April 30, 2012

This past week has been super awesome! We have had awesome firesides every time that we have had them! Russell M Nelson came and spoke to us last Tuesday and it was amazing! He is an amazing apostle of God! The spirit is amazing! The spanish is coming slowly but surely! I am having a blast!  I love getting packages and goodies! A quote from yesterday from our Fireside that I loved! ""If you stay happy you will have the right kind of fun, if you have the right kind of fun you will be good, If you be good you will do good!"" I thought that was awesome and that I should share that with you! Yesterday was awesome though! After the fireside we had what is called Hasta Ver which is from the song god be with you till we meet again in spanish! It was basically just a goodbye party for our zone leaders and their district! We got new Zone Leaders and it is Kade Dearden'''s Cousing Elder Zemcik I think that is how you spell it and Elder Newman the kid I wrestled my freshman year! It is crazy I have almost been here for two weeks the time is flying and I am having fun! I am still getting along well with my companion and my district for the most part!

April 23, 2012

Looks like my P-Day is actually going to be on Mondays now. We got here and had one schedule and then yesterday everything changed. It is so awesome here nd the spirit is so powerful. My companion and I get along really well and we have a lot of fun. Our district is pretty good too. I get along with everyone in it. I have seen a couple missionaries here from Morgan. It was really good to see Zaine here and have a familiar face to see. It is crazy how much seeing a familiar face was so uplifting. Spanish is hard but I will just keep working my hardest and it will come eventually. I probably should have done more spanish studying at home so when I got here I could actually understand a little bit. I am learning more and more each day though so that is good. I love being here in the MTC it is great. It is for sure there is no place that I would rather be than here in the MTC. I know for sure now why I was called to serve a mission speaking Spanish. I know if the Lord would have sent me somewhere English Speaking that the MTC would have been more of a breeze for me. The spanish is making me stretch and work harder than I ever have had to before. It is crazy. THings are good though. My companion is Elder Steenhoek. He is from Texas. There is a kid in my zone from Bear RIver his name is Elder Newman. We found out the other day that we wrestled each other our Freshman year. Small world. It is crazy how small the word is and how I keep running into people that I share something or someone in common with. I am so grateful to be here and to be learning so much.

April 22,2012

Things are awesome.  I love it here at the MTC.  Spanish is a challenge for me but I will figure it out.  I am so fired up about serving the Lord.  My companion is from Texas and he is awesome.  I feel comfortable with the gospel but spanish is kicking my butt.  The Elders in my district are crazy but they are all awesome.  Our Branch Presidency is awesome; they are all really nice and Old.

MTC Drop-off

The big day was finally here - April 18, 2012 - and time to report to the Mission Training Center for the next nine weeks.  When you get to the MTC you just drop at the curb and there really isn't time for a lot of pictures so we stopped at the Provo Temple to get a few pictures.

 Jenni, Jackson, Mom and Dad

 Jackson, Mom and Dad

Jackson

 Jackson and Jenni

 Jackson contemplating this adventure

 We arrived at the MTC, unloaded the luggage and then it was a quick good-bye, first with Mom . .

 then Dad . . .

 and he is off . . .

with no looking back.

Farewell Sunday

Jackson spoke in church on the Sunday prior to leaving on his mission and then we held a luncheon at the County Courthouse after.

Just some a few pictures from the luncheon:

 Gramps, Michelle and Rachel

 Jackson getting a few words of advice from Karen Tucker

 Jackson with some of the girls

 Jackson with the Wilkinson Family

 Mike Ratcliff and Jackson

 Jackson getting a few words of advice from some of the returned missionaries

 A rough gang (LtoR) Ryan, Tisah, Jackson, Jenni and Tyler

 Some of the crowd

 Jackson listening intently

Jackson with his favorite group of girls

It was a great day.  There was a big group that came for lunch and to visit.

Temple

Jackson went through the Oquirrh Mountain Temple on January 27, 2012 - it was a great day!
He enjoyed visiting other temples prior to leaving on his mission but the Oquirrh Mountain remains his favorite.

Mission Call

And so the adventure begins . . .

This arrived in the mail on December 6, 2011

Jackson reading his mission call . .

"You are hereby called to serve as missionary . . . You are assigned to labor in the Honduras Comayaguela Mission . . . for a period of 24 months.