Elder CJones: Blessings and Challenges

Well, this week, the baptism fell through. That doesn't mean we are giving up. What it means is we didn't have a service this week.

This week started out great. We had a baptism scheduled and we started more to work with the members, having Family Home Evening at their homes so the members can invite their friends and we could all work together to make new investigators and have greater success in sharing the gospel to the people here. One of the greatest things we can do as missionaries is use the members to help us find people to teach. We worked hard this week to find people to invite to the Family Home Evenings we have every night and asked every time we ate at people's homes for people that they know that we can go teach.

Tuesday was another day of working and it seems like we are blessed everyday to receive blessings from people. On Tuesday nights, we pick up our clothes from the washers and there is a lady in the ward that helps us with the clothes. As we were walking home, there was a taxi that drove by and started to honk at us, which is normal here. But as we kept walking, he followed us. We then turned and talked to him and he offered us a free ride to our house. The people here are so humble and most of them will help anyone that is a representative of Jesus Christ. Another night, we went into the 7-Eleven--that is really close to our house--to buy a jug of water and a couple other things. As we went to the check stand, we put our items on the counter. Right as we were about to pay, a man just standing there asked if he could pay for our things. We accepted and then afterwards, we asked him why. He told us that he knew that we were representatives of Christ and that we paid for our own missions and he wanted to help a few servants of the Lord. As time went on, we had some amazing experiences that really touched our hearts.

One night, it was pouring rain and we were freezing cold. We were on our way home when we felt that we needed to stop by one more house. We walked into a random neighborhood and knocked on the first door that we felt impressed to knock on. Then, the blessings flowed. A man answered the door. He invited us in out of the rain and we began to talk to him about the church. He told us that he was a member and hadn't been to church in years. We talked to him more and he told us more about the missionaries when he was a boy and how he loves the church. We began to talk about the sacrament and the blessings that come when we go to church. We then turned to the wife. She was sitting there, in the corner, really quiet and we asked if she had anything to ask. She is Catholic. She asked if we were married. We told her that we were missionaries and we can get married after we return home. She then asked if we could fix a marriage and we got a little confused. Then, it got really emotional. They both have been having struggles in their marriage and wanted to fix what was there. We shared with them the Family Proclaimation to the World and said a prayer with them for their family. We ended that night, all in tears, as the power of the Spirit was almost tangible in the room.

Anyway, to say the least, the family that was going to be baptized this week, the family Jimenez Garcia, they bailed the day of. BAILED DAY OF!! Who does that?! We will be working with them more this week to try and build their faith a little more so they can be baptized. They have their agency to choose, we are just here to invite, not to force.

This week has had its ups and downs, but our Heavenly Father has watched over us. He knows all of us personally and He puts people in our paths to change our lives. I know that through prayer miracles are wrought. But it only comes when we are looking for the answer and personally intend to follow through on the answer that is given to us. I know this Gospel changes lives in a matter of one, 30 minute meeting. We saw it happen this week. Through prayer we can change the hearts and the lives of the people around us, and even in ourselves.

-- Elder Corom Jones

 "I suppose the Church would be perfect only if it were run by perfect beings. God is perfect, and His doctrine is pure. But He works through us - His imperfect children - and imperfect people make mistakes." -Dieter F Uchtdorf

Elder CJones: Prayers ARE Powerful

Miracles happened this week and it's only through faith and prayer that I know that miracles are possible.

This week we constantly worked with one family in order for them to be baptized this week. Here in Mexico, there are three things we have to ensure during the first meeting: the Word of Wisdom, the Sabbath Day and the Law of Chastity. The hardest one for people here in Mexico is the Law of Chastity. It's really expensive for people here to be legally married--thousands of pesos--and that's a lot to the people here in Mexico. Therefore, this week was totally focused on this family. They had to be married this week.

To be married, the couple must first have a blood test, they must have a meeting with a professional counselor, have papers signed by a doctor and then with all that done, they can go to the Civil Registry to be married. This week we had to get all of this done, and it's not fun at all.

