This week was a long week in all honesty but it was good too! On Monday, we had Pday as a zone so we played soccer and watched ice age 3. We can watch Disney movies as a zone! That was cool. Then Tuesday we had a good district meeting. We had a baptism scheduled for the 19th but then the lady who we were going to baptize said she wasn't quite ready so we didn't have one. But she is really prepared and I think when she gets back from her parents home in a few weeks we will baptize her. She is awesome! On Wednesday we pretty much just walked around all day up the hills and down the hills. Thursday we had service at the pench for Hermana Cindy! That was cool I was kinda sick but nothing bad. Thursday night I was sick sick but recovered not too bad on Friday. We just walked around a lot too. Then Saturday we got a new investigator that is probably going to be baptized. Adre is 12 and his step dad is a member and he came to church on Sunday too. Sunday was a good day. We had 3 investigators at church. Susana is one of our inv. and she is awesome!! She is so ready for baptism and she will get baptized next month! Elder De Paz is a good too! We get along pretty good for now. He has his quirks but nothing bad at all. He is starting to figure out the area as well so that makes it a little easier on me. He uses a ton of different Spanish words that Elder Lascano never used and so sometimes I don't understand him haha but it's all cool. It's really nice having Elder Rasmussen in my apartment and as a district leader!! He is a cool guy! Not a whole lot else happened this week in Verdad. Oh yeah, it rained for a little bit this week one day!
I got bit by a dog yesterday!! Didn't rip my pants or anything! Just a little bruise that was pretty funny! That doesn't happen everyday!

A Whole Lot of Randomness!

This week was good but definitely could have been better haha!! The scriptures, the prophets, and all the church leaders, and even I preach this to those we teach that without trials and hard times we don't know good times. So far in the mission I've had a lot of good times but sometimes it feels like more trials than good times. It may just be that I don't recognize the good times but in total honesty the mission is super hard! This week was a good week though! Monday we ate and then pretty much just rested and I exercised a little bit because I was feeling sick from all the food that I eat and the lack of walking a manual labor haha. Then Tuesday we had a service with the other Elders in our ward! Oh man was that nice!! Elder Lascano does not like to do service so we never do any of it but this week we finally did some! We climbed up in the hills where the houses (or rather shacks or huts or forts) ended and worked on leveling a place for a house be put. We moved what felt like a lot of dirt and probably worked for like an hour and a half but we didn't really make a dent in the hill side. The rake I was using had a broken handle and was about 3 feet long. The shovels here are really heavy too and are about 2 feet long haha. I got a few blisters because my hands are those of women after nearly 3 months of no manual labor haha!! It was a blast. Wednesday nobody was home so we walked around a lot and hardly taught anybody. Thursday, Elder Lascano went to the doctor in Lima so I went with him and found out that one of his muscles was torn but was healing. He was releived that it was healing. Then Friday was the best day ever!!!! Elder Lascano and Elder Cuadra had to go to Immigrations so Elder Martinez and I were companions!! We are the quieter ones in the apartment and we are the more obedient ones too and we are the ones who want to work hard so on Friday we worked hard!!! It was a great day! We taught 5 lessons. 3 in his area and 2 in mine! We walked probably like 10 miles and on top of all of this we did the paperwork that we were behind on and planned for the week!! Elder Martinez and I woke up and went and did service before conference while the other Elders "Prepared for the day" haha it was so much fun again! Then we watched conference Saturday and Sunday!! It was really nice. Everything was in Spanish but I got the majority of the messages and didn't even fall asleep. (I have a problem with falling asleep when my mind gets bogged down with too much Spanish) haha oops... It was nice and the messages were good. This conference was directed towards the youth and addictions in the world. It is super necessary that they talked about that because I know that Satan has a huge hold on the youth and we are the future of the church. The temptations during high school and even middle school are unreal!!! My only advice to offer is that everybody prays daily!! Reads the scriptures daily!! Prays for help!! Listens to conference talks!! And Family Home Evening is super important as well. It's the little things that build testimonies and it's the testimonies that save us in times of struggle and temptation!!!

Anyways, some of my struggles this week that might be kind of funny to you:
1. I have bed bugs!! I have been super itchy this week because I have bites all over my body haha!! It's really not that terrible but it's annoying! I think it's my blanket but I don't know. I honestly don't even know if it's bed bugs but it's something. I sprinkled some sort of baking soda salt stuff that a member gave us in my bed because he said it is good for everything like soaking your feet and for bed bugs but that did no good. So last night I sprayed my bed with bug spray and myself as well. I think that helped haha. I believe that was a first for sleeping with bug spray on!
2. I may be getting a little bit fat.... I know I'm not as thin as I was when I left home but I don't think I'm that much fatter either. There is one family in our ward who likes to feed us and we never turn them down because the food is so good. We are not supposed to eat out of the pension but we do sometimes. Yesterday he fed us pizza and a whole bunch of other stuff! We got snickers too!! That was a first since the U.S.!
Yep, those are my funny physical struggles so far... haha
 So, while I was reading this morning, I came across this scripture in Helaman 3:26, 27, 35. It's pretty good. You should read it.
Transfers is tomorrow and I'm not sure what is going to happen but whatever happens will be good! I would like to change but maybe Heavenly Father thinks it is better this way haha. I don't think so and neither does E. Lascano!!
The food here is really really good, or maybe I've just changed my outlook, but I love it! We had liver and rice and split pea mush the other night, and man was that amazing!! I'm learning to love stuff like liver and the poor cuts of animals more! I don't know if it's the way it's cooked or just me but it's good! They use every part of the chicken in their food too, except the head! They use the feet, liver (chicken liver is not as good as other livers, but it's not bad). Yeah, it's really good! I love rice right now, but maybe after 2 years that will change! We eat bread and either ham (rather something like ham) cheese or jam for breakfast and it's so good! Love You!
Love Elder Brent Jones

