Another week in Tonga Town‏

I say that because Hawthorne is where all the Tongans live.
 

Hello Family,
It's so great to hear from you. Wow Connor is already getting ready
for his Senior year, that's really scary to me, because it still feels
like yesterday I was a Senior in high school.
So our mission had a new rule come out where we can't email in the
church buildings, so hopefully we can work that out. It's funny how
these new rules come out of nowhere, but whatever as Nephi says " The
Lord has commanded it and I must obey."
It has been a great week this week, we have been teaching this cool
guy named J who is from west Africa and he really enjoys us
coming by and it was really cool, because his daughter joined in on
the lesson as well. He actually speaks French and is learning English,
he understands English, but it is hard for him to speak Spanish. He
actually loves soccer too, but he says he doesn't have any time to
play soccer because he is so busy with learning English. We are
actually going to work with him in getting a French Book of Mormon and
so he will read in English, but then read in French so he can
understand what he is reading, so we are actually helping him learn
English too.
The ward I am in is really different then the one I was in before, I
was really surprised by how much the members are into going out with
the missionaries and giving us referrals, but they kind of lack the
work themselves. We are having this new campaign in the mission with
this choir called the Saints Unified Choir which is lead by Gladys
Knight. Our mission president says we are too young to know who that
is which is true because I don't. Apparently she is a convert who was
in a group called Gladys Knight and the Pips or something like that.
It sounds really cool though apparently she has this Grammy award
winning Gospel Choir that performs and then she has a few things to
sing, but she bears her testimony and it's really crazy because it's a
great missionary opportunity because it allows for nonmembers to come
into a church building and really feel the Spirit in that building.
She also introduces the missionaries to everyone on the stand to the
crowd there, which is cool. It's going to be a cool experience for us
all.
The rest of the week has been great we are still working with this
wonderful part-member family and they love having us over so we go
periodically to visit them. They are a cool family. We also have just
been having the most up and down week, one day would seem forever
long, but then the next would be extremely fast. So a pretty strange
week.
We are starting a new initiative for Easter with a video that
the Church came out with called Hallelujah which it's really cool. I
recommend you watch it, I love the initiatives because it helps me
know what to talk about to people. This one I like how it says "In
Jesus Christ I have found new life," and I like that saying, because
it does seem like for those who don't know or who haven't really
looked at him in a certain perspective change immensely because of the
greatness He makes in our lives.
Well I can't write too much this week because I am really timed right
now, we are actually outside a McDonald's right now emailing because
they don't want missionaries around the Church buildings anymore. All
the missionaries still ask me why I write so much in one email and all
they do is chat back and forth with their family, but it just doesn't
seem right to me to do that. I even tell them that I need to have 5
paragraphs at least for it to be accepted by my mom, haha, but just as
a joke.
Well I hope your week will be great and not as stressful. Accomplish
everything you are shooting for and set goals, that is one thing I am
having a hard time with right now and even before the mission I was
having a hard time with setting goals. I am improving though.
Well I hope you have a great week. I love you all and thank you for
the updates whenever something crazy happens. Have a GREAT
WEEK!!!!!!!!!
Love,
Elder Jacklin
 
P.S: I actually checked the video I was looking at and I kind of
stalked that kid on the new youth video and I think I noticed it
wasn't him, but it did freak me out because the bag looked like one of
the Nike nationals bags and that's what really got me.
Do you know if you can send me a rain jacket in the Easter Birthday
package because it's been starting to rain here, just make sure it
doesn't have a lot of signs and symbols on it? That would be great if
it's possible if not I can just buy one here.
Love you,
Elder Jacklin