Roaches! Dirty, filthy roaches!

MONDAY - P-days are always bomb, we played some ball and did some horse with Elder Feild and Elder Scott and hit some crazy shots, Elder Field kept giving me letters by hitting his ridiculous half court hook shots, but it was good. We stayed on the computers for a bit longer but only till about 1 or 2 then headed back to the apartment and Tim took us to target to buy some food and then we hurried back cause Fernando wanted to go to the office and buy some videos and then went to the book store, Moons. After Fernando took us to McDonald's on the way back and bought us some food, then we headed back and wrote letters and called it a gooooood pday.

TUESDAY - We had district meeting today and learned about obstacles then went out to lunch as a district, I got 2 letters, one from Shawn, the beast!! and from Cailey! Thanks guys! we went to Taco Bell and were only there for a bit, we came back and cleaned and packed, I called to get an appointment for the dentist and set up for subway subs at 5:30 from sister Shattuck, so the other elders came by and ate subs with us at 5:30. It was way fun, we then tried to go see Barbra but she is completely different now and we are really close to closing the door on her. we cleaned more and packed more as well, not a whole lot, because we are moving on Friday!!!

 

WEDNESDAY - We packed more today, we have so much junk in the apartment its so bad. We had dinner at 5:00 with the familia Elorza and it was really good, had some good Mexican food and talked a little then headed back to get some money from sister Lym for tomorrows dinner cause she had to cancel. Tim came over and called my pops at like 7 or so to make sure the dentist was all good, that I could go in and all that then we went and got blue bell, Elder Dominguez is so addicted to it hahaha, its crazy. we packed more and called it a night.

 

THURSDAY - Long ride to the dentist, Tim almost killed us 48 times and killed others 65 times... we got pics at the American airlines arena and went into the fan shop, drove by where JFK got shot which was cool then headed to the dentist, got all the info and xrays done, the assistant didn't think I could speak Spanish so I just started a conversation with her hahaha kind of freaked her out but it was good. Then I talked to my dad, haha, like I always seem to do when I go to the dentist here. That was really nice, I miss the fam. We finished and went to Taco Bell with Tim and by now I wanted to just get back and continue packing, so we did cause tomorrow is moving day!!!!

 

FRIDAY - Moving all day long!!!!! we got up and had all the elders at our place at 12 ready to move stuff, and Elder Midgley, great guy. We got it all in 2 loads and got settled some what in our apartment with our 60,000 new friends :) the cockroaches.... how fun. We got in and then helped the others as well, dinner at 5 with sister Rodriguez was good then we went to Mesquite to help tidy up the place and headed home, we decided to spend the night at the other elders cause it wasn't roach infested and gross, so we were there for the night.

 

SATURDAY - Not a very eventful Saturday, we were unpacking and moving all day long and putting things where they were supposed to go, so tired! Alergies were killing me too, which usually doesn't happen to me very often but it was bad!! We got a lot of stuff out and unpacked and then also killed 30,000 roaches in the process... so bad, everywhere, EVERYWHERE! We had dinner with the Larsen family and had shush ka bobs! Elder Falk ended up running into an old buddy of his who happened to be companions with elder Larsen, small Mormon world I tell you. small! We headed back and kept doing the same old unpacking and killing roaches. We slept there for the first time and were killing them all night long, luckily I didn't have any in my mouth or nose or ears in the morning YUCKKKKK.

 

SUNDAY - The Sabbath Day!! I love Sundays, so nice. We went to church and it was good cause we got to teach the 3rd hour to all the ward pretty much about answering questions about our faith with Mit Romney and all that's going on, it was way good. Dinner was brought to the church and we took it to the apartment and ate and didn't do much that night, we finished pretty much though... what a week, what a transfer... its been a pretty bad one, but everything happens for a reason, I just have to say that I hate Satan!

 

Love,

 

Elder Aaron Jackson

Mom Would Be Proud. . .I Did The Dishes!

