Thoughts on my Mission

So this will be my last entry in Argentina, and I have served as a missionary for more than two years. Throughout my mission, I have:

- been assigned to six areas, within the zones Santa Fe, Paraná, Rosario Norte, Pergamino, San Nicolás, and Entre Ríos Este.

- lived with many different missionaries from different countries, including Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, Guatamala, Chile, and the United States.

- eaten lots of Argentine food with numerous families :).

- had to handwash my clothes often and sometimes live without hot water and sleep on a mattress on the kitchen floor.

- had so many different experiences.

That last bullet is maybe the most significant for me. Throughout my mission, I have leared so much! Even without going to school, the experience of living in another country and serving as a missionary has influenced my life greatly. I hope to take the good knowledge and experience back with me. 

I also want to thank everyone who has sent me mail! Honestly, cards are great for missionaries. I appreciate the time any of you took to write me :).

As my mission comes to a close, I will experience different emotions. I have spent time with so many different people down here, and it has really impacted me.  I will maybe cry a lot; some of these families I may never see again! Some of you will see me when I come home! I hope you are all doing great.

Simply put, my mission has changed my life. 

Thanks again for everything,

Elder Jones

Editor's note: His homecoming talk will be on August 25th in Champions Ward, 9:00am block! 

Working with the Members!

Wow, Elder Thorn and I taught six lessons with members present this past week! Even though we are small in numbers on Sunday (around 20 people), we can still work together and have success!

One of the days, my companion went with the Branch President, and I went with another member to visit some people! When multiple people work together, we can really accomplish more. Though more planning is sometimes involved, it is definitely worth it! 

We also have three new baptismal dates from this past week, and maybe one of them will get baptized before I leave! Time will tell.

I am so grateful for the help we have received from the members. The food, the ideas of people we can visit, etc. Obviously these members have lived in the city longer than us, so we can use their knowledge to help us work more effectively!

Not only can the members help with the teaching during the lessons, but later on they can help the investigators when they go to church.

This coming week, we will see if we can work with the members even more! We have a goal of 12 lessons taught to investigators with members present. We will see what happens!

Thanks for all of your support. I will only have one more entry for the blog, and my mission is coming to a close. I have gone through many experiences and have lived in six cities here in Argentina!! Wahoo.

I will see so many people in August when I come home! 

Have a great week,

Elder Jones

1.      How does it work receiving mail and dearelders?  If it is a zone conf, do the zone leaders just distribute to everyone or do they hand them to district leaders and they pass on, etc?

It´s kinda complicated, but here is a brief overview: 

• it arrives at the mission home
• it stays in the librarian´s office until the zone leaders go to the mission home
• the zone leaders take it with them, along wiht other mail and pamphlets, etc.
• when we have a zone meeting, they should bring the mail and distribute it. 

So depending on when the dearelder arrives at the mission home, I could maybe get it rather quick. But if it arrives right after the zone leaders go to the mission home, it could be quite a while. The zone leaders go to the mission home about once every four weeks. If you send any more dearelders, I probably won´t get them here in Concepción. I will maybe be able to read the last few ones on the plane home! When I go to the mission home to go home, I could probably pick up mail one last time :) 

Reunion de zona. :))

Photo from one of the zone meetings. Elder Jones will have a blog post next week! He still appreciates letters if you want to write him as he's finishing up his mission:)

A Week of Meetings and Lessons

Well, I traveled to Concordia and Paraná last week. This week I am here in Concordia again to have a special Pday and interviews with President tomorrow, so that was another bus trip!

Things are going alright in our area, back in Concecpión. Even though we haven´t had much time to work recently, we had an investigator in church yesterday! We have two people with baptismal dates right now, too!

One of our investigators owns a mini supermarket, and we teach him there sometimes. Though somewhat small, it is a little, convenient place to buy some quick food when you need it. He seems to have some solid interest, and it was great to see an investigator in church.

