Week 74 (Feb 18, 2013): Cyntia and Christian Decide to Get Baptized

Dear family,

Oh I am so happy.  I hope you are all very, very happy!

Well Cristian and Cyntia are going to be getting baptized this upcoming saturday!  I cant even tell you everything that has happened up to this point to help them get to this point... or better said, I cant even believe how much THEY have done over the years to get to this point.

I just want to share with you a part of my journal entries...

Friday- they had their interview and are SO ready and prepared... but Cristian just keeps saying that he wants to wait until he knows more so that he "can just be sure".

16 feb. 2013- sábado

"Last night i prayed that i would be able to increase my faith... and today the trial came!  Oh boy. i love it. As we were finishing studying spanish and english, we got a text from cyntia that said, "When is our baptism gain?"... I couldnt wait and almost screamed and tackled hna. Espinoza with a hug while she waas praying.  We called and asked her if Cristaian had decided, but she said that she was still talking to him.

Well when we called the Elders, and then ran over to the church and cleaned the font... including the jhuge stupid cocaroach... and hten ran ove r to her house to help her... o sea, Cyntia.  Elder nielsen and vega came to the chapel to help us filling the font.  When we got to their home, she explained that she wanted to be baptized and thea Cristian was doubing a little if he wanted to today... I cant even remember the scriptures read or all of the words said, the spirit was so strong... my sister fani (who is mmember and her husb. is bishop) in argentina is worried that if we dont get baptized soon, we will not be getting baptized.  They are going to call us at two when Cristen gets home from work.  We knealt downand asked her, do you believe that god can work a miracle and help cristian to be baptized... yes she said...and then she prayed..."

To make a long story shorter, after another lesson and priesthood blessings and everything and inviting the whole ward...(which we felt so strongly to do... without having recived a yes from cristian... ) and trying to fill up the tank with plastic trash cans and buckets for hours... Cristian said that he did want to be baptized but not yet... "I still want to know more".  In the end of the day... we returned home... having spent the WHOLe day preparing a baptism that didnt happne and felt the spirit so strong.  We had shown our faith... all that we had.

17 - domingo

Today in gospel princuiples we watched the Touch of hte Masters Hand... we had felt to watch it.  In the end, as I looked up Crisitan and cyntia just had tears in their eyes... we had felt to watch it.  In the end, we asked the class what they had learned... and cytia raised her hand, "when god calls us... we must answer.  we read alma 7_11-15 and said "I invite each of you to act with what the spirit has taught you .  when we feel we must do something, we must act.  That is what god excpects.

Later today we said a quick prayer before the lesson with them asking for divine help.  They are so ready to be baptized... cristian is just scared. We didnt even finish the scripture when Cristian said, "i want ot be baptized... i know that s what i need to do for me and for my family and god.  Cyntia had hte biggest smile... and almost started crying.  She didnt even know that he had made that decision. 

"You believe that joseh smith was a prophet of god and that this is his restored church?"  "Yes we do."  "and who taught you that?" i asked.  The Holy Ghost through you guys.  angels god has sent us.  cristian said.  What a sacred privilage.  May faith will keepo increasing if i choose.  I know now that I will recieve no witness untill after the trail of my faith".  Thank you Heavenly Father. 

I know that He lives and that we are His children.  That should affect every aspect of our lives.

I love you all.

Amor,

Hermana Jones

Elder vega and us playing in the primary room waiting for Cristian to finish his interview

Us on Sat after hours of getting soakd filling up the tank in the rain

 

Cyntia and Cristian were SOOO HAPPYYY.

 

Me and my Planner

Us with Hermana Raquel who washes her clothes and her daughter

 

Us and Eli and her little brother Celso... he is 17 and excited for the mission

 

Week 73 (Feb 11, 2013): "Is there anything that you could ever do that would make Him stop loving you?"

Querida familia, 

Ah i am so happy!  I thought that i would send you a quick story about what had happened this week. 

