Elder EJones: Talk?

This week was good, like a normal week.

Finding and teaching more and more people everyday. One thing I learned from my companion, Elder Bello, is showing the lessons that we teach to people and letting them choose what message they want to learn and be taught. It makes it so that they can feel they have a message that they want to learn and one that can help them.

We helped an investigator wheelbarrow lots of dirt from the front of her yard to where she is building her house and it was super fun.

Things here in Quior 2 are really good. We are finding really good people that are progressing and they always need our prayers to keep pressing forward and having faith in the Lord.

So this week, we walked into the church like seven minutes early or so, and one of the brothers comes up to us and is like "Yeah, so the two people that had talks today can't make it...so can you two give 10 minute talks?" So Elder Bello and I gave sacrament meeting talks and had like two minutes to prepare. I felt like it was giving a lesson mas o menos (more or less), but it was funny how we were asked to speak and it was good.

I also got to bless the sacrament in Spanish which was really cool. I'm so grateful that the gospel is the same, that the Atonement is for everyone no matter where we are or what language we are speaking.

I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. That in anything, when looking for answers or direction, we can turn to the Book of Mormon and find what we need. I know that it testifies of Jesus Christ, and that he truly lives. This gospel is true, and the Lord helps us as we help ourselves, and get lost in selfless service to others!!

. . . And this Saturday we find out if we have cambios, so well see. If I don't leave, I think for sure I'll be here for two more cambios because Elder Bello ends his mission in March. I like it here in Quior.

That's all for now. Praying for you.
Elder Jones

(P.S. really miss salads haha)

Elder HJones: Working Hard!

So this week went pretty well. Honestly, it was pretty crazy!

So on Monday there were cambios. (transfers)

And on Thurday we had consejo de lideres (leader's council). When the zone leaders go to Antofagasta to have a conference with presidente. With the conference and cambios really close together, the cambios were kind mixed up, so for most of the week our zone was empty. We didn't have that many missionaries in Vallenar. So my companion and I were working in three areas to keep things going. By Friday, all the missionaries had arrived and everything was back to normal. But we walked a ton!!

On Thursday, I traveled to Antofagasta for the conference with presidente and it was really awesome! One of the best conferences that I have attended in the mission! We talked about chapter 8 in Preach My Gospel, about goals and plans.

My new companion is cool. Elder Ambao is from the Philippines. His Spanish is really good. There are about three missionaries from the Philippines here in our mission and their Spanish is really good. So maybe their language has some similarities. He has 20 months in the mission, which means he only has two cambios left. (He's my first companion, besides my trainer, that has more time then me in the mission! Crazy!) And we are getting along! Everything is good. And the new assignment as zone leader is good. I'm learning as I go. I have only been zone leader for one week, so there is still much to learn.

And this past week we worked SUPER HARD. Elder Ambao and I both are just giving everything and this past week was awesome. We always got to the pension super tired, but we worked during the day with everything we had!

And we have some awesome people that we are teaching:

Sebastian- 19 years old, he has already come to church a couple times, but wants to receive an answer that the church is true. Please pray that he can recognize his answer.

Bryan- 16 years old, he always comes to church and wants to learn more, but his mom doesn't want him to listen to us or get baptized.

Angel, Jocelin, Yaritsa, Angel- and family that we found, they are super awesome! They want to come to church and get baptized.

Jose, Artemia, and Fam.- The mom and dad are really receptive.

So that was my week. Full of things to do. But that's the best part of the mission. There is no time to relax, we are here to WORK!