Elder CJones: We just Tryna Bring . . . A Little More Joy to the World

Hard work pays off as we work hard and are obedient. That's one lesson I learned this week as I applied it more to my life.

 This week started out a little rough but got a lot better as we worked hard and tried our very best to teach the Gospel to these great people out here. Last week, our numbers weren't very high. We didn't have many lessons and needed higher numbers. The Zone Leaders came and visited with us at the beginning of the week and tried to understand why? Why were our numbers low? There were a lot of reasons and we figured out what was going on and we were sent to work, and that's when the blessings started to flow.

Within 2 hours that morning we had confirmed appointments to return to 5 homes. We worked hard that day and tried our best to gain momentum as the day went on. We kept working hard and got a few more appointments for the week!! There are so many blessings that come from being obedient and working hard!! That night, my companion and I headed home after a long day. We must have walked 15-20 miles and were so hungry, so cold, and so tired.

As we walked home, we passed a hamburger cart and my companion stopped and asked how much a meal was, she answered $50. He told her that we would return the next day and buy a meal on our way home from our work and we walked away. As we walked, about a block after we left the cart, we heard someone shouting, we turned around the there was a man running towards us. We stopped and turned around and as he approached us, he asked us to return to the cart. We had no idea what was going on. We obeyed and returned to the hamburger cart. The woman at the cart asked us if we would like to share a hamburger, on the house. We were so shocked and surprised, we accepted the offer and sat down and began to talk with her. She prepared us a mean burger, complete with avocado, pineapple, and all the works. And that's all that we were expecting, and then came the sodas, and the fries, and the chili pepper, and then she asked us if we wanted another burger. She filled us up that night and I know that it was from the obedience to our leaders that we were blessed with the food.

That night, the lady's son came and sat with us at the cart, her son is 7 and is learning English in school. He has homework every night in English and he turned to me and asked me to help him with his math and social studies, it was really hard but we were able to finish his homework and we made some new friends that day.

As I have looked back at what happened, I have studied the importance of obedience in the scriptures. During my first 3 weeks that I was in the MTC, I read the Book of Mormon, the entire thing in 3 weeks and it was one of the most amazing experience I have ever had to be able to read it again and I learned a lot this time I went through. One of the stories that is always shared in the scriptures in that of the stripling warriors, they were a really really strong force to the Nephites as they fought for their country. But the only reason they are put, by Mormon, into the book is because of their success. If they wouldn't have been successful, they would have never been effective. The really cool part, the core of their success is shared with us in one verse.

"Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them; and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them."

The home is the best place to learn obedience, I wasn't always the best at that but now I know the importance of obedience in everything.

Nephi was one of the prophets in the Book of Mormon that everyone reveres. He was a hard worker and wrote a lot about guidance for our day. He could have said a lot for his last words, but here is what he decided to say, "the Lord commanded me, and I must obey." Obedience is what the last thing Nephi says. It's his testimony of the greatness of obedience. I know that this work will bless all of us as we obey the commandments of the Lord and work hard to become more like Jesus Christ.

During this last week before Christmas, let us remember the true meaning and why we really celebrate Christmas, I have a badge that says I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ and that I represent Him, but we all don't need that badge to be like Him. Remember that service is so crucial at this time in the year.

-- Elder Corom Jones

We live in a time of the world

where we care less bout family and more 'bout our phones

Why are we fighting

'bout what to believe in our people they out on their own

We seeking attention in all the wrong places

our whole life became a cliche

Why are worried bout all a dem tings

when our children are slippin away

When standing for something

the voyage occurs

United as family we loyal and firm

We all here as equals

we Royal at birth

We just tryna bring… a little more joy to the world

This goes out to my people

feel like they nothing they stuck and ready to die

I promise there's someone who always gon love you

your Father who up in the sky

The reason we here to love one another

so put it all out on the line

Not saying be perfect

or even be certain but baby it worth it to try.

When standing for something

the voyage occurs

United as family

we Loyal and firm

We out here as equals

we Royal at birth

We just tryna bring… a little more joy to the world"

-Jamesthemormon (Joy To The World)

Elder CJones: Without Sacrifice, There is No Victory

What a week!!