5 febrero 2013

" I had forgotten to write about a neat lesson that we had the other day with (sarah... changed the name :)I had read the story of the Prodigal Son in Lucas a while back and had felt to share it with them.  I read and re-read the story and shared it with the Hna. Espinoza, but we neer felt to share it in a lesson until we taught sarah a certain commandment.  After we finished teaching the commandment, she sobbedas she shared with us the guilt and the unconfidence in herself that she felt because shen she was very young and her parents not only didnt teach and protect her, but most likely made it even harder for her to keep the commandment.  "Do you know - believe that God loves and can forgive you Sarah?"  we asked.  "I do," she said, "but sometimes it is just hard to believe that He can when I have made the mistakes that I have.  "Oh what JOY i felt as we read together in Luke 15 and read the words, "I will arise and go to my Father and will say, "father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son... (how often do we feel that way when we have sinned!?) and then read together how the Father ran,kissed, blessed and forgave without even looking back.  The question taht dad always aksked me rang in my mind... "Sarah, is there anything that you could ever do that would make Him stop loving you?!"... "no, she said with a smile... and we testified of repentance."

Oh i love my mission and I am so happy to be here.  This is Gods work and we can all be a part of it if we live the Gospel.  

Love you all!

Love, 

Hermana Jones

Oh i love pictures! I am so happy that I can send you more!

We had interchanges so i went to the city this past tuesday and was able to meet a lot of new people.  As I woke up the next day, there was this sunrise... every time I see things like this i just have to say, "Wow, Heavenly Father loves me". 

Us with Vanesa, one of our investigators.  She is in med school and is 19 years-old. There was a rainbow over the chapel right before our ward activity. 

Hermana Espinoza taught Karen (member) and Cyntia how to cook ají de gallina on friday!  Cyndi was really excited to help!

Cyntia... the smile after a great lesson!!!  I am so excited for them.  

Laura... she finally decided to serve the mission!!! 

Leaving the neighborhood one night... Paraguay is beautiful... someone told me that a general authority said that he felt as if christ had walked here in paraguay. 

Hno Rosalino, one of my favorite members.  He hasnt been able to walk for 10 years because he was shot while at work as a security guard, but he never misses a sunday and is so sure that he is going to be able to walk again!

 

Members in a class or activity that we had a few weeks ago about la obra misional

 

After the activity... I love my district!!! From left to right- Elder Hauser (AZ), Elder Martinez (Kaysville), Elder Nielsen (DC), Elder Vega (Colombia) and Hermana Espinoza and me!! 

 

Week 72 (Feb 4, 2013): Teaching Cristian and Cyntia

Querida familia, 

Oh I love you each so much.  I am happy and learning lots down here.  I will be honest... I think I would be happy to see snow haha! But I cant complain because months ago when i would use five sweaters and pajamas below my skirt i promised Him that I would never complain about the heat again!  So i LOVEE IT!! :)

I hope that you enjoy the photos that I sent!  It is always more fun to see pictures that to read paragraphs! 

Cristian and Cyntia are an incredible familiy that we are teaching right now.  They got married when they were both 19 years old and are both 27 years old now and have two beautiful little girls named Cyndi (4) and Luciana (1). They have passed through some very hard times with the ways that their parents did and did not raise them and the first day that we started to teach them, there was just a real sence of humility.  They said, "we just want to repent and help guide our girls and helps them follow Christ... because we never had that".  Cristian we say is our future bishop.  It is incredible how the spirit has already taught them so much.  We are helping to prepare them to be baptized for the 16th of febuary.  As we teach, they already know that it is true.  The Spirit has prepared their hearts for a long, long time.  Pray that they can have the courage to be baptized and that Hna. Espinoza and I can just do everything that we need to do.  We cant loose them because we know that they are so ready to be baptized and repent.  That is all that they want!  Many times, I feel like I already knew many people here before I came to earth... it just strengthens my testimony of the plan of happiness that Father has for us. 

