New Child in Argentina - May 30, 2017

 May 23, 2017 

HI EVERYONE!! how are all of you guys!! This week was a really good and a really sad week in all honesty! Sadly Griselda who was baptized last week didn’t come to church this week): she was in La Rioja for a week and didn’t come to get confirmed!! But that was only the bad thing, not really anything else sad happened!! This week was Elder Rogersons last week with me and it was pretty sad for me!! He has become a really good friend to me and literally all of the members in this area loved us together!! Now I shall be receiving another CHILD!! I am going to Cordoba tomorrow to get him and I really do hope that he is the most innocent white kid ever! I would love that!! I really want to teach someone brand new Spanish that doesn’t know anything!! So we had our last farewell last night and I did definitely cry just a little bit it was hard to say bye to him!! We also organized the living crap out of our pension its way better now but that doesn’t matter because we’re MOVING SOON!!! We’ll be moving to a casa capilla se llama its where we’re literally going to live in the house where the church meetings are and we will direct them and everything will literally be right in our house!! That is going to be so helpful!! Oh my gosh I am so excited for that!! This week we were definitely practicing a dance for this Thursday which is Argentina’s Independence Day, so we’ll have to see how that goes and I will send you guys a video!! Me and Gilliland are going to be doing a dance together!! This week we are looking for a lady to baptize named Joanna she left and we were literally looking everywhere for her asking everyone, so I’m sure we’ll find her so have her in your prayers everyone!!! Anyway, I sure do love the mission and I sure am excited to get another child. I will tell you all about him this next week!!(:(: talk to you all very soon!! love you all

Elder Jones!!

May 30, 2017

This week has been full of things that have happened. So first Elder Rogerson has left me forever as a companion and I won’t get to have him living with me again so that stinks. After he left I got to go and live with elder Gilliland and Elder Rahm for a little bit of time. We waited until I had to go and get my son from Cordoba on Tuesday in the morning! That night I left at 12 o’clock and slept the entire way there!! That was pretty nice. When I got there and took a taxi to the mission home where I was greeted by a mattress in the mail room, that was quite enjoyable at 6a in the morning!! I slept until 8 and the other trainers started arriving and all of them but one showed up and I had no idea who it was. The last one showed up and IT WAS SUMMERS!!!! We hugged for like 10 minutes and just talked about how we were! He will be going home in freaking 6 weeks and that makes me so sad but hey he’ll be the best man at the wedding with me and Celeste so I can’t get too sad!! We all sat down had a long capacitation about training and got our sons!! I Elder Areola and he is brand new from Mexico. Something kind of funny! Remember when we went on our cruise to Cozumel, that island he is literally from there and his family owns one of the little tourist tents that we went into so maybe we bought something from him!! He is really excited to work and SUPER sarcastic so that’s a little interesting, especially with the members!  We came back from Cordoba and got on the bus to come back at 4 in the morning and go to Nonogasta at like 11! We went straight to a church activity and me and Elder Gilliland did a dance that Í have to send to you guys!! Our first Sunday together, we didn’t take a bus and we just had the ward take the regular bus and like no one went, so that kind of stunk! We had 3 good days of work this week and now we’re just hanging out!! This has been a really god pday!! Yesterday we literally did something called the MURPH. It’s a crossfit workout and it SUCKS. It’s a mile run then 100 pullups 200 pushups 300 squats and then another mile!! It’s timed me and elder Gilliland did it in 42 minutes and it freaking sucked holy crap! I’m so sore in my legs and chest and just everything!! Workouts have been great but man am I sore. Life in the mission is great I love it and got a year left!! see you guys soon!!

Elder Jones!!