His wife is part of another church, but it doesn´t seem like she´s actively participating. Maybe her interest will spark more with time.

We also have some other investigators that live on the other side of town, extremely far away from our apartment! It can take like roughly 30 minutes to walk there!

Anways, we are going to watch a movie today (maybe Despicable Me!). I hope you have a great week!

Elder Jones

District Travels

Editor's Note: Elder Jones's sister was a little sick yesterday but is feeling much better. Sorry for the delay! :) Here's his weekly update: 

This week, I will take some bus trips! We have a zone meeting tomorrow in Concordia. Then on Wednesday, I have a leader´s meeting in Paraná since I´ve been called as District Leader this last transfer. After the meeting in Paraná, I´ll travel back to Concordia to get my companion. Then we will both travel back to Concepción del Uruguay, our current area. A total of roughly 16 hours on buses!!!!!

In other words, we will probably leave tomorrow morning and maybe not return until Wednesday night or Thursday!

Hopefully the meetings are good!

HAVE A GOOD WEEK.

Elder Jones!

Questions of the week…

1.      Have you received any DearElders recently? It's been awhile since you have commented on any of them.

It´s maybe been around a month. I should get some tomorrow finally!

2.      Tell us about moving into new apartments, since you have such good experience with that!  Do you have to purchase everything or do you sometimes receive donations from the local members?

I have had to move twice in my mission. Coming here was also my third whitewash! A whitewash is when two missionaries go and replace the other companionship. So Elder Thorn and I took some time to learn the streets and get to know some of the members. Though tough at times, a whitewash provides the opportunity to start from scratch and see small miracles after hard work!

When we came here for the whitewash, we had to buy a new fridge and heater. The general process is as follows:

• Missionaries gather together three price options (or more) and send them to the offices by phone or maybe email
• The prices get approved and money is sent to a missionary´s visa card
• The missionary goes and buys the appliance

There are maybe other small steps to the procedure, but that´s the general idea.

3.      How are your member lunches scheduled?  Do they pass around a calendar or schedule with you directly?

Here we basically eat with the same members on the same day of each week. However, it depends on the area. In San Nicolás, there was a calendar where people signed up to have lunch or dinner with us!

English School Presentation and Other Facts!

Here is some quick information!

Private English School. Elder Thorn and I did a Q&A at a private English school this past Thursday. There were less than 20 people there, but it was fun to see them practice their English. Some of them actually seem to understand a decent amount! It can be hard to learn a language, and I enjoyed seeing them practice! The two teachers seem to understand extremely well, and maybe one of them will start listening to the missionary lessons! We will maybe do it again with another group of students here within the next couple of weeks.

Other Facts

- I´m in my last transfer! I´ve already finished 15, if i´m not mistaken! Plus all the time spent in the MTC.

- We had a cleaning day yesterday. Elder Thorn and I cleaned for a SUPER long time, but now our apartment looks good!

- There is a less-active member who owns a restaurant close to the church. He gives us food sometimes during the week, usually on Monday! 

- I have lost maybe around 10 pounds since my arrival. Maybe it is from stress because I´ve haven´t really been dieting or anything. Maybe my scale isn´t very accurate, but hey, no complaints!

I will keep learning and pushing these last few weeks.

Have a good 4th of July, everyone!!

Bye,

Elder Jones

Some Q&A from Elder Jones:

Weekly Questions…

1.      A bunch of new sisters coming to the mission this transfer?

I honestly know only little about the transfers. Elder Thorn and I are somewhat isolated, so that can make it tough. I think many missionaries, both elders and sisters, are waiting for their visas!

2.      Have you been near the border?  Is there major security between Argentina and Uruguay?

Elder Thorn and I saw the border while walking one day! Across the river we could see part of Uruguay. I think that with  an ID number or something, a person may transfer without problems between Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and maybe a few other countries. Maybe I could ask our Branch President. He is from Uruguay!