Well, love you lots.  I bear testimony that Crist is our savior... that He has already payed the price for our sins.  To repent, there is no "part" that we pay, but rather we give it all to Him.  I know that we just have to be humble and follow His example.  I love the Gospel, because it alows us to do that.... and to just be happy.  That is why I am here... that is why we are here. 

Love you alll.... 

Hermana Jones

 

Nosotros with David Domiguez

My favorite fruit... Mburuguay!!!  We make fruit juice every morning from mangos... ect.!... better than jamba

Our "faith is like a seed" family home evening experiment... Alma was right!

 

Yamile... with Yesica and Naty Lugen.  They are cousins that like right around the corner of our house and are super excited to serve missions.  They always want to help us teach.  Yesica is 16 and Naty is 17!  We gave them a PMG and they are so excited reading everything. 

Us with Eli Vera and her little brother Celso... right after lunch one sunday.  They always are willing to drop everything to leave with us to teach and always help look for everyone to take them to church. 

 

Ahhhh... Cristian and Cyntia!!! The most prepared family that I have ever met... I LOVE THEM SOO STINKIN MUCH!!!!

 

Us and Cyntia and her baby girl Luciana!  Their other girl is named Cyndi and would color and draw for hours and hours!

 

...oh yea... and sometimes Cindi's reward for letting us teach and talk to her mom is drawing with her afterwards! haah.

Our chaple.... the street name is my favorite fruit!  (see name above :)

Weekly planning... or plan guazu for three hours... it doesnt seem like enough time!

It poured after a mission council meeting and well... we were dumb and wore white shirts and so ... we had to improvise... haha

Week 70 (Jan 21, 2013): Extending Mission to Train New Sisters

Mom, Dad and Jess, Nick, Spencer and Caden,

Okay i need to explain.  Thank you for your email mom.  I have permission to "chat" today if you have any questions that you want to make becuase i knew that you, the planner of the family, have already put a LOTT of time and effort into planning everything.  Please please forgive me.  This has been the easiest (in the sence that i feel so strongly that it is what i need to do) but hardest (because it wasnt necesarily my plan or my timing or my will either... all of which i have to change).  With all of the new sisters coming in (there are 12 sister here now... we will be recievineg 15 to 20 in the lapse of just 12 weeks... meaning opening lots of new areas and training lots of new sisters), it will make it extremely hard for pte. agazzani and a bunch of missionaries if i leave in march.  we had interviews this past thursday and president asked me to think about it.  I seriously prayed for over half and hour writing down everything that came to mind, crying and begging heavenly father to help me to understand what i need to do.  and I know that I need to finish apr. 11th.  My work will be left unfinished if i dont.  I hope and pray that you each feel the spirit testify that this is what i need to do so that it isnt so hard for each of you.  To be very honest, i thought of the movie 17 miracles.. when John (or whatever his name was) was finally starting to go home after his mission to finally be with his son... after 3 or four years and Willie asked him to extend his mission just a few weeks or months to help the saints get to salt lake.  Thats basically what is happening. 

To be very honest I have NOO idea how i am going to finish my studies in time to apply for a nursing program... from what i had planned before, it will be impossible or near impossible i think.  Everything I think goes against this decision, BUT I told Heavnely Father all of this and explained why I was worried and do you know what the anwer was?... all that came to mind was Dad holding out his hand to help me cross... we were hiking or something and there was something that i didnt want to cross because i was scared... and then the words came to my mind, "can you trust me?".  I know that Heavenly Father has greater blessings for me and each of you as i finish out my mission. 

I am SO sorry for making you all sad.  I KNKOW that you are becasue i was too, but i feel the spirit so strongtly each day confirming that this is waht i need to do... we need to do. 

As for classes, I wil NOT be attending spring term.  I have already decided that and feel good about that.  Summer possibly... i think i need to.

I love you all soooo much!

