Elder EJones: Week 1 in Bolivia

Elder Reyes y yo

Hello all!!

This week was quite the journey. We left the MTC Monday morning at 7:15 and were on planes all through the night.  It wasn't too bad recovering from jet lag, but the plane right was the most amazing napping I've ever gotten haha.

We arrived in Bolivia Tuesday morning and spent that day resting and spending time with the mission president and his wife (Presidente y Hermana Rodriguez). On Wednesday, we got our areas and companions. My companion is Elder Reyes from Lima Peru, and he doesn't really speak any English, so it's different speaking Spanish all the time. It's hard to speak and understand, and people are probably sick of me telling them to repeat what they said, but I'll eventually get it.

Another thing about this week: I got sick this week and still am kinda sick. On Saturday, I came down with a fever and threw up, had a fever and a headache and stomachache like all of Sunday, and today my stomach isn't doing too well, but it's better then yesterday. It's probably just because I'm getting used to the food and stuff.

Mi Casa

However, the best part of this week is just being able to teach the gospel even though I don't really understand anything. The Spirit is real.

My area is called El Quior and is in the outer rings of Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz is laid out in rings, and the farther you get out of the city, the more poor and humble the living circumstances become. It's been crazy to see how people live on so little, yet are so happy.

Funny story from this week. We were teaching at a member's house with some nonmembers there and one of the non-members was talking about his brother who didn't shave his beard or cut his hair because Jesus never did. He then asked if it was against the commandments to have a beard and long hair. And at that moment, my comp turned to me to answer the question. haha it was kinda weird, but I just kinda testified about the commandments we do have, and that long hair and beard wasn't, but it was just kinda weird overall haha.

"Pure love is the true sign of every true disciple of Jesus Christ." (Elder Massimo De Feo)

I know that as we learn to love Christ, and live everyday in loving him, we will be able to receive the blessings he has for us in numerous ways. I know He loves us and that this gospel is true.

Love you all,
Elder Jones

La Cuidad de Santa Cruz

Elder ZJones: Personal Revelation

This week has been a crazy one: I cut my head open, I went to Walmart, we had a baptism, 3 other baptisms fell through, and an hermana in our district went home because she hurt her arm in the beginning of the transfer and, because it is still healing and needed to go to the clinic so much,  she went home, (but she only had 2 weeks left in the mission).

This week we baptized Rocio! She was married on Friday and was baptized on Sunday. But Javier, her husband, is still having a difficult time accepting the word of wisdom, but we will be helping him. It was funny because when Rocio was baptized and went under the water, her two year old daughter started crying. When Rocio was confirmed and received the holy Ghost afterwards, her daughter started clapping! haha

We found a part member family this week. We are working with their three children. The hardest part is getting them to come to church. Pray that they will come.

Other than that, everything is great! It is starting to get hotter because summer is just around the corner, which is better than the rain and cold!

This week I studied President Nelson's April 2018 General Conference talk. He taught us the way that we can receive Personal Revelation.

1. Find a quiet place where we can always go, where we can feel the spirit.
2. Humble ourselves before God. Know that he can help us with everything and anything.
3.Pray with our heart and our mind. Pray with faith for His help.
4. Listen. We should wait after the pray and listen. Sometimes we can receive answer immediately if we just wait and are patient.
5. Write down our thoughts and feelings to show the Lord that we are grateful for those answers.

I know that everyone of us can receive answers and receive this help from our Father in Heaven. Revelation can bless our lives personally, our families, and the lives of others!

Have a great week!

Elder Jones

About my wound: So we were walking and I was thinking and was kinda looking at the ground. The garbage cans are metal and some are connected to telephone poles. People come in the garbage trucks and remove the trash. Anyways, I wasn't looking and ran right into one! haha I cut myself, as you can tell, but didn't need to go to the clinic. It is healing well, just a mark now! haha

Elder HJones: Conference with Elder D. Todd Christofferson!

So this week we had the awesome opportunity to have a conference with Elder Christofferson! It was an awesome experience. One thing that he taught that I really liked, one of the last things that he said while he was bearing his testimony, he said that Jesus Christ is at the head of this Church, and that He guides it "actively and personally." I believe that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-days Saints isn't just directed by thoughts and impressions that are received by prophets and apostles (though they can be), but that Jesus Christ personally guides our prophets and apostles and directs them in everything they do.