MONDAY - We were at the church early, emailed. Awesome email, lots of juicy news from the house, I played some bball for the first time in 2 and a half weeks which was amazing of course but we did not stay at the church for very long. We came back to the apartment, went to family dollar to buy a few things and then came back and read, wrote letters and napped. The Prices came and got us later that night to take us to Gaby and Fernandos to have a Family Home Evening, it was really good.

TUESDAY - We had District meeting today and it was my first day back in action so I was not obviously just back up and running, I was sluggish. We had interviews with Elder Witbeck cause he was not feeling well, everyone has been getting sick. It was good we just talked about my area, help I needed, my companion and then whether we thought we would be transferred or not. We ended the meeting and biked home real fast had lunch and Spanish study and then headed out, went tracked some way bad looking apartments, only talked to a few people, not a lot of Hispanics. So we went and tried to visit a less active in the area, sister Webb but she was not there so we rode all the way back up to the church, in that area and ran into brother Jasso and had water at his house and tried to visit sister Bear, sister Blockers sister and law, way less active. Wasn't there. We came back and waited for dinner, the Lieb family, always an interesting place to go. We had Chinese food and elder Larson didn't eat his veggies and Bro Lieb was like "I'm going to call your mom if you don't eat those!" and he jokingly said "go ahead" thinking nothing of it... Brother Lieb actually called!!!! haha it was funny, on the way back I was sitting in the front seat and the window was down and some dudes gas thing was open and I shut it for him haha. We got back and headed to Barbras and knocked and nothing but then saw her granddaughter next door so we knew she was there so we told her to go get her, we got in and had an awesome lesson, read 3 Nephi 11 and committed her for the 28th, she still does not feel she has her answer, we came back and did what we decided to start, minute video logs every day, like a journal. My first one was much longer haha, but it was fun.

 

WEDNESDAY - 11 MONTHS!!! almost to the biggest mark of all, We did a lot of cleaning today, my back was not feeling the best still a bit on the fence but still not too bad so we refrained from the bike as much as we could, we then got a call from Elder Midgely to go look at some apartments and so we went with Tim to look around, I saw Skyline High School finally! For those of you that don't know its where C.J. Miles played and was drafted straight from that school, so that was really cool, also saw the sickest Lambo Gallardo! But in the midst of finding all this we did not find a good, safe looking apartment. We came back and waited to be picked up by Matt Moss to go to sister Lloyds for dinner and it was good, Sloppy Joes. Its always fun to eat there, we came back and got picked up by the Prices to go to correlation which was really good, talked about the other elders baptism and then proceeded to squeeze 6 of us in one car, cause the Mesquite elders came too and drove to our apartment. Did our video logs, today's was all in Spanish so you probably wont understand :)

 

THURSDAY - Planning day... till 4, we also were having a doughnut crave in the morning so we went up to get some on the corner in the morning, of course there was a fight up there! haha, crazy area, we had the Dowlerns for dinner, old old old couple so of course seeing how its been a full 3 weeks since we were there, if even that they have forgotten all the stories they have already told us... so we heard the same exact stories on the way over and during dinner hahaha, old people... The other elders drove us to see a referral and then took us back to meet up with Brother Mata, he is so awesome helps us out a lot, we went and visited a less active, David. He has 3 kids and his wife who are all not members but its going to take some time and change to get them going, but we are excited... we had Barbra after but she canceled!!!!!! So mad, we went and saw if the referral was there but they weren't so we just headed home. 

