Soccer Champ right here

Buenas tardes!

 

This week was a great week full of miracles! I'll tell three here today. 

1.First off, we had a baptism!

On Tuesday we had a training meeting for the new missionaries and their trainers and afterwards we were all eating and President Archibald asked me in front of everybody, So Hermana Jones, who are you going to baptize this week? And there was a long silence because we didn't have a baptism planned.... haha so I laughed and I said, I'll guess we'll just find that out today.  Well later that afternoon we felt like we should go visit a member and we were surprised to find her there with her un-baptized 9 yr old daughter with her dad.  We sat down and taught them all and found out that she hadn't been baptized yet because her dad was against it.  Well we talked for a while and by a miracle he agreed to let her get baptized. We set the date for this saturday, since she already had been to church and met all the requirements, and Karla got baptized on saturday! President Archibald and his wife came to the baptism. :)

 

2. We found a family of like 15 that is awesome.  I don't have much else to say because we have only taught them once but they are great, so stay tuned.

3. Last monday we had Pday with the zone and played soccer like we always do and it's funny because it's pretty much all of the Natives playing because it's in their blood. But I'm happy to announce that for the first time in my life I scored a soccer goal! That means my soccer skills have infinitely increased since I've been here.  I'd like to thank my mom for putting me in one season of little league soccer and Matt and Jacob for going to a soccer camp or something and bringing home an OSU soccer ball.  

 

I finished off the week by turning 20! Talk about old? I'm not a teenager anymore. But it's all good because I finished out the teen years by being immature and locking our keys in the apartment (by accident) and so we had to wait at a members house until midnight for our landlord to come back.  Only teenagers do stuff like that so I finished out my teen years well.  :)

Our pensionista gave me a cake and they sang and cracked eggs on my head . Good ol' Peruvian birthdays! I'll see if I have pictures.

 

Hermana Alonso and I are super happy to be here and we are working hard and doing well.

Thanks for everything and love you tons!

 

Hermana Jones 

Happy Week

Hola,

 

Great week this week!

I don't have too much to say because it was a pretty normal week and we were just in the swing of things of missionary work!

 

This week we finally found one of the investigators from the previous missionaries that were here.  They didn't leave his information, just that he was ready to get baptized.  So we prayed a lot and asked a ton of people and by a miracle found his phone number! We met with him and he's ready to get baptized, just wants to wait until his dad gets into town to see it,so he'll get baptized this month.  That was pretty exciting!

 

We worked a lot this week and it was great.  We don't know whatwe're doing but theLord is blessing us so much! We just keep working and keep seeing miracles, it's awesome. For example, we always write ournames on cards and pamphlets and give them out, but this week people actually called us! That never happens....but we got 2 phone calls this week from people who wanted to listen. So cool!  

 

An especially cool miracle we had this week was on Saturday night.  We had a lot of appointments set, but nobody seemed to be home. None of the back up plans either... so it was getting close to time to go home when we remembered a family that we had contacted earlier that week.  We decided to stop by and were justgoing to set an appointment with them for another day, but as the mom opened the door she immediately invited us in.  We found them all doing a puzzle together. (Immediate bond since we always do puzzles with Dad) They were excited to hear our message so we shared something short with them and they told us that they have a lot of Faith but recognize that they don't show it enought.  They are So golden! Unfortunately the dad works out of town a lot so it's harder to find him but we are so excited for them and their baptism! 

They also told us they know where the church is because once their son wentto play soccer there and in the chapels here have huge fences around the outside with little soccer fields.  So somehow he ended up getting locked inside the fence of the church and everybody left so he tried hopping the fence but there are huge spikes for safety so they called the fire department but nobody could find a ladder so he just stayed there overnight until somebody found the Bishop with the keys. Hahaha.  I was dying laughing as they were telling the story.  Anyway, they hadn't returned since to the church since... haha but are excited to come now. 

