Dearest Family,
Well first off, it looks I`m going to be an uncle again. I`m not surprised though. I knew it would happen eventually. ¡Felicitaciones Jenny and Paul! Looks like I`ll another new niece/nephew to meet. It`s also good to hear that all the other unborn babies are doing fine. G and G Jones now have a lot more names to remember.
How`s the quiet house? It sounds like everyone gets to have fun during the Jamboree. What`s new in Mesa? How are the temples coming along in Gilbert and Phoenix ? Have the city councils approved the construction of them yet? Keep me posted with that. How`s the ward? Are there more new members? Is Jason getting ready for his mission? Heather told me he decided to go on a mission. I don`t know what else to ask. If you guys think of something to tell me, tell me.
Last week, we had our first zone conference with Presidente y Hermana Heaton. They are really nice. They act just like grandparents, especially Hermana Heaton. Presidente Heaton is remembering spanish. He served his mission here in Uruguay , so he knows Spanish. He just needs to remember it all now. He did pushups in front of everybody. There were a few changes. We are going to start having zone conference and interviews every three months(every other change). The Church has come out with 8 new lessons for missionaries. These lessons are not replacing the 5 lessons in Preach My Gospel. They are just to help us become better teachers. They help us focus more on the important things that we are supposed to teach. The Church will start teaching these lessons in the MTC`s around the world in May of next year. General Authorites are going to the different missions around the world to teach these lessons to the missionaries already in the mission field. That way when new missionaries come after May of next year, we will have all been taught the same lessons. The zone leaders, district leaders, and trainers will be taught the lessons. Eventually, every missionary will be taught the lessons.
It`s been raining the last couple of days. It`s supposed to continue until tomorrow. Last week, there was actually snow in the forecast. Luckily it didn`t snow. As a missionary, I hate the rain. It kills the work, especially in a culture where the people don`t do anything when it rains. We didn`t have any success yesterday. It rained all day. We came home about an hour early. We finished our weekly planning. Hopefully it won`t rain to much this week.
Last week was great. We found nine new investigators. Most of those investigators were found while we did divisions with the zone leaders. Elder Novoa came here to Playa Pascual, and I went to Montevideo with Elder Powell. I`m really glad that the World Cup is over.
I gave a talk yesterday. I spoke about the Atonement. I used the stroy of Alma the Younger as an example. It went well I suppose. There were only 22 people at church yesterday, including us. When it rains, people don`t go to church. I`m still not used to that. It was good though.
I don`t know if you have any Melaleuca lotion Mom, but I could use some more of that. Winter weather dries out my skin. That should be it.
I guess that`s about it for this week. Have agood week.
Les quiero,
Elder Ethan Jones
Monday, July 19, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
The World Cup is OVER
Dear Family,
How is everything going? How`s the heat? What`s new in Mesa? Before I forget, I`m fine with money right now. I`ve had some bills to pay. That`s why I kept taking out money. I`m also going to buy some more stuff to stay warm. I`m going to get a scarf and some earmuffs. The money situation is fine. I`m not starving or anything
About the thermals: a 28-30 waist sounds good. The tops should be fine. I have small tops right now, they fit me well. So that should work. Also I don`t if you have one yet, but I need another journal. It`s a green, mini three-ring binder form Deseret Book. It says missionary journal on the front. My favorite non-chocolate candy would have to be Sour Patch Kids. I think that`s about it there.
Elder Watson and I were supposed to give talks yesterday, but the stake presidency came. We`re giving them next week. I`ll let you all know how it goes.
Uruguay did lose. Fourth place isn`t bad though. Spain beat the Netherlands yesterday in the final. Hopefully we`ll be aqble to find some new investigators now. I know ther`re out there. We`ll keep looking for them. Heavenly Father will lead them to us or He`ll lead us to them. It doesn`t matter how. I love reading the stories of the missionaries in the Book of Mormon. It keeps me going because a lot of them had hard times as well. The only convert Abinadi had was Alma . Abinadi may have thought that he had failed, but, in reality, tens of thousands of people came into the church because of him. All those stories keep me going. I may not see immediate success, but I`m planting seeds that future missionaries will harvest. I love this work. I know I`m here for a reason. As long as I do my part, the Lord will do the rest.
Presidente y Hermana Heaton got here safely. We`ll meet them this Wednesday at Zone Confernce. All of the zones outside of Montevideo have already had Zone Conference. Everyone says that Herman Heaton is a great cook. Everyonedescribes them as grandparents. I guess that means we`ll get treated like their grandkids. Sounds good to me.