 

FRIDAY - We finally got what I have been waiting for! PANCAKES, I bought some mix and they will just not cook right, so Tim took us to IHOP today, it was really nice and we also got a call that they found our new apartment!!! So we went and signed the applications and looked around, much better, clean carpet, Bball court for the mornings. We are so excited! We will be there in the same complex with the other elders too, and the ZL's and Dallas 5 North elders live just down the street, its going to be fun. We came back and started taking stuff down and cleaned out the closet outside, so gross!!!! crap from all the other missionaries and stuff, so bad. We had Brother Kidder for dinner, had hamburgers and we stuffed our faces cause we have no money and no food so we are really tight. Their dog is huge!!! massive, really friendly though. We then headed to Sister Lloyds to pick up a bike for Elder Dominguez from her dad, way nice bike, as he explained about it and they talked "Taken" was playing so that was torture, such a good movie. I also saw for the first time a trailer for "The Avengers" and it looks pretty sick! We then headed to Wal-Mart to get some meds for Elder Larson and some bike stuff for Elder Dominguez and headed home where the other elders wanted to use some of my meds to sleep well haha.

 

SATURDAY - Doughnuts are good. so we got some more. Elder Dominguez was really sick so we didn't get out, I DID THE DISHES!!! our dishwasher broke so we have been piling up since and I finally did them, my mom would be proud :) We had the Kliens for dinner with all 6 of us, we all got cereal and then we headed home, we called Fernando and headed to Wal-Mart to get some milk and a pump for elder Dominguez and came back, then Tim brought us some bread and we got Elder Doms tires pumped up and we rode it around the complex a few times to test it out and then we talked to the security guard who loves us and he was sad to hear that we were moving! 

 

SUNDAY - Awesome day today, pretty normal day of church but really good after, Mesquite had a baptism and so did D10 South, we missed Mesquites cause we had dinner with the Kubosumis, Lasagna, my fave! But we made it to Jose's baptism, so awesome, EVERY missionary from the district AND the ZL's were there, it was really fun. But no one from the ward..... except the prices. We were so angry! We invited everyone, announced it to everyone and still... no support. After was a ton of fun, all went to their apartment to cook fajitas, SO SO SO good, outside all of us, talking sports and stuff it was a lot of fun and then we finished by about 10 and headed home, did our second to last video logs and then hit the sack, not a very productive week but still lots of stuff! Thanks for following, love you all!

Elder Aaron Jackson

Floating On Clouds. . .A Slow Week

MONDAY - We came early after shopping to email because we had a meeting at 1 at meandering way. We emailed and then headed to the meeting at 1, I was on the floor the entire time but it was a really good meeting. Afterwards President Durrant talked to me and asked if I wanted to see a doctor and I said "Yes I do" So they called and got permission for me to go, we came back to the church for a bit and then went to Taco Bell with Tim. I wasn't in the happiest mood.. We came back and went to bed.

TUESDAY - We got up and headed to the doctors at about 9, they ran some tests and came to the conclusion that I pulled a muscle and that there was a lot of inflammation so they gave me 3 meds to take that would relax all my muscles. We went to target and got the meds and I got a 15 dollar gift card from some coupon that Tim had so we got some other things I needed too. We headed back to the apartment and sister Durrant called and President Durrant and told me to rest till I could go out and work, so I did, I took the pills and I was floating on clouds. The Prices came and got us for dinner and asked how I felt and I felt amazing but I was completely out of it, we went to Charleys subs, worst place ever! That's alright it was with the Prices, best members ever :) They dropped me and elder Falk off at Mesquite till the ZL's could come get us, they did and I was still out of it, but it was Elder Beatty! I actually got to talk to Elder Rodriguez today, it was good. Then we headed home and I couldn't even walk straight, as soon as I got in I hit the sack.

 

WEDNESDAY - We woke up started studying and then got a call from President Grant who is in charge of the housing, he asked us to come with him to look around at apartments so we did for about 30 minutes, nothing really good in this area, one of the worst areas in Dallas. Then he took us to McDonald's after and we came back to the apartment and read and read and read. That was our day.

 

THURSDAY - We did the same today, we actually went and did laundry though today so we mixed it up a bit, other than that we read and read and read. Slept and slept and slept.

