Christmas Letter to Dad

Dear Dad,


Surprise!! (like Stephen on Nacho Libre).  Feliz Natal all the way from Brasil.  I wanted to write you this short letter as one of my Christmas presents to you (I already wrote the other one that you opened earlier this morning).  Anyway, the mission is great.  Whenever times get hard here I always think of you and your determination to work hard and 'do hard things' like you said in your last letter.  It's really true that we have such a huge opportunity to do hard things here. It'll all be over so quickly and we'll look back and be happy that we weren't lazy.  If only every one of our investigators could understand this....


Time has been passing by quickly.  The harder you work, the faster time passes.  I'm grateful for a mission president who is like you too - he is awesome.  I think I"m now starting to understand some of the things you do.  When you do stuff cheap and tacky (you know, in order to save 3 cents or whatnot)...I'm doing the same thing.  It's pretty sweet.  It's kind of weird though because I feel like I'm becoming the same person as you sometimes haha.  I love to read the letters that you send every week and hear that the Lord continues to bless the family with temporal and spiritual blessings.  Sometimes it's hard to believe that we've been blessed so much - sometimes life just seems too perfect.


I'm extremely grateful, more than you'll ever know, for your unwavering example throughout the years.  Whenever I"m working out in the morning, doing push-ups or whatever, I think of what an awesome opportunity we have to 'do hard things.'  Then, when I'm out in the streets and people are doing everything they can to stop me or the work from progressing, I hum 'Let us all press on' in my head and think of the reward that we will receive if we have faith and put our shoulder to the wheel.


This work is amazing.  It is true that every step I take in this work and in my life is very much a part of you and your influence.  In a way, you will be able to serve multiple missions through me, Spencer, and Davis.  I'm so grateful to be your son.  Have an awesome year - I will continue to pray for your success and the family's success.  Thanks for everything.  I love you.


FELIZ NATAL!!!!


Elder Jones

Old December letters- 12/14/2011

Dear Mom and Dad,


Glad to hear everything is going well, I try to write handwritten letters as often as I can but unfortunately P-day is nothing like it used to be (like in the MTC) haha.


You are really free on your mission to manage your time. Obviously there are lots of rules, but outside of that it's really up to you to manage your time and work hard.  I can see how it's such great training for life because that's how life is (along with a million other worries) haha.  I always thought that the mish would be some what of a "break" but not when the commandment is to serve with all your heart, might, mind, and strength.  Anything less isn't enough (to stand blameless before God at the last day - Section 4 of the Doctrine and Covenants).


I really think if every missionary understood Section 4 we wouldn't have any problems.  I love to show that Section to recent converts who are 16 or 14 and hesitant to serve a mission because they're not familiar with it or they think they won't be any good.  It says clearly that all you need to "embark on this great work" is a desire (not a degree).  The Spirit is the teacher - not you, you just have to know how to humble yourself (which isn't as easy as it sounds sometimes).


One thing I've learned while being out here is how sensitive the Spirit is.  Understanding how to teach and live with the Spirit is the trick to life.  The Spirit will leave with one thought, one neglected commandment, etc...  President Eyring visited us one year ago and he told the missionaries to "get out of the way of the Spirit."  The mission is no "a break" when you live it right.  This is harder work then ever but its also the most rewarding.  If you're serving the right way you are worried about your investigators and the work from the moment you get up until you lay down to pass out. 


It's true what is always said about how time flies when you are working hard and are busy.  I was reading my brand new copy of the Novembro Liahona (we got December too) that we received yesterday at the office.  I'm excited to read every General Conference talk in Portuguese!  But, I was reading the first talk./opening remarks with President Monson. first thing that he talked about was how time flies when you ar busy - its true.  We're only here for so long so lets live life the best we know how.  I often read Alma 34:32 to people (especially after teaching the Plan of Salvation and before committing them to be baptized) where it says "this is the life for men to prepare to meet God, yea behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors."


The past few weeks I've continued to study the special October edition of the Liahona (that we received in the MTC and were asked by President to read cover to cover) where I left off.  It's truly amazing.  I read part of a talk (Neil C. Anderson) this week where he mentioned 2 Nephi 2:6, he quoted "redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth" and this is really what hit me hard when I read this the Spirit almost knocked me dead 2 Nehpi 9:41.  He is "the keeper of the gate and he employeth no servant there."  I've read that many times before - but wow - it meant something completely different to me this time.  I can't believe the love that our Savior has for us.  The more I come to know Him, the more I realize that His love for each of us is incomprehendable.  He stays there at the gate, He  stays for cada uno de nos (each one of us).