It's been absolutely crazy, from the weather to the work, but it is all under the direction of the Lord.

I know that the Lord is with us through all our challenges and through all our victories. This week has been one of challenges and overcoming the "natural man". I have studied a lot about Gospel topics this week, a lot about the natural man and the power the Atonement has to change that aspect in our lives. As I have gone through the week, I have studied the Atonement and the power of testimony in the process of change in my life.

This week I started by thinking about change. Just that word means a lot, even more so in times in our world when people change for the worse, not the better. We need to change our lives for the better, and turn our hearts and lives over to the Lord so we can change, just like is taught in Alma 5.

How do we experience this change as we go through our lives? I took time this week to study about the moment in time when choice was everything, in the Garden of Gethsemane. The whole Plan of Salvation hung in the balance of the choice of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

To have this mighty change of heart, we need to look to the Lord and through the Lord, our weaknesses can become strengths, just like is taught in Ether 12. As we stay close to our Father and our Savior. Jesus Christ we will understand the importance of prayer and the communication we can have with our Father, the direct relation we can have with him. We begin to understand the power of prayer. We will understand that the companionship of the Holy Ghost is one of power and amazement, and we will begin to be so grateful, for that is the way that the Father speaks to us.

One thing that I found really amazing was this, we were all intelligences before we were Spirits. We all had the ability top become anything and we became Spirit sons and daughters of a Loving Heavenly Father. The only way for the Atonement to work is that the suffering that Christ went through would have to spiritually and emotionally touch every one of those intelligences, it was an infinite and universal Atonement, and the only reason He performed and went through the Atonement is so that we can have the opportunity at mercy and repent of our sins.

The Father and the Son love us so much that they sacrificed so much, more than we can comprehend so we can be together, in the Celestial Kingdom, forever with our families and loved ones.

I know the Atonement is real, it has the power to cleanse all from sins if we only submit to the will of the Father and use the Atonement, that gift that we have been given to change our hearts, and become like Him.

This week, I finished reading a book written by M. Russell Ballard, Our Search for Happiness. In this book, Elder Ballard shares his testimony of the reality of the Gospel and the power it has to change our lives and as we grow, continually, to understand more about the Gospel, the Savior, and the teachings of the prophets, we can truly come to know the reality of it all if we only pray with a real intent to know the truth it contains, God promises that he will respond.

One last thing that I thought was really cool this week, the power of prayer is real. The first thing that began this last dispensation was a short scripture in the New Testament, the book of James,

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not;and it shall be given him."

That scripture is all about prayer and that power it has when you simply pray with faith. But the cool part is, at the end of the Book of Mormon, the last main principle is one of prayer, something that Joseph Smith did right at the beginning of his life as a prophet,

"Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."

That is what we teach our investigators the first lesson, the power of prayer and the amazing chance we have to communicate with our Father in Heaven, directly with God Himself. I challenge everyone to talk with our Father in Heaven about everything that goes on in your life because I know he is interested in everything you are doing. Please pray to know of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to grow your testimony of this wonderful work.

I know this Gospel is true and I know it can change the lives of anyone who is willing to open their heart to hear directly from our Father in Heaven.

-- Until next week,
Elder Corom Jones

"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." -John 8:32

Elder CJones: Converts Not Baptisms

Wow! What a week, it's been absolutely crazy and there is a lot that happened, but yet, I love it!!

I arrived in the field on Monday night, just in time to sleep, and the next day was my first day, going out and talking to all the people that I could, and with only MTC Spanish, it was a challenge, but I was able to get through the day and my Spanish has improved a lot in just a week. The city isn't dangerous, at least where I am. Most of the higher class mobs and people wanted by the law. respect us. They are actually really kind to us. Since I live on the most Southern side of the city, we don't meet many of them, but if I ever serve closer to the border, I will. the APs told us that they served up there and encountered many of them. They offered them all sorts of stuff, they offer missionaries coats and clothing that may help. Many of them even ask if we need money. I feel completely safe here, it's a really great experience!

