Monday, September 22, 2014

Christ's Church

Hi Everyone,

I have so much I want to share. I hope I can find the time.

So...I had a little bit of an epiphany, ...a continuation from yesterday to today that I want to share. Yesterday for my study I was studying about Christ's earthly ministry as well as a bit of the Apostacy. There are two scriptures from the bible that PMG provides. One talks about how we don`t just choose Christ, but He chooses us. After Christ and his apostles died, the gospel was gone from the earth. Then there came all those different churches. There came reformers, because they didn`t like what the church they had at that time was teaching, so they took what they wanted and started their own church. There were inspired people, and for that I am grateful. They helped create religous freedom. But that's not how the gospel works. The gospel is of God, not of Man. We can interpret it any way we want to, how we might like it, but the gospel is of God. Joseph Smith, our first prophet in the latter days is a true prophet of God. He was confused by all these different churches, and when he read James 5, he KNEW he had to ask God. God and Jesus Christ answered him. Joseph Smith was chosen to restore the church just as Jesus Christ had it when he was on the earth. This is why The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter'Day Saints isn`t just another church to choose from. It is literally Christ´s church.

There's so much to study that's in Preach My Gospel, so many references for us to look up and read...., the mission library... The reason why is because part of building your testimony of something is actively learning it. My understanding of The Apostacy and how it affected the world has really has grown these past few days. I want to study so much more about it.

We had Zone Conference this week. I learned a lot. I already knew it`s important to keep up with the converts and help them grow their testimonies, but it`s also important to keep up in where they're at in other things in activity in the church. I could expand on more... but to sum it up it`s called the Work of Salvation. I have lots I want to write.

One day we were on the bus to go to comida and this clown was on it performing...they do things sometimes on the bus here in Mexico. We were about to get of, and the clown was saying 'getting off already wueras? I love you Canada!´ and it was so weird because everyone uaually assumes I´m from the United States.

I want to talk about Hector. He is a dad of some members in the ward and we met him at the ward Mexico Day party. His daughters wanted us to come visit him this week, so we went Saturday. He's duro ... like he's not sure if there is a God or not. We had such a great lesson. We were there with two of his daughters and his grandson that recently returned home from his mission. Even though he's duro ... we both, Hna Jensen and I, can see such a potential in him, That once he gets that testimony...it's going be a strong one.

Yesterday, some other members told us that we should come visit their neighbours, and that the neighbours knew that we were going to come. The Rodrigues Family. We met four of them yesterday. They're Catholic by belief but they don't attend. We had a really good lesson with them, and they were asking lots of questions about baptism, as they were baptized as babies. Like with Hector, Hna Jensen and I can see some really good potencial with them, like they truely want to known what they should be doing.

We've been doing lessons with converts and less actives about Family History. And with that, I would love to know more about my family history. Starting with my great grandparents...so if I could get info on them, that would be fabulous.

Why does time always run by so fast?

Les Quiero!

Hermana Tessa Marie Jones





Monday, September 15, 2014

Independence Day


Buenas casi Dia de Independencia por Mexico,

It´s tomorrow. There are a lot of flags, and red and green and white.  It makes me think of Christmas. Also, they closed off part of one side of the calle principal for a little carnival. The rides have been sitting there for  2 or 3 days now, and they're not even open yet.

Also...before I forget to add the funny thing that happened this morning, I´m gonna write it now.  Hna Jensen wanted to take a glance at the sky this morning to see if it was going to rain, because it rains a lot here. She opened the front door, and right as she did it this man walked by. So she just says 'Buenas Días!´', because it was a little awkward and then she closed the door.  We just start laughing really hard.

So...last week I lied and said that Ana had to wait 4 more Sundays. It was actually 3. So now she just has to wait 2. We went to go visit her yesterday at her house, and the night before we were wondering what to teach her because she basically has everything.  Saturday night Hna Jensen flipped to a random page in True to the Faith and we decided we'd teach her that topic.  It turned out, it was something she really needed.
Something that breaks my heart a little...she and her husband are moving...basically right after she gets baptized. They're moving to Escamela. I won't get to teach Ana as a recent convert, and I won't be able to see Oscar get baptized for when he finally gets a break on Sundays. Or see their adorable daughters. Tomorrow President is coming here so we're having a zone conference with Orizaba and Cordoba together.  I'm going to tell Hna Kind to take good care of them.

We had divisions this week. I worked in Orizaba with Hna Terry. There, I was part of a lesson  teaching this little girl about baptism.  That was fun. I really do love divisions, and I always feel like in the mornings when we get together to discuss what we learned... they help me. Like they are directed at me.