Everything is going just great here.  I continue to pray for each one of you - for you success at work to Mary being happy.  That's the way the Lord would have it.  For many to be just as happy as me - why would it be any different?  Don't forget to read the scriptures.  When we forget to read we're neglecting the Lord's power to perform miracles in our life that we all can't afford to live without.  I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have this Christmas to worry about other people and not me.  The Lord would have it no other way.  Elder Holland told us in the MTC that "you're going out to help people not suffer."  He also said with the utmost assurance, "we're gling to find ways to serve the children of God," "We're going to be the diciples of the Lord Jesus Christ together."  I'm grateful for your support and testimony.  I'm working hard - there's no other way to live this life!  Life is always good!


Love,


Elder Jones

Old December letters- 12/7/2011

Dear Mom & Dad,


How's everything going?  I'm doing great here in Brazil.  Everyone will be baptized her in Contegem by the time Elder Costa and I are done here!  haha.  One thing I've learned about the mission that is really important to have is a vision.  It's the same thing with anything in life - without a vision you're prone to laziness and procrastination.  I really liked what Dad said in one of his last letter about Paul and how he had such great success in missionary work because of how excited he was.  I think that goes for everything in life.  Another thing that I'm learning to deal with better is disappointment.  Two nights ago we found a family that I thought was elect.  They all had a date except for the mom who we know would after the next lesson.  They seemed excited to learn more and we were excited as well.  We fasted and had been praying for a family to teach.  When we returned the next night, I peeked through a hole in their door (fence thing) and saw the father sitting on the step.  After walking for 40 minutes we were ready to teach.  Wiping the sweat from our face, I knocked on the door.  The wife came out to the door to tell us that ther husband wasn't home and that he wasn't prepared and wanted nothing else to do with the Church.  It was hard for us to keep our mouths shut and not say that we already saw him and yell "hello" but everyone has the ability to exercise their agency.  We walked away knowing that we had done our part in testifying of the truth and that we had done our best.  That's all we can do in life sometimes - It's hard.


Experiences like these just make it all the sweeter when your investigators stay firm and grow and strong testimony.  Yesterday we were "batando portas" (hitting doors) and one woman let us in.  She told us the missionaries had already stopped by before and she had already gone to Church.  We began the first lesson but then she told us that her children had died and that is why she now lives by herself.  We quickly change the lesson plan to the Plan of Salvation.  At first she wasn't  buying it very well I don't  think but  then the Spirit kicked in.  I really think she felt the Spirit when we told her that she could see her family again.  I bore my testimony at the end about my family and how the Plan of Salvation means everything to me.  I told her that all I wanted was to live "there" (Pointing to the Reino Celestial on the puzzle that we always use  from Brother Holland) with my family.  I always bear my testimony also that we don't have much time here on this earth and this is why we need to keep focused and not lose focus of our "vision" which is Eternal Life with our families.  The Spirit was incredibly strong and I almost started balling, but I was  man and fought it - don't worry.  She said that she would be baptized.  She is really addicted to smoking so pray for her too! (Dona Maria)  We told her that we were there to help her and that she could do it with the Lord's help.


The work is really hard - but it's most rewarding than anything else.  Every month or so I read a talk that my teacher at the MTC gave us by Tad R. Callister entitled "Becoming a Consecrated Missionary."  It's kind of like my spiritual steroids.  I read that along with "The Race" - that poem that I already mentioned to you before.  I try and look at the big picture.  I try to look at how short the mission really is and put things into perspective.  It's really a short period of time when you think about it.  I would suggest that you read both of these together too.  They should be on the Internet some where.  Relate it to our life here.  It's really a spiritual experience.


Christmas is weird here.  People have little fake Christmas trees and decorative stuff in their houses but it doesn't feel like Christmas at all.  It's probably beacuse of the weather - haha.  Don't worry - I';m not depressed or anything - it's just funny I think.  I listen to Dad's Christmas music on my iPod almost every morning while I make and eat breakfast.  I love Christmas music - It reminds me of living in Maryland listening to Christmas music before going to open presents on Christmas morning.  Man! what great memories we have as a family!  I"m so grateful for the opportunity I have this year to serve the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!  There is no better way to try and rpay him than striving to become a consecrated missionary and bring other unto Him so that this perfect atonement may take effect in their lives as well.  I'm so grateful for the Spirit and joy that accompanies Elder Costa and I everyday here.  I love you both and thank you for all that you've done and still do. 