Our mission president is a crazy guy!! He is about 5 foot 4 and just has a ton of energy, he is always pushing us to get more baptisms and do our best in our mission. His wife, she is the opposite, she is very quiet but very stern, she scares me TBH haha. I'm not sure how often we receive our packages from the president. We got ours when we arrived last week. I have 2 other elders with me in my zone that were with me in the MTC, I get to see them 1-2 times a week.

My companion's name is Elder Cornejo, he is from here in Mexico, which city I have no idea. He has been out on the mission for 15 months and is our district leader. He is a pretty chill guy, he isn't demanding, which at times, I wish he was. His parents are both converts, so he has grown up in the church. I live in a house with 3 missionaries: my companion, Elder Cornejo, and the other companionship: Elder Torres and Elder Javalois. It's a pretty cool place, we live on the bottom floor of a triplex, there are 2 bedrooms and the bathroom and kitchen are tiny!

I serve in a little area close to the airport in Reynosa, on the south-eastern side of the city. It's a middle-class area for someone here in Mexico. Most of the houses are made of cinderblock and if you are lucky, and have a little more money, you can have a house of concrete or stucco. The people here love us and they are so humble! A lot of the people know we are representatives of Christ and they respect us, which is really cool.

All the neighborhood roads are dirt, the highway and the main roads are paved, but are really poor quality. We walk everywhere, so the bottoms of my pants and my shoes are always covered in dirt and mud. The weather is really hot and humid, but there are also days that are crazy cold and it rains, walking through those days is not the funnest but we get done what we need to. Only the APs have cars in our mission, they drive around running errands for the president. The food here is amazing!! Tortillas come with every meal, most of the time it's soup or some kind of enchilada or something like that. Every P-day we go to the local store and buy our food for the week. Last week, I really didn't know what to buy and just bought a loaf of bread, PB&J, a couple tubs of the ramen cups and cereal, I got sick and tired of the quick food this week and decided to go a little better this week. I bought eggs, milk, bread, butter, cheese, and a couple other things, I will be making grilled cheese and tomato soup for some days and french toast others. Mainly we only have to feed ourselves in the morning and then after we get home at night.

Ok, my younger brother, Jacom, will love this part. James the Mormon is a huge thing down here to the missionaries, even more so with the Latinos. It's just something they listen to a lot. He wrote one song about Coca-Cola, which has true lyrics for everything we do out here. In Mexico, we aren't allowed to drink the water, well, we, as Americans, try to refrain because of the bacteria and other things that are in the water, so we try to stay around bottled drinks, bottled water is great and we can go to the little corner store and buy 5 gallon jugs of water! But really, "Coke rules everything around me", every store and everybody has Coca-Cola in their house, it's the biggest company out here, just like Apple is the biggest, most popular company in the United States.

Trash is all over the streets. you can't walk 5 feet without seeing trash somewhere, the garbage is picked up probably 2-3 times a month which is crazy, so there is just garbage, a mountain of gargabe in front of everyone's house.

CONVERTS NOT BAPTISMS

I have been thinking a lot this week about what our mission president wants us to do and it is a great thing, getting as many baptisms as we can, but as I further think about it, that's not what this work is about. He is telling us to use our first encounter as one to preach about faith and repentance and then ask for them to be baptized. After a training we had this week, I was looking at the what it was about, the only thing that the mission president emphasized was the importance of getting as many baptisms as possible so we can be the number one baptizing mission in Mexico. Afterward, his wife spoke about being a Preach My Gospel missionary and the importance of always following the guidelines in the missionary handbook. So that night, when I was doing some final studying, I looking through the chapters in Preach My Gospel,

"Baptizing and confirming the people you teach is central to your purpose. Baptism is for the remission of sins, and the gift of the Holy Ghost brings a host of blessings to those who live worthy of it. Through these ordinances people enter the gate and continue on the path to eternal life. Elder Dallin H. Oaks said: “We do not preach and teach in order to ‘bring people into the Church’ or to increase the membership of the Church. We do not preach and teach just to persuade people to live better lives. … We invite all to come unto Christ by repentance and baptism and confirmation in order to open the doors of the celestial kingdom to the sons and daughters of God. No one else can do this.”