 

This new area is awesome and I love it.  There is so much dust here... Maybe I'll send a picture of my shoes.. This area is a lot humbler than my other area.  The biggest challenge we havebeen having is that people don't have enough money to getmarried, so we have found a lot of great families that can't get baptized until they get married.  We are doing a lot of praying and working with them and hopefully we'll get to see lots of marriages and lots of sealings in a year!

 

Missionary work is the best work in the world and I'm so happy to be here and be part of it!

Thanks for everything! Love you!

 

Hermana Jones 

 

Greetings from Puente Piedra

Hello mi familia!

 

Well, I'll just start off by saying that I got transferred this week! I couldn't believe it... I had spent my whole mission until now in El Olivar so I was pretty sad to leave all the people there that I love but I was excited for some change. 

We went to the transfer meeting and the whole time I was convinced in my mind that I was going to Huaraz, the zone in our mission that is like 10 hours outside of Lima and is gorgeous.  Well, I didn't get called there but instead I am serving in...... Puente Piedra!!! woo hoo! It's a little more north of where I was before and it is GOLDEN here.  The ward is awesome.  They are about to divide the ward because it is so big and solid and progressing a lot. 

So I am here in Puente Piedra and I am training again! I have another daughter, and her name is Hermana Alonso.  She is from Honduras, and she is fantastic.  She is pretty much pre-trained and is teaching me! haha :) 

Since I am in a new area and am training, that means that we are white washing.  There were hermanas here before us but they both got transferred out and we got put in.  Unfortunately they didn't keep track of much of the phone numbers and addresses of investigators and such so it's kind of like we are starting over, so we did a lot of contacting this week, since we really know nothing about this area.  So it was a fun week and we have already been seeing some successes and have some baptismal dates for later this month. 

 

Puente Piedra is pretty similar to my other area but a lot poorer.  There are less streets and more dust.   There are some cool hills with all the houses on them that we get to climb.  Also in my area is downtown Puente Piedra so there are some cool markets in our area.  It's pretty great and we are both excited to be here! This area holds the record from last year for the most baptisms in a month.  There were some Elders here in September that baptized a ton of people so it definitely has a lot of potential!

 

This week we visited a recent convert who is 16 and she is the only member in her family.  They live up on a mountain/hill kind of and are adding a kitched so were chipping away part of the mountain to build it.  (There aren't really construction companies here or anything) so we offered to come back the next day with the Elders and we helped carve the mountain to put their kitchen in and break up stones and rocks and carried them all down the mountain.  It was hard work but super fun and something that I'll probably never be able to do again! I'll send pictures.

 

This week I was reading in Mosiah about Abinadi.  I was reminded how much I love him and admire is testimony.  Mostly I love his boldness with King Noah.  He was in court and about to be put to death but instead of denying the things he knew, he continued to testify and call Noah and his courts to repentance until he was put to death by fire. Wow! What an example for all of us.  Since I started my mission I've wanted to have that type of boldness, where nothing will stop me from declaring what I know and calling others to repent and be baptized.  The church is so true and anyone that denies it is bringing upon themselves their own destruction!

 

Thanks for all the love and support!
Love you bunches!

Hermana Jones 

Happy PDay

Hello Hello!

 

We had an awesome week this week! We got set back a little bit the other week from changing our area but after spending a couple of weeks walking in the heat and finding lots of Jehovah's Witnesses, we're starting to see the fruits from our efforts!

This week we were able to start teaching more of the people and helpin gthem progress and we got lots of great references from members.  

 

I don't know why but suddenly we got lots of references for girls my age from the members this week.  We are teaching 4 right now and they are all awesome.  They are all references from other members and I don't know, maybe just talking to me made them think of their friends because these girls are all pretty much exactly like me.  Not exactly, but definitely would be my friends.  So it's been pretty fun teaching them because we get along great and they understand very well and love learning about the Gospel.  So we have one baptismal date for Katia for the 8th and two others on the 15th.  They are great! 