We also had two baptisms this week for Valentina and Vanessa. It was super awesome. And this next week we are planning on baptizing Pia. In the beginning, she didn't want anything to do with the gospel. But she attended Church and the baptism of her sister and now wants to learn more!!

I know that this is the true Church. I know that this Church is guided by Jesus Christ and that He calls prophets and apostles that hold His power to teach and guide us and help us to follow Him.

Con amor, Elder Jones

Elder CJones: 3 Weeks Left

"I observed that they were also among the noble and great ones who were chosen in the beginning to be rulers in the Church of God. Even before they were born, they, with many others, received their first lessons in the world of spirits and were prepared to come forth in the due time of the Lord to labor in his vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men."

-Doctrine and Covenants 138:55-56

The mission is awesome!! I have been thinking this past week of all my experiences that I have had here in Mexico and I would not give it up for anything is the entire world! I know that the mission will and can change the lives of so many people!! I know this Gospel is true!!

I wish I had a little more time to write but time is short!! The church is true and it is the only source of true and eternal happiness!!
--
Elder Corom Jones

Elder EJones: Assigned!

It is a pleasure to tell you that Elder Jones has arrived safe and sound to his new area, El Quior 2, with his trainer, Elder Reyes, from Perú.

Thank you for all your support and love. Elder Jones is serving in the Lord´s work, and even though the time seems long, we promise it will go by quickly and the blessings will be grand for working in His vineyard.

With love,
President and Sister Rodríguez
President of the Bolivia Santa Cruz Mission

Elder EJones: Arrived!

It’s a pleasure to inform you that Elder Jones has arrived safely to the Bolivia Santa Cruz Mission. We’re happy to receive him and serve together with him in the Work of the Lord.

We are going to do everything possible to help him have not just a positive experience as a missionary, but an experience that will serve them for the rest of their lives. We will take care of everything we can for your faithful son of God.

Mondays are our preparation days and you will receive notices from your son weekly. We encourage you to write and encourage your son each week to faithfully serve a full-time mission.

We know that this is the Work of God and that Elder Jones will share this truth with many people here in Bolivia.

Sincerely,

President and Sister Rodríguez
President of the Bolivia Santa Cruz Mission

Elder EJones: Almost Done (at the MTC)!

Me and Elder Ockey

This week has been crazy!!

I got my travel plans this week...I leave the MTC this Monday, on the 17th of September!! I'm so excited and so ready to leave. The MTC has blessed me so much to be able to learn and prepare me to teach. I've been able to learn that the Lord works through the Spirit, and we are solely his mouthpiece who have the message.

This week has been a great week!! I've learned so much!! Watched a talk from Elder Bednar called Recognizing the Spirit, and it was really good. It was like the face to face that he gave, talking about all good things come from God. He said if we are good, keep the commandments and our covenants, the Lord will bless us through the guidance of the Spirit. And it reminds me of a great scripture. Moroni 7:13 "But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God." I've been able to learn more how to recognize the Spirit here and it has been an amazing blessing to me!!

Nuestro Distrito

I know that the Gospel is true. That the Lord has a plan for everyone, that he has a plan for me. I know that the Book of Mormon testifies of Christ, and that Christ lives. I know this is where I need, am supposed to, and want to be!!

Funny moments in the MTC this week...Elder Jeppson decided to do the banana/Sprite challenge which is basically eat a bunch of bananas and drink Sprite and your stomach gets all foamy and you might throw up....He ate 8 bananas and drank three cups of Sprite!! All I gotta say is that it was a miracle that nothing came back out!

I learned a lot this week!! One thing I really loved that we talked about in class is the importance of the testimony of the Holy Ghost to us that what we have is true. Even Peter, the disciple of Jesus Christ, who saw him heal the sick, raise the dead, and walk on water, received his testimony not by watching and seeing the miracles of Christ, but the testimony he received from the Holy Ghost that he was the son of God. I've been able to see the Lord help me being here to learn and to grown in the gospel and in the Spanish language.

