Elder HJones: Take Up Your Cross and Follow Him

I don't really like to think a lot about how much time I have. A lot of missionaries think about how much time they have, and many know how many days they have remaining. I don't like to think a lot about how much time I have or how much I have left. But I do have to say, time flies!! I can't believe that I hit halfway this week. It's really crazy. There is a feeling a joy and happiness knowing that I  have accomplished one year in the mission. But, it's also sad to think that in a year I will have to remove the name badge.

Everything is normal now for me in Chile (or shall I say, everything is normal for me here in Paipote). I am pretty sure that I should just buy a house right here because I don't think I will every leave! haha  Yes, I am used to the food, the language (even though I cannot speak perfectly yet), and I love the culture.

So this past week, I was able to speak in sacrament meeting. I still remember the first time I spoke in sacrament meting as a missionary. I was really nervous and the members probably didn't understand anything that I said! ha ha

But this time, as I prepared my talk, I thought of two questions. Questions that I am trying to apply better in my life to help strengthen my testimony and help others gain a testimony.

1. What has Jesus Christ done for me?
2. What am I willing to do for Him?

Jesus has done everything for everyone one of us. We can never repay Him for the many things that  He has done. But what are we willing to do for Him? Are you willing to follow His example and "take up your cross?" I know that we can never repay Him. But we can do what He commands. We can do the simple things in this gospel to take up our crosses and follow Him.

Les amo! Elder Jones

Elder ZJones: How Great is Our Joy

​​​

Great Week!

First off, the Lord blessed us so much this past week. In the beginning, we didn't think that we had anyone that could progress and be baptized. But my companion and I prayed a lot, we worked with those that had the desire to be baptized, and by the end of the week we baptized Nahuel. I am grateful for the Lord and His desire to have His children come unto Him. We are going to help his mother to have the same desire as well.

This past week I spoke in church. Our Bishop called us Saturday night and asked us to speak in Sacrament Meeting. In my talk I shared about the happiness that this gospel can bring when we follow the Lord and share it with others.

Alma 27:17-18
17 Now the joy of Ammon was so great even that he was full; yea, he was swallowed up in the joy of his God, even to the exhausting of his strength; and he fell again to the earth.
18 Now was not this exceeding joy? Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness.
Ammon was searching for this happiness and was doing everything in his power to repent and share his testimony with others. He felt this joy with his friends, that they we teaching and baring testimony.

4 Nephi 1:15-16
15 And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.
16 ... and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.

After Jesus Christ appeared and taught the Nephites, they followed the things that he taught, and because of this they lived in peace, and were happy. We can feel the same. We can receive a great happiness as we follow the counsel of our Prophet, are obedient, and share these things with others.

Love this gospel and it is such a blessing to see how it changes peoples lives!

Elder Jones

Elder ZJones: It's the Spirit that Converts

This week I went on divisions with Elder Maneses. He has about 20 months, is from Brazil, and one of the craziest guys I have met. He has so much energy for the work. I say that because once you talk to people with 20 plus months, they are more mellow and calm about missionary work because they are close to finishing. But Elder Maneses is working hard and has so much energy to work. (I wished I took pictures of us playing soccer and us in the apartment!) I have learned so much from him.

Anyway, this week we went and taught a lesson to an older woman. Her whole family are members. We weren't planning on going over, but he changed plans so that we could. We talked about The Plan of Salvation, Eternal Families, and Baptism. I felt the Spirit the strongest I have ever felt on my mission during this lesson! As we bore testimony and testified to her of truth, the Spirit could not help but be present. She accepted a fecha (date) for this month. Such an awesome experience. One thing Elder Maneses taught me was, "It isn't the language that converts the people, it's the Holy Spirit!"

Many times I have thought of the language and the gospel. And of course, my Spanish is not perfect. But the gospel is, and I am teaching it. It is through the Holy Ghost that the hearts of the people can be touched and they can know that this Gospel is true and the Book of Mormon is the word of God. 1

Nephi 33:1 "...for when a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men."

This week has been pretty busy. We have been working hard to prepare Ismael for baptism on Friday, which is exciting! He came to church, is reading and praying. We are still helping him understand how the Book of Mormon can help him in all parts of his life. He loves the Bible and has read many different versions, so he likes evidence from the Bible. And he knows this is the true church and has the desire to be baptized. We are helping him understand the importance that the Book of Mormon is in his life and all that it can do to lead and guide him.

I think we can each ask ourselves, "What is the Book of Mormon to me?" "How can I use the Book of Mormon to lead and guide my life?" The Book of Mormon is the key to conversion. The Book of Mormon testifies of Jesus Christ, God's plan, and how we can make it back to Him. In the introduction to the Book of Mormon, we read: "[The Book of Mormon] puts forth the doctrines of the gospel, outlines the plan of salvation, and tells men what they must do to gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come."