 

Also one of the little miracles that we had this week was when we stopped and chatted with some people in the park and found out that one of the ladies was already a member.  She got baptized 15 years ago in the Selva (The jungle) but moved here and hasn't been to church since.  She has had a ton of problems in her life and it just so happened that she recently saw the church the other day and started thinking about it more, and that's when we found her.  She says that even though she hasn't been to church, whenever the Jehovah's witnesses or evangelicals talk to her she tells that she is a Mormon and that isn't ever going to change. Cool! So she came to church and brought her friend, and we visited him last night and found out that he also is a member! Got baptized about 17 years ago  in the Selva as well so we are excited to help em get back on the straight and narrow.

 

This week was pretty fun and funny, I don't really know why or remember anything that happened, but Hermana Sevilla and I were laughing a lot.  Probably just because we were so happy and stoked that everything is going well here.  

 

AHHHHH Literally as I was writing that, Our district leader told us he got the news that I'M LEAVING EL OLIVAR!!!!!!!! WHAT! WOW...... Okay seriously what are the odds that as I was writing how awesome things are going here, I get the news that I'm leaving tomorrow........... wow! Okay I'm sad to leave here but happy to experience a new area and everything. Wow. And now I'm nervous because all we do is pack up and go to the chapel tomorrow and they tell us where we go and with whom...... 

Anyway, so I just went from really calm to really nervous and happy and sad and everything.  

But thanks for all the love and support and prayers and Love you all bunches! 

I'll let you know next week where I am and how things are going!

 

Love,

Hermana Jones 

 

Hola

Howdy!

Okay, before I forget, there is another change in our address but only for PACKAGES:

 

Pedro Ronald Roldan Caceres

Mision Peru Lima Oeste

Carlos Salaverry 3664 - Los Olivos

Casilla de Correo 39-054

Lima 39

Peru

 

So the only difference is that it has to be addressed to Pedro roldan.  He is our stake president and picks up all the packages and so they need to be addressed to him! Just write my name somewhere else on the package where it can be seen but not in the address line.  

Letters can be addressed to me still.

 

I don't know if anyone recently sent a package but if so, hopefully all is well!

This week I received the package from mom with all the goodies and from Jenny so thanks a ton! I've almost eaten everything... haha

 

This week was great! It was another long week since we have been starting over in our new area but it was better because we found some great people and taught a lot more.  We still don't have too many progressing investigators but it's because we are in the beginning stages of teaching.  We are excited to get things moving more and see some baptisms here in February! 

 

We had an awesome multi zone conference with President Archibald this week and the whole training was about the family.  He talked to us for a couple hours about the family and the importance.   Our mission is putting our entire focus in the families now.  We still are allowd to baptize other people obviously, but our focus is on the family and the rule is that we can't ever pass a family in the street with contacting them.  We are to pray everyday for families.  It was an awesome training and we are super excited to do it.

One of the tips he gave us is to contact people just using family home evening.  Without even preaching anything he told us to tell families that we'd like to come over for 15 minutes one day and hae a family home evening with them.  So then we go over and sing a song and teach a 2 minute lesson or bible story and play a game and say a prayer and leave.  Short and leaves them thinking about how we helped their family be more united.  Then we come back in a couple days and they basically have to let us teach them because we helped them be more united.  Sister archibald gave us all the happy and frowny face pictures to sing "No one likes a frowny face..." with the families and we made a "Don't eat Pete!" (No coma Pedro!") board to play with them.  We have been doing that a lto and it has worked wonders! We are suddently finding more families and they let us teach them! We are excited to teach them more and help them progress more.  

 

Yesterday we got a referral from a recent convert from another ward.  It is his girlfriend so we went and visited her with him and she is GREAT.  She is super samrt and is studying to be an engineer right now.  She is one of those people that understands and is very willing and accepting but never would have listened to us if it hadn't been for the referral we got and that we could visit her with him.  She is going to get baptized in February.  Referrals are the best things ever!!!!!!!!

 

Overall, it was a good week and great things are coming here.  The mission is changing and the work is progressing! The church is true and don't ever forget it!

