Monday, March
4, 2013
Ok....me. We have had
so many ups and downs this week. It’s the usual on a mission right? The highs
are high and the lows are low. It's just a given that that's supposed to happen
on your mission. But whatever. So....we received a whole lot of references from
the ward this week that turned into investigators. Sad things first. Our
baptism for this upcoming week with Stacey (12 years old) fell. She called me
one day and said, Hna. Jones I don't want to take the lessons anymore and I
don't want to be Mormon. I asked her why and what had happened because she
seriously was golden investigator. She told me that some things just happen and
she just doesn't want the lessons anymore. Then hung up on me. We prayed and
fasted this weekend for her to know what in the world to do. She called us
again Saturday night and said that we could meet with her Tuesday to talk about
it. But that was it. That’s all she said. We found some scriptures to share
with her that we learned from the district videos but I think we are really
just going to listen and follow the spirit. That’s all we really can do. I
talked with her grandma and cousins on Sunday to figure out if something
happened in her family or someone at church said something. The grandma told me
that this happened before with the cousins before they became members. Stacey's
mother is super catholic and has said some things to her. So...the grandma said
that we should just leave her and hope that the mom changes her mind. I don't
know. We are going to visit Stacey Tuesday and follow the spirit. So yeah.....I
might have totally cried after I got off the phone. It's always so hard when
people say no that you grow to really love. But we'll see on Tuesday what
happens. While on sad side, we have two inactive families really struggling in
their relationships. Basically, the husbands just aren't doing anything. Sorry
guys but here in Latin America, that's how it is. It's so sad to see. The women
want to go to church and prepare to enter the temple but the men have started
up their addictions again of drinking and smoking. I have just learned from
talking with them and listening to them how extremely grateful I am for our
family. I am so grateful for brothers and a dad who married their wives in the
temple, uses their priesthood authority to bless others, serve, go to church
every Sunday, honor their covenants, and is obedient. Seriously. The way that
you men communicate with your wives is a billion trillion times better than I
have heard here. There is so much yelling and the communication is just
terrible. They don't communicate and when they do it's exactly what you
shouldn't say. There's no working together. Thank you for your example. I have
learned how to be a better wife from watching all of them and you guys. Keep doing
what you're doing.
Happy things, we did
drop one family one day and then the next, someone in the ward blessed us with
an amazing family to teach. In our first lesson with them, they asked about
this family’s forever thing and how they can be sealed in the temple and all
about the book of Mormon and when they can start reading it. Just wow right?
So....we are working with them. The mom is my age so that's a lot of fun
chatting with her and her husband is 27 (pretty young family with two
children---married at 16 which happens here all the time!). Anyway...they are
great! We also have been teaching some other investigators. All are women but
the men are so difficult. The elders are even teaching more women than men.
What is going on with priesthood! Seriously men, step up. But anyway, we are
helping teach some single mothers who want their children raised in the gospel.
We are hoping they will find men in the church to marry. We had a lesson with
the gringo family in our ward that are grandparents and retired here. Elder
Bergeson and I taught them a lesson in English. They first fed us lunch
(American food...hallelujah ha-ha). We ate rotisserie chicken, green beans, red
potatoes, a rice casserole (miss that ha-ha), salad (real salad not just
tomatoes and cucumbers ha-ha) and spice cake for dessert. Totally thought of
mom and how much I miss her cooking!!!!!! Elder Bergeson and I felt super
trunky because their home is super far in the mountains and totally an American
home. Bald eagle statutes and photos everywhere. Yeah. Ha-ha. Got a little
trunky for the states. But when we taught the lesson, we sang a song and then I
accidently asked in Spanish who the husband wanted to pray. He said huh? Ha-ha.
I hadn't realized I said it in Spanish. It was a little hard to teach and talk
in English. I kept having to pause and slow down my talk to remember my words.
It was amazing though. We started with the restoration because the husband is
inactive and were only baptized to be with her. We moved to prayer and he still
had no idea what we were getting at in the lesson. I used his relationship with
his son and calling him every day as an analogy with prayer. He was so lost and
kept getting off on other things. Finally we gave up and just testified. I
helped write my comp's talk in English for her to say. It was super cute. And
the other elder from Mexico can kind of talk in English so his was great too. I
kept translating for them during lunch and the lesson what the husband was
saying. The family is from Louisiana and has an accent so the Elder Gandara
(Mexico) could barely understand their speech. But it was so cool that I could
translate for them! Seriously awesome and such a blessing for this point in my
mission. I still can't speak it perfectly but I was so grateful that I could
help them understand a little of what was being said. I have been so blessed in
learning this language. Sometimes it's easier for me to talk in Spanish than in
English. I'm afraid I'm going to struggle when I get home. I can talk in
English but it's sometimes slower. So basically, the language is coming along
and I am really working on it. There are still things I say wrong and my comp
helps me out. There are still people who barely understand me but I work and
pray for help every day. And Ty, it's still a language barrier sometimes.
Thankfully, the spirit can break those barriers and speak to the heart. That's
what changes people. Not my words. I have learned so much this week about
following the spirit and listening to people.