Just as President Monson and President Nelson has stressed, the Book of Mormon is a key part of our testimony and helps us know this gospel is true. I am grateful for the Book of Mormon and all it has done to guide my life. My parens taught me of its importance which has helped me have a testimony of these things. I always talk about the Book of Mormon because it is always something I am sharing with investigators and vital that we have a testimony. If I don't have a testimony of the Book of Mormon, how can I help others to do the same? We can pray often to know the Book of Mormon is true, and receive a witness through the Holy Ghost that it is true!

Guess what? I am talking next week in Sacrament Meeting! It going to be my first REAL talk in Spanish. My topic is on Testimony. I have 10 minutes to speak. 10 minutes! I have already started studying, reading, and praying to know what to say to the people. Pray for me that all will go well! 

Also, please pray for these investigators this week please:

Daniel- He has gone to church for almost a year with a friend. He just needs to know that he is prepared to be baptized.

Veronica- She needs to get married. She knows baptism is important and wants to get married. We are trying to help them move forward with these things.

Analia- She just went through some tough times and could use some prayers. Also pray that she can read and know the Book of Mormon is true.

It is so weird to think that I have actually been out here for 6 months. It doesn't feel like it, time has been by so fast. The Spanish is coming, still not perfect and sometimes hard to understand, but I have seen it improve. The more and more I teach, talk, and listen the better it will be. I also continue each night to ask the Lord for The Gift of Tongues, so that I can teach faith, repentance, and baptism with power and authority.

Love, Elder Jones

Elder CJones: Christmas 2k16

There are many things that happen when you are out on the mission. This week I had the wonderful opportunity to video call my family! It was really cool to have the opportunity to see them again and to talk with each of them personally and share my testimony of the things I learned.

This week was full of fun with the mission to celebrate Christmas. On Tuesday, the day after P-Day, we had a Mission Dinner, we had a huge gift exchange and a great program that the mission president put on, with skits from all the different zones. One of the missionaries that was in the MTC with me, Elder Hargis, got a huge sobrero and a sweet poncho for his gift!! During the party I got a picture of me and the other missionaries from my district in the MTC. We all grew really close those weeks we were in the MTC, November 28th, the day I left the MTC, was another October 18th. It was really hard to leave those guys that I got really close.

Wednesday was our outing. This year the mission president decided to take us on an outing for Christmas, we when to the Reynosa Zoo and had a really really amazing time feeding and touching the animals and spending time as an entire mission. I was able to pet a raccoon and that was one thing that hurt, when it grabs your hand. The zoo is directly across the Rio Grande from the United States, so in this picture, I am standing and way behind me and behind the huts, is the United States. I was that close to home!;) Oh and Border Patrol are pretty cool to see, you don't see them very often in your life.

That night I got packages from my parents and grandparents. Every year my grandparents buy us a pair of pajamas, so without fail I received pajamas and a huge box of goodies from the grandparents! Some of the things that were in the box were things that I really needed, so it was a true blessing to have that package arrived from them that day, it was a packed box! My parents sent an awesome stocking, one for me and one for my companion, we both really really loved the things that came in
our packages!!

Christmas is such a great time to share the Gospel because the Spirit that we feel at Christmas is the Spirit in the everyday life of a missionary. It's such a blessing to be sharing the Gospel, and there
are times when it can be really really hard. This week, I had an opportunity that I will probably only have once in my entire life. Last Sunday, December 18th, the bishop of our ward asked me to speak
in church and give my thoughts about Christmas, in Spanish!! It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do and I got a lot of help from another missionary in my house. I studied a lot to think
about what I wanted to share with our ward, and I would like to share with your what I shared with my ward.

Feliz Navidad!
Yo pensé por mucho tiempo y pongo mucho trabajo duro para escribir un mensaje para ustedes hoy. Es difícil para mí hablar el idioma, pero yo recibí ayuda.

Hoy es Navidad, es un día para

felicidad y tiempo con nuestras familias. Navidad es un día cuando sentimos gozo y feliz, in día cuando recojamos. Por 3 años, yo aprendí mucho sobre la real sentimiento y significado de Navidad, y en una manera es el mejor para mí aprender, mediante la música. Entonces quiero compartir con ustedes mis pensamientos y que me di cuenta cuando yo estudiaba.

Durante tiempo, los humanos han aprendido que hay muchas cosas que tienen repetición. Hay ciclos en muchos lugares. En el Libro de Mormón hay un ciclo que leemos muchas veces, el ciclo de orgullo. Podemos aprender durante estos ciclos, cada año es un ciclo y la Navidad es un
día cada año. ¿pero nosotros aprendemos más cada año la importancia de la Navidad? Yo diseñaba un ciclo, una manera para nosotros aprender más a la Navidad y por nosotros crecer, cada año. ¿Cual es la razón para celebrar Navidad? Nosotros necesitamos entender que Cristo es central de la Navidad. En Ingles, la palabra para Navidad es Christmas, el nombre de Cristo está en la palabra, y lo es una manera que podemos recordar por qué celebramos Navidad. Muchas artistas por música no entienden que Cristo es central a la estación, pero hay unas. Estas artistas comparten mensajes como esta,

Los pastores están siendo dirigidos por una estrella en el cielo
En las afueras del pueblo, un nuevo bebé llora
No espacio a la posada, no cuna estar encontró
Pero darse cuenta de Él ahora
Él es la razón por la estación
Él es la luz que alumbra en todas nuestras vidas
El bebé Jesús, nacido mediante la gracia de Dios
Por nos regocijamos en esta día.