 

 FRIDAY - FRIDAY THE 13TH!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY APRIL!!!! 8 YEARS OLD!!! :) HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELDER KERR!!! THE BIG 20!!! what a good day :) not... we did the same, rested and read. I have almost finished the book of Mormon in Spanish now, same with my companion. We had dinner with the Lloyds though which was fun, we went and enjoyed a meal over there and then of course they had to have a gameinformer laying on the couch with Master Chief staring right at me!!!! Its all good though, it will all be there when I get back, still its cool to see how fast time is going! We headed home and then the other elders thought it would be funny to make a surprise visit and come pounding on the door. They came to see how I was doing and then we were out side with Bundy, our black neighbor and we were all laughing just the way he talks, its so funny, yall should go to the state furr, hahaha, we were dying. 

 

SATURDAY - same old same old, I think we have seen finding faith in Christ and the Testaments and Mountain of the Lord and the Joseph Smith movie like 20 times each, and we are almost done with the book of Mormon. YUCK! I wanna get out and work.

 

SUNDAY - YES!!! we get to go to church! It was really good, Elder Dominguez translated and he taught the class after, kids coming out of his shell! We got done and headed home and waited for dinner, BK from HNO Castro, we ate and then fell asleep, and then hit the sack after waking up and realizing it was time for bed. What a week huh??? Full of excitement and lots of adventures. NOT! I'm feeling much better though, I'm ready to work hard, we are already half way through the transfer can you believe that! Time flies, I hit 11 months in a couple days, heading for the 1 year mark, crazy!

-Elder Aaron Jackson

Tornadoes and Sore Backs Keep A Missionary Inside

MONDAY - Early shopping as usual then to academy, elder Dominguez wanted to get some new bball shoes and after we went to the church, we emailed and played ball till about 1, afterwards we headed home because I landed wrong or something and my back was killing me. We went home and took a nap and wrote some letters and did some other stuff, then at 7 we had a lesson with the Terrazas family, we taught the 10 commandments and they loved it but then their mean dad came out in the middle of our lesson and told them to get inside. He does not like us, Elizabeth wasn't happy about that but we talked with her a little bit and then left. We got picked up by Tim to run back to the store because we forgot a few things and came back to end the day.

TUESDAY - My back was killing me, I was planning on staying inside and resting when we looked outside and realized that... we were going to be staying inside anyways! The sky was completely black, and the tornado alarms were sounding loud and clear, the wind and rain came quickly and we did not leave, we had calls from leaders, texts from members all sorts of stuff saying STAY IN, 13 tornadoes and 3 were REALLY close to us, we took some video of it until I got scared and ran inside like a little girl but it was crazy, we ordered pizza seeing if they would still deliver and they did! haha The storm had passed and the tornadoes that touched did some pretty hefty damage, but no one was injured luckily, first tornado experience, it was crazy! We had dinner with Lori Holland and Jeremy, Jeremy came and got us and we had spaghetti, it was way good, but I'm not a big fan of Jeremy, he is kind of a jerk and a know it all. But Lori is sweet, We came back and Bro Mata took us out to our lesson with Barbra, we taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ and did the egg lesson and she loved it. That was our day in a nutshell, crazy!

WEDNESDAY - Interviews with the president today and I was not feeling good still, at all. We got picked up at about 8:20 by Bro Chapman and then headed to Lake Highlands to have interviews and trainings, it was about a 4 hour meeting but it felt like a 12 hour meeting. I was just sitting in pain, I got into my interview and President said, "Elder whats on your mind, you don't look like the normal happy elder Jackson" I explained that my back had been hurting and stuff and he said "When you fly high like Michael Jordan, you land just as hard. I had the same problems" I had called Sister Durrant and she said rest it and he said the same, so that's what I did. The meeting finally ended and we got picked up by Bro Chapman and headed back, We were in all day until dinner, we went over to sister Lloyds and had hamburgers and then came back and rested more. Oh I also had a crazy dream I went home and there was a bunch of tornadoes and josh got killed by some Chinese mafia and the tornadoes took out all of sandy, it was insane!

