Merry Christmas 2017

It was a sweet and full Christmas day of eagerly awaiting the calls of our three boys . . . and none of them called at the same time.

Each of them looked so good and so happy! They shared some of their highlights and expressed the deep love they have of being full time missionaries in the service of the Lord. They love teaching the restored gospel and they shared their profound gratitude for the Savior's atoning power.

Merry Christmas 2017!

Elder Hyrum Jones from Arica, Chile

Elder Zeram Jones from Marcos Paz, Argentina

Elder Corom Jones from Rio Bravo, Mexico

Elder CJones: Christmas Mission Party 2017

Elder HJones: Work Harder

So cambios came and went. I'm staying in Arica with my trainer, Elder Lopez, except he's not training me anymore...so weird! Our area is still slow. It's hard sometimes to work so hard during the days and weeks and months, and people still don't want to change. I know that numbers don't define the missionary, but my responsibility as a missionary is to bring people to Christ through covenants, like baptism. So it was pretty hard that we didn't baptize this past cambio. But I guess it just pushes us harder to continue to find and teach people. 

This week I studied a lot about Alma the Younger and the sons of Mosiah. They are literally some of the greatest examples of missionaries!! They had so much success through miracles and trusting in the Lord. One of my favorite stories in the Book of Mormon is when Alma gets kicked out of the city of Ammonihah. I love they was way he reacts. As he left the city, I wonder how he felt. He was rejected, yelled at, and mocked. Then he is commanded to return to this terrible city. He could've complained and disobeyed this command to return, but he didn't. Instead, Alma lifted up his head and traveled back to Ammonihah. And because he listened, he found Amulek, and those two became awesome, successful missionaries.

We all have trials and we all suffer. This past cambio was hard. It wasn't as successful as I wanted. It's hard when you work so hard and people still don't change. But this isn't my work, it's God´s. And I want to put more trust in Him. I know that it will never be easy, but everything is possible with Him.

We have a investigator named Loreto. She is super awesome. She has the desire to be baptized. The only problem is that she lives with her pareja (partner). Its pretty normal down here for this to happen. People don't get married, they just live together and have kids. Trouble is, Loreto doesn't want to get married to her boyfriend and this is stopping her from progressing. It's hard when their are blessings and happiness for people, but they don't want to change to receive them.

So Christmas just got big here-- all at once. This one house in my area went ALL OUT. Like people flock every night to look at their lights and decorations. That's pretty much the only normal Christmas thing here, the lights. The other big things are BBQS (asadas) and pan de pascua (or fruit bread). And people drive around at night with decorations and music on their cars, honking and yelling about Navidad. So Christmas here is a lot louder, not really peaceful.

I have really come to love the Book of Mormon more and more. It is my spiritual food. I can kinda understand the Book of Mormon in Spanish. I can read verses and understand most of the things that are said. So cool.

One important thing I have learned on my mission is to be myself. People won't change if I only see them as someone to be baptized. I need to see them as children of God. In Alma 5 it says that our Shepard calls us by name. He knows each and every one of us. The same applies to me. I need to know each of my investigators specifically, and let them feel the love I have for them. They need to feel like I'm sharing my message because I want them to be happy and care for their salvation.

This gospel is true. I am so happy because of it. Its the greatest message anyone could share.

Love, Elder Jones

Elder ZJones: Lighting the World with His Gospel

To start out, it doesn't feel anything like Christmas!! It feels like the middle of July with no snow and Christmas music. I am still trying to get used to summer in the winter and winter in the summer. haha

Transfers are this week. Elder Sena and I are both staying in our area, Marcos Paz. We are both excited to continue to work and help the people here come unto Christ!

We have a baptism this week with the Escobar Family! They have come a long ways and we are baptizing their children, Erupe and Fabricios. The parents are still working to get married so that the wife can be baptized, hopefully in January. I have truly grown to love them and help them.

Throughout the past weeks of teaching and hearing about their problems, I have understood more about Jesus Christ this season and how much Christ's Atonement means to us. It is a way that we can change, become better, and make it back to him through covenants.

Elder Sena cooling down

We are also working with the Cornejo Family. Throughout the past couple weeks, they have started to read their scriptures and pray. I have seen a change in their lives and how much happier they are. We
are working with and teaching their daughter who hasn't been baptized. We are praying for her as well as her parents to remember those blessings that can come with baptism.

So our district leader asked me to talk during district meeting last week about ways to be a better missionary. I came up with three points, one of them being obedience. Obedience is the first law of heaven. If obedience is the first law in heaven, it better sure be the first law in our homes and
on the mission as well! Obedience is of great importance to us, especially as missionaries. Another point was to be better at teaching. And the thought I shared was if you try to work harder than your companion, and you are both trying to work harder than each other, the work will grow and you will continue to grow and increase on the work.

Grateful for this gospel, especially this Christmas season and for the birth of Jesus Christ. He is our loving Brother and sacrifices everything for us so that we can be happy!

Merry Christmas!!

Elder Jones

Chocolate Banana Pancakes for our investigators!

Elder CJones: Training

"And ye are called to bring to pass the gathering of mine elect; for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts;"  -Doctrine and Covenants 29:7

Today I have a little time to write today because my new companion came yesterday. Because he has a little time to write his family after his trip, I have a moment to write, too. I met my companion yesterday. His name is Elder Pogue and he is from Alaska. He is really cool and knows a little Spanish. We will be starting almost new in the area because we had to drop a lot of our investigators from before. I don't have much time today but I will talk a lot more next week!!
--
Elder Corom Jones

Elder HJones: The Reason We Attend Church

So this week was really good. We found some really cool people to teach.