I think that`s about for this week. I love you all. Thanks for the support.
Les Quiero,
Elder Ethan Jones
P.S. Happy Birthday to Hazel last week and Happy Birthday to Brian this week.
How is everything going? How`s the heat? What`s new in Mesa? Before I forget, I`m fine with money right now. I`ve had some bills to pay. That`s why I kept taking out money. I`m also going to buy some more stuff to stay warm. I`m going to get a scarf and some earmuffs. The money situation is fine. I`m not starving or anything
About the thermals: a 28-30 waist sounds good. The tops should be fine. I have small tops right now, they fit me well. So that should work. Also I don`t if you have one yet, but I need another journal. It`s a green, mini three-ring binder form Deseret Book. It says missionary journal on the front. My favorite non-chocolate candy would have to be Sour Patch Kids. I think that`s about it there.
Elder Watson and I were supposed to give talks yesterday, but the stake presidency came. We`re giving them next week. I`ll let you all know how it goes.
Uruguay did lose. Fourth place isn`t bad though. Spain beat the Netherlands yesterday in the final. Hopefully we`ll be aqble to find some new investigators now. I know ther`re out there. We`ll keep looking for them. Heavenly Father will lead them to us or He`ll lead us to them. It doesn`t matter how. I love reading the stories of the missionaries in the Book of Mormon. It keeps me going because a lot of them had hard times as well. The only convert Abinadi had was Alma . Abinadi may have thought that he had failed, but, in reality, tens of thousands of people came into the church because of him. All those stories keep me going. I may not see immediate success, but I`m planting seeds that future missionaries will harvest. I love this work. I know I`m here for a reason. As long as I do my part, the Lord will do the rest.
Presidente y Hermana Heaton got here safely. We`ll meet them this Wednesday at Zone Confernce. All of the zones outside of Montevideo have already had Zone Conference. Everyone says that Herman Heaton is a great cook. Everyonedescribes them as grandparents. I guess that means we`ll get treated like their grandkids. Sounds good to me.
I think that`s about for this week. I love you all. Thanks for the support.
Les Quiero,
Elder Ethan Jones
P.S. Happy Birthday to Hazel last week and Happy Birthday to Brian this week.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Greetings From Playa Pascual
Dear Everyone,
How is everything? I guess a lot is happening back home. Philmont sounds great. The only place better to be is Playa Pascual , Uruguay . What`s new here? I got my new comp last Wednesday. I was late getting to the bus station to pick him up. I was supposed to be at the bus station at 6:30 AM. I woke up at 6:50. The alarm didn`t go off. Elder Zorilla and I took a taxi to the station. Luckily there were a lot of other missionaries there. We were at the station for a while. We eventually made it back to Playa Pascual. We had to wait for the AP`s to pick up Elder Waton`s luggage. Elder Watson is my comp. We take a city bus from Montevideo to our area. It`s about an hour bus ride. It`s far enough away that we can`t take a taxi there so the AP`s have to take the luggage to our area. Anyways we got that figured out and made it to our area. We are pretty much starting over here. We have no investigators. They all got dropped. Well we have one "investigator". His name is Luis. He has some crazy ideas. We found him last change. I took Elder Watson to meet him on last Saturday. He essentially told us to change our religion. He says the Book of Mormon is an alteration of the Bible. We`re not getting anywhere with him. He doesn`t want to listen to what we have to say. He tries to teach us the "real" gospel. Anyways, we told him we weren`t going to come by anymore. He flipped out. He told us that Jesus wouldn`t do that. He went off for about 5 minutes. We eventually told him we`d come back. We left him some scriptures to read. We`re going back in a month. Besides him, we have no one. We`re going to work with the members more. We`ve made some good plans. We`re hoping to see success. I`m giving another talk in two weeks. This is talk number 4. Ì only have to talk for twelve minutes so it shouldn`t be too hard. Presidente and Hermana Heaton arrive on Thursday. I believe there in Buenos Aires right now having a mission president conference with the Area Presidency.
I`m kept pretty up to date with the World Cup. The U.S. lost to Ghana . Uruguay beat South Korea though. Uruguay will now play Ghana in the quarter finals. All of the Americans were hoping the U.S. would win so Uruguay would play them. Unfortunately, it didn`t happen. Uruguay is doing great though. `We`re still not getting any work doen though. When we clap at houses most people don`t let us in. They see us, but they`re too busy watching the World Cup. I believe the championship game is July 7. It`ll be nice when it`s over.