3.      How is the church building?  Do branches in small cities (like you are in) have small, simple buildings?

It´s nice and small. Definitely considerably smaller than ours back home. We had roughly 20 people last Sunday, so we don´t need tons of room. There is also a nice, small soccer field!

More Interesting Facts!

We watched a movie with two other companionships today, and I will write a few quick notes right now before doing groceries. 

• Two Sundays ago, I presided and my companion directed Sacrament Meeting because the Branch President´s wife was sick. That was the first time I´ve presided in a meeting!
• Sometimes Elder Thorn and I walk and give the Sacrament to members in their home on Sundays. 
• This past Sunday we had around 20 people in Sacrament meeting, an increase from the roughly 10 people last week!
• Elder Thorn and I are trying to work with the members, but it can be tough sometimes since there are few. 
• I admire the faith of some members in this city, as well as in Argentina in general. Even though the church struggles in some aspects, we can see small miracles and progress as we work together.

Maybe I will write more next week, but I appreciate all you guys have done for me. I invite the people reading this message to pray for missionary opportunities.

Have a great week!

Elder Jones

Editor's Note: additional Q&A from Elder Jones

1.      So how is the exercise program going?  Are you able to run or jump rope at all?

I exercised today a little bit in the morning, using some weights. It was very minimal, but still something. I can´t jump rope due to fans inside our apartment as well as little space. Maybe one morning we will go to a nearby park, but it is usually really cold in our apartment and also outside in the mornings. We bought an electric heater and a metal stand that gives us more options to hang up wet clothes to dry. The heater can heat up one of the rooms in our apartment quite well if we turn it on, but we can´t use too much electricity since the light bill will eventually come!

2.      How has the luggage held up with all the transfers?  Are they really stuffed the last couple of times?

They have held up pretty well. Transfers can be tough! I have collected some souvenirs!

3.      Do they have scale in the office to weigh your luggage before you go to the airport?

I think they have a spring scale, or at least they did when I was in the offices!

4.      On your flight plans, do you bus to Buenos Aires or do you catch a flight from Rosario to Buenos Aires?

We should take a van to Buenos Aires, and then I think it is all flights from there!

5. Were you able to watch the missionary broadcast last night. Does your small branch have a satellite?

Yes, we watched the Spanish translation last night in the church. Some other Elders came from Colón, a nearby city, since they don´t have a satellite system there. It seems like missionary work keeps growing on a global scale, and the work is incredible. Was it in the Marriott Center?

6. Are you fed lunch every day by members or is it hit and miss since the branch is very small?

We have a handful of lunches each week. When we don´t eat with members, Elder Thorn and I usually cook some simple food in our apartment. I have eaten a lot of rice lately. haha. I really enjoy eating with members sometimes, especially since the quality of food is generally better and we can get to know them during the visit.

7.  Tell us about Elder Thorn?  What does he like to do and how's his Spanish speaking experience?

He really likes to juggle, is from California, and his brother was in my zone at the MTC. Small world sometimes, huh? His high school only had around 400 students in total, and his graduating class had 93 students. A little different than my high school experience, isn´t it? He already knew some Spanish from the MTC and from serving in the states temporarily, and he is improving during his time here. I´m still improving little by little too. There are still many small concepts and part of the language unknown to me.

Interesting Facts!

We have had quite the experience here during these past couple of weeks. Here are some facts you´d maybe like to know:

• We are going to have a branch activity this Thursday and plan to watch a movie
• Elder Thorn and I have already talked to more than 400 people since our arrival. How many people do you think talk to the missionaries worldwide on a weekly basis??
• We made empanadas yesterday! They tasted great, and I will have to make some when I come home. One of my earlier entries might explain more about this Argentine food!
• Elder Thorn and I might do a presentation in a private English school here in Concepción del Uruguay!
• The Zone Conference last week was my last one, unless I serve again later in my life!
• Our Branch President is only 28-years-old!
• Not one active member has a car in our branch. Lots of people here in the city take buses, walk, or ride bikes, just like us :)