Con amor,
Elder Jones

MTC Zone Leader Elder Anderson (going to CA)

MTC Zone Leader Elder Palmer (going to CA)

Elder HJones: Every Member a Missionary

So this week we had stake conference and it was really awesome. Our Presidente Ferriera came and was able to talk to everyone. One of the invitations that he had for us had to do with the story of Alma the Younger and his conversion. He compared Alma to a less active member or a non member of the church. And he compared the angel that appeared to him to the missionaries. The missionaries are the angels that come to help people change. Presidente invited everyone present to help the "angels" change the people. All of us know at least one person that is either less active or not a member of the church. And our prayers, fasts, and actions can help the angels appear to them and help them come unto Christ. 

And this past week we were able to baptize Carlos. It was a great experience.

This week we are working with a lady from Colombia named Vanessa. She is really humble and wants to follow the path that God has for her. Pray for her progress!

The beginning of this week started out kinda bad and it was my fault. :(  I'll tell you why. Last Monday we had a zone activity for preparation day. To make a long story short, I invited 2 of the 4 sisters to the activity because I thought, since all four of them live in the same pension, that they would communicate the invitation with the others. I was wrong! Boy, was I wrong!! So during the activity everyone was there, with exception of two sisters...and it was my fault. And I felt so bad.!! They were really mad. They got mad at me and the zone leaders and it wasn't that good. It wasn't good at all! For a couple days they weren't happy. The zone leaders and I did some things to apologize and now it is a lot better. So at the beginning of the week, I messed up bad. But now it better. Today we had a district activity and it was really good.

Con amor, Elder Jones

Elder ZJones: Be Ye Therefore Perfect

One of the great teachings of the Man of Galilee, the Lord Jesus Christ, was that you and I carry within us immense possibilities. In urging us to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect, Jesus was not taunting us or teasing us. He was telling us a powerful truth about our possibilities and about our potential. It is a truth almost too stunning to contemplate. Jesus, who could not lie, sought to beckon us to move further along the pathway to perfection.

We are not yet perfect as Jesus was, but unless those about us can see us striving and improving, they will not be able to look to us for example, and they will see us as less than fully serious about the things to be done.

Each of us has more opportunities to do good and to be good than we ever use. These opportunities lie all around us. Whatever the size of our present circle of effective influence, if we were to improve our performance even a little bit, that circle would be enlarged. There are many individuals waiting to be touched and loved if we care enough to improve in our performance.  -Pres. Kimball

I know that it is through living the example of Jesus Christ that we can become more and more like Him. We have to do our part to work hard and learn of the ways that He served, worked, and taught! I know that it will bring happiness and joy.

This week we are teaching Jeramias and Ada. They have a lot of faith. In my mission experience, I haven't had a lot of people we are teaching read the Book of Mormon when we have invited them to do so because they really havenlt wanted to read it for themselves. But Jeramias and Ada are reading everything we assign them and they understand what they are reading! They came to church this Sunday with us and they have been to church a lot before. We will pray to know if we should baptize them this weekend or the next. We want to help their mom to understand the truth s of the gospel, but she doesn't want to stop smoking. Pray for her. Her name is Annabella.

And Javier and Rocio, the couple we have been working with for a while now, they will be getting married on the 21st!! But Javier has a problem with the Word of Wisdom. Please Pray for him that he will have the desire to stop smoking and drinking so that he can be baptized.

And pray for Kayra that we can help her and her family. Pray that she can be baptized and receive

the Holy Ghost as a constant Guide!

Love you all!

Elder Jones

Bolivian Food

Elder ZJones: Alma 37

Sending off Elder Yepez

This week has been good. My companion and I are working hard in our area. This companionship has helped me with my Spanish because I have had to be proactive in speaking the language. During lessons I find that I am doing more of the talking, which is really helping my Spanish. During the week, we have many contacts who tell me that they don't understand a word of what I was saying. Sometimes it can be annoying but I have learned just to laugh it off. It is mostly my accent, because apparently it is very yankee.

This week we are planning to help Ana and Kayra to be baptized, but they work very weird hours, so it has been difficult to find time to teach them. Ana is the mom of two of the kids that were baptized a couple weeks ago. Kayra is 11 and loves going to church. They love learning about the gospel. Pray that we can find them during the week and that we can teach them!