600 Pesos Gone! May 9, 2017

Hello my amazing family!!(

So how are all of you guys? I thought I would tell you guys what happened this week including a few miracles that me and Elder Rogerson have lived!! So, this last week we really did a freaking ton of traveling and it was pretty ridiculous!! On Tuesday we went to La Rioja capital to spend a pday with them and hang out all together and it was freaking awesome!! So we came home and elder card (zone leader) calls me and tells me that there is good news and bad news. Well the good news was that we had free lunch on Friday! but the bad news was it was going to be in la rioja again..... so we had to pay for freaking 600 pesos each to go to back and forth twice but the second time we went back we had a big lunch and had interviews with president which are always really fun for me!! We came back and we started working again but somehow when I came back I lost my wallet so that made me pretty freaking sad. I was like dang it I had 600 pesos in there so as it turns out a random person calls me and is like "hey you guys are those white kids right that walk around all day knocking doors" and my answer was, "well yes of course who else haha" and they FOUND MY WALLET oh my gosh and they didn’t steal anything! So I thought, I got there and the 600 pesos was sadly but not surprisingly gone.... so that was a little bit sad but what are you going to do!! Speaking of the work we are doing freaking amazing!! This week I think we are going to be baptizing 2 people and the next week another 2 and then the next week another 2 until I finish the mission. Well at least that’s the hope you know but I’m super excited for that like heck yes!  I’m so excited to talk to you guys this week like oh my gosh I’m so excited to see all of your faces again I’m going to freak out and just cry. Today me and Elder Gililland watched coming home videos and we bot cried like legit so that’s something for you guys!!  Ya I got kinda trunky watching those videos in all honesty but hey its ok we watched like 2 so we’re done now. This week has been freaking awesome and we’re excited to keep the hard work going!! so pray for me haha!(:(:

I love you guys so much and hope you guys are all happy!

Elder Jones!!!!

Last "Starburst" Supper - April 25, 2017

Well hello my family how are you guys!! well this week has been really awesome here in the district of chilecito!! so at the beginning of the week the zone leaders came and did some intercambios with us and that was really fun!! we went with elder card and went and did some baptismal interviews for some investigators!! sadly all of those investigators have fallen this week, were in the process of purifying ourselves and leaving things behind that impede us so well see how that all goes!! THIS WEEK I GOT THE PACKLAGE OH MY GOSH YOU GUYS HAVE NO IDEA HOW YSEFUL IT IS!! right now im wearing this rvca shirt and oh my gosh it is so good looking! That USA jersey is literally the best looking jersey on the entire freaking planet oh my gosh!! THE IPOD WHAT IN THE EHCK I love it and it works so freaking well. I use it literally every day, yes you guys YESS!! Thank you so much for thinking of me!! Now every morning I can listen to music and workout with new shoes on thank you guys so much!!(: It makes me really happy knowing that you guys are still there!! The mission is awesome I freaking love it. I almost have a freaking year in the mission that blows my mind a little bit like wow this time has flown by freaking fast like wow....  I hope that I can be a better missionary every day and end this mission with honor!! I love the mission it teaches me so much and makes me so happy! I love you guys and hope you are all happy!!(:

Elder Jones

The last supper story: Elder Gilliland brought down about 15 pounds of candy that his mom made him pack and attach all over his body. I remember him bringing me a reeses peanut butter cup and it was heavenly! When we got down to the last starburst, we felt it appropriate to have a last “starburst” supper. Notice the mattresses. We got the lighting down quite well. 

Singing in the Pension - April 18, 2017

MY FAMILY!!!