I also have some interesting info from scripture studies this week! Some of you may already know this information, but I´d like to share it:

• Luke and Mark were not called as part of the twelve apostles
• Although Luke wasn´t one of the twelve, he still wrote his gospel and Acts. He practiced medicine, and he maybe accompanied Paul in his travels.
• Paul took three missionary journeys. Look at the scale on Map 13 in the back of the Bible. Elder Thorn and I walk quite a bit, but Paul traveled and ventured incredible distances!
• Two of the twelve apostles have the same name: James. 
• Paul´s Epistles in our New Testament are in order from longest (Romans) to shortest (Philemon), except for the epistle to the Hebrews, since he maybe didn´t write it. So maybe Paul didn´t even write the epistle to the Hebrews. Who else could it be?
• During part of Paul´s early life, he was persecuting Christians. However, when he was on his way to Demascus, he saw a vision of the Lord. There are maybe some interesting parallels between Paul's experience here and Alma the Younger in the Book of Mormon. I might study that a bit more this week.

You can look up these topics in the Bible Dictionary if you´d like to learn more about them. I found these facts interesting.

Anyways, I hope you are all having a great week. I have learned so much on my mission and appreciate your support.

Bye,

Elder Jones

A few Q&A from email: 

1.      Are you focusing more on new investigators or working with less active members?

We try to focus on both. We only had around 12 people in church on Sunday, so we really need to get some more families active in the church, whether they be less-active members or new families that we find on our own. I also found out that our Branch is independent, which means there is no district president due to a shortage of active priesthood holders. So our Branch President reports to President Giuliani and his counselors. We are a pretty small unit here in this town!

2.      How was your Zone Conference?  Where did you have to travel?

The zone conference went well. We had roughly 20 missionaries there, so it was smaller than other typical zone conferences. We practiced teaching methods and listened to some workshops from the President, his wife, the assistants, and the zone leaders. We had to travel to Concordia! So yeah, we took another three hour bus ride. I slept most of the trip on the way there. If I´m not mistaken, the alarm went off at 4:30am that morning!

3.      Guess the weather is pretty cold.  Equivalent to January???

To be honest, it really isn´t too cold. I am in a sweater right now, but there defintitely isn´t any snow here! Maybe in another couple of weeks or so the temperature will drop more. We plan to gather prices together today so we can buy a heater maybe next week.

Modern-Day Pioneers

The mission has changed my perspective of life. It´s been a long journey, a learning experience, and it´s still not over! I believe that each of us keeps moving onward. We are modern-day pioneers.

Here in Concecpión del Uruguay, for example, I have seen some extremely dedicated members. These people sacrifice their time and render service to the church. They are definitely modern-day pioneers. This small little branch could be compared to a handcart company. We work and strive to press forward, serving in our different callings and positions. We might not be as strong as others, but we keep striving to move forward.

I believe that each of us is a modern-day pioneer, to an extent. Just like the pioneers of old, we can accomplish amazing goals over time.

The Pioneer

Step by step, little by little,

Moves a Pioneer.

He has no doubts weighing him down,

His Savior is near.

His progress cannot be denied,

Each and every year,

As he follows the Prophet´s voice,

His modern-day seer.

His family gathered around him,

The loved ones so dear,

Will strive to keep moving forward,

With hearts of good cheer.

When the hardship comes upon him,

He might shed a tear,

But later he continues on,

With no signs of fear.

He always has his goal in mind,

From which he´ll never veer,

As he listens to the Spirit,

With a careful ear.

Step by step, little by little,

Moves a pioneer.

He has no doubts weighing him down,

His Savior is near.

Thanks for everything you guys do for me. I hope you have a great week. Keep trekking onward!!!

