Hey! 

Well this week was a little bit less stressful! Thank goodness! It was busy but not super stressful since we are both getting to know the area a little bit better. On Monday we watched Brother Bear as a zone and then we had one lesson later on. My companion was a little depressed because he didn't get to say everything he wanted to his family haha. He felt better after the movie. On Monday night we stayed the night at the zone leaders because Elder Harris, our zone leader, and I had to be in La Molina early for a District Leader´s training haha. It was really good! We woke up early and then we headed in the Train!! they have in Lima now! It was good! We got to La Molina about an hour early... We got back about 3 and ate lunch about 3:30. On Wednesday we basically did the same thing. We got up at 5:15 so we could get to the zone leaders apartment before 6:45 so we and the the hermanas in our district could take a taxi to La Molina for a Multi-Zone conference. It was good! I really love hearing from President Boswell! Once again we got back kinda late and ate lunch late. On Thursday we had our District Meeting. It was good. I taught about Faith! I feel that the district really enjoyed it and felt the spirit. On Friday my companion was really depressed during our weekly planning and did not want to help out at all! I got after him a little bit and had to be a little harsh with him so he would be humble enough to tell me what was going on and how I could help him. He finally gave in and told me he was really home sick and was having negative thoughts about how his girlfriend wasn't going to wait for him and such. It was a good time for us to bond. I gave him what council I could and showed him I loved him and he felt better. He is having a really hard time getting his family and his home out of his mind and is having a hard time focusing on the work here. He is a good missionary though and he will be great! Saturday we had 1 lesson and looked for rooms pretty much the whole day. We have to move because the place we are living has a girl that is about 25 or so living in the floor below us and for the rules of the mission we have to move but we cant find a place to go.... oh well. We will find one. Sunday was voting here in Peru so they do not allow meetings... Nobody was home and nobody wanted to have lessons with us. We pretty much contacted all day but it was a really good thing! We had some really cool experiences contacting! We even found a new investigator!! That's about it for my week! It was a good week! Keep praying for me and I know that in the coming weeks things will go even better! 

I love you all! Keep doing the things the prophets say and you will not go astray!

Thank you for everything! Love you!

Love Elder Jones 

368 los agrolagos urbanizacion las acacias de monterrico, la molina, lima 12 peru

Hey! Well this week was a good week for us! On Monday like I said, Elder Anderson went to immigrations. I went back to our area and we ate at the Pench. Marcos, a member, was my comp for a while and that was wierd. The rest of the week was pretty calm. We didn't have a ton of lessons but we had consistant days everyday. We had two people ready for baptism for this coming saturday but the one named Juan didn't come to church sunday. He is having problems and he is scared he wont be able to lie all the commandments. Its sad for me to see that he doesn't want to accept especially when we hae worked with him for like a month and a half now. He is really good! That was more stressful than anything this week. We hae some really good investigators but they are just having a hard time accepting baptism. We have lots of new requirements for baptism now and we have one young man that is really ready for baptism, named Luis. He is Juan's brother and is a stud. He is practically a member just  not baptised and is waiting for his brother... Oh well. All the prayers for them and our other investigators is more than welcome! We have been teaching english in the chappel on Saturday nights and we had a really good class on saturday with them! I felt like we helped them learn and understand lots. The Lord really directs us here! It's so crazy! I get humbled everyday haha but things go well for us! I am really blessed to be here with Elder Anderson! Man it's a blast! I hope he feels the same way but I don't know haha. I believe that this week on Wednesday Elder Netzley will be leaving... that is really sad for me... He is the best! haha  something funny, Elder Anderson forgot to click send on his family's email last week haha so he didn't even write them haha. Elder Netzley and I have been continuing to run in the morning so we can not get any fatter haha. I have gained like 10 pounds or more on the mission haha. Its a little sad. 

Well that's about it for me this week! Its exciting to hear about the temple dedication!Thanks for everything and all your support! The only things I ask is that you keep praying, reading your scriptures, and paying your tithing. You're all the best! Thanks! 

Love you all! 