I don`t know if you remembered Mom, but make sure you send packages in the USPS Flat Rate Boxes. Customs never opens those.
I don`t know what else to say. I guess that`s it for this week. Tell me all about Philmont. Until next week...
Les Quiero,
Elder Ethan Jones
How is everything? I guess a lot is happening back home. Philmont sounds great. The only place better to be is Playa Pascual , Uruguay . What`s new here? I got my new comp last Wednesday. I was late getting to the bus station to pick him up. I was supposed to be at the bus station at 6:30 AM. I woke up at 6:50. The alarm didn`t go off. Elder Zorilla and I took a taxi to the station. Luckily there were a lot of other missionaries there. We were at the station for a while. We eventually made it back to Playa Pascual. We had to wait for the AP`s to pick up Elder Waton`s luggage. Elder Watson is my comp. We take a city bus from Montevideo to our area. It`s about an hour bus ride. It`s far enough away that we can`t take a taxi there so the AP`s have to take the luggage to our area. Anyways we got that figured out and made it to our area. We are pretty much starting over here. We have no investigators. They all got dropped. Well we have one "investigator". His name is Luis. He has some crazy ideas. We found him last change. I took Elder Watson to meet him on last Saturday. He essentially told us to change our religion. He says the Book of Mormon is an alteration of the Bible. We`re not getting anywhere with him. He doesn`t want to listen to what we have to say. He tries to teach us the "real" gospel. Anyways, we told him we weren`t going to come by anymore. He flipped out. He told us that Jesus wouldn`t do that. He went off for about 5 minutes. We eventually told him we`d come back. We left him some scriptures to read. We`re going back in a month. Besides him, we have no one. We`re going to work with the members more. We`ve made some good plans. We`re hoping to see success. I`m giving another talk in two weeks. This is talk number 4. Ì only have to talk for twelve minutes so it shouldn`t be too hard. Presidente and Hermana Heaton arrive on Thursday. I believe there in Buenos Aires right now having a mission president conference with the Area Presidency.
I`m kept pretty up to date with the World Cup. The U.S. lost to Ghana . Uruguay beat South Korea though. Uruguay will now play Ghana in the quarter finals. All of the Americans were hoping the U.S. would win so Uruguay would play them. Unfortunately, it didn`t happen. Uruguay is doing great though. `We`re still not getting any work doen though. When we clap at houses most people don`t let us in. They see us, but they`re too busy watching the World Cup. I believe the championship game is July 7. It`ll be nice when it`s over.
I don`t know if you remembered Mom, but make sure you send packages in the USPS Flat Rate Boxes. Customs never opens those.
I don`t know what else to say. I guess that`s it for this week. Tell me all about Philmont. Until next week...
Les Quiero,
Elder Ethan Jones
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Another Change Gone
Dear Family,
First off, Happy Father`s Day two days ago. What did you buy yourself this year Dad, more camping stuff? I hope it was a good day. Also say Happy Birthday to Grandpa Jorgensen. I looked on the calender and saw that it was his birthday.
Well another change is gone. The last six weeks have flown by. I`m staying in Playa Pascual. Elder Haslam is leaving. He`s actually going to my old area in Paysandù. I`ve been telling him a lot about it. He`s going to look for my memory card when he gets there. I hope he finds it. My new comp is Elder Watson. I`ve met him before and he is hilarious so it should be a fun change. I was hoping to a Latino comp that doesn`t speak English. That would have helped with my Spanish.Elder Watson speaks pretty well though so it should work out. I`m hoping that by the end of this change, I`ll be able to understand everything people say. I can speak alright; it`s the understanding part that I`m still working on. Hopefully by the end of this change I`ll be able to understand everything. I hope that`s the case because this could be my last change as junior comp. A lot of missionaries go up to senior comp their sixth change. We`ll see.
I went to the temple this morning. That was my first time going in almost sixth months. I went my second day in Uruguay . I understood a lot more this time. The first time I didn`t understand hardly any Spanish, but I understood a lot more this time. It felt so good going back. Elder Haslam and I had to spend the night at the zone leaders house because our session was at eight in the morning. My area is about two hours from the temple. We kind of got lost on the way to the temple. We got off the wrong stop. We finally got there though, and it was great.
So Philmont is this week. How long will that last? It sounds like it going to be fun, but as much fun as being in Uruguay . Let me know how that goes. A lot of stuff is happening in the family apparently. I bet that`s fun for everyone. I`m glad I don`t have to set up the backdrops.I`ve done that enough.