Elder Jones

Editor's Note- here are some Q&A from Elder Jones:

1.      So how big is your Zone and where do the Zone Leaders reside?

Our zone is pretty huge, with 18 missionaries! The Zone leaders work in a city called Concordia, which is like a three-hour bus ride from Concepción del Uruguay, my current location. We had a zone meeting this last week, so I had some long bus rides :)

2.      Is the Branch President the only active Melchizedek Priesthood?

The Branch President definitely carries a big load. We have some other active Melchizedek Pristhood holders, but there aren´t very many. Despite the small numbers, everything seems to function rather well. We help a lot as the missionaries. This past Sunday, I taught Priesthood with the help of my companion, and then I gave a talk in Sacrament meeting.

3. You back to doing your own laundry?  

Yep. Yep. And Yep. We wash by hand. In both San Nicolás and here, we have been on our own with the laundry. I guess it is a good experience and makes us appreciate washing machines and dryers. Anyone reading this can try to handwash all of their clothes in a bucket this week and then hang them up on a line if they want the experience. Then you could say that you feel like Elder Jones haha.

More Info about the City!

Wow, so we have TONS of ground to cover on foot while walking to all of our appointments and looking for new investigators. The downtown area is rather wealthy, but the economic classes vary depending on the part of town. To be honest, we have a little bit of everything, since the city includes many different types of houses/layouts. It all just depends on where we go to do missionary service. We have both cement and dirt roads too. 

We have also ran into a handful of people who speak English, which is kinda fun. There are a handful of schools here, and the English teachers seem to be pretty solid.

We have a couple of plazas throughout the town as well. The biggest one is downtown! Sometimes we proselyte in these plazas since we can find some families there together every once in a while. The plazas include benches, fountains, and just plenty of space to take in some fresh air.

It is a great city filled with great people. Elder Thorn and I will keep working hard, and hopefully we´ll bring a few families to the knowledge of the gospel truth!

Thanks for all of your support.

Elder Jones

P.S. On Sunday, we had 27 people including us, which was an improvement from last week! And I like the city a lot!

                                                     Elder Jones in front of his new apartment

                                                   Elder Jones and his new comp, Elder Thorn!

Our City Called Concepción del Uruguay!

Wow, this is amazing! We have SO MUCH work to do and so little time. Today we have to buy a new fridge, and we are slowly getting used to the city, learning the streets, and meeting both members and investigators. This past week has passed by quickly, and I will try to summarize some of the most interesting details.

 

Wednesday. Last Wednesday was probably one of the LONGEST days of my life, full of activity and plenty of traveling. After saying a few goodbyes, I woke up and left San Nicolás on a bus at about 7:30 am, with my suitcases packed. After arriving in Rosario, I met up with some other missionaries who watched my suitcases while I traveled to the mission home to meet my new companion, who happened to be Elder Thorn! He is from California and had been waiting for his visa in North Carolina for around 12 weeks. So he is already trained, but I will train him and show him around here in Argentina. It´s definitely different than his other temporary mission. We are both excited :).

 

Alright, so after eating lunch and getting everything done at the mission home, we finally could leave and head toward the bus station, where we would take a bus to Concepción del Uruguay. Guess what? This bus ride took FOREVER! Haha. It´s good that the chairs were comfy since the ride lasted around five hours. Yep, FIVE HOURS!

 

Obviously there are a ton more details, but long story short, I woke up and started my day early in the morning and ending up arriving at Concepción del Uruguay around 10:30pm, where a member helped us get to our apartment. We were tired but we´ve worked especially hard these last couple of days! It´s been a good experience.

 

I love the city. Even though we only had 18 attend church on Sunday, I know that we can help the small branch. The branch president is 28 years old, is working with some sort of advertisement and also  studying to become a teacher, and his wife is expecting a baby in about 3.5 months. Yeah, he is pretty busy. We also help him with the tithing after all the meetings. Elder Thorn and I should be able to provide some much-needed service here during the next few weeks.

 

Even though the church is struggling a little here, I know that we can make a difference. I only have about 11 weeks left and plan to make the best of them.

 

I hope you are all doing great. Thank you so much for the support and love.