Entonces, nosotros necesitamos recordar que Jesucristo es la razón por la estación. Uno de las cosas que yo recordaba siempre a Jesucristo es el servicio. Jesucristo es nuestro ejemplo y nosotros queremos ser como Él, Jesucristo mostraba amor a todas las personas mediante servicio. Rey
Benjamín habló sobre servicio en el capitulo 2 del Libro de Mosíah, el dijo:

Y he aquí, os digo estas cosas para que aprendáis sabiduría; para que sepáis que cuando os halláis al servicio de vuestros semejantes, solo estáis al servicio de vuestro Dios.

Mediante servicio nosotros podemos servir Dios, y servimos para que aumentimos nuestra caridad.
Conozco una artista que usa tu talentos compartir el Evangelio de Jesucristo y el es un ejemplo de un discípulo de Él. Su nombre es Jamesthemormon. Cada año, a este tiemplo de Navidad, el comparte
mensajes sobre el verdadero significante de la Navidad. El usa el Espíritu para expresar sus sentimientos. El servió una misión, entonces el conoce la manera enseñar mediante el Espíritu. Para
Navidad, el año pasado, el compartió una mensaje de servicio, como Rey Benjamín, el cantaba,

Yo sé tu estás pensando sobre un lista de deseos
Muérdago con tu chicka y unos besos
Tú calentando con una tazón de chocolate
Pero, ¿que es el verdadero significado de la Navidad?
Un poco oro y un buscapersonas
Que hace un bebé sobre un pesebre
Bebé si te sientes que apenas tienes le que necesitas, no prestes atención a tu alrededor, y pasa un tiempo con tú Salvador
Y lo es por el tiempo de la estación, nunca olvides los razones, tu puedes hacer el dinero suficiente
Pero ellos llegando y nosotros trabajaremos juntos, para siempre
Puedes juzgar y tal vez insultar pero hay espacio en la posada
Tu nunca tenías no dinero y puedes sentir el pesar puedes pensar a tu Hermano en los pañales
El hizo el mundo y viento, entonces nosotros celebramos cundo es el día de Su nacimiento
Y tal vez entonces bebé, nosotros podemos cuidar de nuestras parientes, porque
cuando nosotros servimos a ellos, estaremos sirviendo Él.

"Cuando nosotros servimos a otras personas, nosotros aumentamos el amor por todos los Hijos de Dios. Jesucristo es un ejemplo de amor puro, caridad. Caridad es el amor puro de Cristo, El profeta, Moroni, escribió una sección en El Libro de Mormón de la importancia de amor puro por todas personas. Quiero leer una parte, pero yo cambiaré la palabra caridad con Cristo,

"Porque si no, su fe y su esperanza son vanas, porque nadie es aceptable a Dios sino los mansos y humildes de corazón; y si un hombre es manso y humilde de corazón, y confiesa por el poder del Espíritu Santo que Jesús es el Cristo, es menester que tenga [Cristo]; porque si no tiene [Cristo], no es nada; por tanto, es necesario que tenga [Cristo]. Y [Cristo] es sufrida y es benigna, y no tiene envidia, ni se envanece, no busca lo suyo, no se irrita fácilmente, no piensa el mal, no se regocija en la iniquidad, sino se regocija en la verdad; todo lo sufre, todo lo cree, todo lo espera, todo lo soporta. Por tanto, amados hermanos míos, si no tenéis [Cristo], no sois nada, porque [Cristo] nunca deja de ser. Allegaos, pues, a la [Cristo], que es mayor que todo, porque todas las cosas han de perecer;"  El consejo final es el versículo 47."pero la caridad es el amor puro de Cristo, y permanece para siempre; y a quien la posea en el postrer día, le irá bien."

Cristo es central a todos. Mediante Jesucristo podemos traer gozo en nuestras vidas y gozo a todas personas. Por esta Navidad, Jamesthemormon escribió una canción sobra nuestra misión en la iglesia
y por los misioneros en el mundo, el compartió en la canción,

Vivimos en un tiempo en el mundo, cuando cuidamos más a nuestras teléfonos que a nuestras familias
Como el por qué estamos peleando sobre que creer, cuando hay personas y ellos están sol
Buscamos atención en todos los lugares a nuestro alrededor que están incorrectos
Como por qué estamos preocupados sobre todas estas cosas, cuando nuestros hijos están
escabulliendos
Estamos trabajando como burros por algo, un viaje occure, unidos en familia, somos leales y firmes
Estamos aquí iguales, en un nacimiento, precioso
Estamos sólomente tratando de traer un poco más de gozo al mundo.

I know that as we share this message to the people around the world and to our friends, we will be blessed and we can truely fill the world with joy, because that's all we are doing is bringing a little
more joy to the world.
--
Elder Corom Jones