Week 58 (Oct 28, 2012): "My Life has Completely Changed!"

Querida familia,

Estoy feliz... I am grateful that my parents taught me to have faith and to "do hard things" (philippeans 4:13) and for a companion that teaches me so much and for my calling as a missionary... and just everything. I am grateful that we can repent and "put off the natural man" and for that I am grateful for my Father in Heaven. That He loves me and is patient with me and has blessed me, Hermana Jones, even though I am SO far from perfect, to represent His Son. I sometimes cannot believe it. I am grateful for the Holy Ghost that teaches us when we change and helps us feel when our Father in Heaven is proud of us. I know that this is His church and that I am a daughter of God. Our investigators and less- active members... okay everyone, need to know and feel what I do and what we do. There are so many people that need to hear the Gospel... share it! I know our Father in Heaven gives us blessings and talents because He trusts us to share them with His children to bring glory to His name.

Nimia told us just a few days ago how happy their family is now. She hadnt told us this earlier, but that they were about to seperate when the Lord guided us to her house. "We dont fight any more...I feel so different...My life has completly changed" are just a few of the words that she has said. She is even bringing friends to church because she is so convinced that this is the true church! Her little sister Luciana and her boyfriend Reinaldo are going to get married and baptized too at the end of this month! Keep them in your prayers.

We had the amazing experience of having a converence with just missionaries for a couple of hours with Elder Bednar sat. morning and then we had stake conference with him and his wife sunday morning! Something so exciting that he said was, "the time will come, and is not far distant, that Paraguay will be filled with stake centers"... he talked about the INCREDIBLE growth that Paraguay was going to see... and then he said, "but it will depend on you members... to the extent you keep your covenants and live the gospel."

I know that he is an apostle of the Lord. I know that President Monson is the senior apostle and that Christ is the head of His church. I am grateful to be a member and a representative. Thank you for your prayers and i love you all.

love,

hermana jones

Bautizmo de Nimia y Erika! they look tired because they are but they were SO HAPPY!

Erika, Hna. Santiago y yo!

Adibe Harika- she wasnt progressing, but i love her lots...

After the conference with Elder and Sister Bednar! We of course werent allowed to take a picture with him, but it was incredible... better than general conference! ... almost :)... Hna. Ence, Hna. Arnell, yo y Hna. Santiago (we are in the same stake so I have gotten to see her lots!)

Barrio Yukuky (pronounced: you- cuh -tuh... kinda hahah its guartani!) this is a picture in our poorest neighborhood... they have a HUGE sand area where they all get together on Sundays... right before we entered into a lesson, we stuck her camera on the wooden posts of their fence.. the hill behind us is called cerro lambare where hna. santiago lets me run every other day up to the top... :)

and Claudio just got baptized!!!! yesterday...their family is so much happier right now!

Week 57 (Oct 22, 2012): Nimia and Claudio Get Married!

Querida familia,

How are all of you!? This morning I only had an orange in the fridge so I ate mangos from our mango tree for breakfast... mmmmm!

Nimia and Claudio got married!!! And then Sunday morning we almost had a tornado during the night (not joking... lamp posts had fallen down and everything) and Nimia and Erika barely made it to their baptism because there was so much mud that they couldnt get out of their neighborhood! Claudio will be getting baptized this next Saturday because he needs to be more prepared for his baptism but he has agreed to being baptized this saturday night....but the baptism or his WIFE and daughter was very exciting and the spirit was so strong when they were confirmed.

Nimia is excited to go to the temple in a year to be sealed and Claudio is starting to understand everything a little better.

We helped the primary with their primary program and Erika had a part and everything about keeping the Sabbath Day holy. When you are in church... LOOK for those people that need extra attention and love. I used to go to church because I felt like it was another home for me... and I loved the scriptures and loved the people there. Now I realized even more just how important it is to be able to go to church and every moment at church is a time to serve... not just those close familiy friends that i love so much that, yes, i can help, but those that are sitting alone or feel different than the rest of the ward. Whatever it is... I realize now the importance of following the spirit to know who I need to talk to and help. I realize how far a smile and a hug really go. Many investigators or less-active members remember "the one who always gives me a hug" or "always asks me how i am doing". Please look for those that are in need and with a prayer and faith the Lord softly tells us which of his children need our help.