Feliz Natal,


Love Elder Jones

Happy 2012!

Dear Family and Friends,

 

Well, I finally received everyone's letters and packages from the last month. It was pretty dang sweet. A sister in our district who will finish her mission next week stared at the pile of letters and 2 packages and said that she's never seen anyone receive so many letters in her entire mission hahahaa. ohh yeah. rakin it in, gettin it innn..lettin thesee cards fall all ovaaa maa skin..i got carrdds to bllowowowooww..hahhaa only some people will read that and truly understand that. I truly appreciate the love of my awesome family and friends as they share their testimonies with me and allow me to have a good time laughing hard at their hilarious letters and experiences. ..If only I had time to sit down and write about my experiences..hahaha, then again I'm not sure many people would believe all of them. For now, I'll just tell everyone that the church is true and that I'm trying my best to baptize people...

 

Anyway, life here in the mission gets easier. When I say easier it's probably not the easy your'e thinking about. NOTHING about the mission is easy. It's all hard work. But like dad so thoughtfully wrote in one of his past letters, "i like to do hard things". Life's not worth doing a bunch of easy things and then dying. You can't even look back and say, "dang, I did work". "thats like a dollar an hour!!" No, but seriously, life in the field is THE life. I love the mission. You learn different stuff everyday. In Brasil you see stuff every single day that you've never seen before that you've never even thought of...right when you thought you've already seen it all. But my mind is starting to stop freaking out every day. I'm more worried about how I can improve myself as a missionary and person, and how we can better our teaching, relying more on the spirit and Lord to progress our investigators and help us in our work. This way is much better than being worried constantly about them, being worried about having the spirit in our lessons.

 

Preach my gospel says that faith is the opposite than fear. In 'our pursuit for happiness', Elder Ballard says that we need to rely on the Lord to provide us with words and the spirit if we do our part. It's a promise if we are obedient in whatever stage in our lives.

 

The portuguese is still progressing. Mom, its wayyy easier to understand than speak haha. I can pretty much understand everything. Sometimes people will use a word that I don't know but I can understand still because of the sentence. I need to continue to expand my grammar and verb usage. It's really hard to go all week speaking Portuguese 24/7 and then type this in english by the way so if im spelling words wrong...ohh well. I'll go back to kindergarden when I return to learn how to speak English again...

 

We have a young man named Matteus progressing for baptism this sunday. We're doing all we can to help him  feel ready. We brought him to an activity at the church last week and to church too. It's always great when the 5th sunday lesson is "retention" when you've got a 17 yr old boy there you are trying to get interested...how pleasant. He's still "thinking" about baptism but we're gonna hit him hard with the spirit this week and then throw him in. Do work like we do here in zona pampula. District meeting was great this week. I always ask a lot of questions and we always learn a lot. I always try to use being around older missionaries to my advatage to seek advice.

 

Sounds like the phillies are really doing work with getting everyone they can. What happend with ryan howard!?? I never knew he was out. He's too young to be sitting on the sidelines all the time. 

 

It took me more than 2 hours to open all the cards that my district leader brought me yesterday. I read them at night and in the morning. I had 2 hours of a lot of laughing and felt the spirit often. I am amazed with how blessed I am to have such great family and friends. Thank you so much for your dilligence to write me and your prayers and thoughts too. I continue to do the same for you. Each card is appreciated greatly. I can feel your spirit in every card. I will try my best to work on responding for everyone during the next few pdays. Please understand that It takes more than the 3 weeks for me to receive your letters because they have to be picked up by my district leader sometimes a month later. Your testimonies strengthen and help me. I'm filled with joy as the ancient Book of Mormon missionaries were when they learned that their friends and family were still their "brethern in the word of God" ficar firme sempre. (stay firme forever).  Never lose track of the important things in life like President Uchtdorf has counseled us.

 

I continue to work hard to find those elect prepared to change their lives for the better. I continue to pray and think about all of you. I love you.

 

Love, Elder Jones

11-16 Still in Florenca!

