Elder EJones: A Polo and Jeans . . . to Church?

So really not much has happened. It's all kinda the same. The good thing is that today the streets have opened up more. The weird thing here is that when the people are mad against the government they block the streets-- with their cars, with sticks and whatever stuff they can find. That prevents so many people from being able to work and travel. So they do that every once in a while. Today was supposed to be really bad, but there doesn't seem to be any of those "paros" today like everyone said there would be. Idk what its like in Santa Cruz though. I hear it's a lot worse there because Tarija is super calm. Our President and the assistants really just play everyday by ear so we only know little by little if we'll be able to leave to proselyte.

Sunday...we look like angels because the lighting ruined the pic

Yesterday was kinda a weird day. So on Saturday night they called us and told us that we would be able to go to church yesterday. But they said, yeah, you should wear like a polo and jeans to church......what???? Are you serious or kidding? First off it's the Sabbath, and I'm not gonna wear stuff like that when I know that I can wear good clothes. More than anything it was for our protection so that we don't stand out like a sore thumb like we already do as gringos. And second off, I don't have a polo here. I'm a missionary. I either have proselytizing clothes or Pday clothes.

So do you know what my comp and I did....? We wore pants. Not our dress pants, but good pants, that are close enough to dress pants. They are way better than jeans. And we wore our white shirts. We didn't wear our ties until we got to church, and when we got there we put them on. It felt weird not wearing my suit, just not wearing my best clothes when I knew that I had them. So it was kinda weird. We've also been walking around without a place for the last couple days every time that we leave the house. That's like the worst, being a missionary but having your badge stripped from you. We also proselyted yesterday for a few hours with Pday clothes. It has been such a weird week, and I am grateful for Sunday-church clothes.

Chillin' on the Roof

That's about it for this week. It seems like its getting better, but we'll see this week. Hope that you have a good week this week! I am praying for you both.

Love you,
Elder Jones

A frog!

Elder EJones: A Day of Rest

This week has been a good one. It was slow, but also really fast, so it was kinda weird.

This weekend was presidential elections here in Bolivia. Elections only happen every five years. So out of precaution for lots of things that could happen (riots for a new presidente or riots for the same president), we had to stay in the house yesterday. So we really didn't do much, because there is not much to do. Read the scriptures, eat food, rest, read more scriptures. So lets just say I'm happy to be out again preaching the gospel.

Yesterday we weren't able to go to Church so that was rough. It was truly a day of rest. A day for many things. Studies in the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenents. I made some no bake cookies. I played my uke, some good hymns that I've learned. Surprisingly, I didn't nap...since when did I not nap? And I continued to honor the sabbath in my Sunday clothes. Staying in Sunday clothes helps me to better understand the why behind what I do. The why the Sabbath is a sacred day. And even though I wasn't able to take the sacrament yesterday (we asked our bishop, but it was restricted from the area), I was still able to feel it as a day of rest.

This week we had an amazing lesson. About 2 weeks ago we found a family. A mom, and her 10 year old kid. Calicsta and Luis. We taught them once and got to know them, and she said she wanted to know more. Missionaries had gone to her house before, but never returned. But she showed interest to learn more. We went the next time, and she was already ready with chairs set outside so that we could teach her and her son. We have taught them twice now. This week we explained to them the Book of Mormon. That is testifies of Jesus Christ. And we read with them the first chapter of first Nephi. It was a super good lesson, and she had super good questions, and said she was excited to keep reading. Then she told us that she is going to take out 2 hours of her crazy work schedule to come to church. Then when she prayed...ahh, we could definitely feel the spirit.

Pray for her. Pray for her son Luis. And pray for her husband that we will be able to find him, and that he will have time to listen, so that they can become an eternal family.

This week I loved a scripture that I came across about the conversion that Amulek really had to the Savior, and the support and love his companion, Alma showed unto him..

Alma 15:16, 18

"And it came to pass that Alma and Amulek, Amulek having forsaken all his gold, and silver, and his precious things, which were in the land of Ammonihah, for the word of God, he being rejected by those who were once his friends and also by his father and his kindred;"

"Now as I said, Alma having seen all these things, therefore he took Amulek and came over to the land of Zarahemla, and took him to his own house, and did administer unto him in his tribulations, and strengthened him in the Lord."

True conversion to the Lord requires true sacrifice. And true discipleship and chirstlike love comes as we reach out to others, even though we may be facing for many trials ourselves.

Here's what I know.
The Book of Mormon is true and the key to our religion
Prophets, ancient, and modern day have been called by the Lord
Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer.

Elder EJones: Gratitude in Baptisms

This week was super good. Ambar, Dalia, and Jiliana were baptized. Ambar and Dalia are sisters, 18 and 20 years old. We found them contacting in the street about a month ago and they have progressed immensly. Juliana is from a part-member family. A family we also found in the street. But we kept working with them. Apparently they stopped going to church a while ago, but when we brought them back for the first time so many members recognized them and talked with them. I have learned the importance of ministering in that sense. We can't ever give up. It's like what is always said in our stake, "By love, not by assignment!" I truly believe that those words are true. We have to serve because we want to, not because we have to. In that way, the Lord will help us develop our gifts for the benefit of others.

But better then all that is that as a district we reached our goal and are going for another one. We had nine probable baptisms this week in our district...and 9 got baptized! It was a huge miracle that the Lord gave to us. And so I'm super happy and thankful for the Lord.

I realized this week the need to thank the Lord more. In a talk this Sunday, the speaker said the following, "We don't appreciate the small things until we don't have them anymore." It has made me think of the more I need to do to be thankful for what the Lord has given to me, to not complain.

Scripture that I loved this week...

Mosiah 28:3
Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble.

I am trying to be more like the sons of Mosiah. They are some of my scripture heroes.

Not much more is happening here. We don't have church next week because there are elections for president, so it'll be kinda crazy here...

Eggs . . . in a hole :)