THURSDAY - Got up, still in pain. We did some planning and studying and then did some more, we went to the store to get a few things with Tim and print some pics then we had dinner with Bro Drummond. Churchs Chicken, it was really good, I love the Drummonds, they are way cool. We were an hour late to Barbra though, but we got there and taught Word of Wisdom, Chastity, and Tithing. She only had a question about coffee like most people do, we explained that its bad for you and she asked about a 100% natural non caffeinated one and told her to pray about it. Other than that she is ready for her interview tomorrow.

FRIDAY - Interview was supposed to be today but we had to reschedule for tomorrow which is alright. We were in all day today too, not feeling any better, worse in fact. Then we had dinner with sister Rasmussen, I love them, they are so cool. We went to sCRUMBtious and had pie shakes and burgers then we went over to her house and I hung upside down in this back stretcher and we watched this movie called "The Robe" WAY old movie about the man who killed Jesus Christ, but way good too. We were there for a few hours and then she gave me some oil to put on my back that is like icy hot but much better. I felt a bit better now.

SATURDAY - We tried to get the interview set up in the morning and did but 5 minutes after Barbra called saying she was sick and all this what seemed to be excuses but who knows, I was very disappointed. Tim took us to CiCi's and I was not happy, I was in a bad mood because of the interview and my back. I'm learning a lot more patience on my mission :) We came back and were in all day again... starting to get cabin fever... Called Sister Durrant and she said the same thing, she called the doctor and they told me the pain will be there another 3 weeks but it wont be healed for 7 weeks... I don't even know what I have! They don't like us going into the doctors for some reason. I want to go somewhere and get it checked out at least. Sister Lloyd brought dinner at 8 and we had no appetite so we just went to bed.

SUNDAY - Finally we can get out, we got picked up to go to church and I couldn't sit for very long, I had to get up and move. We had a less active come today so we went into the Spanish class with him today and then had priesthood. We were starving and finally got to Bishops house and settled in ready to eat. Way good food. Brisket with potatoes and corn. We ate and then headed home. Elder Larson wasn't feeling good so he came back with me while Elder Dominguez went to a lesson with Elder Falk. I was so tired and slept, big mistake cause I could not sleep at all that night. Crappy week. But gotta keep my head up. Thanks for following. Love you all.

Elder Aaron Jackson

Tornadoes Hit Dallas!

It was kind of scary to hear about the tornadoes that touched down in Dallas. We have not heard from Aaron or the mission office yet, however, there were no threatening injuries. I'm sure we will hear from him about this on the next blog post. Below is the story from the news:

The National Weather Service has revealed preliminary findings for the intensity of the tornadoes that raked North Texas Tuesday afternoon. NWS meteorologist Jesse Moore said Wednesday that a twister a day earlier in Forney, about 20 miles east of Dallas, appears to have registered as an EF-3 with wind gusts between 136 to 165 mph. The strongest category on the Enhanced Fujita scale is an EF-5.

The tornadoes that hit Lancaster and Arlington appear to be EF-2 twisters with wind gusts between 111 to 135 mph. Moore said the weather service is still surveying damage throughout the area and the initial EF ratings may still be upgraded.

As many as a dozen twisters touched down across Dallas-Fort Worth as officials warned the Metroplex about two rare and simultaneous Tornado Emergencies. Tornado Emergencies are elevated Tornado Warnings for heavily populated areas where widespread and extensive damage is expected.

Thousands remained without power Wednesday and at least 800 homes were severely damaged by the detached storms. Overnight, Arlington nearly tripled their initial estimate of 150 damaged homes to 428.  The estimate for Lancaster has held at about 300 homes.  In Forney, the latest number of damaged structures was at 70. Officials reported more than 20 injuries, but no deaths.

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