Elder CJones: Malos con Estrellas y un Bautismo

Baptism of Carlos

Well, this week was crazy! To say the least, we had another baptism. A little 9 year old in the ward, Carlos. His mom is a member, but his dad isn't. So, we were able to go and teach him a little and baptize him and now his little brother can't wait until the end of the year to be baptized.

Nothing much happens out of the normal during the week. Well, I guess I should say that I'm used to the normal things that happen out here, but maybe not so normal for you. Here, it is completely normal to see people carrying an M-16 or an AK-47, it's just something I have gotten used to. Here, the government is not powerful at all, so here, there are almost no laws.

Afternoon Tracting

There are so many things you can do as you study the scriptures. I have been really focused in the Book of Mormon this week. I have been interested in all the people and how they are all related and all the things happen in relation to time and other people. I have learned some really interesting things as I have been studying and making a tree . . . kind of like a family tree with everyone in the Book of Mormon--and I mean everyone! It has helped me a lot as I read and study this amazing book!

As I have been studying the scriptures, I have noticed that here in Mexico, at least where I am, there's a similarity related to the time of the Nephites right during the wars and when the Gadianton Robbers were wrecking havoc on the people who believe and started to take over the government and eventually did. The things that happen here are very dangerous and they happen at random times and random places. There are gun fights everyday and people die. We call them Malos. Malos are the people, the men that are members of the drug cartels. They carry and sell illegal weapons and drugs. Of course, the government sends the marines to take care of them, but both sides are highly skilled, so deaths are high and the area gets really dangerous.

Elder Martinez and Me

This week we invited the Bishop to a lesson with us and we talked about faith in the lesson. It was a normal lesson and he helped us testify about the truthfulness of the message. I learned one really cool thing at the end of the lesson. The bishop gave her a homework assignment to read 1 Nephi 17, about when Nephi needs to build the ship. He told her to read and think about it like this, instead of reading it like the Lord is asking Nephi to build a ship in His way, change the thought as if the Lord was asking you to build yourself in the way He asks you to. I went home and studying this chapter and I want to share this with you.

8 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Thou shalt construct [myself], after the manner which I shall show thee, that I may carry [myself] [in this world].

9 And I said: Lord, whither shall I go that I may find [the qualities] molten, that I may [improve myself] to construct [myself] after the manner which thou hast shown unto me?

10 And it came to pass that the Lord told me whither I should go to find [the qualities], that I might make [myself].

17 And when my brethren saw that I was about to build [myself], they began to murmur against me, saying: Our brother is a fool, for he thinketh that he can build [himself]; yea, and he also thinketh that he can [improve his worthiness].

18 And thus my brethren did complain against me, and were desirous that they might not labor, for they did not believe that I could build [myself]; neither would they believe that I was instructed of the Lord.

19 And now it came to pass that I, Nephi, was exceedingly sorrowful because of the hardness of their hearts; and now when they saw that I began to be sorrowful they were glad in their hearts, insomuch that they did rejoice over me, saying: We knew that ye could not construct [thyself], for we knew that ye were lacking in judgment; wherefore, thou canst not accomplish so great a work.

49 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto them that they should murmur no more against their father; neither should they withhold their labor from me, for God had commanded me that I should build [myself].

50 And I said unto them: If God had commanded me to do all things I could do them. If he should command me that I should say unto this water, be thou earth, it should be earth; and if I should say it, it would be done.

51 And now, if the Lord has such great power, and has wrought so many miracles among the children of men, how is it that he cannot instruct me, that I should build [and improve myself]?

I know that we can construct ourselves in a way that will be pleasing to the Lord, but we must first ask ourselves, "Are constructing ourselves in the ways of the world or in the way that the Lord will show us?" Are we like Laman and Lemuel who complain that we can't do it? Remember that with God, all things are possible.

"I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them" (1 Nephi 3:7).

We can improve ourselves as we know that the Lord has the plans for us to follow.

--
Elder Corom Jones

"And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true." -Alma 32:21

Our burger and taco chef

Elder CJones: The Pressure of Work

Selfie

Not a lot happened this week. Here the work is really hard. Not a lot of people like to listen to us. Contrary to what people like to say about Mexico, it's really hard to find people who will listen and who are really ready to hear the Gospel. The people are really humble and really religious. So, they believe in their religion very strongly. Sometimes it gets hard, but I know that we are here to find the people that are ready to change their lives.

I have been out almost a quarter of my 2 years. 21% done. The mission goes by really, really fast and we have these two years to find people that are ready 100% to hear our message, change their lives, and be baptized. I really love this Gospel and really love the things that happen here.