One of the greatest things on the mission is when people listen to your message and make the steps to come unto Christ. The past couple weeks had been kinda slow. We didn't have many investigators progressing. But this week, some investigators have been progressing. They are listening to us more and keeping their commitments. It brings me so much joy when people come closer to Christ.

One of the hardest things on the mission is parents. When we teach younger people we need permission from parents. It is hard when the boy or girl is progressing and ready for baptism and then their parents prevent it. It's like the parents take away the agency from their kids. So that's kinda hard to consume, that parents prevent their children from becoming a member. But it's okay. Maybe my job is just to introduce the church or plant a small seed in a person or family.

I learned something really important this week.

Our stake here in Chile has a new "rule" for sacrament meeting. If you are not on time to receive the sacrament, you wont be able to take it. So, if you want to take the sacrament, you need to be on time!!

This is hard for people in Chile, because nobody is ever on time. Chile is famous for running late. But I guess it might be hard for anybody. But I thought about this and learned something important.
The reason we go to church is to partake of the sacrament. We sacrifice three hours of our day to attend church and take the sacrament. If renewing our covenants with God and becoming clean again is so important to us, we would do everything possible to be on time.

Weeks are crazy for me. Sometimes it's hard to just relax and think. But it is during the sacrament I can. I feel so much peace and love of my Savior during the sacrament. I feel like its personal time for me to think of Christ and the wonderful things He did for me. Its important to me to partake of the sacrament EVERY WEEK, and I hope it is for you, too.

Love you all, Elder Jones

Elder ZJones: Sometimes We Walk in Darkness

El Campo

The one big thing that I learned this week is sometimes we walk in darkness to receive something great in the end. This past week I had my interview with Presidente Resek. We talked about our investigators, area, and companionship. We talked about things I have learned and things I can work on. It is a time when I can truly feel the love that the mission president has for each and every missionary.

One thing that we talked about is found in 1 Nephi 8.

7 And it came to pass that as I followed him I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary waste.

8 And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies.

9 And it came to pass after I had prayed unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious field.

10 And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy.

In the beginning, Lehi found himself in a dark place. There was darkness a around him and he didn't exactly know where he was going. He traveled for hours but continued to walk. Would you continue to walk? This shows a lot about faith. Continuing to walk though we don´t know the outcome. But after these hours, through much prayer and looking to the Lord, Lehi receives happiness.

Presetando servicio

This is the same with us and with my investigators. Many times, before we receive the great gift in the end, we have to walk through darkness, and this can feel like forever. This could be things in our
family, job, school, and decisions. All of these things can create darkness around us. But as we understand that the Lord can help us press forward, continue walking, we can receive happiness.

With the Escobar family having many problems, we helped them understand this concept this past week. Iris, an new investigator, is having difficulty in the idea of baptism even though she knows the  church is true. But I know that the Lord will help us when we ask Him. It may take time, but in the end we will be happy.

I am feeling this right now at this time in my mission. But I know that the Lord is here to help me. It may take months for me to see the results, but when I see them I can
thank Him for these blessings.


I am praying for you all! Have a great week!

Love,
Elder Jones

End of the day

Elder HJones: A Sweet Treat

This week, a returned missionary from the Chile Antofagasta Mission, who returned to with their family to visit the mission, sent our family this picture in a TEXT message! How sweet it was to see these happy faces in the middle of the week!

Thank you to all those who take pictures of missionaries and send it to their families!

Elder ZJones: Hard Things Makes Us Great

I have learned so much throughout my mission. With investigators and just generally in our lives, Satan is trying to get us!! I see this constantly with investigators when we start to teach and they are feeling the Spirit and coming to church, the adversary works even harder on them. They, as well as us, start to experience harder things, whatever it may be: with our job, our family, our friends, and our actions. I thought of the scriptures and the many times it has happened:

Nephi: He continues to be bothered and bullied by his older brothers for being obedient.

Job: He loses everything, family, home, wealth and still stays true to the Lord.

Captain Moroni: Many times, the Nephites forget the Lord. The Lamanites continue to attack and kill his people.

Jesus Christ: Everything He did, all the good He did, people found ways to criticize Him. He was tempted by Satan, killed by His own people, and is still rejected today

Everyone experiences these things. When we choose the right and are following the Lord and Satan tries harder and harder to catch us and take us as far away as possible from Him. But we have to have faith and hope. We need to rely on the Lord daily and frequently so that when the adversary comes, we are ready.

One family we are teaching, the Escobar Family are struggling right now with work, their home, getting married, and doubts. Please pray for them that they may have hope and feel of His love so that they can turn to the Lord for Help.

Thanks for everything! Have a great week and find someone to serve.

Elder HJones: He Will Carry Us Home

It's only the beginning of December but we already had a Missionary Christmas Conference. About 70 missionaries in my area and another gathered together to "celebrate" Christmas. We had a big meeting with our Mission President, exchanged gifts, and ate food. It was really fun! I was able to feel a little bit of the Christmas spirit even though there is no snow or cold.

We have a recent convert that is struggling. After baptism she stopped coming to church, and just stopped really everything related to the gospel. She is having many doubts and struggles, and doesn't know if the church is true anymore. I was reading a conference talk this week by President Uchtdorf called, "Yearning for Home." One thing he says is, "No, following the Savior will not remove all of your trials. However, it will remove the barriers between you and the help your Heavenly Father wants to give you. He will direct your steps. He will walk beside you and even carry you when your need is greatest."

Throughout the short time I have been in Chile I have experienced many trials. We all have trials, doubts, and struggles. But God WANTS to help us. He WANTS us to come home to Him. And He will direct our steps, walk beside us, and even carry us home.

I know this church is true. I have felt the direction and hand of God in my life. And I am grateful to be a representative for Him.

Love, Elder Jones