Elder Jones

Hey! This week was a little longer for Elder Anderson and I. We worked hard but we just didn't have the lessons and success that we have had in the past. This week on Monday we went to Jikamarka and played soccer. It was fun. I was sore Tuesday so I feel that I got my exercise in. We only had one lesson Monday... On Tuesday we had a good day. we had 5 lessons. We had an awesome Noche de Hogar with a member and one of our investigators! The family bought us Chinese food or Chifa! It was so good. On Wednesday our pench was ticked because we didn't come to dinner and Elder Netzley and Nunja bought hamburgers and didn't go to dinner... haha we knew what dinner was because we always have the same dinner as what we had for lunch and, well, lunch was gross, so we didn't go to dinner. She was mad but she is cool so it was funny! The rest of the week was pretty low on lessons but it wasn't a bad week. On Thursday Elder Anderson had immigrations we went to La Molina at noon and then I went on divisions with Elder Baldarrama who is an elder in our zone and from the same group that entered the mission as me. He is cool. I wont lie I didn´t enjoy the day very much but Today Elder Anderson and his comp. are in immigrations again so I am with Elder Baldarrama and have been since 6 this morning and I have enjoyed it very much! It was a blast to study with Elder Baldarrama! We have 2 investigators with a Baptismal date and so hopefully in 2 weeks, Luis y Juan can be baptized. We have lots of investigators but we are having some problems getting lots of them to progress... We are praying and trying hard but you can pray too! We have Luis y Juan, Their cousin Edgar, Carlos, Celeste, Magali Chang, Jesus Chaves, Renzo Chaves, Cesar Chaves, Yeimi Zavala, Luz Palomino, ect. haha They are all sooo soooo good! But they are all having problems right now. They could all progress so easily and be such good members! Ahhh it has been frustrating! 

Well this morning I was studying in the book of Mormon in Mosiah 7 about rejoicing and trusting in the Lord. I made a connection between Mosiah 7, Alma 17: 2-3 and 2 Nephi 4:30, 34-35! It´s pretty sweet! I know that when we trust in the lord we will rejoice! Give me reason to rejoice in you guys at home ;) haha Thanks!

Love you all! 

Love Elder Jones 

This week was a good week. On Monday we got our money out for the month after writing and then we ate at KFC!!! Wow that was crazy!! It was just like the US!!! It felt so weird! We went to Grau which is like a huge mall that is full full of stuff!! There is more stuff there than I have seen in my whole life!! Its super crazy! If you come to pick me up we need to go there just so you can see it! I bought 2 new ties that are sweet. They were 8 soles or like less than 3 bucks!! I bought a CD case and a camera case. I would have taken pictures but I know my camera would have gotten stolen or I would have gotten robbed!! Tuesday we had lessons like normal. And basically it was like that all week! We had a really awesome week! We didn´t have a slow day or a super busy day so we were really blessed. This week was pretty Tranquilo. Yesterday we had 8 investigators at the church!!! What a miracle!! We are seriously receiving so many blessings! We have 2 more with baptismal dates and they are progressing well. I just love this area and this ward so much! Elder Netzley and I have been leaving in the mornings to run and I love that too! It´s so awesome to live with him! I am also collecting the collection of soles here. Its like the 50 states quarter collection! I´m having a lot of the members help me find coins because it is pretty hard. There are 21 and right now I have 13! I feel I´m doing pretty good for only 2 weeks of collecting! 

That's about it for me! This week was awesome! Thanks for everything! I hope you enjoyed the letters! Love you!

Elder Jones 

Hey this week was a pretty good week for us here in Mangomarca! To start off the week we played soccer and ate pizza and watched Tangled in Spanish! That was fun. Our zone is pretty awesome! We have Elder Martinez in our zone. He is the missionary I lived with in my first area for 2 transfers. So I really love that! He is such an awesome guy so its way sweet to have him in my zone! Last week we got money out for elder Netzley! We had 3 lessons after Pday on Monday!! That was a miricle but then the rest of the week was pretty slow for lessons. On wednesday it was our Penchtanistsas birthday and so we orderd pollo al la braza and Pizza for her family and for us and because the cell phone in our companionship has minutes and Elder Netzley´s doesnt I called and ordered the Pizza but it was really really hard and I didn´t know the direction of our pench´s house so finally the lady got frusterated and asked Can I please speak to somebody who knows more spanish!!! hahah it was so funny! I was like well sorry at the moment there is no body else. I guess what I should have done is given the phone to Elder Anderson who speaks way less than I do haha. It was hard but finally I got the pizza and chicken ordered! The rest of the week was slow except Saturday and Sunday. On saturday we went to the chapple early to get the baptisimal font all cleaned and prepared for the baptism and cleaned the chapple and then we found the baptismal clothes for the two kids we were baptising! Then we had 2 lessons and had our baptism! Elder Anderson had is first baptism!! He baptized Genta and I baptized Tatsu. These kids are crazy and we have been working with them for like 7 weeks. They are Japaneese and Brazilian and Peruvian haha and are super energetic. Their mom is a member but was inactive for like 30 years and now she is getting active again. She has a lot of things to change but she has been working so hard to fix her family and get them all doing what is right!

Anyways this week was a good week! We had some good times and good experiences! I was humbled yesterday when we went and taught with a returned missionary who is a really good teacher. We also got a few more good investigators who are ready to listen and progress! We had 6 investigators at church yesterday! That was awesome!