This week has been awesome! I freaking love the mission it is just so much fun here!! My new companion as you all know is Elder Rogerson and he is way cool!! He did theatre before the mission and sings super well so we’re always singing to my guitar in the pension!! He plays piano so that’s pretty dang fun we make duets a lot so ya, my house where I live I can say this with full confidence is the worst house and or apartment in the entire mission! 3 times this week a cat has come in the window and woken me up one time was really weird that I will have to tell you guys about when we skype. Look at that we’re all gonna be skyping really freaking soon!! That’s way exciting and holy crap I’m almost half was done with the mission..... that is absolutely absurd like what the heck is happening. Anyways I really love where I am this area has never been known for "baptisms" but were gonna change that! So the other day we were literally just hitting a brick wall with a young lady from Bolivia, It was kind of hard and I was honestly sad without any type of message to give her. I felt lost and alone in that moment that got maybe didn’t really help me in our proselyting. Then I remembered 2 Nephi 32:9. I said a prayer in my heart and asked that the spirit and the lord would guide me in what I would need to say that it would be what she needed to hear. I ended a small prayer in my heart and the words just left my mouth without even realizing it. "Liliana, we love you, the lord loves you and he knows your passing through a hard time, he’s waiting for you to turn to him?" She broke down crying and told us about so many problems and why she couldn’t or didn’t have the means to listen to us that much, it was so hard for her because she wanted to listen to us so bad. I just listened so intently to her voice and how she truly felt just....... loving her. when she finished with tears in her eyes I told her. "We feel alone, we feel abandoned, we feel like we have fallen down. But why do we fall? She looked up at me and asked why wanting to know so bad." so we can learn to pick ourselves back up again, and there’s always someone there to give you a hand, Christ". Turns out I ended that sentence with tears rolling down my face and the feeling of someone hugging me from the inside. I can say with no doubt the Lord is there. He leads his church and his servants, and I’m so proud that you this week took the opportunity to truly talk to him(: you are my example in those hard times when that wall just doesn’t seem to move, we just need his help. I’m crying now in cyber but hey I hope this helped your testimony a little bit today and I hope you always trust in him, Christ.

I’m SO HAPPY that my package is in the mission home you have no freaking idea. It’s been like years since I’ve gotten the package and I’m just SOO excited to have like a tiny bit of trunky time. Anyways today on pday haha funny story we literally went to go eat lunch where these super drunk guys always eat and we freaking ate food and then WE SANG KAREOKE hahaha we sang out hearts out it can’t really send here but we’re gonna send it from the church!! So that’s the week nothing super huge happened but ya you know how it is!! I love you guys so freaking much you guys have no idea and I hope you’re all so happy (:(: I’ll see you all very soon on skype so be excited for that!! anyways I’ll talk to you all soon!!(:

Elder Jones

Napoleon Dynamite in Argentina! April 11, 2017

So I have recently got TRANSFERRED!! THIS week has been a week of really lows and really highs. Not in a bad way, but really sad and really happy!! So this week I was assigned to labor in the La Rioja Nonogasta area as district leader ooohh that’s kinda scary ha ha! This place is so freaking crazy it’s like a tiny town like of Napoleon Dynamite but in Argentina!  It’s so weird here but I’m pretty excited!!  So a little bit of info about where I am, I am literally in the worst pension in the entire mission!! I didn’t believe it but like it’s so, so terrible! The bathroom is outside we don’t have hot water. The water has a bad disease in it and its just all freaking nasty!!! I’m here as district leader that’s kinda crazy for me. I’m really not ready for that at all but oh well I’m gonna do my best and hope that God will take care of the rest!! I’m with a companion Rogerson and he is way cool.  I am his second companion in the mission so I still have some serious responsibility to help him be a good missionary and I hope that he can help me too! Here in La Rioja is super cool and it is literally in the middle of nowhere!! It’s us four in our district 4 hours away from the zone and we go to the zone leaders meetings once a month! The bus ride to get there is 3 hours and it’s a little ridiculous!! So that’s pretty cool!! 

Oh man, leaving Elder Amaral was honestly really hard to do!! I love Catamarca so much and I love Elder Amaral more than anything. Gosh I would do anything for that Elder. He’s so amazing and I’m gonna miss him so bad. We had our rough patches but I love him so much and would do anything for him. Wow I cried pretty freaking hard hugging him and saying goodbye!! He called me his friend in the end of the transfer!! That was my dream in all honesty was to have him call me his friend and it came true haha! AND ALSO freaking Elder Gilliland got transferred here with me we are literally in the same district that made me so happy! Like heck freaking yes!!! And then I have elder RAHM he’s a wrestler and he is super cool. He’s from Georgia and he sounds like he hit puberty when he was 7 years old his voice is sooo deep it blows my freaking mind haha!! Anyways I gained some weight in the last weeks of Catamarca but luckily I’m gonna go hard here in la rioja nonogasta and lose all that because I am motivated as crap, you have no freaking idea haha!!! It’s gonna be an awesome transfer this transfer!!(:(:  anyways I get to skype you guys in literally like 3 weeks and I am so excited you guys have no freaking idea!! ok and oh my gosh this song from beauty and the beast the new one I listen to it during exercises and when I shower and literally everything it is just so pretty. Just a little side note for you guys!! This transfer we’re gonna kick its butt and work our hearts out haha so there is my update for this week.  talk to you all very soon!! chau chau!!