Wednesday we went planned to go to the blood testing center and finish one part of the process. We showed up to their house at 5:30 to take them, after all of our work that day. As we arrived, we were told by the brother that the testing place closed early on Wednesdays. But we had to get the tests done that day, so we all went with faith and said a prayer that we would be able to get the tests done and the results that same day. Each of us said a prayer in our hearts. We headed on the public bus, with the family to Periferico, a big mall, to get their blood tested. We arrived at the place and to our surprise it was still open! We entered and asked the people if we could get the tests done. As we presented all the information that we had for the tests, the brother realized that he didn't have his ID. Again, we each said a prayer in our hearts that we would be able to get the tests done that night. The doctors trusted this brother's word and we were able to proceed with the tests. Afterward, we were told that it would be over an hour to process the tests and to get the results. So, we headed into the mall and hoped that they could get the results before closing in an hour. We took the family out to Pizza Hut and then returned to check right before they closed and the tests were ready and we were able to receive the results before the day was over. But that wasn't the end of the answered prayers.

Thursday pulled around. The day for the meetings. We picked the family up in the morning, with the help of a member, and we went downtown to find this place for the meetings. That morning, my companion and I prayed that everything would work out and specifically that we would be able to get it done the next day. That morning we received word that the Civil Registry would be closed on Saturday. This put a small panic in our mind knowing that we would have to do everything faster. We finally found the place to have the meeting and found out the schedule for them. We found out that the meetings were held twice a day, each for one hour. One meeting in the morning at 9:00 and one in the afternoon at 2:00. Worrying that we missed the times, we glanced over and the clock right as it struck 2:00. A miracle happened. We were able to find the building just in time to arrive inside right when the meeting was about to start.

Friday. Our day of complete rush as we worked hard to get this couple married so they could be baptized. With the help of another brother in the ward, we were able to make it to the Civil Registry in the morning. The building was packed as people registered their children over their names and as people we filing papers to get married. We entered and found the line. It was extremely long and the process to marry two people takes a long time, and each couple needs 4 witnesses. As we waited we shared quick gospel messages with the people around us. An hour later, we finally made it to the desk and we finally able to breathe. Well . . . almost. You see we forgot one part that we thought we had. That was the doctor's note, signed by any doctor, don't ask me, I don't know what it was for.

We frantically rushed out of the building to find the nearest pharmacy to find a pharmacist. We rushed around the block and found a pharmacy close, but their was no doctor. We exited and stood at the corner, looking down every street to see if we could find another pharmacy, and we couldn't so we just started walking, hoping to find another one. At this moment, I said a prayer in my heart that we would be able to find a way to get to the pharmacy and back, and right as that happened we heard someone honking their horn at us. We turned to see someone in their car, across the street yelling at us, but not in a mean way. He beckoned for us to come and see him. We crossed the street and he told us that he was a member of the church from a different ward and stake and had a prompting to stop and ask if we needed help. We told him about our situation and he gave us a ride to the nearest pharmacy. We finished there in 10 minutes or less and rushed to the Civil Registry to get this couple finally married. And, to say the least, they are now civilly married and we are baptizing them on Saturday!!

My testimony and experience with the power of prayer grew an amazing amount this week. Saturday and Sunday, as we walked the streets, my mind would think about the topic of prayer and the great things that happen when we pray. There is something I though of that is really cool about prayer, this is just an idea and thought, not a doctrine:

We experience time as a constant. We can try the best we can but we will never be able to stop, reverse, or fast forward time, that's just life. But our Father in Heaven doesn't, time for Him is a variable, which means He can change it and look at the past, present, and future whenever he would like. When we pray, we are asking our Father in Heaven to help us, we essentially can change the future when we ask the Father and if it be His will. When we understand the great power that prayer holds we will understand that with faith and prayer, we can do anything. Our Father in Heaven just turns back the pages of time and sweaks something very small in the past, which changes the
path of the future and makes it possible for us to do anything because anything is possible when we ask God.