 

Your missionary,

 

Elder Jones

 

P.S. We have the whole city to ourselves!!!!!! That´s a lot of ground to cover on foot :).

Saturday´s Baptism, Transfers, and My Testimony

We had a baptism last Saturday in La Emilia, the small little branch close to our city! It went extremely well, and it was a great way to draw the transfer to a close. We also recently received the transfer list. Guess what? I have been called to train for my last two transfers (12 weeks) in another city called Concepción del Uruguay. I will pick up my new companion tomorrow, and we will just have to hit the ground running in our new surroundings. We both will just start from scratch, hoping for the best. We will have to see how it goes, and I will probably have a ton of information next week about everything.

Hey, I decided to write my testimony of missionary work as part of my weekly letter, so here it is:

I know that missionary work is tough and rewarding. I believe that the missionaries receive many blessings--temporal and spiritual--while serving the church for two years. In Argentina we gain experience, learn a new language, strengthen our scriptural knowledge, meet tons of people, and learn to work diligently. I also know that the investigators and converts might benefit even more than us, as they strive to live the gospel and apply its teachings. I know that each new member of the church has taken upon new responsibilities, many of which require work and effort. I also know that the blessings that come into these people´s lives are worth the price from such work and effort.

I believe in revelation, however small or insignificant it might be. I know that our leaders, both within and outside the mission, receive divine instruction before making some of their decisions. I believe that all my areas and companions have formed and shaped my mission for purposes known and unknown to me.

I hope that we can all participate more in missionary work. Members and missionaries work together to have success. It´s the Lord´s work. It´s a constant process. It´s a part of our lives. Let´s all be better missionaries.

Thanks for your support and help,

Elder Jones :)

Editor's Note...  A Few more comments from Elder Jones

And I hope you guys are doing great!

GUESSSS WHATTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got my package yesterday, and it IS BOSS!  I´ve already made two packages of noodles! They tasted great! I love the shavers, the tie too. I can´t wait to throw the football. Maybe we will use it today, but i don´t think there will be time!

I also enjoyed reading the messages inside the box, and I will make the brownie mix soon!

It was a really great package. It also had my other shoe!! Wahoo. I will start using them tomorrow, when I go off to train! Yeahh!!!

Thank you so much. I don´t have much more time cuz i wana take a nap, but thanks for everything guys.  I really appreciate it.

Elder Jones' Birthday on May 17

Before the Baptism in La Emilia

Elder Brasher and Elder Jones 

Elder Jones on a Cold, Foggy Day

Elder Jones and Elder Brasher Playing Tennis on P-Day

Mother's Day Phone Call

It was great to talk with my family. Though email and letters work fine, skype is definitely better! It sounds like everyone has had a good time lately, and I am STILL here in San Nicolás, Argentina, about to hit 22 months in the mission! Don´t worry, though, I´m still working hard :). Anyways, here is some quick information about this past Mother´s Day.

After church yesterday, our Ward Mission Leader, Fabio Vazquez, let Elder Brasher and I use two computers in his house to skype our homes. Their family loves and opens up to almost anyone, and I am grateful for their service and devotion to the church. Around the world you find incredible, loving families, and I know that the gospel blesses their lives on a daily basis. Families like this somewhat become my adopted families on the mission! My mission has been both hard and rewarding, and members have helped me out along the way. :)

As many of you know, I started my missionary service back in July 2011. Yep, let´s just say it´s been a while haha. Even without all the old friends and family gathered around me, I´ve grown to love those whom I serve while here in the mission. The church helps the family, and the family helps the church. Both the church and its families help the missionaries, and we as missionaries try to help everyone. When everyone does their part, small miracles become a part of our lives. I promise. :)

I really hope everyone had an amazing Mother´s Day, wherever they might be living right now. I´m extremely grateful for the support and strength I received yesterday from the two most important components of my life: the church and the family.

Have a great week! Serve others when you can!