The sisters in our district, Hermana Herbon and Hermana Hosman, baptized this weekend, which was awesome!! They are good missionaries who work very hard. I find that as their district leader I am just here to animarles and to help them along.

Me and Elder Rivera

Alma 37:33-35
33 Preach unto them repentance, and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ; teach them to humble themselves and to be meek and lowly in heart; teach them to withstand every temptation of the devil, with their faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.
34 Teach them to never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart; for such shall find rest to their souls.
35 O, remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God.

I have thought a lot this week about Jesus Christ, especially when He was on earth teaching the gospel. I love reading the scriptures and understanding the way He taught. He shared with the people to be humble and trust God in all things. He taught the people to serve others and to have faith in Him. As we become more like Jesus in teaching, in deed, and in our works, we will feel the spirit more. We will have His trust and His help in all things.

Pray for those we are teaching and those we yet need to find!!

Love you all! Have a great Week!
Elder Jones

Elder HJones: My New Area

So this week was pretty good. I am in a new sector. I have a new companion and a new district.

My area is good. It's really big. It takes into it the center of Copiapo, which is like a huge mall. So we don't work in half of our sector because it is just stores and people that don't live in our area. The sector here is different than in Paipote, and I am excited to learn how I can find, teach, and baptize people!

My companion is cool. His name is Elder Colson and he's from Grantsville. He is really tall and likes to play basketball. And, he loves the Utah Jazz and Donovan Mitchell. He tells me that Mitchell was super good last year. Elder Colson has two months in the mission so he is still learning how to communicate with the people and how to teach in the lessons. I have been really cool to be able to help him with those things. He is growing a lot. And I am also learning a lot as his trainer.

I like training. One thing that it does is it kinda forces me to be proactive. Sometimes I like to wait for someone to tell me to do something first. But in this week, with my new companion, I have to do more. Training a non-native  it is helping me grow. My last companion was really awesome and I learned a lot from him. But, because he was a native, I really didn't have to be so proactive about the language, about talking to people. But now with Elder Colson I feel the challenge to do better and be proactive.

And my district is really good, too. I am the district leader of the sisters again. They are way awesome and work really hard. Our goal for baptisms this month is 10! Vamos!!

This coming week we are planning on baptizing Carlos. So please pray that everything works out for him to get baptized. He wants to make the commitment, its more of family issues that would stop him.

And Spanish is funny right now. Because now that I have a new companion that cannot speak the language, I have to do almost all the talking--So many people tell me that my Spanish is perfect and then, so many people  tell me or laugh at me because they can't understand me that well at all. It's kinda funny! haha

This past week, I was able to go back to my old area in Paipote to perform a baptism. It was really awesome. It was awesome to see how the people we taught had changed. In the beginning, the mom didn't want anything with us. But now that her children are baptized, she is going to church and it is slowly softening her heart. Its awesome to see how God works and how He changes the people that we teach. He really does prepare.

I just want you all to know that everything is good here in Chile. It is really hot. We are entering the summer season here, and its super hot during the day. My skin is darker so everyone thinks that I am a Latino. Seriously, so many people think that I am from Argentina, it's kinda funny. And all the Chileanos are preparing for the 18 of September. Its their Independence Day and people say that it's HUGE. So people are already really excited for it.

This week we are going to focus a lot in finding people. We are going to do our best to find chosen people. So please pray that we can find the people that God is preparing now and pray that they can recognize us as representatives of Jesus Christ.

Les amo! Elder Jones

Elder EJones: Week Fourth in the MTC

I am doing super good here in the MTC!! Yes, there's some gas and constipation that goes along with the food, but it's not that bad ha ha. Everything is good with my companion. The Elders in our room are really great and are great examples to me. We help each other out a lot to be the most obedient we can be. My district is way good!! We're all close and that makes it such a great experience to have 13 other elders to talk to openly all the time.

The temple is so amazing--and to be able to go every week and feel of the Spirit and to learn is so amazing. I'm gonna miss the temple when I get to Bolivia. And yes, some of the other elders in my district have already received their visas, but there's still a few of us that haven't, yet. But I'm not worried, because if I don't get it, then the Lord needs me somewhere else and that's where I'll diligently serve!!

Thanks for everything!!