Minnesota!

Hi family!!!!

Well... I have learned the importance of not lying so here it is. I have been very very very VERY tempted to come home! You have absolutely no idea how hard Satan has been working on me. I went to a ward party to get to know the ward because we have been white washing the area. And it was amazing... all that was missing was dad's laugh and mom's voice. This ward here reminds me so much of the one at home. The members are few but man are they strong!!! We have probably the best Ward Mission Leader in the whole mission! I have missed you so much. I am bawling my eyes out right now. haha. But don't worry! Sister Tingey brought me tissues! She is dead set on keeping me here! She actually opened up to me about how she almost went home! Which helped me to see that I'm not alone and if I put my mind in the right place, I won't feel homesick anymore! So I am trying! 

I have witnessed miracles though. I guess Pres. Clements decided that baptism was so important. So when we came in, every ward had 12 to 13 baptisms in the last month but none of them were continuing to go to church. So that is our purpose. The people in the ward could not reach the people that weren't coming, but they were letting us in!!! So our job is to find and RETAIN!!! So I'm excited about that! I decided I hate tracting... but that's okay! I still do it with a smile on my face and count my blessings! However, the first day out, we had a really rough day. We weren't getting anywhere with the less actives and the doors we were knocking on. But I kept on going! And at 8:00, our last appointment fell through, frustrated, we decided to tract behind our apartment. The second door we came to, a woman answered the door. After introducing ourselves, she just stood there. We asked what was wrong and she said, "Nothing, it's just that my therapist said I needed God in my life and to start praying for Him to show me where to go. I didn't expect an answer so soon let alone Him bringing me someone!" She was crying the whole time we talked and you could see the spirit was teaching her truth the moment she saw us. It was a miracle. She has said yes to baptism but she isn't sure on the date yet. But she wants to learn more!!! And she wants to meet ward members and go to church!

I have learned that keeping busy is the only way that I will not be homesick. I have to go to work!!! I have been having trouble sleeping though and it's taking its toll. I keep having panic attack dreams and waking myself up and it's been consistent for 4 days straight. So I've asked for a blessing and I am continuing to work because it helps so much! 

I met a less active that wasn't making church or reading a priority. He said he had a hard time reading and he didn't like it. We asked if he had a smart phone. He said yes. My companion continued to try to get him to read along and he kept saying maybe and I don't know. So I remembered what dad does. I told him to take his phone out and listen to it everywhere. In the car, brushing your teeth, etc. and he got super excited. I told him about dad and how he had a hard time finding time to read and that dad would listen instead of reading and slowly he started to follow along and then he started to just read. So thank you dad for being that example to me. Because you are now an example to Brother D. in the Burnsville ward!!

Brother B. is another experience that made me very sad. My companion and I were figuring out what to do when we got a call from him saying he and his wife were done with the church and didn't want to meet with the missionaries anymore. So we raced over to see the problem and he was willing to speak with us because we were new. It turns out he has been a member for over 20 YEARS!!! And his daughter is still fully active in the church and sealed to her husband! He and his wife used to be temple workers too! But because the bishop offended him and his wife, he believes he is more blessed being away from the church. I had no idea what to say. All I could feel is the sadness that I'm sure God was feeling in that moment. He is God's son and was doing so well! He was such an amazing leader but he let his anger and hate get in the way of the spirit. I hope that people realize that that is what Satan wants. He wants so badly for us to get angry and turn away from the spirit. I had it happen with my trainer. She gave me some awesome advice but at the wrong time and I got very angry. But I realized that it is NOT WORTH IT!!! She wants me to be out here because she sees potential that I cannot see. She has been through a lot but she made it so I can too. Don't let hate and anger get in the way of your eternal happiness! It is NOT WORTH IT!! I am so much happier just letting the things go that I cannot control! I'm finally starting to get that now! haha!