Yours truly,

Elder Jones

P.S. I love you so much, mom! It was so great to talk with all of you. I hope you have a great week.

Working with the Zone and playing Tennis

Well, during these past two weeks we have tried to help out other areas within our zone. Every Tuesday after district meeting, Elder Brasher and I head out to one of the other parts of the zone with the respective missionaries. We dedicate the night to their area, trying to help them with whatever is needed!

Not only do we get to know the zone better, but we can just work together as a team. If someone gets baptized, he or she receives blessings, regardless of the area in which the ordinance takes place or the missionaries serving during that time. 

Also, today we played tennis. We found a small, clay tennis complex and decided to play this morning. IT WAS GREAT. I hadn´t played in forever. Both of us aren´t stars or anything, but it was just a nice break. Playing on a clay court really has a nice feel to it :)

We also ran to the tennis courts and then all the way here to the computers. I have probably burned a decent amount of calories, which is kinda hard sometimes to complete on the missoin. haha. Jump rope can only do so much :).

I might set the goal of completing an ironman after the mission. We will see what happens, though. 

Time will tell!

Thanks for all you do, and I hope you are having a great week. Enjoy summer!

Elder Jones

Editor's note: Here are a few questions/comments that Elder Jones mentioned on email

Have you had any more cow tongue recently? :)

Nope, no cow tongue for now! It´s all just part of the mission. haha.  

So who won in tennis?

We are like the same. We didn´t play sets. His mom played tennis for University of Utah, so she is probably pretty good haha. We just rallied for like an hour. It was a nice break.

At Windsor and Laura's reception, they had a life-size photo of Jaxon on the wall since he's on his mission now! haha It was great. So with this photo, this was his way of being there :)

Jaxon. What a boss. haha.

We have another baptism scheduled for May 18th. It is a 16-year-old who lives in La Emilia, that small little town we visit every once in a while. He should be a good addition to the small branch!

Yes! We do have a newly called Sister Training Leader. The missions are slowly changing, I think, to work better with more sister missionaries. :)

Our mission council got postponed due to bus driver strikes. We will have the council on May 15^th, so I should get the package right before my birthday! Thanks again for sending them!

Zach looks like a man. haha. That would be awesome if he were on varsity tennis and starting JV baseball next year!

Man, I am almost 21. I´m getting old haha.

I think I am gonna log off. It was great to see some pictures and talk to you guys. I will talk to you on Sunday. It should be great to skype!!!!!

Pushing Forward

So we have had some pretty difficult weeks. We spent almost 75 percent of our time looking for new families to teach the message of the gospel this past week. 

We are trying to find the perfect balance between working with members and finding new people on our own. We knock lots of doors and visit many people. However, we are still looking for golden families. Maybe this week will be the one!

I have also really seen a striking difference on my mission between the active families and the less-actives ones. When someone really applies the Gospel doctrine and teachings, they see the results--sometimes almost immediately.

We have mission council this week. In other words, Elder Braher and I have about four reports/documents to send in to the mission offices. I hope everything goes well. That´s why I don´t have that much time :)

We are doing our best and enjoying the work. 

Thanks for the support.

Elder Jones :)

Editor's note: Here are some questions asked to Elder Jones along with his answers.

What’s going on with your suits?  Are they wearable at all?

-"My blue one is still okay. My black one is pretty much destroyed. I´ve had it forever, though" :)

Did you receive any of the birthday packages yet???  

-"I got one package!!!!! Thanks. I will have a lot more details next week. I should get the other package in a couple of days!

Have you figured out Skype yet or just use the phone for  Mother’s Day?  It will be great to see you and visit with you?

-"We will figure out Skype this week. I will let you know next Monday."

Tell us about Elder Brasher.  Where is he from?  What does he like to do?  Does he have any pretty girls writing him?

-"Brasher is great. He loves sports, especially wrestling. He has a girlfriend that is kinda waiting for him. He is just a great guy and one of my best companions. We are working really hard. He's well-rounded."