Elder HJones: Bienvenido

Photos by Angela Ferguson

Elder ZJones: Bienvenido!

photos by Angela Ferguson

Elder EJones: These Things I Know

Hello!!

This week we were able to help lots of people to come to church, and to be able to participate. Being able to go to church is an amazing blessing that we have. To be able to partake of the sacrament every week is a need for all of us. And we all need to be able to invite all to come unto Christ, and to come to church so that they can fell of the joy of the Gospel too.

We were able to help Aaron to be baptized and confirmed. I know that the Lord works miracles is our lives and answers our prayers!!

I read this from a talk given by Elder Boyd K. Packer,

I know what He felt in Gethsemane

Is too much to comprehend.

I know He did it all for us;

We have no greater Friend.

I know that He will come anew

With power and in glory.

I know I will see Him once again

At the end of my life’s story.

I’ll kneel before His wounded feet;

I’ll feel His Spirit glow.

My whispering, quivering voice will say,

“My Lord, my God, I know.”

I know that the Lord has perfect love for us, and has a perfect individual plan of salvation for all of us. He loves us and knows our needs!!

Elder EJones: Revelation

This week I was able to study more about revelation. I love that the Lord gives us the opportunity to receive revelation, the revelation that we need in our personal lives. He also gives us prophets to be able to guide us in the big picture to follow our Savior Jesus Christ.

3 Nephi 9:19-20

19 And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings.

20 And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not.

21 Behold, I have come unto the world to bring redemption unto the world, to save the world from sin.

I have loved to see how in the Book of Mormon. Believers of Jesus Christ lived the law of Moses even though they didn't understand it all the way. But they trusted the Lord in all that they did. As we offer our repentance through a broken heart and a contrite spirit, we too can be cleansed by the power of Jesus Christ.

I am learning to trust the Lord more and more in my life. He has ALL the answers, and I don't. I may think that at times I do. Or that I want or need something, but in reality I don't know. But if I can trust in Him, I will be able to know.

I have a testimony of Jesus Christ. A testimony that He lives and is my Savior.

Pray for Aaron, Robert and Familia Cardona!!

Elder EJones: This Week

“I am going to keep close to the Lord. I am going to understand Him better, and, understanding Him, I will understand myself and will try to put my life into harmony with His.” - Hugh B. Brown

Sometimes I feel like a failure as a missionary. I'm sure that all missionaries at some point have felt that. Be it in what we do, in numbers, or in the way that we are acting and trying to resemble the Savior. It has been hard for me a little this past cambio with my comp.  But I've learned a lot about the need that I have to be an example to all. To be an example to him, to the members, investigators, and to all that hear and see me. And sometimes its hard. Its not supposed to be easy, but I know that it is worth it. I thought lots this week of the importance I have to be an example to those who aren't watching me. They hope I am doing the right things and being an example. And if I'm not, I'm letting them down. More importantly, I'm letting the Lord down.

I know that as I try to understand the Lord more, I can develop a better relationship with Him. I want to be able to see Him as my Father and creator, as he sees me as His son!!

Gissel, Maybelin and Nayeli are good. They continue to participate, and come to church. Im glad that the Holy Ghost can help us to keep pushing foreward in our lives and trusting in the Lord in all that we do.

Pray for Aaron, Robert, and Ubaldino that they will be able to progress and come to develop their personal understanding and love for the gospel.

Elder HJones: Testimonio

I have been reading in the Book of Mormon about Alma and Amulek, the testimonies that they shared, the lessons they taught, the miracles they performed. I am always amazed in the things that they were able to do. They had the desire to teach the gospel with everyone, they wanted to help everyone come unto Christ. And I dont think we are much different from them. We too can do the many things that they did. Im always amazed in the courage that they had to share their testimonies with everyone, even if they were rejected.

And just like them, we too can do the same. I have the goal to share my testimony everyday, and it had helped my a ton. Our testimonies are strengthened when we share them.

Please pray for Ivan, Sebastian, Karina, and Zahira.

Elder EJones: I am---

This last week we went to Tarija to have a conference with our new Mission President. He is really great. He's really excited to be here and to be able to work with us. I can tell that he has a love for the Lord and a desire to serve Him. But not just serve, but to work along side us to be able to serve the people and the Lord. He served his mission in Chile and when he was there, part of his mission was Copiapo where Hyrum served, so I thought that was way cool!!

We had cambios this week, and I'm staying here with my comp. So that's good. We are hoping to find more success and to help strengthen converts so that they can help others to come unto Christ.

This week we were able to baptize Gissel, Maybelin, and Nayeli. Two of them are sisters and the other is their cousin. They have progressed lots in the past couple of weeks and were able to get baptized. I think this week to they are gonna go to a youth conference activity. One thing I'm learning is to help all not only to come unto Christ and gain a testimony of Him, but to keep that testimony with them and become converted to the gospel.

One thing that I have loved this week comes from what I have been able to read in John. Christ talks may times of who He is as the son of God. Here are a few of the things that he teaches and tells us: (John 4-10)

I am the living water
I am the bread of life
I am the light of the world
I am the door
I am the good Shephard
I am the Son of God

Its been a good week!! Hope to make this next one better!!

Elder ZJones: pics!

