Elder EJones: Another New Companion

Well this week was good, my last week with my comp the mini missionary. He is super cool, said bye to him yesterday and today I got my new comp. My new comp is a gringo. He is from Utah, from Bryce Canyon. His name is Elder Tebbs.  I picked him up today, so we'll see how it goes. He is really cool and came in the same group as my other companion, Elder Thuet. I am still district leader here as well. Now there are three districts in our zone. It will be helpful to me so that I can focus more on helping people with more focus on only a few areas.

This week was kinda hard. We were able to reach lots of lessons, but lots of people haven't been keeping their commitments, so it makes it hard for us to help them, when they don't do what they need to do to know if this message really is true or not.

This week we did an activity in our district a Christmas caroling way to contact. It went....i would say exactly well haha. Lots of people just said they didn't have time. Some people just closed the door in our faces mid hymn it was kinda funny, but at the same time it's hard for me to see people reject the message of the restored gospel without even listening to the message we have to give. In reality it's not that hard. We ask our investigators to do three things. Read, pray, and go to church. That is the only way that they will be able to know if the message we share is true or not. But my job is to give them the message, its up to them to use their agency to accept or reject it.

The Christmas bags are in process. We are trying to find out who we need to deliver them to and who needs them most this Christmas season. It's the best to be able to help members and investigators to think more of Christ and share his love with others.

We have our Christmas conference this coming Friday. And on Christmas morning we are going to have some breakfast. It'll be fun. It has been a little colder here so it feels more like Christmas haha.

Esta semana pude terminar el Libro de Mormón. Se que es verdadero. No tengo ninguna duda de eso. Se que los profetas de la antigüedad fueron inspirados para escribirlo. No se como seria mi vida sin el Libro de Mormón. A mi me encanta ensenar del Libro de Mormón. Puedo sentir su poder cuando hablo de que testifica de Cristo y nos da la evidencia de su amor para nosotros, y su iglesia restaurada hoy en dia!! Me gusta lo que dice Moroni...

Sí, venid a Cristo, y perfeccionaos en él, y absteneos de toda impiedad, y si os abstenéis de toda impiedad, y amáis a Dios con todo vuestro poder, mente y fuerza, entonces su gracia os es suficiente, para que por su gracia seáis perfectos en Cristo; y si por la gracia de Dios sois perfectos en Cristo, de ningún modo podréis negar el poder de Dios.

Anote cuántas veces él decía os exhorto. Lo dice muchas veces. Se que cuando hacemos lo que nos indican los profetas seremos bendecidos porque siempre testifican de nuestro Salvador Jesucristo. 

Can't wait for Christmas!!

Elder EJones: Crazy Week

First off, thanks so much to my mom for sending me pants and a camera that I will eventually get when it arrives!

This week was really crazy for me. I left my area on Monday because of Carnival and didn't get back until Friday. On Saturday night they called to give us our cambios and they told me I would be training and that I would be the new district leader!! I didn't know who my comp was gonna be until Monday when the assistants called me and said I would be training a gringo. So I left to another area for Wednesday and Thursday to wait for my companion.

And my companion came on Friday. We met in the house of President Rodrigues to receive al the new missionaries, so it was pretty exciting. He's from West Jordan. He's really cool and we're getting along well and learning lots together. He still is trying to understand the language, but it will come with time.

And I'm learning a lot being a district leader. I'm really trusting in the Lord more than I have ever done in my life, because I know He is the only One that can help me. I'm going to need your prayers, too, as I try to be a good example to my companion, and to my district, and so that I can receive the revelation I need to help them, and so that we can become better missionaries.

That was my week in a nutshell.

Love you,
Elder Jones

Elder HJones: I Can Do All Things Through Christ

This week was really good. A little slow because my companion was sick the whole week. But we pushed through and he survived.

On Tuesday, we had a zone conference with Presidente Ferriera and it was really awesome. I always learn so much from him and he always teaching with so much love and power. We also received transfers this week. And I am leaving! After 10 months in Copiapo I am leaving to a city 2 hours south called Vallenar. It's really green and the smallest zone in the mission.

I am going to miss all the people in Copiapo. I had 10 months in Copiapo and I am going to miss all my converts and the members. But that's alright. God needs me in Vallenar. Y vamos a hacer todo lo que Dios quiere que hagamos!

One of the things that we teach the people here in Chile is that we all have difficulties. It is part of our lives here on earth. We are here to be tested, to fail, to use the Atonement, and to improve. But the only way that we can improve and progress is if we use the Atonement of Jesus Christ and look to Him. Though Christ we can do all things. Even if things seem impossible, they are possible through Christ! 
 
Philippians 4: 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Con mucho amor, Elder Jones

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