I often thought... "that would be so neat to have been a convert to the church... it would help me so much with investigators!". But I have realized that we are all converts to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We all reach a point in our lives where we finally understand the commandments and what the Gospel of Jesus Christ really means and we want to change and repent and follow him in EVERYTHING that we do...I love the Gospel and my Savior and want to be like Him. I am so grateful that I can repent and be a convert to the true church of Jesus Christ.

amor,

su Hermana Jones!

¡Que tengan un buen día!

Claudio and Nimia's Wedding

Week 56 (Oct 15, 2012): Erika Scares Nimia

Querida familia,

Oh i love my mission. I have been applying what i learned in general conference from elder neilson in our contacts in the streets... haha ,"ask the missionaries"!

The familia Colarte is doing great! They have come to church for a month/ more than a month straight and are excited to be baptized. It is neat to hear Erikas prayers in each lesson, ... "thank you that my parents are getting married and we are going to be baptized" is what she says every time.

Yesterday we taught about baptism and the confirmation and the Sabbath day (the importance of the sacrament) using an example with charcol and soap. Erika got her hands really dirty and then we related washing her hads to the repentance process before and after baptism... really creative I know!

Nimia is stronger in her testimony than Claudio, But claudio has strengthened his faith a lot also and it is neat to see. He has stopped smoking and drinking now. He talks about his Dad, who died a year ago, with lots of respect, He said that he never smoked or drank and treated his mom like a princess. I think he really wants to follow the example of his dad. He will be so excited as we teach more and more about eternal families and the temple.

Erika scarred her Mom during the lesson when she told a story about when she had gone to a baptism with Nigeli at the church about a year ago and the ladys foot kept going out of hte water... "so the man had to keep pushing her under the wather over and over again in the baptism font thats in the bathroom (because you have to enter from the bathroom)!" (acting it out as if he had been trowing her under the water or somehting!"

Nimia looked terrified hahah it was hilarious. We explained better afterwards!

Now we are teaching Nimia´s sister, Luciana, and she loves to read the Book of Mormon and came to church this past sunday!

Nigeli really was the missionary with their family... she always had her friend, Erika, come to the lessons! Nigeli´s mom is softening her heart and has said that nigeli can be baptized WHEN she leaves prison. So keep praying for her... Nigeli went there to talk to her mom and get permission and was really disappointed BUT the Lord will continue to soften her heart!

I know that this is the Lord´s Gospel. I know that He lives. I know that this is HIS work and we must always strive to be worthy of the spirit. I love you all and thank Father in Heaven that He loves me and is so patient with each and every one of us. He is our Father. We are His children. He gives us direction and protection in this short time that we are away from Him to learn and repent. Repentance is hard, but it is the only way that we become truely converted to the gospel of our Savior. That is why I am here... on my mission for others.

Les amo!!!

su hermana jones

ps. lo siento ... the other cyber with better internet didnt have connection today so i could send pictures... i am in the cocaroach cyber... yuck.

Week 55 (Oct 8, 2012): Nimia and Claudio Announce Marriage

Dear familia,

Wow. I am amazed by how blessed we are to be able to listen to and be guided by a prophet. I was so exciteddddd when President Monson announced the age change for missionaries, elderes y hermanas and the spirit was so strong! I loved all of the talks... but the one from Elder Nielson was a missionary favorite... haha it was fun to watch that one with 30 other missionaries!

Nimia and Claudio have decided to get married and so we are going to be super busy these next two weeks! I am so excited for them!!!! Their daughter Erika (10) will be getting baptized with them the next day on the 20th of october... and Ale will be baptized in four more years haha. They are starting ot read the scriptures as a family and I am so excited to be able to help them and feel that it is an honor. This is going to make such a difference in Erika and Ale´s life.