This week in training
my comp, I have had us focus just on listening and asking questions. I told her
it's better if we talk as little as possible. Just ask questions and guide
people to understand the gospel. It's incredible when you sit and wait for a
question, how it just comes and changes everything. My comp is doing a little
bit better. I am learning patience. It's kind of hard for me. She is super shy
and afraid to talk with people. I try to help her contact people but she gets
nervous and chicken's out. I've showed examples and have helped her with the
process but it's just slower than I thought. She thankfully isn't linking on my
arm anymore. There are times where we might cross a street and she will but I
think she's growing in confidence. That is her biggest thing. Plus, I learned
this week that her family is all super inactive. They all have some really
sketchy issues and it's just interesting. She made the decision to come on a
mission to have a better life than all of them and move forward to never be
like them. However, with this, she doesn't have a super strong testimony of the
book of Mormon, Joseph Smith or anything really in the gospel. She knows it's
true and how she feels. Her basic testimony is that god loves her and knows
her. I'm trying to build off of that and help her strengthen her testimony
through missionary work. I sometimes feel like I have an investigator
companion. Trying to help her come into her own and teach her along the way.
She is trying to figure out why she is really here and how to stay. I am just
trying to love her, serve her, be patient with her, teach her and let her try
it out. I don't want to be a trainer she hates. But it's definitely an
adjustment for her. She's having a hard time with the cold and all of that. She
was really sweet and told me that in the match, she prayed for a trainer who
was caring, trusting, obedient and loving. She said that heavenly father
answered her prayer. It was really cute. I'm just trying to help her. Sometimes
I get frustrated and feel alone in teaching but then something happens and the
spirit totally helps us out. I have seen so many blessings this week. We are
focusing on being more like Nephi in Helaman who teaches the people, performs
miracles, and gives prophecies that come true. In his experiences, the people
still reject him as a prophet even after all of this! But instead of returning
to his home, he goes back to the people and continues to teach them. The people
still reject him but he doesn't give up. We are doing this! Not giving up. We
are teaching every day all day. I've kind of adjusted our schedule so that we
leave the home and teach some days in the morning and do language study at
night. President has said that if that works better in our area, he trusts me.
Just trying to do what we came here to do. There are so many days where I'm
just flat out exhausted and want to watch a movie and sleep. But we wake up and
start all over again giving all we have. I feel that if I do everything I can
possible, Heavenly Father will come through.
In our ward, we had an
activity on Saturday to help show how to contact and present the book of Mormon
to friends or co-workers. Not many came so they ended up doing the exact same
lesson in church on Sunday. We had combined relief society and elder's quorum and
the ward missionaries showed them how to contact and give a book of Mormon. It
was funny to watch them all. But it was so helpful for them to see. They did
practices and had to ask a person a deep question such as: what is the most
important thing in your life or what is your biggest fear and then relate it to
the restoration, priesthood authority or the book of Mormon. They had to
pretend to be their co-worker or friend or family with same questions and
problems. It was so effective for them to see how to do it. Try it out in your
ward. Just read preach my gospel and apply it. It's so effective. Practices
really help with feeling more comfortable. Oh and this Monday, we taught an
inactive sister with the elders. They didn't have anything planned so they came
with us. We did an activity where she had to find some chocolates hidden in her
room. Some were easy and some were hard. Later, after finding the easy ones,
she had to ask us for help. When finding all of them, we explained to her how
the chocolates are friends and family and how she is the missionary. We, as
missionaries need help in finding how to teach and it's easier to find people
ready when we ask members where they are at. We then taught her how to give out
the restoration pamphlet to her friends. I showed her a bad example, then good
example and then we all did practices. My district leader used our lesson in
his lesson to our district. He did EXACTLY what my comp and I taught in our
lesson for FHE. It was really funny. Try this out with your ward or the
missionaries. Anyway....I should probably head out. I am just trying to be
obedient and work hard each day. I try to keep my comp focused on the work and
remind her of her purpose every day. It is a little bit difficult. She's never
been away from her family or in another country so it's a struggle. Any advice?
I'm just loving and serving. Things are going well for the most part. We have
some other baptisms planned for this month so we'll see how they go. We are
going to the temple day of Landon’s birthday ha-ha. I thought...what a great
present. Ha-ha. Glad you all received my valentine's and liked them. Just love
you all so much. Still waiting for the package ha-ha. It’s just slower here.
Sorry. I'm healthier. Trying to help my face clear up but stinking humidity.
Skirts still fit but I really really want to run. My comp can't run so maybe
we'll just do a little jog in the morning. I made her run one day and it felt
SO GOOD! My endorphins and energy were out of control. Ha-ha. I forgot how much
I miss exercising hard core every day. Well...10 more months’ right? Can you
believe it? The time has started to pick up but at times I wish it would go
faster ya know. Anyway. Love you all. Sorry this is way boring. Oh and for
p-day went to Wal-Mart in Cartago. Ha-ha. And it's so expensive. Paintballing
fell through for this week so maybe the next one. Oh and met an elder who
transferred to our district and he's obsessed with movies. He said we should
quote movies and talk movies. Then I asked his top 5. Let’s just say, would
never date the kid after my mission. And found out that movies don't even tempt
me anymore. I still enjoy them but just have found that there are other things
to do. So I guess this rehab thing is working right dad? Ha-ha ok...really better
go. But love you! More pictures for next week. Have a fun week and please be
safe! You’re all in my prayers.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxo
Hna. Jones
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