Birthday Spankings – April 4, 2017

Elder Gilliland issuing birthday spankings

So tomorrow is my birthday it honestly doesn’t even feel like it. You really don’t think about those things a whole freaking bunch like its great but I won’t be getting a ton and I’m ok with it because I’m grateful for what I have here and at home!!(: so the question is who are our investigators!! well we have the mom of Karina and she is actually doing really well and always listens to us!! We also have this old lady who is just so freaking sad like oh my she says she has no faith anymore like it’s just sad to see her but this last time I left my testimony with her rather than a lesson and she said, well chicos I think I’m gonna pray tonight.  I want the faith that you guys have so were gonna hope that she gets it!!(: we also just talk to basically everyone in the street that will listen and as it turns out lots and lots of people will listen to us if we just take the initiative!! So that’s always fun and people freaking oh my gosh something so funny whenever we see old people we know exactly what they are going to say to us when we say hi and that word is "adios" hahaha everytime it literally kills me!! So my favorite thing that I have eaten here was honestly a guy that made us steak and mashed potatoes, but something from here would be hermana castros asado! It’s a huge steak meat fiestaaa and we eat a ton of meat with french fries homemade and sausage and just everything tasty and meaty you can think of!  Hey you guys! That video you sent for my birthday was the best freaking thing in the entire world ha ha! Oh my gosh I loved it so much you guys have no idea!! Thank you guys for all of the birthday wishes, they were like the best things ever!! ok so this week was really good!! we worked really hard and everyone is getting better with their obedience!! I heard you guys got back from hawaii so that sucks, no more having fun for you guys!! And I’m still out here partying my butt off in Argentina!! Austin’s blogs are still hilarious and I want to be in one. I’m happy that all of you guys are having a goodtime in Colorado!!I hope that all of you try your best in everything that you do always!! I miss you guys a freak ton and I am excited to change areas and companions. I’ll be changing, but I don’t know where and It sucks because today we got home late from fishing so I have little time but I will get a good one next week with everything that has happened!!! I love you guys sooo much!! talk to you all soon.

Elder Jones

Hardest Week by Far! March 7, 2017

HEY FAMILYY!! so as it looks you guys KILLED the talent show that was freaking awesome!! You guys all did so good and literally all of us as missionaries watched it ha ha!! It was pretty funny to see Austin acting like a dork dancing and all of that!! Makes me proud all of you guys are doing that!!! Hey send me Austin’s you tube channel I want to hear his voice and see what he has been posting!!! That makes me pretty excited!! HOLY CRAP AUSTIN HAS A JOB what the heck is that and gosh dang it I don’t have head phones in nere but I want to hear what happens! oooh i found something to use ha ha boooya! That sounds way freaking good!!! Well done Stino on that song and well done to Kaylee and Aiden holy crap you guys killed it!!!!well done guys!! Anyways this week was a little bit hard like...well this week was probably the hardest week of the mission for me in all honesty. Cynthia, Veronica and Maria all bailed out and didn’t get confirmed. So that was pretty tough and the new elders in our pension aren’t very obedient so that is a little hard on me and more than anything on my son. I just want him to have the best influences and those guys really aren’t so we’re going to work on that this week. Those baptisms really hurt a lot and they all moved already so that’s this week!! I bought some shoes to play soccer this week that was pretty sweeeet. I have been practicing a freaking butt ton you guys have no idea!!! I freaking love soccer. I’m leaving all other sports behind to play this soccer for the rest of my life!! Anyways this week was a hard one but we’ll have a better one this next week!!!(;(; I love you guys and I’ll talk to you soon!!!

Elder Jones