Love From The Most Amazing Missionary in the WHOLE WORLD!

:)

Hello Family,

It was fun being able to hear from all of you in your letters, because of this I feel like one of the most loved missionaries in the WORLD! 

     That's so cool that Connor wants to drive me home when I get back, I'm glad that he is looking so far to that point, still got to wait. That's all I am going to say about coming home, except for the fact that this transfer is a 7 week transfer not a 6 week because they changed the rules in the MTC for the new missionaries so they add on a week which makes me really happy because that means I can serve a full two year mission! Alright that's it.

       I had a great week this week, my new companion Elder Piepgrass is really awesome. He loves to work hard so that means we are already getting along. It was pretty funny we went to a recent converts house and they are from West Africa and they didn't believe that my companion is from Canada because he looks Asian. So explained to them that his mother is 100% Korean and his father is 100% Caucasian. They then understood, I thought it was kind of funny. It was funny too we both figured that we need to take more pictures so I think I have got it this week for taking pictures.

       Well the Centinela 1st ward is super awesome. There are a lot of members that know how to do missionary work. We actually yesterday went to dinner with some members, the C's and they are really great. Brother and Sister C's son S is really into missionary work, he says that he is always around the missionaries, so I got myself a bit of a stalker right now. It's been great though with working with members, they are a great ward, unfortunately the Bishop is a Utah Utes fan so I don't know if we will get along very well, haha just kidding, he's great. We also met a cool family the M Family that wants their son to be around missionaries more so he can feel comfortable about serving a mission. All in all a great ward that I am still getting to know since they threw me and Elder Piepgrass in here without knowing too much.

So the whole reason I found out at transfers why I was coming over here was because Elder Alarcon, one of the missionaries here before, was going home because he served his full 2 years and Elder Sleight was being called as a Zone Leader and had to be transferred, so I was pretty much the person picked to take their place and learn at least a little bit about the area before this whole thing went down. It's been great though I don't feel too much pressure on me or my companion Elder Piepgrass. I still can't believe we are companions. It's been great though the area is great and the Ward is great. Hawthorne kind of reminds me of my last area because there are really quiet areas and there are really busy areas, plus there are parts of my area that are near Watts so nothing really different to me.

I found out that I fear no man though this week because I talked to two gang members which was cool. They are fun to talk to because they will be straight honest with you that they are fine with doing drugs and stealing and all that, but respect what we are doing and say that if anyone messes with us give them a call, even though they don't give you their phone number, we apparently just yell, "HEY HELP US OUT!" and they can hear it or something, I don't know. The area is fine though, a lot more people to talk with, a lot of people like to walk around here so it's a lot easier to talk with people, in Downey not so much, we had to knock doors most of the time. Look I am already being mean to my last area! I miss my last area, but that's what happens when you are somewhere for a long time, it's just like leaving home to come on a mission all over again, but you know it's how it works and I know that soon I will leave this area and miss it as well, same thing when I leave the mission entirely, AH I TALKED ABOUT COMING HOME! Sorry.

I loved hearing from all of you, I laughed pretty hard when Connor used the Studio C reference, because first it was funny and second that I can still remember that stuff from 7 and a half some odd months ago. That's ok though if Connor broke the Herald law whatever that is, I've seen a lot of laws broken on my mission. We actually were biking with our groceries or something on Monday and someone took something from the T-moblie shop and they ran right past us with the T-moblie guy chasing after them. Me and Elder Piepgrass were wondering if we should have stopped them, but then again I probably would have fallen off my bike if I would have done that. I'm pretty sure though that they got caught because that T-mobile guy was determined to catch them, he also was calling the police.

Ok now something spiritual, we ran into this guy named J or J or something, but he moved from West Africa and he is learning English, since he spoke French in Africa, but it was so cool, because he understood every word that we said. He had a hard time speaking back to us, but he would listen and say yeah that's true. It was really cool, he said he would read the Book of Mormon and pray and ask God if it is true. We set a baptismal date with him for April 17th and he accepted to try and prepare himself for that date. It was a great experience I was praying that he would understand every word we said, I even spoke very slow for him and very simply, and he understood. I know that the power of prayer is real, I don't think if I wouldn't have been praying whenever Elder Piepgrass was talking that he would have understood a word we would say, but he did, and I know God did because I know that the Spirit was testifying to him the words which we would say to him came from God and that they were true.

