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: My New Area

So this week was pretty good. I am in a new sector. I have a new companion and a new district.

My area is good. It's really big. It takes into it the center of Copiapo, which is like a huge mall. So we don't work in half of our sector because it is just stores and people that don't live in our area. The sector here is different than in Paipote, and I am excited to learn how I can find, teach, and baptize people!

My companion is cool. His name is Elder Colson and he's from Grantsville. He is really tall and likes to play basketball. And, he loves the Utah Jazz and Donovan Mitchell. He tells me that Mitchell was super good last year. Elder Colson has two months in the mission so he is still learning how to communicate with the people and how to teach in the lessons. I have been really cool to be able to help him with those things. He is growing a lot. And I am also learning a lot as his trainer.

I like training. One thing that it does is it kinda forces me to be proactive. Sometimes I like to wait for someone to tell me to do something first. But in this week, with my new companion, I have to do more. Training a non-native  it is helping me grow. My last companion was really awesome and I learned a lot from him. But, because he was a native, I really didn't have to be so proactive about the language, about talking to people. But now with Elder Colson I feel the challenge to do better and be proactive.

And my district is really good, too. I am the district leader of the sisters again. They are way awesome and work really hard. Our goal for baptisms this month is 10! Vamos!!

This coming week we are planning on baptizing Carlos. So please pray that everything works out for him to get baptized. He wants to make the commitment, its more of family issues that would stop him.

And Spanish is funny right now. Because now that I have a new companion that cannot speak the language, I have to do almost all the talking--So many people tell me that my Spanish is perfect and then, so many people  tell me or laugh at me because they can't understand me that well at all. It's kinda funny! haha

This past week, I was able to go back to my old area in Paipote to perform a baptism. It was really awesome. It was awesome to see how the people we taught had changed. In the beginning, the mom didn't want anything with us. But now that her children are baptized, she is going to church and it is slowly softening her heart. Its awesome to see how God works and how He changes the people that we teach. He really does prepare.

I just want you all to know that everything is good here in Chile. It is really hot. We are entering the summer season here, and its super hot during the day. My skin is darker so everyone thinks that I am a Latino. Seriously, so many people think that I am from Argentina, it's kinda funny. And all the Chileanos are preparing for the 18 of September. Its their Independence Day and people say that it's HUGE. So people are already really excited for it.

This week we are going to focus a lot in finding people. We are going to do our best to find chosen people. So please pray that we can find the people that God is preparing now and pray that they can recognize us as representatives of Jesus Christ.

Les amo! Elder Jones

Elder CJones: Training

"And ye are called to bring to pass the gathering of mine elect; for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts;"  -Doctrine and Covenants 29:7

Today I have a little time to write today because my new companion came yesterday. Because he has a little time to write his family after his trip, I have a moment to write, too. I met my companion yesterday. His name is Elder Pogue and he is from Alaska. He is really cool and knows a little Spanish. We will be starting almost new in the area because we had to drop a lot of our investigators from before. I don't have much time today but I will talk a lot more next week!!
--
Elder Corom Jones

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