Miracle With A Taxi and a Cell Phone, Plus the Rest of the Week

On Monday after writing, my companion was all depressed and didn't want to do anything so we went and ate and then I took a nap while he read and prayed and got his spirits back in order. Then we went to chosica and fixed my radio so that I can listen to music! That was nice. We took a taxi to chosica and when Elder Lascano reached into his pocket to pay, the cell phone fell out onto the seat and I looked down at it but didn't think anything of it. We got out and didn't even have time to shut the door and the taxi was gone and our cell phone as well. We prayed and I prayed we could have a miracle and for some reason I felt that we would and never lost the hope. Anyways, a new cell phone would cost 80 soles (40 a piece) so Elder Lascano decided he wanted some spiritually up lifting food. Pizza!!!!! We went to Godfathers Pizza and he bought a pizza for 30 soles!! And wouldn't let me pay so I got pizza!! We went and taught a lesson after that. Tuesday I can't remember what we did but I can tell you we did nothing. Elder Lascano has been so worried about his leg and he can't hardly walk much and he has been all depressed so I'm pretty sure Tuesday we taught like 1 lesson. Wednesday was the same way. Elder Lascano has lost all his ambition about the work and won't hardly get up in the morning and won't do anything during the day so Wednesday we had maybe 1 lesson as well... I don't know what to do so I'm just being obedient for myself and studying ad being super patient for him since he is depressed and unhappy and what not haha. On Wednesday though I saw the taxi that we lost our phone in and so I chased it down and said in rough Spanish that we lost our cell phone in your car on Monday. He looked at me like an idiot, shook his head and finger at me and zoomed off haha. For some reason I still had faith though. Thursday Elder Galindo (missionary from the CCM in my mission) went to a training with the President and all the other new missionaries. It was very good and uplifting!! I loved it! We went to distribution, the temple store. I bought a video of President Monson and a case for my Spanish scriptures, both Bible and Book of Mormon and some stickers. We then made our way to Burger King and ate there and came back to chosica! What a fun day and a nice break!! Then after Elder Galindo was safely at home with his companion, Elder Martinez and I made our way back from their area to our area and it just so happened that we got the same taxi that we lost our cell phone in!!! How does that happen!!! Then I told Elder Martinez that this was the taxi and the guy overheard me and said it was at his house and he would give it back tomorrow!!!!!!!!! How does that happen!! These people are so dishonest but Saturday morning we got it back!! What a miracle!! What a blessing!! Friday was pretty sad as well. Elder Lascano went to the Doctor on Friday and they just gave him pain pills so he was depressed and had absolutely no ambition and I think we taught like 1 lesson.... Saturday was bad too because we taught 1 lesson. I had an awesome fast Sunday though! and now we are back to Monday! Elder Lascano goes to the Doctor on wednesday and hopefully gets transferred out on Tuesday of next week. If this happens we will have some new fire in our area and will be able to be missionaries, not lazy bums haha. That was my week in a nutshell. Nothing too spiritual and hopefully the coming weeks are better for missionary work. I am happy and content in this area because the people are amazing but we need to go to work or else I will eventually go insane! Thanks for the help and support! Oh Yeah, and we might change penchtanistas(the lady who cooks for us and washes our clothes) Tuesday because ours is so far away! Love you! Keep me in your prayers! I'll do the same for you! Thanks for everything!!

Love Elder Jones

Learning About People and Their Trials

I think I'm going to have some time today to send you letters and pictures!It's kinda pricey. 20 soles or so and we only get 87 a month... This week in all honesty was difficult. Elder Lascano is still having problems with his leg so that is driving him and I a little crazy. We had our problems this week but got them worked out which was super good!! We also were blessed with Kentucky Fried Chicken again on Saturday night and french fries which was amazing! We had some good lessons as well but our investigators seem to be going down the drain haha. I'm not sure what we can do differently. We had José Rodreguez this week who had a baptism date for the 29th and he needed to either get married or separate from his girlfriend and he was going to separate but then they decided to get married which was the wrong decision because she is no good. He was an alcoholic too but didn't drink for 2 weeks then he caved and then caved again and didn't come to church. Then we had Angelica who had a baptism date for the 5th of April and was progressing really well but then for some reason she had a terrible experience at church yesterday and so I'm not sure whats going to happen there. Then we have Grabriel who needs to gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon but he won't put forth the effort to read haha. We have more problems with all of them too. Then Jessica progressed this week and came to church. Missed sacrament but made if for the classes. At first it was bad but after she warmed up to the people and got her 2 kids settled into their classes it was better. She is amazing though and is in like Alma 25 or so. Other than that, this week was good. I believe that my Spanish is getting better but I can't tell haha! This morning was crazy too. We woke up and then the zone leaders called and said we needed to leave as soon as possible for Lima for the mission doctor for Elder Lascano. So we left without breakfast and made it just about to Lima and the zone leaders called and said the doctor wasn't there today so we got off the bus and came back to chosica just in time to write haha. It's hard to believe I've been on the mission for 10 weeks and in the field for one Month! The days drag on but the weeks fly haha. Thanks for the support! Love You!
Love Elder Jones