So me and Tyler are the only two misisonaries in the ward now. Rock on. Preston`s having a hard time with English. I hope that`s how it is for me.
Uruguay beat Mexico today 1-0. Everyone was pretty happy about that. They also beat South Africa last week 3-0. Whenever we`re on the bus we here about the World Cup. I`m not sure how much longer it goes, but hopefully it ends soon.
The work is slow here right now. We have two investigators right now. We found both of them in the last few days. We`ve had to drop a few investigators because none of them are progressing. I hope this change is successful.
I`ve had to pull money a couple of times in the last two weeks because I`ve had to pay some bills. Luckily, I get to reimburse them and get the money back.
It`s so cold here. I know I say that every week, but it`s cold. It`s really hard to get warm. I do have a pair of thermals though so that helps. I think I`m going to buy a thicker pair of gloves because the ones I have don`t do much. I`m also going to buy a scarf and ear muffs. That`s how cold it is right now.
How`s Water Mart? Who works there now? Did Neil get his mission call? I know Mark Halbert did. He sent me a letter telling me. He`s going to Riverside, California(American Sign Language). He sounds pretty excited to go.
Anyways that`s enough from me. Until next week...
Les quiero,
Elder Ethan Jones
First off, Happy Father`s Day two days ago. What did you buy yourself this year Dad, more camping stuff? I hope it was a good day. Also say Happy Birthday to Grandpa Jorgensen. I looked on the calender and saw that it was his birthday.
Well another change is gone. The last six weeks have flown by. I`m staying in Playa Pascual. Elder Haslam is leaving. He`s actually going to my old area in Paysandù. I`ve been telling him a lot about it. He`s going to look for my memory card when he gets there. I hope he finds it. My new comp is Elder Watson. I`ve met him before and he is hilarious so it should be a fun change. I was hoping to a Latino comp that doesn`t speak English. That would have helped with my Spanish.Elder Watson speaks pretty well though so it should work out. I`m hoping that by the end of this change, I`ll be able to understand everything people say. I can speak alright; it`s the understanding part that I`m still working on. Hopefully by the end of this change I`ll be able to understand everything. I hope that`s the case because this could be my last change as junior comp. A lot of missionaries go up to senior comp their sixth change. We`ll see.
I went to the temple this morning. That was my first time going in almost sixth months. I went my second day in Uruguay . I understood a lot more this time. The first time I didn`t understand hardly any Spanish, but I understood a lot more this time. It felt so good going back. Elder Haslam and I had to spend the night at the zone leaders house because our session was at eight in the morning. My area is about two hours from the temple. We kind of got lost on the way to the temple. We got off the wrong stop. We finally got there though, and it was great.
So Philmont is this week. How long will that last? It sounds like it going to be fun, but as much fun as being in Uruguay . Let me know how that goes. A lot of stuff is happening in the family apparently. I bet that`s fun for everyone. I`m glad I don`t have to set up the backdrops.I`ve done that enough.
So me and Tyler are the only two misisonaries in the ward now. Rock on. Preston`s having a hard time with English. I hope that`s how it is for me.
Uruguay beat Mexico today 1-0. Everyone was pretty happy about that. They also beat South Africa last week 3-0. Whenever we`re on the bus we here about the World Cup. I`m not sure how much longer it goes, but hopefully it ends soon.
The work is slow here right now. We have two investigators right now. We found both of them in the last few days. We`ve had to drop a few investigators because none of them are progressing. I hope this change is successful.
I`ve had to pull money a couple of times in the last two weeks because I`ve had to pay some bills. Luckily, I get to reimburse them and get the money back.
It`s so cold here. I know I say that every week, but it`s cold. It`s really hard to get warm. I do have a pair of thermals though so that helps. I think I`m going to buy a thicker pair of gloves because the ones I have don`t do much. I`m also going to buy a scarf and ear muffs. That`s how cold it is right now.
How`s Water Mart? Who works there now? Did Neil get his mission call? I know Mark Halbert did. He sent me a letter telling me. He`s going to Riverside, California(American Sign Language). He sounds pretty excited to go.
Anyways that`s enough from me. Until next week...
