbers don't really matter, and.... who would have thought that we would have to worry about a quota in the mission. the fact is....we just feel like Richard is ready and we don't want him to wait any longer. what's more important, someone receiving the key to enter into the kingdom of god? or eating? i rest my case. anyway, we are trying to figure that all out. Carlos is such a stud. i've gained alot more respect for him every time we see him. he now works in the north for long periods of time, so we don't get to see him that much. but he really treats us well. we make all kinds of things with the family. some Chilean treats, banana bread, and we are going to make german pancakes here soon. people love banana bread!
our other investigators aren't really progressing.... it's kind of at a "down" hill right now, but we are still looking. we had a special conference this last week up in Concepcion. so, we took advantage by leaving on p-day and going to Talcahuano to visit some people up there. it was sooo great to see all those families again! i have missed them. they are so generous, they even came up to Concepcion to pick us up, gave us lunch, and took us to the house where we were going to sleep. they are awesome!... the conference was just for the trainers and there "kids", from the cambio we started training. we are participating in a new program and President Martinez wanted to see how it was going. they then talked about how there are no limits in the mission.... essentially saying that we can't restrict our trainees from setting goals and reaching them, even if they haven't been achieved before.i think that's a good thing that i would like to apply in real life. setting goals and dreaming and achieving, with me and my children. i love the eternal principles that we learn in the mission!
this last week was very NOT full of work because of the conference that took two days and then the 18th of September.... they celebrate it for four days. so we had alot of activities and not alot of work. it was fun though. it reminds me alot of the fourth in the states (my favorite holiday). we ate a ton of BBQ, empanadas and other Chilean dishes! i ate too much so let's just say i'm starting a diet from now to the end of my mission...
i have been reflecting alot on the mission this past month... of the things i want to achieve and if i have become the person that the Lord wants me to be. i feel like i am way far from where he wants me to be, but i'm trying. i really want to make these last months count. it gets harder and harder though. i feel more and more tired each day. i have a lack of energy, but i am striving to keep going. family... i need your prayers. i want to be the brother you want me to be and the son you want me to be. i have learned alot. i just don't feel like i have changed that much. i was just talking to Elder Tripp and he was telling me about how he didn't feel as considerate as he was before the mission. i feel the same!. so after that... i just started noticing all the things that i am lacking! i don't know if it stems from exhaustion or from the routine or what. but advice would be appreciated! well i don't know what else to tell you. i love you all and miss you a ton. i hope you have a great week! good luck mom on your talk. don't stress! i think the more you stress, the less "yourself" you can be ...if that makes sense. the reason we give talks or lessons is to give our own experience so others can learn from it. try not to stress so much mother! love you!
OH!...and something that made me really happy. there is a recent convert family that has a puppy. they don't really know how to treat it or train it. the mom has just been fed up with Boo Boo (name of the dog). she knows how much i love dogs so we did her a favor on Sunday night and picked him up. we played with him that night, he slept with me, and then in the morning when Tripp and i went for a jog, we took him back to her. it was so fun! the puppy is so well behaved! he slept with me all night long without waking up! just cuddled up to my neck. it was something worth the "sacrifice". i know that we aren't supposed to have any pets (he was just a visitor!), but we helped out a family who is having a hard time and it was only for one night. oh...side note... he peed in Tripp's bed because my comp left him alone for a minute... ha ha. i have grown an even deeper love for dogs while i've been in Chile and so it just made me really happy to be able to play with a clean puppy for a night.
love you all!
elder jackson
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