Well I am happy and enjoying the work.  I love each of you more each day and serve the way I do because I want to show my Heavenly Father that I want to be able to be with each of you forever.  I testify that He lives and loves us and we work WITH HIM in His work... saving His sons and daughters.
 

Hermana Jones

Oh and dad, one of our investigators saw a picture of Elder Neal A Maxwell in my planner and asked me if it was my dad... hahah i thought you would feel falttered.

Firmina and Hector... the mom and son that we are teaching!  She is incredible and so giving..

Hno Rosalino

English class!  We teach for an hour every Wednesday... half are members... lots of investigators come too! 

 

A butterfly landed on my finger!

Picture of a picture... antonio and marta after their baptism... "we are happy" he wrote on the picture :)

Sergio and Alexander!- sergio said that we are happy baptized mormons now! on his card!

David, Sabrina and "Gordo"... the children of Roberto and Celia who we were teaching... they are a little unsure about being baptized right now...

Yamile and her mom Norma right after teaching the plan of salvation... we only got to "our life on earth and the atonement" because Norma talks  a LOT! haha we will finish the lesson tonight!

Week 69 (Jan 14, 2013): Milena and Nygeli Find Out That It Is True

Dear family,

I just love 2013!  Its been a great start to a new year!  I am so excited!

Mom and dad, I wanted to share with you also something that just gives testimony of the role of mom and dad and how you recieve revelation for your children.  Well, to start this new year (just like we always did with daddy-daughter blessings at the beginning of every school year), I asked my district leader, Elder Nielson, for a blessing of "council".  I had thought a lot about different goals for this year and had been praying to know what I should do.   Well in my blessing I recieved a lot of council concering the goals that I had made and that very night I sat down and wrote everything down.  Well, it was interesting to see as i wrote and pondered how, just days before, I had sat down to read a DearElder from you Dad that talked about the scripture in Mateo11 about taking upon us the yoke of Christ.  I wont share everything, but basically the letter was a continuation of the blessing that I had recieved... it was the direction that Heavenly Father wanted to give me and did by two worthy priesthood holders... a missionary and then he saved a part for you to complete, because you are my dad and he knows, better than anyone, that it gives you joy to bless your kids... both you and mom.  Thank you Mom and Dad for praying for me and the people that I love here in Paraguay.

As for Ciudad del Este...

Roberto y Celia-

They are a very very special family who were going to be baptized a little over a month ago, but there had been a lot of family problems, so Celia was a little scared and we are helping them to gain a testimony again and decide to be baptized.  There kids call us "tia"... haha I love it. They are a very special family that love eachother very much.  We had a very powerful lesson about the tree of life, and they are going to start reading again to make a decision to be baptized this week.

Milena and Nygeli (another Nygeli!!!)-

are two little girls (10 and 9 respectively) who have soo much faith.  They are the cousins of Laura and Mirium Vera who are two of our "helpers"in the ward... they are always going out with us and helping to teach!  After the first lesson, their cousin Laura told us that she overheard them talking in the living room and Milena said to Nygeli, "lets go and pray and ask God if its true".  Laura peaked in on them, and they had gone to their bedroom and were praying with hteir eyes sweezed shut.  Later they came in and told Laura, "I just felt so warm inside and felt ... i dont know... proud."  It made me want to cry when i heard that because I could just imagine Father in Heaven looking down from heaven feeling so "proud" of His two daughters.  They want to be baptized so much, but their parents are not happy about that... just like Nygeli Cuellar (whoes mom was in prison) i know that they will be able to be baptized also... we just have to have a lot of faith!

Well I know that God loves us and that we are His children... when we really understand who we are, we are obedient and follow His Son and the Gospel of Christ allows us to do just that.  Lets keep pressing forward... taking upon us "the yoke of Christ".

Les quiero a cada uno de uds.

amor,

su Hermana Jones

PS  Mom i just wanted to make sure that you understand... i am NOT washing my clothes by hand anymore (or at least until I am tight on money again) haha so dont be too proud!