Dear Family,

This week has been great! Towards the end of the week we had one of the 3-day Brazil rain storms where the rain just washes everything in sight down the dirt roads into the rivers in the valley (aka jungle). The shoes are taking a beating. Elder Jack showed me a sweet store where he buys tougher shoes that are still comfortable for only 20 Reals!! He’s going to give me some stuff when he leaves including the shoes he’s wearing now which I think will fit!

This week we were walking in the valley and were passed by a van with a bunch of guys who yelled "what’s up man! Need a ride?!" followed by a roar of laughter. I wonder if they realize I think it’s hilarious too. I love making fun of myself. Elder Jack is going home in a week so he’s been dreaming of home while trying to finish strong at the same time. I can see him on his last string though...especially training me haha. I’m sure I sound like an idiot sometimes after his great teaching and then he will look at me and Ill take 5 minutes to explain our life on earth.... ok, its actually going pretty well. I’m learning a lot.

This week we found an older lady named Dona Maria. Dona is like “Mrs” in English and everyone out here has a first name of "Maria Rosario" so right now were teaching 3 people all named Dona Maria Rosario…it’s a joke. Anyway, Dona Maria is awesome! Whenever we teach her something new she sits there wide-eyed and you can just see her eyes glow.  When we first started teaching her they were dull and now she sits in her house and literally reads the Book of Mormon all day! It’s amazing. I had the great opportunity to baptize her on Sunday. Before her baptism we were teaching her and her daughter. Her daughter found it funny that we don’t drink coffee. After about 10 minutes of explaining to her why we don’t, she finally understood. She then came out with cola which we’ve been told by President we can’t drink either for whatever reason. Elder Jack looked at me and I looked at him and just laughed...how the heck are we going to explain this one to her. She probably thought we were so weird. And then we had to leave and cut it short to be home by 9.

Lunch yesterday was great…just the normal Brazilian lunch. I was pretty hungry so I was eating pretty quick. I looked down at my plate really quickly and found a chicken foot and leg…ohh the Brasilian surprises!

Yesterday Elder Jack and I were in Belo turning in the fichas… forms—to the office. I was planning on sending some letters off but turns out the city was shut down due to some random Brasilian holiday…hahah...it reminded me of not being able to go swim because of some random holiday at the JCC at home. Haha. It’s really hot here in Brasil— in case anyone didn’t know yet. It’s pretty ridiculous. The other day elder Jack and I had just finished lunch and we stuffed ourselves just to leave and find that it was incredibly hot outside and we needed to be somewhere pretty quickly. We felt like a couple drunk people trying to walk down the dirt road stuffed with the sun beating down on us. It’s this crazy feeling where you feel dizzy and stuff...kinda cool actually.

I love hearing all about the family back at home!! I miss everyone…Catie that’s awesome you’re doing so well with swimming. And Spencer and Davis sound like they’re beasting it up with football. That’s all over now...time to beast up the baseball field. Get it done this season!!! Sarah— great to hear you’re still doing great swimming and ballet. Mary I miss you too! I love to read Elizabeth’s never ending emails that take half of my email time too! Hahaa just kidding—they’re hilarious. Keep ‘em coming! I heard this week from Brady Johnson from SVU and Noah Christian. They are both doing great!! Oh, and dad—I got a letter that you wrote about a month ago that was send to Arcadia! It’s the one where you promised you’d give me the civic when I get back. I liked that one. I love getting letters—pretty soon here I’m only going to be able to go to the office every month or so maybe even longer because come transfers I won’t be with a district leader anymore so we won’t have to go to the office every week. That’s gonna suck, but it’s all good.  And I mailed those letters today that I couldn’t get off yesterday.

People make you eat like crazy here! Elder Jack said he threw up 3 times after leaving a few lunches when he first got here. Don’t worry I’ve learned quick though! The big trick is when you go to lunch you just get a tiny bit so then when the host tells you to go get your millionth serving of beans you don’t barf all over them. It’s good stuff.  We do an incredible amount of walking everyday. That’s pretty good excercize I think… I’ve been trying to go some plyometric stuff every night and crunches and pushups so I think I’ll be alright. I just gotta make sure I don’t get fat from all this bread and wheat here! The fruit is great too! It’s almost mango picking season!! There’s mango trees everywhere you look so I’m stoked to start picking them and eating them on the walk. I ike to buy lots since it’s pretty cheap here!

