WEEK 5

Buenos Dias!

5th week here in the MTC!! This past sunday, I was asked to be the district leader! I have enjoyed the added responsibility of this. I have done all that i can to help our studies run more smoothly, and stay focused on our purpose! 

Our devotional on tuesday was with Elder Neil L. Anderson of the quorum of the twelve, and it was super awesome! He talked about not having "eternal regrets" on your mission. He talked about how you will never get home from your mission thinking "oh, i wish i would have worked a little less hard while i was serving the lord" 

He said you really dont want to get home, and regret that you didnt work your hardest, cause that will stay with you forever. I really liked his talk! 

I know that im gonna work so hard while im out here, and come home and probably sleep for like a solid week and a half because i just wanna be so worn out when im done! Im gonna make sure that i dont go through my mission, but that my mission goes through me:)

On a much sadder note, me and my companions taught Jose Meza (our invetigator) for the last time. This is the first time he has taken discussions, and we are meeting with the new missionaries who are gonna continue teaching him on monday so we can discuss everything we have already talked with him.

Jose will have a place in my heart, because he is the first person on my mission i was able to ask to be baptised after being prompted by the spirit. He agreed, and i even set a date for him!! He is getting baptised on February 18th. ( he wanted my email, because he was sad that i wasnt gonna be here to baptise him, but he said he can send me pictures)

We got a new district with 4 new elders on wednesday, so thats been fun getting to know them, waterboarding (initiation) with them and all that fun stuff. Its soooo strange to think that only 5 weeks ago, that was me! Now, my district is the oldest district in the zone! And we will be for the next 2 weeks! haha 

Kind of a funny story, I had a whole new experience!

It was a pretty long day on wednesday, we had just had a 4 hour study block and my brain was pretty tired.... As soon as i got back to the dorm, I started changing out of my church clothes, but i had only succeeded in taking off and hanging up my church pants when i decided to eat some super cold bean dip and stale tortilla chips! 

Its drilled in our heads here that when we have a thought, a good one, to act on it right away! so without further ado, i began eating stale chips with some cold beans! 

At this moment, I was so completely and fully content with just sitting on the floor with a button up shirt and tie, and no pants! I was just happy! 

It was so funny to me because before the mission i would have made sure the beans were the perfect temperature, brand new bag of chips, an ice cold dr. Pepper, made sure i was listening to a dope song, and only then could i have began to eat! haha 

My testimony is strengthening every day here. It really is so cool. I know that only through the help of the lord, have i been able to make leaps and bounds in my spanish, while my companions are struggling to understand it. During examples that our teachers give us, they are starting to use me as their companions in roleplays, and im just growing so fast. 

One thing i want to invite everyone to do for family home evenings, is to get a copy of preach my gospel, and each week, focus your lesson on just one point of one lesson. for example, the chapter with all the lessons is lesson 3, and the first point is "Dios es nuestro amoroso Padre Celestial" or " God is our Loving Heavenly Father" There are scriptural references and everything! Just go in order of the doctrine of all the lessons, and after a year (55 weeks) you will have exactly covered every point!

I love you guys! I didnt take many pictures this week, because everything is mostly the same about now.... haha but i do have one video and two pictures that i will send in a separate email. 

Im so lucky to have this chance to learn and grow so much these past 5 weeks. I just cant wait till i can get out in the field and have so many more experiences, and get to share the gospel.

Me amo ustedes, y gracias por su ayuda en mi vida antes de mi mission.

Nos Vemos!

Elder Jones 

I was talking to Jose after our last lesson, and i told him i really wish that i could be the one to  baptise him, and that he was like a brother to me!

He is such a great person, and i have learned so much from him as well!

( Video is of an arizona boy who wanted to jump in the snow.... haha )