Les quiero,
Elder Ethan Jones
Monday, June 14, 2010
Letter from Uruguay
Dear Everyone,
Well last week was better. I realized I just have to keep working hard and leave the rest up to the Lord. Elder Haslam and I met some interesting people last week. Yesterday, we chatted with a guy for about 20 minutes. He straight up told us that he doesn`t like our church. He had an interesting reason for not liking our church; a reason I had not heard yet. He said he went to our one Sunday about four years ago. After that, he never wanted to go back again. He thinks we spend too much money on our church buildings. He thinks we should be using that money to help the needy. We didn`t really say much. He didn`t want to listen so we left. If he only knew about the Church`s humanitarian services. As we walking away, I told Elder Haslam that that man better not go to Temple Square because he would have a heart attack haha. We meet a lot of interesting people who have some pretty crazy ideas, but I love them. Uruguay is a great place. The people are great. I`m still getting used to the country. Siesta drives me crazy. Nathan knows how siesta is. It kills the work. All the dogs also drive me crazy. Almost everyone has a dog. Everyone time we clap at sometimes house, the dogs start barking which makes it hard to hear people. I`m glad I`m here though. This is where I`m supposed to be.
The weather hasn`t been too cold the last few days. It`s been raining since Saturday morning. It`s still raining right now. We were out contacting on Saturday for a few hours. We were soaked from our knees down. We weren`t really having any success so we finally decided to go home. We got back around six and left at eight to go to a lesson. The rain makes the work hard here, but not impossible. We`ll probably be out in the rain tonight again. Rock on.
We have changes again next Tuesday. This change flew by. I think my Spanish improved quite a bit this change. I started studying harder which helped. I`m catching on to this language. I still can`t understand everything, but I`m getting there. I feel pretty good about the language right now. In fact, I have to repeat the things that my comp says sometimes because the people can`t understand him. That makes me feel pretty good.
The World Cup started last Friday. In terms of missionary work, that is bad for two reasons. First, everyone here loves soccer so, of course, they are going to watch it. Second, Uruguay is in the World Cup this year. The World Cup lasts for a few weeks. We`re not expecting to get into a lot of houses over the next couple of weeks, but we`ll try.
A lot is happening back home. The Jamboree is in a month. Philmont is soon. Westom has an Eagle Project. I guess everyone is staying busy. Preston gets home this week also. It looks like me and Tyler are the only two full-time missionaries right now in Solomon Ward. Is anything new in the ward? Is anything crazy happening in Mesa ? Has construction started on the Gilbert and Phoenix temples yet? I guess that`s all the questions I have.
Can you send me a conference issue of the Ensign? I have a Spanish one, but I want an English one. Normally the Church sends English ones as well, but I don`t know what happened this time.
I guess that`s about it for this week. Thanks for everything. I hope you all have a good week.
Les quiero,
Elder Ethan Jones
Well last week was better. I realized I just have to keep working hard and leave the rest up to the Lord. Elder Haslam and I met some interesting people last week. Yesterday, we chatted with a guy for about 20 minutes. He straight up told us that he doesn`t like our church. He had an interesting reason for not liking our church; a reason I had not heard yet. He said he went to our one Sunday about four years ago. After that, he never wanted to go back again. He thinks we spend too much money on our church buildings. He thinks we should be using that money to help the needy. We didn`t really say much. He didn`t want to listen so we left. If he only knew about the Church`s humanitarian services. As we walking away, I told Elder Haslam that that man better not go to Temple Square because he would have a heart attack haha. We meet a lot of interesting people who have some pretty crazy ideas, but I love them. Uruguay is a great place. The people are great. I`m still getting used to the country. Siesta drives me crazy. Nathan knows how siesta is. It kills the work. All the dogs also drive me crazy. Almost everyone has a dog. Everyone time we clap at sometimes house, the dogs start barking which makes it hard to hear people. I`m glad I`m here though. This is where I`m supposed to be.
The weather hasn`t been too cold the last few days. It`s been raining since Saturday morning. It`s still raining right now. We were out contacting on Saturday for a few hours. We were soaked from our knees down. We weren`t really having any success so we finally decided to go home. We got back around six and left at eight to go to a lesson. The rain makes the work hard here, but not impossible. We`ll probably be out in the rain tonight again. Rock on.
We have changes again next Tuesday. This change flew by. I think my Spanish improved quite a bit this change. I started studying harder which helped. I`m catching on to this language. I still can`t understand everything, but I`m getting there. I feel pretty good about the language right now. In fact, I have to repeat the things that my comp says sometimes because the people can`t understand him. That makes me feel pretty good.