I know these things are true and I know that as we pray, miracles are possible. When we pray we are asking Someone that can do anything, just to do something small for us.  And since He loves us more than we can possibly imagine, we are blessed with the power to do anything through our works and out faith. I know it works and I challenge you to pray with a real intent to follow through with whatever happens and I know, for a fact, that you will be blessed. I love this work and I pray for each of you every night because I know how much this gospel and the Atonement can change our lives.

--
Elder Corom Jones

"The object of prayer is not to change the will of God but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings." (Prayer, Bible Dictionary)

Elder CJones: Mission Objective - Preach and Serve to Invite ALL to Come unto Christ

My new area is HUGE!! and when I say huge, I mean it. My area is one of the 2 biggest areas in my mission. We do a lot of walking. There are days it takes us over an hour to reach our first lesson because it is on the other side of our area. I really am getting good at walking, believe it on not! My companion and I are getting along really, really well. We work really hard through the days and we help each other a lot to make the best of the work and even when it gets hard, we work to do the best we can.

So, the food here is Mexico is always spicy, which I love, don't get me wrong. But when they say something is spicy, oh boy is it spicy! This week we had a mission conference which lasted from the morning into the late afternoon and so, as usual, they fed us. I will say the tacos were amazing, but the heap of salsa that I put on it wasn't so much. To say the least, it hurt, going on and coming out, but that's the life of a missionary.

This week we are planning on a lot of things to do. A family that we have been teaching is getting all the work done to be a legal wedded family. One of the big problems out here in Mexico is that a lot of people live together but they aren't married. To be able to baptize these people, they need to be married or they need to live in separate homes. This week we are working with a family to get them married. We have to work on a ton of papers and they have to take a ton of tests so they can legally be married. We are hoping that they will come to church this week and the next and if they do we will have a baptism that night, which happens to be my brother's birthday. Happy Birthday Abram!

I have been reading Jesus the Christ for my personal study and really studying the importance of the life He led and how we can use that example as our example. Jesus Christ is so important to all of us. Without Him, we would not be who we are today, we would have no chance at anything but Hell. But as we turn to Christ and use Him in all of our dealing, He can change us, He can change out hearts and homes so we can be the best we can be with a change of heart. I have seen this with the family that I can teaching, they have problems with coffee and with being married, it's really expensive for the people here to be married, $1000 MXN, which is about $50 US. This family has nothing, their house tiny and they barely have the food to survive from week to week, but they show their faith by not drinking coffee and paying a lot to get married just so they can be baptized in our church.

This Gospel is the greatest blessing that I could have ever asked for. I love the feelings that I get when I share what the Gospel has done for me as I use it to change and enhance my life and the lives of the people here in Mexico. There is a feeling that comes with serving a mission that doesn't come at any other time or place in our lives. I am so glad I took this opportunity to serve and to come to love the people here in Mexico.

I know that our lives can change as we look to the Lord in everything that we are doing on our lives. I love the work that I am doing and I hope that all of you will find a way to become closer to the Lord everyday in your lives. None of us are perfect, we all make mistakes, but I know that with Christ, we can become perfected. Don't ever judge others of their decisions, even if they hurt you. As we constantly strive to become more like Christ we will know that what He would do is simply help them along the way. I love you all and hope you will serve and bring joy to someone else this week. -

- Until next week,
Elder Corom Jones

"When we withhold forgiveness from others we are in effect saying that the atonement alone was insufficient to pay for this sin. We are holding out for more. We are finding fault with the Lord's offering. We are in essence demanding that the Lord repent of an insufficient atonement. So when we fail to forgive another, it is as if we are failing to forgive the Lord - who, as you [know], needs no forgiveness." -James L Ferrell (The Peacegiver)

Elder CJones: Elder Carrizales, Hair-cuts, Freezing Weather, and Workin'

Elder Carrizales and Elder Jones

Missionary work is the greatest thing I have ever done. That is a fact! It is also the hardest, most spiritual, most nerve racking, and most emotional thing that I have ever experienced in my entire life.