It’s so great to hear from every one of you!! Everyone keep working hard with school, work, baseball, ect. whatever it is. The Lord will always bless you as long as you work as hard as you can and you’re studying the scriptures and trying your best to live like Christ.  This week I’ve thought a lot about living right consistently. It requires a firm and sincere desire to be like Christ. I’ve been reading Elder Ballard’s book, Our Search for Happiness. It talks about the need to really love the Lord and then we’ll be alright because He will shape our life. It’s pretty awesome. I’m excited for transfers. There’s really no way I stay here in Florenca since it’s a zone leader area and there’s 4 people living in a 2 person house. I think Elder Bowerbank and I will be headed somewhere else. I’m excited to learn a new area and new people! Jonathan, it’s great to hear you’re doing great too!! I continue to pray for you as well!

Well that’s about all the time I have!! Love you all!! Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Jones!!

Elder Jones and the city of Florenca at night

With Dona Maria Rosario on her baptism day

Brazilian License Plate

Andrew's Brazil ID and some of his money.

The missionaries are livin' in style...

At the Mission Office

Short letter from 11-9-11

Dear Family and Friends,

This week flew by just like all the time has here so far— well like the entire mission actually. It’s weird to think that it’s already been 3 months...crazy. My companion Elder Jack is going home at the end of this transfer.  He keeps telling me that he is almost positive that President will make me a senior companion and will transfer me since this area is only supposed to have 2 missionaries but it has 4 now. I think elder jack and i already have 8 or 10 baptisms since being here1!! So crazy. 

Something I really missed on Halloween was picking apples with the family. That’s something that I loved doing every year. I loved just going with the family and eating those delicious apples. The fruit is really awesome and cheap out here but it’s not the same as those apple orchards! 

One of our investigators told us that she thought we were 30 this week which was pretty funny. She’s doing really well. We’re supposed to be baptizing her this Sunday but she’s being iffy. Elder Jack is really good with being firm with people and telling them that it’s really important. The outline that the president gives us to teach doesn’t even mention the Book of Mormon until after they accept baptism which is surprising to me especially when they stressed using it ASAP in the MTC. Weird…I think I’m going to put more emphasis on the Book of Mormon when I’m senior companion and ask President about it. 

The work is still going great though! Christmas lights do actually exist in Brazil…it’s pretty funny. They’re just at random places and today I saw a Christmas store in the city. Today we’re in the city for our P-day because Elder Jack is gonna blow 400 Reals of stuff before he goes home (he says). So the whole 100 Reals a week allowance thing isn’t as much as I thought. Almost out…

We’re still working hard and the work is progressing. I miss and love everyone! This week I got 2 letters from dad and Catie and one from Derek. That was great to finally get mail in Brazil! Love everyone! Have a great week!

Letter from 11-2-11

Dear family and friends,

First off, I got emails from James Webb and Derek Dixon but the President has threatened to send us home if we respond to other people than our immediate family so tell them I wanted to respond but can just write letters, sorry! Tell James I give him a HUGE CONGRATS and that I’m beyond stoked. Elder Rios went to Curitiba. What mission exactly? Sooo sweet. This work is true and I will keep working hard to bring it to others.

Anyway, the mission is great. All is well.  I haven’t even got sick here so that’s pretty sweet. I love Brazil.

Letters take forever to get here apparently. Still haven’t received the one from dad. The office doesn’t forward the letters so we have to go pick them up at the office. Fortunately for us 4 who live in Florenca (45 min from Belo) we go to the office to drop off baptism forms for the zone since we live with 2 zone leaders. So we spend 7 bucks on bus tickets at least once a week. It’s all good though, they give us 100 Reals every 1st and 15th so that’s 50 Reals a week which isn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

This week was fantastic!! Jessica and Maria, two of our investigators, were excited to be baptized and we worked on teaching them all week. Two more investigators committed to going to church this Sunday to see the baptisms of Jessica and Maria as well as another family we’ve been teaching this week.