The World Cup started last Friday. In terms of missionary work, that is bad for two reasons. First, everyone here loves soccer so, of course, they are going to watch it. Second, Uruguay is in the World Cup this year. The World Cup lasts for a few weeks. We`re not expecting to get into a lot of houses over the next couple of weeks, but we`ll try.
A lot is happening back home. The Jamboree is in a month. Philmont is soon. Westom has an Eagle Project. I guess everyone is staying busy. Preston gets home this week also. It looks like me and Tyler are the only two full-time missionaries right now in Solomon Ward. Is anything new in the ward? Is anything crazy happening in Mesa ? Has construction started on the Gilbert and Phoenix temples yet? I guess that`s all the questions I have.
Can you send me a conference issue of the Ensign? I have a Spanish one, but I want an English one. Normally the Church sends English ones as well, but I don`t know what happened this time.
I guess that`s about it for this week. Thanks for everything. I hope you all have a good week.
Les quiero,
Elder Ethan Jones
Monday, June 7, 2010
Saludos
Dearest Family,
How`s everything going in The Valley of the Sun? Is it nice and hot? I guess a lot of stuff is happening over there. Cameron was in the newspaper. Tiffany is getting married. rysten is coming home. Prestoon is coming home. Lots of stuff going on. All is well here. Presidente and Hermana Peterson have about three weeks left. We had our final interviews last week. After our interview with Presidente Peterson, we had an interview with Hermana Peterson. She wanted to know about our family and what our plans are after the mission. She also ased me if I knew the Cooleys. I told her yes. She was happy. Apparently Sister Cooley was in her Hermana Peterson`s wedding line. The two of them were very good friends in school. Hermana Peterson hasn`t heard from her in years. She was happy when I told I was good friends with Mar Cooley. I`m going to give her their address so she can write a letter to Sister Cooley. It`s a small world. Presidente and Sister Heaton get here on July 1. Presidente Heaton served his mission here so he`s really excited to come back. I`m sad that Presidente and Hermana Peterson are almost done. They are awesome. I`ve learned a lot from Presidente Peterson. I`m also excited for Presidente and Hermana Heaton to get here.
I`m pretty sure last week was the hardest week of my mission, so far. We just kept getting rejected. No one was listening to us. It was worse than usual. On top of that, we lost four investigators in two days. One of them is a girl named Maria Rivero. We have been woring with her for a while. We had a lesson set up on Saturday. When we got there, her step-dad came out and talked to us. He told us to not come back. He told us that we can`t teach her anymore and that she can`t go to church anymore. He was mad at us because he said we come by at any hour of the day. We only went by their house when Maria told us to, and if we were walking down the street and saw her outside, we would stop and say hi. He was also mad because he said someone from the church keeps calling their house late at night. When he showed us the number that keeps calling. it was our number. We told him that it`s not us because we`re in bed at that time. It was probably someone else calling him, but he wants to blame it on us. So we`re not aloud there anymore. We went home and prayed to now what we should do. Right now we`ve decided that we`re going to send over a couple of members to tal with the step-dad because he doesn`t like the missionaries. The other three investigators that we lost was the family that we found two wees ago. We were teaching the two sons and the wife of one of the sons. We went there yesterday and the mom told us that they want to eep going to their church. That was a huge bummer because they seemed so interested. We`re going by their house again tonight to see if they let us in. We just had a hard week. I was pretty depressed when we got home last night. I opened up my scriptures to find some comfort. I was reading in Alma 26. In verse 27, the Lord gives Ammon and his brethen comfort. They weren`t having success preaching to the Lamanites. They wanted to give up but the Lord told them to go back and he would give them success. He told them to be patient and long-suffering. That made me happy. I just have to try my hardest and trust in the Lord, and he will give me success. He will lead to those people who I am supposed to teach. It`s times like this when we really grow. It was a good lesson for me.
Now about the rain suit. I`ll be wearing my white shirt and sweater under it. I guess a medium for the jacket. My waist size is 30. It`s alright if there are logos on them. It doesn`t have to be plain blac either. There can a little color in it. That will probably make it easier to find a good one. They just can`t be huge. I do have a few pairs of thermals right now. That`s about it there.
I guess that`s about it for this week. Thanks for everything. Until next week...