I know that this is Gods church and Gospel. He loves us and if we love Him, we will lay aside those things that keep us from Him (our sins) and will serve Him. I love my mission... I love my Savior and I hope that every day I can show Him that more and more.

Love you all.

love,
su Hermana Jones

My new favorite scripture or scriptures....

"Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doesth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us ... fight the good fight of faith, by hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called." Hebrews 12:1 y 1 Tim 6:12

Mom or dad... could you send me the talks from the first presidencia (all three) but in spanish... we wont get the ensign until 2013... or january :) thank youuuu

ps jess... just sent yuou a card last week! just so you arent worried! I eat bread and beans and mangos i find in the street so i can send you cards... just kidding haha kinda. love you soooo much

Week 54 (Oct 1, 2012): Neca gives Esteban Baptismal Challenge

Querida familia,

I had too much fun sending the pictures! We finally found a cyber that is newer and doesnt have cocaroaches and computers from 1990! Woohoo so you can look forward to pictures (because the Jones family is OBSESSED with pictures... thanks to the example of Mom)!.

It has been an amazing week. Full of miracles. The Lord has the power to change hearts and I bear testimony that when we pray in faith, our faith can bless those around us. Heavenly Father loves us so much!

We stopped by Ña Ñecas house and there was a fourty year old man there helping her build her house. His name is Esteban and we sat down to teach him. He has no idea when he was born or where or how old he is. He littarly has no family. Ña Ñeca was really funny, she said, "Esteban, I am getting baptized the 20th of october. You will learn with these sisters and be baptized the 20th also. Do you understand?!" I have never had an investigator invite another to be baptized and put a baptism date! hahaha
It was a neat lesson because we were able to bear testimony of who he is and that God loves him... he is a son of god.

Nimia was SO excited this week because her husband is starting to read the book of mormon (claudio) and now they are planning on getting baptized and married in the end of octubre or beginning of november. It really is a miracle because I ... judging when i shouldnt have... thought he would be the last to listen to the discussions or come to churhc! But we are already seeing changes in him! Nigeli is frieds with her daughter Erika who has a HUGE smile jsut like alexandra and neighbors so when nigeli gets permission from her mom, she will have a lot of support to come to church because her grandma clotilde doesnt.

I know that Christ lives. I know that this is His Gospel and that the only thing that He wants us to do to show Him that we love Him is to keep his commandments.
Thank you for your prayers. They can be felt.

love

su Hermana Jones!!!

Yo y la hermana santiago- she is from perú and is increidble. Sometimes, if I am not careful, i forget that she is a new missionary. We are going to have a lot of baptisims together!

Nigeli with her grandma hna. clotilde and their CTR or HLJ rings! They love them... there are lots of little kids all around paraguay with a big smile thanks to you mom!

I finally got to see a picture of Marcos and Elias from their baptism from a few months ago when i saw hna. arnell at a service project! AHHHH!!!!

Ña Ñeca- the FUNNIEST PERSON IN THE ENTIRE WORLD! She was going to be getting baptized in the end of October but didnt come to church yesterday so we have to invite her for a different baptism date. She speaks Guartani mejor than spanish so we have the bishops wife, hna. sanabria come with us and translate and ña ñeca thinks that the wole wide world loves her thanks to hna. sanabria. she said yesterday... "everyone loves me! why do they love me so much!?" This is one of the skirts that the sisters sent... its so fun to have gifts to give... thanks! (oh and she looks like she is 60...no. 82!)

Yo y hna frasqueri... one of the "locals" that i was with for almost two weeks waiting for hna. santiago ... we are working on a painting project in the house of hna. rios... i love painting! i love paraguay! i love my companions! I love my MISSION!!!!