Let's talk about Keyra. This week she told us that since we've been coming to visit her, she's noticed a change in her house. A good change. She told us that she and her mom are getting along a lot better. The first time I went to her house, we were talking with her mom, and she was telling us about how the relationship between her and her daughter was a little rocky. So to hear that from Keyra felt so good, and that part of my service as a missionary is making changes in peoples lives.

When there comes good, there comes some adversary. I've been struggling a little bit, forgetting the power that I have as a missionary. Sometimes because I can't always understand the people so I'm not exactly sure how to help them. But right now I'm doing okay. I just need to find time to read my scriptures for myself a little more, as reading for myself always gives me a form of peace. I studied about hope this morning, and there's a scripture. Romans 15:4 that talks about how we can find hope through the scriptures, and then a little further in 15:13 it talks about how God is a God of hope. You should all read it. I want to find a scripture about hope everyday.

We found someone new to teach this week. The poor thing. Her daughter passed away 10 years ago and she's having some other trials too. All these people we teach really need the gospel, but it's a little sad when they don't quite see it.

We had to drop Raquel. Whenever we went to her house she was never there, and she didn´t show up at church the past two weeks. I know agency is a gift and we all chose to have it, but sometimes it just kills me a little when people don't use their agency to recieve even more blessings.
Rayo also told us on Sunday when we dropped by her house in the morning to see if she wanted to come to church with us that she was going to continue going to the church of her parents. She has a lot of fear. But I feel that one day she will overcome that fear and join the church.

Continue the prayers for Ivan. He's had so many answers to his prayers...he's basically a walking miracle from what Hna Jensen has told me... but he's not recognizing them as answers. We really do want him to have all the blessings he can get from baptism.

Oh...so the other day we went to visit a less active recent convert of 6 months. He hasn't been at church because he's been opening his store on Sundays and other things that are going on. We saw him at church yesterday, so that made us really happy!

Hopefully nothing too crazy happens tonight, as everyone gets excited for Independence Day here.

Les Quiero!
Hermana Jones




Monday, September 8, 2014

Nogales happenings

Mi Querida Familia a queridos Amigos,

It's raining right now. Just in case you were all curious. It rains a lot here in Nogales.

 Ivan didn't get baptized this Sunday. He does plan to get baptized, but he wishes to be better in health before doing so and is waiting for a firm answer. But he will. We`ve just got to respect his decision for now. Something funny, his son in one of his prayers asked that his dad could make the decision to get baptized.

Ana was able to come to church yesterday! She is so wonderful. She told us the other day that she has a testimony of Joseph Smith, The Book of Mormon and the church. She had some insiteful things to say in Gospel Principles. The Elders had a baptism after church, so she stayed to watch that. We`re almost done teaching her all the lessons. We just have a few commandments, and lesson 5 and we still have to wait 4 more Sundays.

Something funny that happened during one of our visit when Oscar was also there.  They wanted to know about the our families and the names of everyone. They asked our names too. Usually we don't give them , but it's Ana and Oscar - so as long as they promised to still call us by Hermanas. So I said 'mi nombre es Tessa'.
Oscar:`Su nombre es casa?¨ looking really confused.  Hna Jensen, Ana, and I started laughing.  For the people that don't know spanish, casa means house, so he first heard that my name was house.

We had to drop some investigators this week. All the set appointments we made...they weren`t there. But we picked up 3.

Rayo. She's a former investigator. Her family is Catholic and when she was getting taught she wasn't 18 yet and didn't get good permission from her parents. So hopefully it can be okay now.
Keyra, another former. Her mom is a less active. Keyra is sisters with Sarai ... from Ojo de Agua.
Raquel,  mother of a recent convert who is less active right now. Valeria. They both don't like wearing skirts.  Valeria says that is one reason why she's not attending. Raquel  wants to be baptized. When we placed a date with her and she asked ' can it be sooner?`` We placed it for October 5th but she needs to change a few things before she can be baptized. So while we have new ones, which is great, it can be a little frustrating when they don't go to church, especially when they say they're planning and the night before they say they're looking forward to it.

We had a zone class this week.  I got to see Hna. Orr. The first thing she asked me is when we're having a cheese party after we get back, and I`m just said...we've got a year to figure this out.
I´ll be back from my mission in less than a year. How weird is that?
I feel like this letter is short, but I must go and preach the gospel. So I hope you're all doing fine and dandy.

Les Quiero!

Hermana Jones

Monday, September 1, 2014

Moving Day

Hola!

 I moved again, but this time it was only 5 minutes away. We were living in this 4th floor apartment.  There was only one room on each floor and there were just stairs. That apartment is part of the reason why there were special transfers. Hna Jensen's last companion for 3 days had back problems.  Thursday morning she phoned President to tell him this and he  said 'You live on the fourth floor. You can't do this to your back.' So that happened and she's in the Port now where she's close to the hospital to do tests.