 

Love you bunches and thanks for all the support and prayers! 

 

Con much cariño,

Hermana Jones 

Bueans Tardes

Hola familia!

 

So this week we were called into our Stake President's office with our zone leaders and the other hermanas in our ward.  President Rodan pulled up a map on his computer and showed us our ward boundaries, and told us that they are going to be changing this month.  He showed us the new ward boundaries and said he talked with President Archibald that day and in summary, Hermana Sevilla and I are chaning half of our area! We are giving half of our area to the other hermanas and then we are opening a new area, which is currently in a different ward, but in a month or two will become part of our ward.  But we are starting working there now to be ready for when they make the changes. Wow, talk about overwhelming! So unfortunately we gave our area full of the families we were teaching to the other hermanas, and we spent the week with a lot of walking and contacting in the sun! It was one of those weeks that builds character and makes you grateful for the other weeks... haha. 

So now on Sundays we attend two wards for the next couple of weeks until things get officially changed. 

So anyway, it was pretty tiring because our new area is huge but we are excited because things were going a little slow in our other area and now we have new terrain to convert.  :)

 

Big news: A man in the ward bought us Root beer this week!!!!! I don't know where he found it but I was way excited and it was delicious.  Me and the other American hermana loved it but we drank it at our pensionistas house and her whole family tried it and not a single person liked it! I took a video and it's pretty funny all their reactions.  I can't send videos through this mail so youll get to see it one day.  They said it tasted like mint... But it was good because that means I just got to drink the rest of everybody elses.

 

Like I said, it was a pretty long week and things are a little slow here, but we are wokring and trying to focus on finding families.  We have a new rule in the mission thatat 8am every day, every companioniship in the mission needs to pray specifically to find a "golden family" that day.  If you'd like to partcipate with us, the more the merrier! We're excited to continue to work and see miracles but we can use all the prayers and support that we can get. :)

 

Thanks for all the love and prayers and I love you all tons!

 

Hermana Jones 

Feliz Navidad y prospero año

Greetings from Peru!

 

We had a great week this week here in Peru and it was Christmas! 

I hope everybody had a fantastic Christmas!

 

Christmas was great and as I explained a little bit, it's pretty different in Peru.  In the United States people go to bed early to wait for Santa Claus but it's an all-night party here.  We spent the day with other missionaries and then the evening with our pensionista and the other two hermanas in our ward.  We were there until 10:30 and then had to return to our rooms for the night.  Well, there definitely wasn't any sleeping going on that entire night because of all of the fireworks and parties so we just chilled together and talked and had a good time by ourselves, haha.  The next day we spent the day with members, visiting with them, singing, and sharing messages about Christ.  It was a great couple of days but also very hard because people were enjoying their time with their families so they didn't want to bother with the missionaries.... haha so it was great to celebrate but now I'm glad it has ended and that we can get back into the groove of things and back to work.  

And, of course, I loved talking to the family! It was so good to just be able to see everybody and see that everybody is happy and doing well in life. In last week's letter dad mentioned something interesting that I will only call home twice in my mission because I left right at Mother's day and will come home before Christmas.  Nonetheless, I enjoyed talking to the family and time seemed to fly! 

This week starts the new year and so we have been focusing with people on goals that they can set for the new year.  We obviously can have a fresh start whenever we want to in life, but there is a different excitement in the new year that motivates people to change.  We have been working with a lot of less actives trying to get them to the temple and have been helping them set good goals to really change this year and reach the goal of the temple.  We are constantly changing in life but it is our decision and our efforts that determine if we are progressing or digressing.  

Anyway, I don't have much else to say because we just barely got to talk on Wednesday.  Just that I'm so grateful to be here in Peru and that I have this opportunity to "be an instrument in the Hand of the Lord" in bringing more people unto him. Alma 29:9.

 

Thanks for all the love and support and have a very happy NEW YEAR! 

 

Hermana Jones