Hna. Ruis... my last "local" last transfer... our last district meeting for the weeks, i almost fell out of my seat haah

after church... Nimia and her daughter Erika (in the purple shirt and the skirt from AKRON :)) she loved it... this was a few weeks ago and now her husband Claudio is coming to church too and they are going to get married and then BAPTIZED!!!

Week 53 (Sep 24, 2012): Hermana Santiago Arrives

Dear family,

Well I have a new companion! But this time we will be together until the middle of dicember at least! She is from Peru and her name is Hermana Santiago! She got her this past tuesday! While she was in the mtc she got to go to the rededication of the temple in Argentina.

Nigleli still hasnt gotten permission from her mom but we send gifts to her often and she is doing well.

Nimia and Erika are planing on getting baptized the 13 of octubre and are really excited. The members all think that they are already members!

Ña ¨Ñeca... well teaching her is a little slow, but it makes me think of Vincente in Ñemby! It was SO HARD to help him understand everything but he was so exited to be baptized!

I love this Gospel and love each and every one of you. I am especially grateful for the gift of the Atonement that makes it possible that we live this life and are successful and happy. I now that Heavenly Father loves us and wants each and everyone of us to be happy.

Amor de su hermana en Paraguay!

love,

Hermana Jones

Week 52 (Sep 17, 2012): Servants of the Lord of the Vineyard

Querida familia,

It´s starting to get hot again and we are just starting spring!
woohoo 45 C with humidity! I am surprised that anyone lets us into
their houses because we are so sweaty!

Yesterday we had a stake conference with other stakes in Uruguay and
THE PROPHET spoke with one of the apostles, Elder Anderson! They
didnt tell us that he would be speaking so when he showed up on the
screen I almost cried! okay, i did.

We are teaching a mom named Nimia and her daughter Erika. Erika is
friends with Nigeli (the little girl who was going to be baptized, but
cant until her mom gives her permission).

They came to the conference and it was their first time at church and
they came the whole fourty-five minutes to the stake center in Pinosa!
President Monson talked a lot about "the rescue" or "el rescate"...
and told us a story of a less active member who said, "I know where
the church is, I just need someone to show me the way."

A neat story about how the Lord puts people in our path who are ready
to listen to and accept the Gospel:

As we made it to the conference and walked into the overstuffed
chapel, the elders said, "hermana, hermana! There is a family that is
here and wants to talk to you!"
As Hna. Ruis and I walked in, a short lady with super curly hair came
up and gave me the biggest hug. "Hermana Jones!" she said excitedly,
"I want you to meet my family!"

I recognized her face, but had no. idea. who she was, haha.
I couldnt tell her that because she had been so excited to introduce
me to her family and everything so later I asked the Elders from her
ward who she was and how she knew me.

Come to find out that the last transfer, Hna. Andrade and I talked to
her in the street when she was going home from work. She had been
really sad about something.

As I thought about it, I remembered her face and where we had been
when we had talked to her. I remember that she had been sitting
waiting for her bus just outside of our apartment but all I can
remember is her crying a lot and us praying to know what to say. We
then had invited her to talk to the Elders in her neighborhood.

Well, a short time after, the Elders came to her door. She recognized
the black name tag and excitedly let them in. She is now preparing to
be baptized with one of her daughters and her son and other daughter
were baptzied last weekend.

I have been reading Jacob 5 for these past few days trying to
understand it better and this part comes to mind when I think of this
experience... in Jacob 5:72 and 6:2 that the Lord called servants to work in the
vinyard for the last time. We are those servants... members and
full-time missionaries... and it says something like "and the Lord of
the vinyard worked with them". This story is one of a million that
every missionary and member sees... the Lord will work miracles
acording to our faith. This is His work and His glory... and we each
have the privelge to be a part of it as the Lord prepares the world
and every one of Gods children for His second coming.