On Thursday we were up in Florenca across the highway we have to cross many times a day (I’m gonna be the worst with hitch hiking when I get home haha) and we were up high in the hills in an area where Elder Jack said he’s never been before in his many, many months serving in this area. I was surprised to hear that since he’s always pointing out people in the street that he’s baptized. Everyone seems to know him and I’m just the new missionary haha. But yeah so we’re up there seeing all kinds of animals...i’m pretty sure there were llamas like in Napoleon Dynamite but who knows…they have fruit here and animals that nobody knows about in the states.  As we’re walking through this narrow dirt road in the jungle there are random shack houses-which I’m getting really used to-and we finally get to the end of the road without any luck. At the last house on the hill in this jungle neighborhood type area, Elder Jack says "that’s a humble house" so I clapped my hands and we met a 19 yr old girl named Isa Marie. She came out to tell us that she had been waiting for the missionaries to come by so she could be baptized right when she saw us. She went on to tell us that her mother and father had been baptized by Elders that had passed by their little house 3 years ago. They had been forbidden to go back after those missionaries left and their dad went inactive. He threw all the Bibles and  Book of Mormons away that her mother had and her mother has gone into a depression ever since. They weren’t home at the time, only Isa. We sat down with her and we started the first lesson and she said she’d be baptized in 2 weeks after going to church with us on Sunday.

The next day we passed to meet with Isa Marie again and met her dad who was the only one home. He was incredibly rude and hostile towards both us and his daughter. It was probably a good thing that I could only understand a little bit of it. He told us that many missionaries have come by over the years and have all wasted their time with their family because they were "all Catholic"  and he explained that he didn’t like all the "rules" in the church. We explained to him that we had taught his daughter and she wanted to be baptized. He said he wouldn’t stop her from being baptized but that she only talked to us because we were "americanos." Elder Jack told him that we’d be back and we left after telling him to have a good day.

I don’t know all of Isa’s motives but when I taught the restoration I looked carefully in her eyes to make sure she was serious about it. As we left and gave her a Book of Mormon, she held it close to her heart. When Sunday rolled around we went to go pick up Jessica and Marie for their baptisms early in the morning and walked through the mud before 9 o’clock church. They had locked their house and turned off their phone and we haven’t been able to find them since. They were golden and suddenly did a 180. We’re going to try to find them later tonight. Anyway, every baptism fell through and the 2 investigators that committed to come to church weren’t home. We stood outside their houses one after another clapping our hands. That was really hard. It killed me. In Alma chapter 15 I think it is verse 23 it talks about Alma and Amulek and the anxiety they felt when people would procrastinate the day of their repentance. It’s truly a killer especially when you get to love them and they don’t follow through.

So we walk frustrated to the bus stop to meet some members waiting there and then Isa showed up which brightened me up a little. We showed her through the meetings at church and suddenly out of nowhere Elder Jack tells her after gospel principles class that she could be baptized that same day if she wanted to. She freaked out a little bit and so did I but then I realized she had already sat through the lessons with her mom and dad and been to church a few times a while ago. She said she had the desire (which is all the people in the Book of Mormon needed when they were baptized at the waters of Mormon) so all the missionaries in the ward scrambled to set up chairs and get an interview set up to see if she still remembered the lessons and everyone was throwing paper work around.

Elder Jack told me to go quickly change my clothes and get my white baptismal clothes on (which Elder Bowerbank was so kind to hem). I was a little nervous but confident with the prayer and had practiced it a lot. Right before getting into the water I asked her name. I’m pretty sure she gave me at least 5 or 6 names that i couldn’t pronounce. She was freaking out so I was trying to remain calm. She didn’t know it was my first baptism and that I had no clue what she had just said. I started the prayer and said her name and heard an "espera" or wait from Elder Jack behind me on the stairs. He then had me repeat her name as he said it and then I proceeded with the prayer and everything went great. It was exciting for me and her. She said she felt a lot better after the baptism and that she felt good. We’re going to keep teaching her. Her whole story is just one example of the miracles the Lord has prepared for us.

This work continues to amaze me. It’s still pretty frustrating to not understand the old people that talk a million miles an hour but have no teeth— but I’ll get there. It’s really hard to speak still too –especially about non-gospel related stuff.

Halloween was weird. I woke up and Elder Bowerbank said happy halloween. Nobody celebrates it here. The children knew it was Halloween but they don’t know what trick or treating is. Apparently Elder Jack says they don’t celebrate anything here haha. Not really even Christmas. Either way well be knocking doors to share a message – but not for candy… although some chocolate would be nice a break from rice and beans 24/7. haha man I love it here. I wish I had more time to tell you about my experience of reading in John chap 13-15 this morning and the spirit I felt when I read the words that Christ spoke to his disciples before being crucified. Read those chapters and relate and liken them to you. It’s amazing!

Love you all and hope you all had a great Halloween! Gotta run and buy groceries. Love you all!

Love, Elder Jones