Les quiero,
Elder Ethan Jones
How`s everything going in The Valley of the Sun? Is it nice and hot? I guess a lot of stuff is happening over there. Cameron was in the newspaper. Tiffany is getting married. rysten is coming home. Prestoon is coming home. Lots of stuff going on. All is well here. Presidente and Hermana Peterson have about three weeks left. We had our final interviews last week. After our interview with Presidente Peterson, we had an interview with Hermana Peterson. She wanted to know about our family and what our plans are after the mission. She also ased me if I knew the Cooleys. I told her yes. She was happy. Apparently Sister Cooley was in her Hermana Peterson`s wedding line. The two of them were very good friends in school. Hermana Peterson hasn`t heard from her in years. She was happy when I told I was good friends with Mar Cooley. I`m going to give her their address so she can write a letter to Sister Cooley. It`s a small world. Presidente and Sister Heaton get here on July 1. Presidente Heaton served his mission here so he`s really excited to come back. I`m sad that Presidente and Hermana Peterson are almost done. They are awesome. I`ve learned a lot from Presidente Peterson. I`m also excited for Presidente and Hermana Heaton to get here.
I`m pretty sure last week was the hardest week of my mission, so far. We just kept getting rejected. No one was listening to us. It was worse than usual. On top of that, we lost four investigators in two days. One of them is a girl named Maria Rivero. We have been woring with her for a while. We had a lesson set up on Saturday. When we got there, her step-dad came out and talked to us. He told us to not come back. He told us that we can`t teach her anymore and that she can`t go to church anymore. He was mad at us because he said we come by at any hour of the day. We only went by their house when Maria told us to, and if we were walking down the street and saw her outside, we would stop and say hi. He was also mad because he said someone from the church keeps calling their house late at night. When he showed us the number that keeps calling. it was our number. We told him that it`s not us because we`re in bed at that time. It was probably someone else calling him, but he wants to blame it on us. So we`re not aloud there anymore. We went home and prayed to now what we should do. Right now we`ve decided that we`re going to send over a couple of members to tal with the step-dad because he doesn`t like the missionaries. The other three investigators that we lost was the family that we found two wees ago. We were teaching the two sons and the wife of one of the sons. We went there yesterday and the mom told us that they want to eep going to their church. That was a huge bummer because they seemed so interested. We`re going by their house again tonight to see if they let us in. We just had a hard week. I was pretty depressed when we got home last night. I opened up my scriptures to find some comfort. I was reading in Alma 26. In verse 27, the Lord gives Ammon and his brethen comfort. They weren`t having success preaching to the Lamanites. They wanted to give up but the Lord told them to go back and he would give them success. He told them to be patient and long-suffering. That made me happy. I just have to try my hardest and trust in the Lord, and he will give me success. He will lead to those people who I am supposed to teach. It`s times like this when we really grow. It was a good lesson for me.
Now about the rain suit. I`ll be wearing my white shirt and sweater under it. I guess a medium for the jacket. My waist size is 30. It`s alright if there are logos on them. It doesn`t have to be plain blac either. There can a little color in it. That will probably make it easier to find a good one. They just can`t be huge. I do have a few pairs of thermals right now. That`s about it there.
I guess that`s about it for this week. Thanks for everything. Until next week...
Les quiero,
Elder Ethan Jones
Monday, May 31, 2010
Happy Memorial Day
Dear Everyone,
How`s the heat? I think it has gotten to the point where it goes to be really cold. It rained all weekend. Now it`s just cold. It`s not the kind of cold where you put on a jacket and that`s that. Oh no. It`s a humid and windy kind of cold. The winds goes through anything, and the humidity makes it impossible to stay warm. It`s great. The only time I`m really warm is at night when I`m in bed. We have a heater which warms up the room really quick and keeps it warm. Anyways, that`s enough complaining from me.
We keep getting blessed with more investigators. We`re staying really busy with them. Unfortunately, none of them came to church yesterday. However, a recent convert named Martìn brought his friend Marcos. Marcos is an ex-investigator, but now we get to start over with him again. I guess he wasn`t ready before, but now he seems interested. It`s all in the hands of Heavenly Father. The work here is hard though. Most of the time when we clap at houses, no one opens the doors. Whenever someone does open the door, they usually don`t want to talk. It`s hard to not to get frustrated. It`s a trial, but it`s all worth when someone does let us in. The hardest peopel to talk to are the Catholics. They are stubborn. On a side note: Last week we were contacting on the same street as the Testigos de Jehova. They worked one side, and we worked the other. They never stopped and talked to us though. Oh well. Another side note: On Saturday we had a lady yell at us. That was the first time I`ve ever been yelled at. We clapped at her house at 6pm. She opened her window and we introduced ourselves. Then she said in a mad voice, "Pero, por favor. ¿En èste momento?" Then she shut the door. That Elder Haslam and I a good laugh.