Right after my e-mail last week, I went to get a haircut. Now the only place that was open is a brand new place, that is a little weird, and the guys that cut our hair are, what we would call in the United States, gangsters. Sooo, my hair looks a little crazy, but the people love it and so do the APs and it really helps with the heat. Thus, my hair.

On Tuesday, I was taken to my new area, given a new companion and told to work really hard and gain experience with this companion who was going to train me. Well, train me better than my first companion. The area I am now serving in is called Bugambilias. Bugambilias is in the western side of Reynosa and the area is covers is very, very large. My companion is from Wyoming. He has been out 6 weeks longer than I have and we are already really, really good friends.

We work really well together and I am really thankful for a companion like him! Our days are long and hard. We work to cover as much area as possible and follow the directions using the Spirit to know which houses to contact and which streets to walk down. Our first day, we found a family of 4. I feel that they have been prepared for a long time for us to teach them. They have listened to the first three lessons, have set a date for themselves to get married, and now it is just times they come to church before we can baptize them. The hardest part about the work here is that it is very hard for us to get people to go to church. A lot of people don't like to sit and listen for three hours, but we work hard with them and contact them the morning before church so they will be ready to go so they can feel the Spirit and be converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This week was filled with lessons and many people to teach as we walked a lot and worked hard to find people. At the moment, we are teaching over 10 people about the wonderful teachings and blessings that come from being members of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's exciting to say, but this week we might have a couple of baptisms!! They are two little kids that love the missionaries, love church, and want to be baptized. One of the girls asked us for her own Book of Mormon and I bore my testimony to her of the wonderful teachings that are taught in that book.

Now, every week that I am out here I find something else to be thankful for. This week got really cold, down to 30 degrees F, and then with humidity added to that, it wasn't fun. No buildings have furnaces, not even the church, so we have to wear jackets and warm clothing to stay warm during the day. Our house has no insulation and the doors and walls do a very poor job at keeping the house warm. Our house is about the same temperature as it is outside. So, in our home it gets down to 30 degrees at night, but we are very lucky to have a heater in our room and it slowly blows in air at 90 degrees. Our room is amazing when it gets up to 65 degrees! We sleep with the heater on all night long.

This week I learned that I am really really grateful for the furnaces that we have back in the United States. This last week, while on the bus, I saw a movie list of movies that were playing in the theaters. I saw Rogue One and got really excited to see it after my mission. Since we are out on a mission, I began to think of how Star Wars relates to the Gospel in some way or another. Here is what I thought:

Jedis always travel in groups of 2. There is one master and one trainee. They wear certain clothes, Jedis Robes. They always carry their best tools with them, Lightsabers. They work really hard and have a great power, The Force. They work to bring good to the world.

Missionaries always travel in groups of 2. There is one senior comp and one junior comp. They wear certain clothes, white shirts and ties with a badge. They always carry their best tools with them, the Book of Mormon. They work really hard and have a great power, the Priesthood of God. They work to bring good to the world.

I love the way that we can teach, learn and relate popular culture to the Gospel, at times, and by going so, we can more easily teach the people around us and have them understand better the work of the Gospel.

I testify of the truthfulness of this work and the importance of turning our lives to the Savior in every aspect of our lives. I am a witness that as we participate and become pure disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have the power to change lives, our lives, and when we change our lives and turn to Christ, we will find the most, pure form of love and joy that is out there.

I testify that this Gospel is the only way to find everlasting happiness and as we come closer to our Father in Heaven, we will be eternally blessed.

-- Elder Corom Jones

“God does not begin by asking us about our ability, but only about our availability, and if we then prove our dependability, he will increase our capability.” -Neal A Maxwell

Community Prayer?
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Elder CJones: Transfers, New Year's, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ

This week has been very interesting, but before, I would like to apologize for my grammar. The Spanish language has really been messing with my speech and my writing so I will do my best to express myself.