We are teaching this great family as well, the R/M Family and they love to have missionaries over, even their neighbors come and listen to us because they love missionaries coming over, even though some don't want to be baptized they can feel something from us and it is really cool. In the family the Mom and her Son and her Daughter are baptized members, but the Father and the other Daughter are not, but the Father wants to be it's just that he speaks only Spanish, but wants to learn English, so we are figuring what we are going to do with him. The Daughter we just need to figure out what is stopping her, she is just in slow progression though, right now I think they just need to get used to us because they were so used to the other Elders, which it shouldn't matter who comes by really to feel the spirit, a missionary is a missionary, unless he chooses not to be a missionary. They are really cool though.

This week has been all out great, we have run into people that the only vocabulary they can speak is "NO" I call it the NO LANGUAGE, or maybe the NOT INTERESTED LANGUAGE. The one thing I have noticed out here to is that there are a lot of people that want to prove us wrong, I just want to say "Did Jesus have a contentious heart?" it's kind of funny how many people want to convert us, or that just say "My Father is a pastor so we are not interested," I heard that from a lot of people so apparently everyone in Hawthorne has a father that is a pastor. Haha I always find the funny side of rejection, which I tried to focus on and it helps a lot, in fact I can hardly ever remember rejection stories, probably because they happen so fast. "Can we share a message," BAM! Door slam! I love it though, no problems with my brother's and sister's agency.

I hope I am writing enough.:)

It's been a great week of adventure and I know that the Lord is helping me through any tough times that I go through. I think I am slowly, but surely opening up more, I still have a filter, but I don't care about what people think of me or anything like that. I know I am a Child of God and he loves me. I know he loves all of us.

I was having a hard time at the Inglewood Stake Conference this last Sunday, it was a great meeting, but normally in this area they have families coming to church and I was feeling down that Sunday, we had like a row of empty seats around us, but the funniest thing now that I look back, this nice Tongan Lady in front of us just handed me and my companion an air head candy and I just almost broke into tears, I was like aw a little air head, I learned that I needed to appreciate the small things, it's so funny how something that small lifted my Spirit that day. It wasn't like 8 investigators all showed up at the same time and sat next to us and all had a Spiritual experience and wanted to be baptized for sure afterwards, NO! It was just a simple little Cherry flavored Air Head that lifted my Spirit that day and drove me to stop thinking about the big things and that I am a failure because of other people's agency. I need to quite being air headed, looking for things that are way up high that I can't even reach. Instead I need to look and see that small things like myself paying attention to the conference instead of paying attention to myself, but looking to the Lord, that everything will be alright and that I don't need to feel as down as I was. Alma 37 verses 6 & 7 says, "Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise. And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls," I know this to be true. I know that God is there and lives, I know that Jesus Christ lives, if not then I would have not been shaken by a simple piece of candy. Doing the simple things brings about the greatest things.

Thank you Family for the love you have for me. Have a great week. You are all great. When I say family, I mean everyone on the Earth. We are all a family under one Father in Heaven. I love you. Man I feel like I am typing up my dying testimony. Haha I will be fine, the Lord protects his servants. Get that DRIVERS LICENSE CONNOR SO YOU CAN DRIVE SPEEDY MAZDA SPEED 3, WOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! CARLEE WATCH OUT FOR THEM COLUMBIANS THEY ARE DANGEROUS FOLK! haha that just reminded me of this guy that walked up to us and kept on saying that he was from somewhere I can't remember, but he didn't look like it at all, but it was funny because he lived in that certain country meant that he couldn't talk to us. haha DAD DON'T DIE! haha and MOM I DON'T KNOW KEEP DOING WHAT YOU ARE DOING, WRITING FOR EVERYONE! haha. I love you all have a great week. BLESSED WEEK!

LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Most Amazing Missionary in the WHOLE WORLD!

Elder Jacklin

P.S. I am still humble. haha Quote from your email: "Is there anything you need right now?" Answer: A HUGE! haha just kidding, nothing really I am fine. I also forgot who's birthday is on the 28th of March. Please let me know, I don't want to forget to say happy birthday. 

Ok that's it sorry I am just babbling on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on AND ON!

Love You!