Okay! Questions! My companion is from Bountiful Utah! She just received an email from her grandparents about the Robbins so they are both so excited that we are together! Such a small world!! She also makes me laugh so hard! Her last area had a lot of Nigerians and she said that they are like a drug to her! She would get so excited when she saw black people! We talked to a woman from Nigeria last night and she said afterwards, "Okay! I got my black people fix! I'm good!" hahahaha! And yes she also lived with her grandparents for a little while!

By the way!!! I am so proud of Zac and Connor! YOU GUYS ARE DOING AMAZING THINGS!!! KEEP IT UP!!! And Jordon and Jen! I'm so happy for you guys! I love you guys soooo much!

Next, I live in a small town called Savage. It is beautiful! We'll look up at a patch of trees that look completely barren but there are probably 50 houses nestled inside!!! I am missing the mountains but that's okay! There are thousands of lakes and ponds and it is SO GREEN!!! Some people don't even have sprinklers it's so green! Plus the air is SUPER DUPER CLEAN!!! The ward is amazing and the members are so willing to help the missionaries whether they're active or not! 

We also met an amazing family on Sunday that has a daughter leaving on a mission soon too. She is a year younger than me and is going to Guatemala. She is excited and will be reporting at the Guatemala MTC. So we are going to be sure to invite her on splits with us when we can! The family actually had 3 children, the daughter going on a mission and her younger brothers. However, 5 years ago, they adopted 2 kids that are now 18 and 20. And you would never have guessed that they were adopted so soon! They are so accepting and loving of one another! It was a blessing to get to know them!

I don't think I need anything yet... I haven't figured my pills out yet but there is a Walgreen's store by us so I'll check in there. 

Hahahahaha. Biking in a skirt... I may need a new black skirt... my bike ripped a hole in it... but it is an AMAZING BIKE!! It's a beautiful white and blue and it has a really good headlight! I just need to figure out how to get on... haha! I love it! Thanks so much!

My address will change so if you need to send a package, send it to the mission office priority mail or priority flat rate. If it is priority, they can forward it. However, since you're my family, I will send you my address. However, it will be changing a lot because of transfers and could get stuck in Savage so make sure that you don't send it too close to transfers! 

I love you so much and I miss you! I probably cried while writing half of this! Hopefully the next time I write I'll be more put together! haha! I really truly miss you and am praying for you every day! But don't worry! I will not come home early! I have a job to do and I am going to do it! I love you and am so proud of the amazing things you've been doing! And tell Oreo I said hi! I miss her so much! Almost everyone in Minnesota has a dog so it can be hard not to miss her!

I also got a letter from Sister Springer! That was awesome! And the letters that you a dad wrote me before I even left! I really needed those because I was wondering to myself how I was ever going to be able to get through 18 months of doing this!! But I'm getting the hang of it and loving people is not as hard as I thought it would be! I just need to learn to be patient! I've been treating a mission like a bandaid. I just want to rip it off! But it is a process that I need to go through and it will be a long one! But miracles will happen if I am obedient and willing.

I don't have my camera on me... sorry... I will be sending pictures next week. I completely forgot this morning because we needed our bags to be empty because we are out of miles on the car. So all I have is my planner and wallet right now. I am so so sorry! But don't worry! Pictures are on their way! Oh and tell the young women that I said Hi!!! And I am so proud of them for getting that reward! Tell Kelsey I'm happy for her too! 

I love you!

Love,

Sister Jacklin

P.S. So funny story! People have been asking how long I've been out. I kept telling them, "only a few days! But I came to the realization yesterday after talking to the girl going to Guatemala that I really have almost been out a month!! I only have about a week more and I'll have hit the month marker! I guess time really does fly! Even if it feels slow right now... I know it will fly when I really get used to being out here! I love you!!! I really cannot say that enough!! Keep up the good work and keep me in your hearts and prayers! I will keep you in mine! And BE SAFE!!! HAHA!! (Jordon...) Just kidding!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!

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