WEEK 31

I cant pick a favorite scripture for this week!  I have been taking a really long time to read the new testament, cause i really really want to understand it. I have been cross referencing, using other study helps, linking things to the book of mormon, and its been helping me soo much to understand the basic doctrines of the bible! The life of christ is something so humbling to study and read about. 

Some pretty sad news:( Do you guys remember the picture i sent home a few weeks ago with that really really really old couple that we pulled all the weeds on their porch? Their names are Juan and Marsela. This week, marsela passed away in her sleep. We showed up to visit them, and a ton of family was there having something similar to a "family home evening" Juan started tearing up and told us " i have some news for you youngins" My wife passed away yesterday. I think that might have been the hardest i got hit by something ever before! He really wanted us to come in and we shared lots of scriptures and said prayers with the whole family. We didnt stay very long cause we didnt want to intrude too much with the family, but his daughter and 2 grandkids wanted to hear more from us. 

We visited them again this week, and taught a little more about the plan that god has for all of us, and how they can see their beloved marsela again:) God really is merciful, becuase we are sinners, and for all the stuff that we do wrong, we dont deserve to have eternal life, but he loves us so much, that he gave us Jesus Christ as a sacrifice so we all can live with our families again. 

Somthing that broke my heart actually a little, is that in our second visit with Juan, his daughter adriana was in the house, and he tried to call her name to bring him something, and instead of calling out adriana, he said "marsela" and instantly got choked up and his eyes started watering and he just cried to himself for a minute or two. It was so hard to watch,

 just after having a life together with someone, or even anyone in the family can all of the sudden not be there anymore. This life is crazy! 

On a much happier note, this week i asked president if we could have 15 minutes of time in the Zone leader training meeting, cause there was some stuff i figured out that the zone leaders could do instead of me having to do it! Thus allowing me and my comp to have more time to be able to work in the area instead of be here doing paperwork in the offices! President was very happy to let me have some time, and i made a super dope, super professional power point presentation explaining how to do everything. You all know me, i threw some jokes in there too, i even made president maucotel laugh! It went suuuupppeerr well, and was awesome:) Now im just waiting to see if the zone leaders start helping me out so we can get back to the area and teach more!!

This week, we put a baptismal date for a kid we have been teaching whose name is bryan. He is 9 and his parents are less actives, we have been teaching them for a while and bryan told us he wants to get baptised! We also talked with his dad, enrique, and he said he has been feeling the spirit during our lessons, and wants to reactivate in the church and be able to baptise his son! so we are gonna keep doing our best with that.

Tommorow, we find out about what transfers are! President told us already a few weeks ago that elder allred will be leaving the offices, and ill be training the next secretary, we are just gonna find out who that new lucky elder is gonna be! haha 

These past two transfers, i have really been trying my hardest to keep elder Allred motivated to keep working hard. He got dear johned right before i got called to the offices, and was pretty down in the dumps. He didnt really want to work, and just kinda wanted to be sad, but i didnt let him do that;) 

Since the minute i got here we have been running and gunning and i have been helping him realize the power of self confidence. He actually told me a few times that he is really glad i was his companion when i was! Its been awesome to be his companion and be able to help him out. He is a great friend! 

Mission life is awesome ladies and gentlemen. There is nothing else i could be doing right now that would cause me to grow so much. Seeing people suffering and struggling to get by day by day, and then also seeing how much god can bless those who seek him:) 

Email came a little early this week! ill be on later to respond to the rest of you!

Love all yall!!! 

Elder Jones