Elder EJones: Miracles This Week

 

This week lots has happened. We were trying all week to find the Velasquez Family so that they could get baptized. But every time that we passed by their house they weren't there. We were able to find them Monday, but the day that they were supposed to have an appointment they were not there. The problem is that they phone that they have doesn't have service. It's like an iPod, so it doesn't work to send texts or to call. We found out finally where their family lives in Bermejo and we were able to look and find them on Saturday morning. We talked to them about the baptism that they were supposed to have. But when we were talking to them, the oldest daughter started talking about her questions and that she didn't want to get baptized. We talked to her for about 5 minutes, and then she told us that she would get baptized. So she did get baptized with her mom, and her two others sons didn't. They are 10 and 8, but their mom talked to us about some problems with her family so they weren't gonna get baptized that day.

That afternoon we were able to teach them a little and get them interviewed for that night. But here comes the story of the day.

In the afternoon we had filled up buckets of hot water from our house to take to the church because they told us they wanted the water to be warm. So we filled up paint 5 gallon buckets with hot water to take to the church. We took them to the church and began to fill up the font. We turned the font on to be able to fill it up as we left for their interviews and to pick them up to get baptized. When we came back the font was a little flooded and a few members were cleaning the font. The thing is that we had to run to the members house to do the interview and when we got back it was a little flooded, but for us the most important thing was that they were there. They had made the decision to get baptized.

Anyways, so we start getting everyone to change and stuff to be able to take pictures and start, and one of the members who was cleaning up the water called over the branch president and to us to talk with us in the president's office. He basically tried to yell at us about the water and that apparently there were bugs in the water. (Like there have been in every one of my areas). He basically told us everything that we did wrong and all that we needed to do to be better because of the little mistake we made. He told us that the font overflowed a little because we were in their interview. He was like "These are souls, you need to be doing a whole lot better." It got us kinda frustrated that he started going off at us when we were doing the best that we could. He then looked at the branch president and told him to deal with it and to do what he needs to do and then he left. Then the branch president was just like, "Yeah elders, don't worry. Just go get changed. It's all good."

It was the worst in the moment because we were in a hurry trying to get it all done and it started late, but our branch president was really chill and was like don't worry and then let us change so that we could start.

But this week was good. We were able to find the Velasquez Family, teach them, and they were able to make covenants with our Heavenly Father and receive the Holy Ghost.

Alex, who is 19, also got to get baptized. For me it was really cool. Something I have always wanted to do as a missionary is be able to help a young adult of that age to come unto Christ. And he did!! He's the best. He has progressed from the start. He has tattoos on his arms and when he read the word of wisdom pamphlet he said to us, "What am i supposed to do? I didn't know." But I'm really happy this week!! We were able to see lots of miracles. I know that the Lord loves us and has a plan for us.

I have a testimony of the plan of salvation and of the importance and the necessity of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost!!

Elder HJones: God Makes Us Experts

So....

Like I say almost every single week, everything is great here and last week went pretty well.

We are seeing a lot more success and progress here from when I first arrived. When I arrived in my sector there was literally nobody progressing and the missionaries before had many problems in the work. But now the sector is a lot better and we are working really hard. God has blessed us a lot.

The only bad thing is that here, in South America, there is a soccer cup going on. And Chile is playing really well. And whenever they play nobody wants to listen to us. Nobody is in the street because everyone is in the house watching the game...yay!!

And on Friday we travel to Iquique to meet our new Mission President, Presidente Larsen!

This past week we had six people come to church with us. A family from Venzuela came with us. They are super awesome. The only problem is that they live together, but they arent married. And literally we can't do anything about it. Because even if they wanted to get married, it would be super hard and the process is super long and difficult because they aren't from Chile. But they are still really cool and we are going to keep inviting them to church and everything. And the members got super excited when they saw new faces in the church, so that was good.

And a 26 year old named Aldo came with us, too. He is really cool. He loves the world. But he knows that the church is good for him. So this week we are going to work with him so that he can keep progressing.

We are also still working with Ivan and Sebastian. We just need some miracles with them. Sebastian is having some problems, but hopefully we can find him this week and teach him a little. And Ivan is pretty much a member of the church. He has read the whole Book of Mormon and is now reading the Doctrine and Covenants! He is way awesome. We are just waiting for his friend to get here from Santiago.

And this past week, we had an awesome spiritual experience! I was on intercambios with an elder in my district and we were teaching a guy named Braulio. And we were with a convert that got baptized last Sunday. He is waiting to get confirmed. I did his baptismal interview so I already knew him. But we were in the lesson talking about the blessings that come through living the gospel.  And this convert (who had just been baptized 3 days before) shared an awesome experience.

He is from Venezuela and its has been hard for him to find work. But he found work laying tile and on Saturday (the day before his baptism) he had a really bad day. It was his first day on the job and he only was able to lay tile on the floor of half of a bathroom. He said that he was struggling and was worried about the job. The next day he went to church and got baptized. And said that it was such a spiritual experience, something that he will never forget. And the next day (Monday) he worked hard and laid tile in 2 bathrooms and a room. And on Tuesday, he finished 2 conference rooms (which he said were bigger then the chapel). And that Tuesday night, everything clicked. He bore testimony to us and to Brualio that because he got baptized and followed the example of Jesus Christ, he received power and help from God. He said, "Dios me hizo un maestro." (God made me an expert). And he just kept telling is that he still couldn't believe it. And he also said, "no se que va a pasar después mi confirmación!"

It was such a cool experience to here. And I know that its true. God gives us power. He makes us experts in what we do!

Love you guys! Muchas gracias por todo.