Mrs. Daniels died. She was my fourth grade teacher. She was great. That`s way sad. Was she still teaching at Franklin ? I thought she retired, but maybe she didn`t. I hope everything is well for them.
So it didn`t rain on graduation. That was nice for them. I wish that`s how it would have been for me. Scout camp and girls camp is the same week. The young women never do camp until July. It sounds like you`ll be busy Dad. Bishop Brubaker will be busy as well. I hope that goes well.
Did Kristen get home? I think she was supposed to finish this month. Her mission flew by.
I have a few things to add to the list. My jacket is not completely waterproof. Neither is the rainjacket I got at Sport`s Authority. I was wondering if you could send a good rain jacket and a pair of rain pants. My pants always get wet because there is sideways rain here. I figured Dad could get a discount at Bass Pro Shops since he`s got some membership. That would at least keep me dry.
I`ve been forgetting to do this. My mission address changed again. I don`t know why it changed again, but they said this is the permanent one. That`s what they said last time so we`ll see. For now, use this address.
Elder Ethan Jones
La Misiòn Uruguay Montevideo Oeste
1167 Enrique Martìnez
Montevideo , Uruguay
C.P. 11.800
I`m still looking for my memory card. I hope I find it. Elder Guardipee said he hasn`t found it yet. I hope someone finds. If not, oh well. That`s life.
I guess that`s about it for this week. Thanks for everything. Until next week...
Les quiero mucho,
Elder Ethan Jones
How`s the heat? I think it has gotten to the point where it goes to be really cold. It rained all weekend. Now it`s just cold. It`s not the kind of cold where you put on a jacket and that`s that. Oh no. It`s a humid and windy kind of cold. The winds goes through anything, and the humidity makes it impossible to stay warm. It`s great. The only time I`m really warm is at night when I`m in bed. We have a heater which warms up the room really quick and keeps it warm. Anyways, that`s enough complaining from me.
We keep getting blessed with more investigators. We`re staying really busy with them. Unfortunately, none of them came to church yesterday. However, a recent convert named Martìn brought his friend Marcos. Marcos is an ex-investigator, but now we get to start over with him again. I guess he wasn`t ready before, but now he seems interested. It`s all in the hands of Heavenly Father. The work here is hard though. Most of the time when we clap at houses, no one opens the doors. Whenever someone does open the door, they usually don`t want to talk. It`s hard to not to get frustrated. It`s a trial, but it`s all worth when someone does let us in. The hardest peopel to talk to are the Catholics. They are stubborn. On a side note: Last week we were contacting on the same street as the Testigos de Jehova. They worked one side, and we worked the other. They never stopped and talked to us though. Oh well. Another side note: On Saturday we had a lady yell at us. That was the first time I`ve ever been yelled at. We clapped at her house at 6pm. She opened her window and we introduced ourselves. Then she said in a mad voice, "Pero, por favor. ¿En èste momento?" Then she shut the door. That Elder Haslam and I a good laugh.
Mrs. Daniels died. She was my fourth grade teacher. She was great. That`s way sad. Was she still teaching at Franklin ? I thought she retired, but maybe she didn`t. I hope everything is well for them.
So it didn`t rain on graduation. That was nice for them. I wish that`s how it would have been for me. Scout camp and girls camp is the same week. The young women never do camp until July. It sounds like you`ll be busy Dad. Bishop Brubaker will be busy as well. I hope that goes well.
Did Kristen get home? I think she was supposed to finish this month. Her mission flew by.
I have a few things to add to the list. My jacket is not completely waterproof. Neither is the rainjacket I got at Sport`s Authority. I was wondering if you could send a good rain jacket and a pair of rain pants. My pants always get wet because there is sideways rain here. I figured Dad could get a discount at Bass Pro Shops since he`s got some membership. That would at least keep me dry.
I`ve been forgetting to do this. My mission address changed again. I don`t know why it changed again, but they said this is the permanent one. That`s what they said last time so we`ll see. For now, use this address.
Elder Ethan Jones
La Misiòn Uruguay Montevideo Oeste
1167 Enrique Martìnez
Montevideo , Uruguay
C.P. 11.800
I`m still looking for my memory card. I hope I find it. Elder Guardipee said he hasn`t found it yet. I hope someone finds. If not, oh well. That`s life.
I guess that`s about it for this week. Thanks for everything. Until next week...
Les quiero mucho,
Elder Ethan Jones
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