First off, I'm getting transferred!! Transferred to a new area in the northern part of the city, which means more malos (People for the Cartel) and more poverty. I am so excited to start in this area and teach the people. The people here are so humble and such great members.

This week started with a goal, the goal was to teach at least 2 people the first lesson. Well, we taught one person and she will hopefully join the church in the future. The work this past week was super hard. The holidays are huge here in Mexico and we have to be very careful about what we do on the holidays. The people here throw on crazy parties and get so drunk that they have no idea where they are, they love to sing when they are drunk, so after all the parties, we can walk down the streets and hear drunk people singing to the radio.

New Years' Eve, what a day to remember, we had to be very careful in the streets, even more so in the evening. A family hosted us that night, we had some amazing food and had an awesome karaoke party.

Story time---

Before my mission, I took Spanish in Junior High and 3 years in High School, in the 5 years I had 3 teachers. My last teacher, Mr. Draper, I had for a year and a half, and was probably my favorite teacher ever. He loved music and loved soccer. He served his mission in Uruguay, and during the mission he was given the privilege to listen to the radio to learn Spanish. He listened and found some amazing groups to listen to. During class he would play these groups on the big speakers he had in his room. I liked this music and listened to some before my mission. There was one group, Reik, that I really loved and I listened to them all the time as I would practice my Spanish and I just loved the style. Eventually I memorized the lyrics to some of the songs and I would sing with it. Anyway, at the party, they started playing some of the songs that I know the lyrics to, so I started to sing with them and they were so shocked that I knew the words to the songs that they were playing. We continue to sing until we had to go home. The family was so great to host us for the night, there are 3 daughters in the family and they are all learning English, so we help each other with the languages.

Since I am being transferred, I was able to visit some of the members of the ward. I went to visit our ward mission leader as well as the bishop of the ward. The bishop reminds me of my dad years ago when he was the bishop. Our bishop has 3 little kids and they are off-the-walls crazy, so that would have been my brothers and me, and my mom had to take care of all of us. I love the people of this ward and I am going to be sad to leave, but I know that it's what the Lord needs of me, so I can grow and so I can bless the people in the other area.

I want to share with you a tender mercy of the Lord that was expressed these last 2 weeks. When I arrived to the field, I got to our house and it was a mess, there was so much junk everywhere, so the next few weeks when I would get the time to clean I would, I would find dead cockroaches, like 4 inches long, and I bunch of stuff, but one the the greatest things I found was a box of books. They are books about different subjects on the gospel and I was really interested in them. I asked the other missionaries and they said that they weren't their books so I took most of them and began looking through them. They are books by apostles, like James E Talmage. I stopped at one book, "The Peacegiver" by James L Ferrell. It's a book about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I decided to read and as I read I learned so much about the book, I finished it in one night after we returned, this was the week before Christmas.After I finished, I went back through the book and studied the scripture references and the stories that we written in the book, everything that was shared was something that I needed to hear about me, and about my role and what I need to do to have the full power of the Atonement's expressed to me. It tells of two stories in the Bible, the stories of Abigail and David and also the story of Jonah and the example they both are for the Atonement. I know that Christ has cleansed all of us through the Atonement, that we can all overcome anything if we just show an open and willing heart to the Savior.

I love this work. I wish I could share it with everyone in the world. I have been out 76 days, 2 months and 15 days, and I have already seen my testimony grow and my understanding of the doctrines of the gospel have been a blessing to me as I have studied and applied the teachings to my life. I testify that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can overcome and accomplish anything. The Atonement is there for us to use so we can live with our Father in Heaven again.

I made some goals for this next year, I am going to give you a challenge. Find a way, in your talents or abilities, to share the gospel in your daily life. I know that if you do, you will see a flood of blessings in your life and the Spirit will be more prominent in your lives. I love this gospel and I am to thankful that I am about to share this joy with the world.
--
Elder Corom Jones

"Being mistreated is the most important condition of mortality, for eternity itself depends on how we view those who mistreat us."  --James L Ferrell