Week 82: Teach Repentance and Baptize Converts

1/25/16

Hey everyone!

Hope everything is going well for y'all! I'm glad to hear so many great things are happening.

My week was really good. I get along great with Elder Anderson! We definitely have different personalities and different ways of doing things, but we're making it work. We are teaching a handful of people who are all progressing toward baptism. I mentioned Janeen last week, but also the children of that recent convert who I mentioned last week. We also had another cool experience. A member of one of our wards just adopted 4 kids. They texted us that, and said 2 of the 4 will need the missionary lessons. They are 9 and 10, and they are crazy! They are being adopted from another LDS family, so they already have a good understanding of the Gospel. Heavenly Father definitely blessed us with that opportunity.

We had a worldwide missionary broadcast on Wednesday that was given by members of the Missionary Executive Committee. My favorite part was in the talk by Elder Neil L. Anderson who talked about how we always need to have the name of Christ in our hearts and on our lips. He said, "Because of the Restoration, you and I know more about the Savior than anyone else." I was amazed by his comments and I really felt a desire to fulfill my purpose as a missionary by inviting others to come unto Christ. It's really not about us, or about anything we do, so long as Jesus Christ is at the forefront of our thoughts, words, and deeds. I really hope that those of us who are on missions never really go home from our missions. We will always need to keep that missionary

mentality in order to do the Lord's work.

Hope y'all have a great week! I always love to hear how each of you are doing!

Elder Jones

Week 81: A New (yet Old) Ara

1/18/16

Elder Jones and Elder Anderson

Hey everyone!

Things keep chugging along in the Nevada Las Vegas West mission. We found out that we can't do transfer meetings right before transfers actually took place Me and my companion were in charge of ensuring that the missionaries in our zone got to where they were being transferred to, and I also ended up being transferred to another zone as well. So that made the day really hectic. Things ended up working out though. All the missionaries got to where they needed to be! It was a blessing that things didn't go too horribly wrong.


As for my new area, it's awesome! I was transferred back to the Tule Springs stake this past Monday! I am companions with Elder Anderson. He is from Sugar City, Idaho. I'm excited for this transfer, mostly because him and I get along very well. We have a great zone of missionaries. Several of them are missionaries I've known for a long time. They are all really excited to work. It's a really nice thing when you have Elders (and one set of Sisters) who all love the Gospel and have the desire to share it!
 
We have some really awesome investigators as well! There is a lady named Janeen who we are teaching. Her husband is a returning
less-active. They have a few teenage kids who aren't exactly interested yet, but Janeen and her husband are awesome! They had been
going to one of the mega-churches here in Vegas for almost 2 years when they started feeling like there was something missing. Janeen's husband asked her if she'd be willing to try the Mormon church, since that was how he was raised. Needless to say, they showed up at church one day and loved it. They then dove headfirst into the Book of Mormon together, and have since been taking the missionary lessons! I'm excited to keep teaching them because they are so on fire in terms of the Gospel!

We have a bunch of other investigators as well. A lady and her son were baptized a month ago, and now her three other kids want to get baptized! We are excited because they are such good kids!

Yesterday, I was in church and was asked to share my testimony during 2 of our 3 sacrament meetings (we cover three wards; 2 family wards and a singles ward). I shared my testimony of the restoration of the gospel. I sat down and, during the closing hymn, I thought a little about what I had said; I felt an overwhelming sense of love and joy because I really do know (and have always known) that the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith really was a prophet! I'm just excited to hit the ground running these next few months.

Hope y'all have a great week! Make sure to write and share your own missionary experiences if you have time!

Love,

Elder Jones

Week 80: Sorry this is going to be a little short!

1/12/16

Andy and Elder Jones

Hey Mom!

Elder Carreno, Andy, and Elder Jones

Sorry this is going to be a little short! I ended up being transferred. You know what the funny thing is? I'm going back to Tule Springs! This time will be as a zone leader, but, hey, it's still pretty cool! Elder Carreño and I had a really awesome last week together. We were able to get a lot done, we saw a ton of miracles, and just enjoyed the mission life!

We taught a family of 4 named the Bernals! We met with them several times and were even able to tour our church building with them! When hey came to church on Sunday, they had a really amazing experience. For it being my last Sunday in the Lakes stake, I had a pretty amazing day as well! We had tons of people who just walked into church, or who were brought by their friends! It was so fun being able to go back and forth across the congregation after sacrament meeting talking to the many potential investigators who had come!

Again, sorry this letter is so short, today has been crazy! You and the rest of the family are in my thoughts and prayers continually!

Love you lots!

Zach

Week 79: Out with the Old, In with the New!

1/4/16

Hey everyone!

My week was pretty eventful! Remember that head cold I talked about last week? It turned bad on Tuesday and I ended up going to get a check up. I had everything, sinus pressure included. I even had a toothache! That cold pretty much floored me on Tuesday, and I had to stay in bed. After Tuesday, I couldn't bring myself to sleep any more, so Elder Carreño and I got back to work.

Once my cold went away, we immediately went to start visiting investigators, and catch up with everyone. We only have 2 solid investigators currently - Andy and William. They are both doing alright, but we have really struggled in helping William come to church. We will keep working on him though! Our efforts the past couple weeks have been to visit the members and seek referrals. We have been doing a good job because most of the members we have met with have at least given us one name to work with! We are excited about being able to teach some of these people!

New Years' was fun! We were able to watch movies like Tarzan, Ephraim's Rescue, Prince of Egypt, and a couple others. It was also Elder Carreño's birthday! We celebrated by going to Red Robin (since he had never been there before).

All in all, we had a good week! We're trying hard and having fun working as the Lord's servants.

My mom emailed me this poem, and I really like it:

As you venture forth in the mission field,

Where the harvest is truly great,

Thrust in your sickle with all your might,

For there is no time to wait!

 

We know you will need as you go your way—

Just a few real necessities,

Dark suits, white shirts, and shoes with tough soles,

And socks with long guarantees.

 

The things that you cannot pack in your bag,

Are the most important for you.

So, we’ll ask the Lord to supply your needs,

And prompt what you say and do.

 

To give you courage, when things go wrong

Or someone can’t make up his mind;

The virtue of patience and fortitude,

When people are rude and unkind.

 

The healing touch, when the thoughts of home

Bring moments to stop and sigh.

These two short years will be over soon,

Like your school years in times gone by.

 

The treasures you’ll reap in eternity

Will be a reward that day,

When the grateful souls will rejoice

Because a missionary passed their way!

Have a great week!

Elder Jones