We found a guy that is a member and just moved here. We started to talk to him and found out that he was born in Cuba. He moved to the U.S. and lived in Miami. One day, he was browsing the internet and saw a video about the church--a video about a pastor from another church just bashing our church. He then searched our church and wanted to be baptized because he felt that if someone was bashing a church that bad, there must be something good about it.

There are so many good things that we can do to share the Gospel with the people around us and it is so easy. I hope that all of you will try to share the Gospel with someone around you and find that joy that only comes to us when we have the Gospel.

P-day at Taqueria Payaso

 I'm sorry this week's letter is not too long. Other than the normal contacting and work, we are just getting the things done that we need to do. I love the work and wish that I could share with you the amazing things that happen when we turn our lives more to Christ and feel of the blessings that come when we do.

-- Elder Corom Jones

 "Heavenly Father's interest in you does not depend on how rich or beautiful or healthy or smart you are. He sees you not as the world sees you; He sees who you really are. He looks on your heart. And He loves you because you are His child." -Dieter F Uchdorf

Exchanges with Elder Hargis

Elder CJones: Investigator Flood and "Fuimos Bien Lejos"

Well, to say the least, we had 12 of our investigators show up at church on Sunday!! That is an amazing number!  Which means that many people are trying to change their lives so they can be baptized. We are so glad when the investigators want to show up. One of the hardest things here in Mexico is that the people don't like to come to church, so we have to make sure that they really want to come before we can baptize the people.

Our week was amazing. It was pure teaching and contacting. We worked hard to teach and to find the people that are ready to hear our message. We have a good amount of people that we are teaching and preparing to be baptized. Here are some of the people we are teaching:

Maya Family -
The father, Nacho, is a member. He was baptized almost 20 years ago. His wife, Reyna, was raised Catholic and they have two kids: Frank and Samantha. We first met them on a really rainy night at the very end of the day, this was about a month ago. We were on our way home and we felt that we needed to contact one more house. We knocked on the first door in the area and Nacho came out and invited us right in to share a message with them. We shared a message with them and asked them some questions about their family and that's when we found out about all the problems they have been having with the marriage. We shared a message with them and we all left that that lesson with tears and an amazing growth of a testimony. We are now preparing them to be married and then she can be baptized.

Palomeque Family -
The kids are baptized and the parents are waiting to be divorced from their first spouses and then they can be married. They already pay tithing and want to go to church every week. They love the church and help us take investigators to church every week.

There are so many others that we are teaching, but I can't share about everyone because that would just get crazy.

There are some people that want to know about the drug cartels and the military and all the crazy stuff that happens. Well, there are a lot of drug cartels and when I say a lot, I mean a lot. It's not surprising if we have to take cover because of shootings. The military uses a helicopter to shoot the members of the cartels. We see the members all the time and they carry guns and estrellas. Estrellas are used to pop tires, they are made of rebar and are sharp. I have heard a lot of gunshots. One night, about a month and a half ago, we saw a guy that got shot that was bleeding everywhere. But we as missionaries are safe and protected by the power of God.

I have been studying the scriptures a lot too. The scriptures are an amazing way for us to receive revelation to do better. In Doctrine and Covenants 18 we read:

"And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!" 

As I read this I learned that it says that you will be with the person you help in the Kingdom of the Father. That means you will both make it to the Kingdom of God, we need to baptized people that are ready, not for the number because we are helping the people use the Gospel to return to the Celestial Kingdom.

Oh, and we have some houses that are really really far away. They are over a 3 hour walk. I will tell you about that next week. We tried to walk there one day after lunch, but it was impossible so we will go visit and contact a lot of people that day!!

I was thinking about the Atonement this week and I thought of this story.

"Brother Christianson taught Seminary. He had an open-door policy and would take in any student that had been thrown out of another class as long as they would abide by his rules. Steve had been kicked out of his sixth period and no other teacher wanted him, so he went into Brother Christianson's Seminary class.

Steve was told that he could not be late, so he arrived just seconds before the bell rang and he would sit in the very back of the room. He would also be the first to leave after the class was over.

One day, Brother Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him. After class, Bro. Christianson pulled Steve aside and said, "You think you're pretty tough, don't you?"

Steve's answer was, "Yeah, I do."

Then Brother Christianson asked, "How many push-ups can you do?"

Steve said, "I do about 200 every night."

"200? That's pretty good, Steve," Brother Christianson said. "Do you think you could do 300?"

Steve replied, "I don't know... I've never done 300 at a time."

"Do you think you could?" Again asked Brother Christianson.