¡Les quiero cada uno de ustedes!

su hermana jones

Week 51 (Sep 10, 2012): "Do Not Forget My Daughter"

Dear family,

Nigelis mom still says that she doesnt want her to be baptized because none of the members have visited her while she has been in jail. We had a lesson with hna. britez (the rs president) the other day and it was really good for nigeli and her sisters because it was likea mom figure for them. We play LOTS of games with them to help them learn.
We all finish

I have ANOTHER companion! hahah H. Frasqueri had to go back home to work... they didnt find a reemplacement for her. Oh I am going to miss her lots, but now I am with Hna. Ruis who is BUENISIMA también! She was just baptized the 3rd of December and ... well i hardly know her yet but I already love her lots. She doesnt want to be in the house today for pday... but wants to go out and teach already! I am excited.

We also finaly had a lesson with Roberto and Reinalda... the young couple with their son Junior with H. Britez also so that she could translate for us. They had lots of questions and said that they were going to talk as a couple before coming to "our" church.

We also have two investigators that are doing well. Adibe Harika... she is a mother of two kids that are already grown up. We had a lesson and the spirit was so strong. She started to cry as we bore our testimonies and it was a PeRFECT opportunity to teach about the spirit and how she will know that this is Gods church and gospel.
Gloria Eriko is also doing well. She is 50 years old and LOVES reading in her Book of Mormon.
Thanks for praying for everyone.

Quick story...

We had talked to an elderly lady the other day at her gate. Her maid was with her and as we talked to her, it seemed like something wasnt right... like when I worked in the mental hospital in provo. She reminded me of some of the patients there. We wrote down her address to come by another day.

The next day, we stopped by and clapped. Her maid came out first and explained to us that she was not okay mentally and that we shouldnt teach her. We thanked her and stood outside for a few minutes trying to figure out where we should go next. H. Frasqueri then said, "the lady is looking out of her window!"
I looked up and saw that she had started to come out. (I feel terrible that we did this), but we turned to walk away. As we did, I heard in my mind distinctly, "do not forget my daughter".
We stopped and we turned back immediately to find the lady and talk to her, but she had already gone inside.

I learned in that moment just how much our heavenly father loves and is away of each and every one of his kids. He suffers when we suffer, and it made Him sad to see that we would turn away from her. He loves her perfectly with all of her imperfections just as He does me, with all of my own imperfections. We will be going back to at least sing to her.

I love my Savior. I love this Gospel. I love that I can talk to my father in Heaven and He listens to me... no matter how long I want to talk to Him.

I love you all so much...les amo.

amor,

su Hermana Jones

Week 50 (Sep 3, 2012): Reinalda and Roberto

Dear family,

Well its been another week of changes! Typical everyday mission life!! My companion Hna. Páez who was serving here as a local missionary had to go home to help her mom so I have another "local" companion named Hna. Fraqueri who is awesome! She will be with me until Sept. 19 and then the mission will recieve new sister missionaries again and I will have a different companion.

This week we are working with a little girl named Nigeli to help her be baptized this weekend. She is sooo excited. Her grandma is a less-active member (clotilde) and all of Nigelis sisters are all members. They were all baptized about five years ago but her mom is now in jail and said yesterday that she didnt want Nigeli to be baptized. The grandma is basically her mom, but Nigeli needs to have the permission of her mom. We are going to talk to some of the church leaders in our ward to go to the jail to talk to her mom. Please keep her in your prayers because she is so excited to be baptized.

Another lesson... the Holy Ghost is the teacher!! We have a part of our area called Yukuty (pronounced Juoo kuh too)...were everyone speaks Guartaní. The majority can speak spanish also, but we found a family that is AMAZING but that speak Guataní! They can speak a little bit of spanish and can read and understand when other people speak to them, but it is really hard for them to speak. Soo it is obvious that Heavenly Father has sent me two paraguayn companions that can speak at least a LITTLE bit of Guartaní so that they can translate in the lessons.

