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 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 EJones: True Disciples

This is the last week with our Presidente, Presidente Rodriguez, and next week we have conference with our new presidente. Exciting times!! Bermejo is good, warm this week, but its been a good week.

This week has been good, but it has also been kinda rough. We are working with The Velasquez family so that they can get baptized this week, but we haven't been able to find them this week. One problem is that there was no water in Bermejo on Wednesday or Thursday, so they left to another place where there is water. It was kinda funny that there was no water, but we kept working like normal. So we weren't able to find them this week, and it's been hard. They have almost all the lessons. We need to teach them a few more commandments, then they'll have all the lessons. But we are hoping and praying that we can find them this week so that they can get baptized!!

This week I was able to read more in the war chapters of the Book of Mormon, and the faith and diligence of Moroni. I love what the meaning of the Title of Liberty is:

In Memory of....

Our God

Our Religion

Our Liberty

Our Peace

Our Wives

Our Children

They entered into a covenant with the Lord to fight only for these purposes. It helped me to think and really ponder that we can make personal covenants with the Lord. That we improve in how we follow him, that we can and will receive blessings. And like they did, and how it explains in all the book of Mormon, "si guardáis mis mandamientos prosperarais en la tierra." (if you keep my commandments, you will prosper in the land).

I love that promise. I love how the Book of Mormon is filled with many things to learn, to love and to cherish. Also, if they were willing to fight for all those things, we, too, are fighting against the devil spiritually. But what are we fighting for, and why are we fighting? If we know why and for who, the Lord, we will have His strength to always be with us!!

Also this week, I was reading the talk from President Nelson from the April 2019 Priesthood Session this phrase stood out to me... "And all who meet you need to know what a true disciple of the Lord looks like and acts like."

What are we doing (am I doing) to resemble a true disciple of Jesus Christ?

We are all disciples of Jesus Christ. All of us who have taken upon us His name, as we do in baptism and every week as we participate in the sacrament. But a true disciple is someone who doesn't have fear to share the gospel. Someone who loves, gives, smiles, teaches, listens as Christ would. As we strive to pattern our lives after Jesus Christ we will become more like him. Better disciples of him!!

I know that He lives. He is my example!!

Love you all,

Love you lots,
Elder Jones

Elder EJones: Bermejo

This week I had cambios and left Los Olivos with my comp Elder Calkins. I am now here in Bermejo which is at the very bottom of Bolivia, on the border of Argentina. It has been a crazy week with lots of changes. My new comp is from Ecuador and he has the same time in the mission as I do.

We found and taught lots of people this week. We are teaching the Velasquez family as well as Alfredo and Natalia. Pray for them that they will be able to open up and keep being receptive to the gospel. Pray that the gospel will be able to touch and open their hearts so that they can feel and know that this is the true church, and what we need in our lives.

I found something that I really liked in my personal study this week...

Alma 24:18-19
18 And this they did, it being in their view a testimony to God, and also to men, that they never would use weapons again for the shedding of man’s blood; and this they did, vouching and covenanting with God, that rather than shed the blood of their brethren they would give up their own lives; and rather than take away from a brother they would give unto him; and rather than spend their days in idleness they would labor abundantly with their hands.

19 And thus we see that, when these Lamanites were brought to believe and to know the truth, they were firm, and would suffer even unto death rather than commit sin; and thus we see that they buried their weapons of peace, or they buried the weapons of war, for peace.

I love how the Lamanites made a covenant with God. We know they did to not take up arms against their enemies, but it also teaches us that they covenanted to labor abundantly, and to give rather than to take. And they would rather suffer death then to commit sin.

I know that as we come to know of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we will come to love Him more and more. We will come to the knowledge to not sin any more, but to follow Him with faith.



Thats this week!!

Elder Jones