"Well, I can try," said Steve.

"Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I need you to do 300 in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I
need you to tell me you can do it," Brother Christianson said.

Steve said, "Well... I think I can... yeah, I can do it."

Brother Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday."

Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room.

When class started, Brother Christianson pulled out a big box of donuts. Now these weren't the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited-it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend.

Bro. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, "Cynthia, do you want a donut?"

Cynthia said, "Yes."

Bro. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?"

Steve said, "Sure," and jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Bro. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia's desk..

Bro. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe do you want a donut?"

Joe said, "Yes." Bro. Christianson asked, "Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?" Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut.

And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten pushups for every person before they got their donut. And down the second aisle, till Bro. Christianson came to Scott. Scott was captain of the football team and center of the basketball team. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship.When Bro. Christianson asked, "Scott, do you want a donut?"

Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own pushups?"

Bro. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them."

Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then."

Bro. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten pushups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?"

Steve started to do ten pushups. Scott said, "HEY! I said I didn't want one!"

Bro. Christianson said, "Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it." And he put a donut on Scott's desk.

Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration
coming out around his brow. Bro. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry.

Bro. Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a donut?"

Jenny said, "No."

Then Bro. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten pushups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want?" Steve did ten, Jenny got a donut.

By now, the students were beginning to say "No" and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks. Steve was also having to really put forth a lot of effort to get these pushups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.

Bro. Christianson asked Robert to watch Steve to make sure he did ten pushups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for all of those uneaten donuts. So Robert began to watch Steve closely. Bro. Christianson started down the fourth row.

During his class, however, some students had wandered in and sat along the heaters along the sides of the room. When Bro. Christianson realized this; he did a quick count and saw 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.

Bro. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.

Steve asked Bro. Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?"

Bro. Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your pushups. You can do them any way that you want." And Bro. Christianson went on.

A few moments later, Jason came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!"

Jason didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, "No, let him come."

Bro. Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten pushups for him."

Steve said, "Yes, let him come in."

Bro. Christianson said, "Okay, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?"

"Yes."

"Steve, will you do ten pushups so that Jason can have a donut?" Steve did ten pushups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.

Bro. Christianson finished the fourth row, then started on those seated on the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with each pushup in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. Sweat was dropping off of his face and, by this time, there was not a dry eye in the room.

The very last two girls in the room were cheerleaders and very popular. Bro. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a doughnut?

Linda said, very sadly, "No, thank you."

Bro. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten pushups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?" Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow pushups for Linda.

Then Bro. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan, do you want a donut?" Susan, with tears flowing down her face, asked, "Bro. Christianson, can I help him?"

Bro. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, he has to do it alone, Steve, would you do ten pushups so Susan can have a donut?"

As Steve very slowly finished his last pushup, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 pushups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.

Brother Christianson turned to the room and said, "And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, pleaded to the Father, "Into thy hands I commend my spirit." With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, he collapsed on the cross and died. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten."

I love you all and I want you to know that the power of the Gospel and the Atonement of Jesus Christ makes it possible for all of us to return and use this amazing gift, but only if we use it.

--  Elder Corom Jones

"Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God's love encompasses us completely. ... He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken." -President Dieter F Uchtdorf

Elder CJones: Rain and Blessings

God brings blessings when we do what we can for ourselves and then He makes up the rest.

"For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do" (2 Nephi 25:23). 

I am a witness of the truthfulness of this. Here on the mission, when we work hard, we are ensuring for ourselves the blessings straight from our Heavenly Father. It's only when we work hard that it's all possible!

This week with me and my companion was a lot better than the last. We started working harder together and started being more successful. This week was a lot of contacting and working hard to find as many people as we could to teach. There isn't much to share about contacting. We find people that are in the street and knock doors to find people that we can teach and that will listen to our message.

Saturday we got a huge rainstorm.

You see, in the United States, we have a government that loves us, contrary to what you way think. Here in Mexico, the government just does what they have to do, like fight the drug cartels in the streets that gets kind of scary. Another thing we don't have here in Meixco are storm drains in the street. The water just pools together and you just have to walk through it to make it across the street. Well Saturday, my backpack got soaking wet, my scriptures and other things were alright but the bag was soaking. We spent that day helping people push their cars out of the road and inviting people to come to church. It was actually a really good experience!!

I love this work, even though it is really really hard all the time. But, I love it! Oh and by the way, the music here in Mexico is so much better than the music in the US!

-- Elder Corom Jones

 "The best way to obtain truth and wisdom is not to ask from books, but to go to God in prayer, and obtain divine teaching." -Joseph Smith