This morning I was studying about how we need to focus on our investigators and not the lessons and I made a great connection with something President Boswell told me. In Preach My Gospel we read about how we need to be directed by the spirit to focus on our investigators and so I was thinking how can we receive the spirit. Then I thought about the thing President Boswell told me. When we are reading and studying and praying; when we are trying to do what is right and honestly trying to receive guidance we will receive it. We may not receive guidance directly from the words in the scriptures but we will be directed in our lives! I know that just as this applies to me in teaching, it applies to each of you as you live. My invitation for you this week is search for those things you need to improve in your lives and try your best to do just as the Lord asks. Read and study. Pray and search and the Lord will direct you for the better!

Love you all! Thanks!

Elder Jones

Hey!
This week was a good good week! I had lots of fun and probably too much fun and didn't concentrate on the work like I should have. To start off on, Monday we went and cooked hamburgers again with Marcos and then we went and ate and played yatzee and Uno in our apartment! That was fun! We had 2 lessons on Monday which was a good way to start off the week! On Tuesday, we had a Zone meeting which was pretty cool! I learned lots and the spirit was really strong there. We did a little study exercise during the zone meeting and I was reading in Alma 36 about the conversion of Alma hijo and found some really cool stuff that helped me. Alma suffered lots for his sins just like any of us who sin but he was able to remember the Savior Jesus Christ and overcome his sufferings! When he finally received a remission of his sins, he understood the Joy that the Savior brings. When he felt that joy he didn't just sit around he went to work preaching the gospel so that they could experience that same joy! He worked unceasingly for years bringing people unto the Lord. He wanted more than anything for others to feel his same Joy. Throughout his years of service he recognized the help of the Lord in his life! Alma 36:27. Basically he saw the hand of the Lord in his life and because of this he always put his trust in the Lord for his protection and so that he could accomplish what ever he was asked to do!
I learned tha's something I need to do better as a person. I need to recognize the hand of the Lord more in my life. I need to put my trust in the Lord and when I do he will help me through anything! I know that each one of us can apply this in our lives and I encourage you to do so. Take a minute and think about the belssings you have received from the Lord and then have a little more trust in him so you can overcome your trials faster and easier!
Wednesday was pretty slow day but Thursday we had the opportunity to have interviews with President Boswell!It was so awesome! He is the coolest guy! I love him so much! Interviews with him are the bomb! I went in there and we just talked like we had known each other for years! Man what an awesome experience I have to have a President!
Friday was pretty slow and so was Saturday. Sunday was good though! We got a reference from a family and so we went with them to the house of another family and met some people who I feel are super prepared to hear the message of the gospel! This week was good! Hopefully the coming week will go as well as this week did!

This week was good. On Monday we went to Huachipa, basically a dust bowl with lots of make shift houses, and played soccer! It was fun! I'm terrible at soccer but I enjoyed running and trying my best to play like the Latinos haha. I had a fun time talking to the other gringos in my zone too because I get tired of the just talking to my companion day after day! So that was sweet! Tuesday was a little rough and I can't remember what we did exactly but I know it was rough because the whole week was hard. We had a district meeting on Tuesday as well which was good. I always enjoy the lessons that Elder Netzley teaches! Wednesday and Thursday were long but Friday was by far the hardest day. I finally talked my companion into doing practices in our companionship study and so I did a practice because I want to be a better teacher and he just tore me to pieces... he made me feel so bad about myself and my teacher and my knowledge about the scriptures but he was being so hypocritical at the same time... Anyways Elder Netzley saw I was struggling and pick me up again! haha it was rough but thanks to Elder Netzley I felt a ton better. Latinos don't understand how hard the mission can be for us gringos trying to learn so much so quickly. My companion can be quite prideful but he is good and I'm learning lots from him. Also on Friday, Elder Netzley talked me into buying Pollo a la Braza and a pizza and a soda and french fries for us 4. We ordered it and had it delivered to our apartment! It was pretty sweet and super delicious! It was 43 soles which turns out to be about $16! They enjoyed it and so did I so that was fun! Saturday was long as well and Sunday was long as well until I finally understood that maybe it's not my companion that's driving me nuts, but maybe it's me. So I changed my attitude and started enjoying his company instead of dreading it! I feel a whole lot better now because of my choice to enjoy him! It's amazing what one little choice can do! Today we are going to cook hamburgers with Marcos again and play monopoly haha! It should be fun!
I've been reading in Doctrine and Covenants in my spare time and there is a ton of information that I am learning! My goal is to finish it here shortly! Also, I've been trying to memorize scriptures!
We have a baptism coming up this week! One of our investigators, Ysela, got married on Saturday so now she can get baptized!! That's sweet!