PSS  Elder Nielson just gave me my cards and hna. santi y willnauer sent me picutres... ANTONIO NAD HIS WIFE MARTA IN INTAENRAMA WERE MARRIED AND BAPTIZED AND ALSO SERGIO AND ALEXANDER.... ANTONIO WAS ABLE TO STOP DRINKING... DO YOU REMEMBER HIM WITH THE BAD SHOULDER!?  THANKS FOR PRAYERING FOR THEMMMMM

Week 68 (Jan 7, 2013): "We are fighting for souls who are our brothers and sisters."

Querida familia,

The Lord always keeps His word.  He is our Savior.  Our perfect older brother and we are to show that we love Him by living His Gospel....and then He promises that we will be sooo happy!

It has been another week of miracles.

Sahari has been having a LOT of opposition from her family and so hasnt been doing so well this week, but she wants to change her life so much and loves the book of mormon so much we are "luchando" or fighting for her.

We are helping a mom and her 24 year old son... hector and firmina.

Firmina says all of the time how she is trying to find the true church but that she cannot find it and she says, "when I get an answer that this is His church, I wont even blink one eye and will ask to be baptized that very day!"

Es una lucha... it is a battle... I never really understood all of those "missionary" hymns that we sing until I came to paraguay.... we are fighting for souls who are our brothers and sisters.  I love them and am learning how to be more christlike.  Sometimes it is frustrating as I continue to learn just how imperfect as I read the scriptures and learn what He is like and how He wants me to be because I know that if Christ was here he would baptized hundreds every day!... but I am not perfect and I too am working out my own salvation.  Que suerte that our Father is patient and so loving!  What a blessing it is to be a missionary here and the rest of my life!  We all are... it is our duty as members of the church of Christ to fight for our brothers and sisters.  I say fight because it is not easy...

but just as Elder Holland says, "it never was supposed to be easy because salvation was never a cheap experience".  I stand all amazed.

Keep praying for us and all of our brothers and sisters in Ciudad del Este.

LES QUIERO!

Hermana Jones

Have a great week family!

PS Happy Birthday CADEN!!!!! you are so big my brother! I LOVE YOU THIIIIISSSSSS MUCCCCHHHHH AND LOTS MORE! (one week late... sorry:)

Week 67 (Dec 31, 2012): Saharí's Hunger for Truth

Hey familia!

How are you all doing!?  We are doing great here in Ciudad del Este...

We have started teaching a 20 year-old girl who is 20 and she is incredible!!!  She is reading so much in the Book of Mormona and will be baptized this month.  Saharí has had trials bigger than any other person that I have ever met in my life.  After her first sunday a few weeks ago, we had asked her how she liked church and she said,"I loveed it!  It was just like how Jesus taught His disciples in the Bible!  We sat and talked together about what we were learning and what we thought and I came home and felt like a bird ... I was so happy that I could fly!" haha she is kinda dramatic... she always says that she is going to "internarme en la peluquería todo el día" ... she cant go a day without her nails done... and she is so special.  We taught her about the plan of salvation and i have never taught someone in my mission that was so eager to know everything that she could know about Gods plan. She just kept asking questions and more and more questions, we taught her for almost two hours.  She is so excited to repent also.  Even when some of the commandments are hard for her or will be hard for her to keep, she sighs and says, "this isnt going to be easy, but I will do it!".

We are also wokring with a mom named Firmina (45) and her son Hector (24).  They are incredible.  She is Brasilera and married a paraguayo.

Love you all!  This is the Lords work... thanks for praying for me and my investigators...

Hermana Jones

Christmas dinner

 

Mission Council! Hno Martinez is the most incredible mission leader ... he is one of those one-year converts who is "on fire".

 

We went with Rosi Aquino to find and teach her friend... after one hour we found her house in the edge of our area!