Now we live in an actual house. It is so cute! When we have everything set up I'll take pictures. It's the kind of house where...you know when you draw a typical house with a square for the house and a triangle for the roof... it's like that. It also has these little skylights...like little windows in the roof. The Elders helped us move as well as Hno Charly. The house we're renting belongs to this guy in the ward. He didn't move his stuff out, and it was 6 in the morning. So we weren't the happiest campers. While the Elders were helping him move his stuff out of the way...Hna Jensen and I were going up and down 4 flights of stairs to move our stuff. After that we needed to clean our apartment. The sister training leaders came after a little bit to help us out. So...that was basically my day. We still have some work to do to get our house all in order. Moving is a pain.

I'm not sure if I've said  how long Hna Jensen has been on the mission. She's just a transfer ahead than me. We're really similar. We both like to be timely people, we love hugs, we love essensial oils... she has this little kit of them. She also likes organic food.  Best of all ... she's a fellow nerdfighter! The other day I said... "so we nerdfighters are preaching the gospel. That's probably one of the best ways to fight against world suck.´´

The way we work our speaking of English and Spanish is we start the Spanish when we begin studying and end it mas o menos when we get home.

 I sang' Oh Canada' this week. We were walking down the street going to an investigators house and ran into the family Charly. I say it backwards cause that's how it is in Spanish. I love them! I think they are the Hernandez family of Nogales.  Hno Charly is the ward mission leader. The older son... I forget his name, asked me what the Canadian Anthem is like ... so I sang it..In the streets with people walking by. No shame. Hna Gladys Charly said 'you should have seen your face. You just lit right up when you were singing your anthem.'

Okay...our investigators... I want to start with Ana because I just love her. She had one or two weeks of being taught before I came here. It was her husband actually who was a reference from the church offices. But Hna Jensen ... or was it Hna Terry... I forget which one... went to their house and Oscar (the husband) wasn't there.  Ana asked if they wanted to come in. Of course! Ana is golden...she accepts everything really easily. When she learned that coffee was against the Word of Wisdom...she just right stopped drinking it. What is hard is that she has to wait 4 more weeks until her baptism because her date keeps falling. Last weekend her baby got sick in the middle of the night and this Sunday her sister in law showed up out of the blue and told her to watch her kid.  This frustrates Ana because she really wants to get baptized. Please pray for her. Really...please pray of all our investigators. Oscar is awesome and really tries to understand what we're saying. But just recently his shifts got switched to Sundays...so he doesn't have a baptism date because he can't attend church. He's also having a little troubles with the not drinking coffee. So keep him in your prayers too. When we taught the Plan of Salvation this week he told us that his end goal was to have an eternal family.

Ivan... he's done getting taught all the lessons, but he's not entirely sure if he's ready for baptism yet. We have a goal for this upcoming Sunday. Ivan is sick...the doctors diagnosed him with cancer but they're not sure where. So he's taking chemotherapy which can really tire him out. One thing our District leader told us to try to help him this past week was to read Alma 24... about the Anti'NephiLehites, so we left that as an assignment with him at the end of one of our lessons.  We read some of it with him during the next lesson. He told us the next time we visited that he read it again.  This Sunday it was talked about during the third hour. Because Ivan doesn't feel the best all the time, he doesn't always stay the three hours of church but this time he did, and he thought it was really cool.

Tabitha. She's the mother of some recent converts in the ward. She tells us that she finds it will be dificult to change, as she's been in her religion for 28 years, but she never says she won't change. One thing we've tried to tell her is that she's not changing... she´s adding on to what she knows about God and Christ, really she´s getting the fullness of the gospel, not just part of it.

Catolina. She's a reference from a member. Please have her in your prayers. Our first meeting with her she was just so confused. The Jehovah's Witnesses are also seeing her ... so she spent about 10 minutes asking if it wrong to put up a Christmas tree at Christmas time. She feels like a bad person because she hasn't been to her own church in a year (she's Catholic) and she's listening to both us and the Jehovah's Witnesses. She has a shell, but our second visit with her it was starting to break a little. She told us that her husband left her a year ago, and she's really having a hard time with that. She didn't go to church though. We passed by her house yesterday and she said she was busy with house chores. We told her that if she really prays to God to know which is the road for her, he will answer. Please pray for her.

This Saturday we started this mission activity. It's movie nights at the church. Movies made by the church. We watched The Testaments. There weren't a whole lot of people there... but some who did come were a reference for us from Hno Charly. They were really  touched by it. We hope we can find them this week and start to teach them.

That was a bit of my week.
I hope all of yours were awesome,

Love,
Hermana Tessa Marie Jones