Monday, January 11, 2016

Love From L.A.!!!

Hello Family,
I would like to quote last weeks letter sent to me, "Did I really write Sister Jacklin on your last letter? If I did, sorry:) Maybe I felt some of your feminine side coming through (heehee)." WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW! Thank you Mom I can't believe you called me a girl.
Sorry, I had a great week his week, we had some ups and downs which consists of every week anyway. So this week was great we had an opportunity to teach many random people and try to prepare a 9 year old's baptism (which didn't happen, I will explain later). We actually have started to plan a lot better, because I have come to notice that I don't plan very well. We actually had a cool experience ourselves after a baptism we witnessed on Saturday for an 8 year old. We went to the party afterward and talked to this one guy who was a friend of theirs and was a nonmember and he was really asking us what we did and what our schedules were like and it was a pretty cool experience. After the party we handed out cards to everyone there and he actually gave us his email address which was pretty interesting and he said to let him know if sometime we wanted to have dinner with him. Hopefully we can contact him and soon maybe get some more info so we can visit him and share a message, but it was a really cool experience. It was fun too because I talked most of the time. Yep I did, I'm so proud of myself.
We had a great experience with an investigator we have, named M and we made sure to pause whenever we asked a question and it was an amazing experience with the Spirit. I believe the Spirit testified much with him. He straight after the lesson said, "When you guys come back, I have some insights," so he already invited us back which I believed was a blessing knowing that he wants us coming periodically, I have faith that the Spirit will testify to him that what we told him was true. He said that he will include asking if our message is true by praying tonight, we will come by next time and give him a Book of Mormon, we mentioned it, but he said that he wants to stick with the books he is reading right now, we will see if we can convince him to just read a little bit out of the Book of Mormon next time.
Well also this last week we were preparing for a 9 year old's baptism, she is the daughter of some less-active parents and she was always going to church with her grandfather, but because of complications she wasn't baptized when she was 8. Well, so we visited them and made a program with the whole family and we were setting up the music and all that stuff and it was really fun. On the night of our missionary correlation meeting we had her interviewed and she was ready to go. The Sunday morning was great we had a return missionary speak, the sacrament meeting was a powerful Spiritual experience and we were just excited for her baptism. Well as I said she wasn't baptized now, this honestly was one of the most bizarre sacrament meetings I have ever attended. So, apparently there was a situation that was the reason why the family was less-active and it involved a member who moved away. Well that sacrament meeting, OUT OF ALL THE CHANCES, the member that was involved showed up to sacrament meeting that day, the grandfather was furious and the family left with the girl getting baptized and worse came to worse and the police were called and showed up to the church for the member that was there, no one got arrested, but no baptism and nothing, but a mess. Me and my companion were so confused, because we didn't know why they were angry and that the baptism wouldn't happen so me and my companion were just so confused, it's kind of funny to look at how confused we were. So pretty much we had 7 nonmembers show up to church that Sunday. YAY! Tender Mercies! 
Well the great thing on Sunday was while we were contacting that night we ran into many people who wanted us to come back and that was a great blessing. We didn't really run into anyone crazy, but we had a lot of fun in the rain, we actually had what they call El Niño which is a lot of rain pretty much and we had one day where the big gutter or the Los Angeles river was completely filled it was pretty crazy to see. My bike was also acting kind of funny because it needed oil so it would make the loudest squeaks and I scared this guy while I was trying to stop and he was laughing and I tried to contact him, but he said ,"No you scared me man." So that was unfortunate, we also went over these two metals plates where there was this guy standing right next to them and he was looking at his phone and the metals plates smacking together was really loud and he just jumped back and just yelled, "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" and I thought that was pretty funny.
Well looks like the week is going well with all of you I am excited that Connor had a wonderful missionary experience, it's really fun being a missionary because it's almost like everyone looks to you for comfort and as something special, we actually were in the primary and the kids were behaving because the missionaries were in the class with them, which was funny us two men just sitting in a primary class. We have a great time and it's crazy too how fast everything goes, I've noticed that when you do the same thing over and over again you lose track of time, it's amazing how it happens. Tomorrow is my first quarter training which means I'm already a quarter into my mission, which isn't a lot, but it's still pretty cool how fast it has been. I am so grateful for all of your support and love and also for your spiritual inspiration, I haven't been writing in my journal as much as I should, but I will make sure to write more. I am doing well and am still moving forward with faith.
Actually cool experience I was able to see one of those huge helicopters that have the two blades, man they fly so high and they also are super loud and super deep in tone I was a bit intimidated, it was pretty sick. I never saw one of those flying before. Well to answer your questions Mom I did enjoy the visit from the mission President and it was funny because at our zone conference all the missionaries come up and greet the mission president and right as he saw me he started laughing and said, "Elder Jacklin Happy New Year!" So obviously he got a big kick out of that night, he even called me out when I gave a comment he said, "I surprise visited Elder Jacklin and he has a great apartment," which I was flattered, but I don't think he will ever forget that night nor will I because I was the one freaking out. My companions bike was also stolen, but I didn't pay for his, and I did just go buy a new one, which is nice, but I fear it's in more danger than the other one I had I think. Well it was great to talk with you and I hope you have a great day today. I am excited we are going to play soccer in a little bit with my new soccer ball. I can't remember how to play, haha just kidding I'm an expert remember. May God bless you and may Jesus Christ's grace be with you, and may the force be with you.

Love your ultimate BUDDY,
Ældste Jacklin (I don't know if that was right ask Elder Magleby)

P.S. Does Brother Hall have any family here in California? We have a Hall family here in, my ward and I never asked that question, I'm going to ask them because they have said that they have been to (lived in) American Fork a few times and stupid me didn't put together the concept.
I wonder if I should just send a bunch of Birthday cards and write down the names of everyone on one and you can just figure out when their birthdays are, or you could send me a calendar. Or I can just try my hardest to remember. 
Another question I have is what is everyone's shirt size from Jordon, Jen, Connor, Carlee, Dad, and Mom? I was thinking about getting some late Christmas shirts for all of you.

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