The are named Reinalda y Roberto and have the cutest little son named Junior (3 años). He does NOT speak spanish haha and so after one of the lessons we stayed for a little bit to play soccer with him as his reward for letting us sit and teach his mom and dad. They live in a very very humble neighborhood and have one room for everything. There house is about the size of my bedroom. As I ran around with him, Hna. Frasqueri, Reinalda and Roberto shouted things in Guartaní trying to have me repeat what they said... haaha they just laughed every time I tried to say something. :)

The dad told us (or should i say told Hna Frasqueri and then she told me :)) how much respect they have for God. He said that they "fear God". As we talked to them more, I realized how it was a richeous fear (if that makes sence) or how it is described in the scriptures... that the richeous "fear God" because they understand who he is, our relationship with Him and the commandments that He has given us as His children. Roberto said how they as a family will always keep all of God´s commandments.

I yawned as I sat down the other day at the beginning of the lesson and Roberto said something almost kind of sternly at me. Hna. Frasqueri smiled and looked over at me and said, "He says that there is no ´being tired´ if you are serving the Lord!". I smiled and told him he was right. It took me aback and I was grateful that he and his wife have so much respect for God.

I really dont know how much they have understood the two times we have taught them because hna. f. understands guartaní but cant speak very well, but I know that they felt the Spirit. Hna Britez and her husband speak Guartaní really well so they will be coming to our lessons to help us.

Well, love you all so much! I hope you each have a great week.
I know that this is His Gospel and that the ONLY WAY to be happy is to learn to live it. Oh He loves us so much.

Amor,

Hermana Jones

Week 49 (Aug 28, 2012): God Expects us To be Examples

Dear family,

Its been a great week. We had our zone conference with Elder Zeballos
and it was incredible. He and his wife are from Chile.

I also just wanted to emphaze the importance of our silent and not so
silent examples to those around us. I can not tell you how many
people that I have started to teach and almost every single one of
them have had friends, family and neighboors who are members of the
church. It makes such a difference... almost 100% in their readiness
to listen to and share with the missionaries when they have seen that
those family and friends are happy and are good examples. On the
other hand, it is so sad to come to a home and the family or person
has had bad experiences with members of the church... OUR FATHER IN
HEAVEN EXPECTS US TO BE EXAMPLES IN ALL THINGS, AT ALL TIMES AND IN
ALL PLACES... that is the promise that we made with God when we were
baptized! As we keep our covenants, the Lord molds us and changes who
we are and through us and our faith, we will work miracles (2nefi24:27
or 27:24 cant remember!)m and give us the privalage of helping our
brothers and sisters come unto Christ and accept the Gospel because
they have seen and heard and know that we are different.

A quick story of how our small examples can change hearts and help
them be willing to hear the gospel:

There is a guy named Frederico who walks all day long with a basked of
"chipa" (a type of "bread" typico paraguayo... selling from house to
house. We, almost two months ago, when i first got here, stopped and
introduced ourselves to him and his wife, Jactcinta. They werent
excited to have us come by and teach them and they wouldnt tell us
their direction, so we never got to teach them, but we ALWAYS ran into
them durring the week and they have become our friends.

Well, they other day, we came to a home to talk to the lady that lived
there and from her backyard we could see a small little hut. Well,
come to find out Frederico and Jactcinta live there and when they came
out to greet us, Jacticinta told us that we could come by again that
week to teach them (this wednesday!!) and as we turned away to leave
and started walking away, she shouted, "wait! that card you gave us
with the direction of your church! I lost it and we have been wanting
to go to your church!".

When you hear people say things like this as a misisonary , you try
not to smile TOO big so that you dont worry or scare them! haha but I
was pretty happy.

I know that this gospel is true. I know that Christ suffered for each
and every one of us. He loves me and it makes me so happy to be able
to serve Him. I am one of millions... each and every one of us have
the opportunity to serve Him and be and instrument in His hands to
help our brothers and sisters hear the gospel and come unto Him. He
lives and loves us.

I love you all... Les amo cada uno de uds....I feel your prayers and
thank you for praying for our investigators also because I know it
will make a difference for them also.

amor,

su Hermana Jones