Hello, everyone! This is the last email I'll be sending from the MTC! As of next tuesday, I'll be out in Idaho! Wooo!

So this week, I had a bright idea. It was called, "Hey, our investigators are progressing well and no one has straight-up rejected us yet, so how about I pray for a trial so I can learn and grow?" Genius. Or something like that (haha). I've developed a strong testimony that Heavenly Father always answers our prayers and it's up to us to receive those answers. So if you pray for a trial, you sure as heck are going to get a trial.

That night, one of our investigators, Edison (both our teachers role play as people they taught on their missions--this was one of them), called us and dropped us. He said that people told him bad things about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. After talking to him about how with every good, the devil will send some bad to throw you off and opposition in all things, he still didn't want us to come over that night. It hurt so badly! He's not even real! The next day, we taught Greg (our other teacher's "character"). In short, he was taking the lessons for the wrong reasons, and the Spirit prompted both my companion and me to suggest taking a break from lessons with him. Though we tried as hard as we could to take any other route, the Holy Ghost had made it clear what we should do, and we suggested we take a break from lessons for a while. And it broke our hearts!!

Those experiences, though emotionally so hard, made it at least a little clearer how important it is to me to share this Gospel. It broke my heart each time we lost investigators, not because of anything personal to me, but because I just want them to taste of the indescribable joy I get to feel every day--and the only way to really feel this joy is following Christ's example and come unto Him through faith, repentance, baptism by proper authority, and continually striving to be more like Him.

It also taught me how to more rely on the Holy Ghost. To be open to spiritual revelation. That's something we've really been stressing this past week: receiving and helping the people you talk to receive revelation through the Holy Ghost. It's so important. And it is so amazing to know that God can communicate to our hearts as long as we keep ourselves inwardly clean.

On a more secular note, my companion and my district are so amazing! Three of the elders are 19 and the other five are 18, while we have two 19 year-old sisters, a 20 year-old, and a 21 year-old (my companion--she actually got her call the day before the age change was announced!). Oh! Also, Sister (Alyssa) Winger is in my district! She was in the Hill Cumorah Pageant this past summer and stayed with her cousins, the Cordons (for those who know them). Way fun! They are all so hilarious, fun, kind, and are all spiritual giants. Five are going to DeMoines, Iowa and the rest of us are going to Pocatello. It's going to break my heart leaving the others! And side note, we have some intense 4-square matches during gym time. We're pretty much pros. Or something.

We've had the General Primary and Relief Society Presidents talk to us! So cool! Other members of the Quorum of the 70 (hard to explain... sorry!), and the head of the Mission Department also have spoken to us! It's just.... it's just awesome. So awesome. Aw yeah.

However, I'm out of time! I love you all! The church is true! Heavenly Father and His Son love you! I love you! Hurrah for Israel!

Love, Sister Jacobson