As I read through this I understood that as I go through and teach the people, I know that I want to teach so I can have converts on my mission, not baptisms. Baptisms is just a was of stating a statistic, but a convert is one who truly changes the nature of their heart, turns to the Lord, and develops a personal relationship with our Father in Heaven. That relationship can't be grown over the 5 minutes we preach to someone about faith and repentance, it comes through, time and constant work to be a better person, over weeks and months, not minutes, hours or days.

Ether 12:6, "And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith."

I know that Christ lives! I know He died for each one of us so we can change our lives and become the best we can be. I know that through faith and the constant want for change, we can become like Him. I testify that the Holy Ghost will testify to you of anything, that as you are worthy and pray with a sincere effort to learn that, guaranteed, God will answer through the Holy Ghost. I know that if we have a sincere desire to change and become better, we are on the path to become like Christ. I know that the scriptures will change your life as you read them and try your hardest and with the most desire to work towards an answer from God. I testify that this Gospel is true, and I know that it will change your life and there will be no greater joy than this in the Gospel. I know that people's lives will be changed as they work toward turning their lives to the Gospel. I love this Gospel and I am so glad I can serve the people here!

There is a man we are teaching, his name is Christian, I would ask you all to pray for him, we need him to increase his faith, will you please keep him in your prayers and thoughts? Thank You!

--
Elder Corom Jones


"No one likes to fail. And we particularly don’t like it when others—especially those we love—see us fail. We all want to be respected and esteemed. We want to be champions. But we mortals do not become champions without effort and discipline or without making mistakes.
[My friends], our destiny is not determined by the number of times we stumble but by the number of times we rise up, dust ourselves off, and move forward."

-President Dieter F Uchtdorf

Elder CJones: First Week in Reynosa

Hello Everyone!!

 Today is my first day in the field and it is crazy!! Not much has happened, I'm just getting used to the area and the people. My companion speaks no English so that's really fun, this morning we went to the store and went shopping for our weekly groceries. The members feed us a lot so it's mainly just breakfast that we have to pay for and make ourselves.

My first area is here in Reynosa, on the South Eastern side of the city. It's different than what I thought, all the buildings are less than 3 stories and are all run down, well, at least on my side of the city. It's really really humid here, probably worse than San Diego, our apartment has a small AC in the main room that can only be turned on at night, it goes really really hot during the day. I wish I was back in Utah where it is snowing because I absolutely love the snow!!

I really like my new companion, and the guys in my house are the best, they help me a lot with my Spanish and they are asking me to help with their English.

We went to a member's house for lunch today and we were able to speak with them and learn a lot about the area that I am in and the people that live here. They went and got us fast food, so it wasn't too bad. We had fries and fried chicken.

So Monday morning we woke up really early, well, I guess you could say that we never went fully to sleep, we were packing and got a small amount of a snooze in before we had to meet up to go to the airport. The drive to the airport was a completely different experience, well because one, there was absolutely no traffic, which is a different experience in Mexico City because there is always traffic, we were in the airport for a while and that was really boring and we were all really tired.

The flight was a couple hours before landing in Reynosa. Our mission president met us at the airport with his wife and a couple of other missionaries. We then went out to eat at a breakfast buffet which was really an amazing place to eat. Afterward, we went to the mission home and got our picture taken and were able to call our parents from there. Our mission president then had us go to the AP's home and sleep for about 3 hours which was really needed. We returned to the mission office and got more to eat and then had meetings for 4 hours. Just about the rules and things that the mission president needed to tell us. We then received our companions and some of us left to our areas. I left last night to my area and stayed at our house last night, there are some great things that I'm learning here and I huge one is humility, I am not able to talk with the people like I want to and that is something I will be working on these next couple days.

I want to tell you how much love the Savior has for us as we devote our time to serving Him. I am so excited for these next 2 years and what I will be able to learn in another language and about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know he lives and that he is our Savior and Redeemer, I know that he is always there for us and when we work hard, we will be able to overcome anything that comes our way.

Keep the love and never stop,
Elder Corom Jones

My new P-day is on Monday