Another quick email just because I don't have a lot of time. My apartment is pretty ugly but it's pretty nice haha. If that makes sense. The boiler is really terrible though so hot water is really hard. My companion is a pretty chill guy. He's nice but at the same time I don't know if I want to stay another change with him haha. He's got two older siblings, one sister that's married and an older brother who went to the mission. I take my laundry to the washplace but I might start myself because its EXPENSIVE. But actually no I don't, but maybe I will if I can find some good ones to use!! Sorry I haven't written too much but I wanted to answer your questions!!! I love you lots mom thanks so much for everything you do for me!! have a great week!

hola que tal

Hello padres! Just wanted to shoot you guys a quick email because I came to check my email! Everyone pray for Andrea tonight. She's a joven that has 14 years and we really want to baptize her Saturday but she hasn't been baptized because her dad hasn't given permission. But tomorrow she's gonna go talk to him so pray for her! And also just that we can have some miracles in general to end the change. This week was great! I'm feeling good. I'll write more stuff on Thursday but wanted to say hi! Love you guys a lot, thanks for everything you do for me! Also mom don't need to buy spandex garments I found 4 brand new pairs in my suitcase #score. Love you guys a lot tell Kate and Josh I said hi and to write me or something!

i've been really wet this week

It's the rainy season in Mexico so it rains EVERY SINGLE DAY. So EVERY SINGLE DAY when I get home I'm normally soaking wet from the waist down. We've been working so hard so one of my pairs of shoes has got holes in them so when it's not raining its nice ventilation. When it's raining it's just not very fun.

We had this dope lesson with Rafaela this week. We got to her house early in the week (or maybe the end of last week?) but anyway, she started telling us about how she didn't want to listen to us anymore and that we were wasting our time. I was so upset because we had been planning her baptism for the next week (last Saturday). We started to share our thoughts and do our best to help her feel better and by the end of the lesson she had committed to do even more things! She decided to go to all three hours of church and get baptized no matter what...and lo and behold:

​Rafaela got baptized, and lots of people came. It was my favorite baptismal service by far. I was able to play piano as a special musical number and the pila was very full, and the water was warm, and lots of people came. It was just a wonderful experience all around.

A few weeks ago we were going in the metro coming back from the doctor. It was really late. It's really common in Mexico for people to sell things in the metro or ask for money on the streets or in the buses, or they just rob you and take your money, but that hasn't happened to me recently. This night there was this lady on the metro. We sat down and she sat down next to us. She looked rough. She was an older lady. I could see through her shoes and she smelled kinda bad. I asked where she was going and she said that she was going to deliver something to someone and was going to get paid for doing it. I just felt so sad for this lady. We talked with her for a while. She was nice and funny. As we were getting off the metro I went to shake her hand and gave her a 200 peso bill and asked her to buy herself some new shoes. Some people have so little, even less than what they need to survive, and are still just happy people. Those are the people that keep me motivated to just keep pushing on.

This week was crazy. For the past two weeks, I have been the final speaker in sacrament meeting in two different wards. First speaking about missionary work and eternal families, and the next week about baptism. I invited everyone there that wasn't a member to get baptized. I love being able to speak and teach and just share my thoughts with people. 

I directed my first funeral service this week. Around noon on Friday we got a call from one of our Bishops saying that he needed us to come by his house. So we stop by and he tells us that there's this less active lady in the ward that had a family member who died, no idea who or how but he passed away. The Bishop said that the family wanted someone to go and share a message about where he's going and all the great knowledge we have in the church. So I'm like sure, cool we can help these guys out....just talking with a  few family members to help them feel better. We later find out that it's going to be a legit funeral service with the body in the casket and everything. I begin to  freak out a bit. I'm like nope, I'm not going. I don't know who it is or who's going to be there. This is not what I signed up for. So I decide that I'm not going to go but my companion says we have to....it'll just be like talking with people and seeing how they are and it'll be easy. We decide to go. We're looking for the house (never been there before, don't know who lives there or who died still) and we pass a house full of candles, people dressed in black, and a casket. I just keep walking. I said NOPE....and kept walking. My compa is like dude just ask for Ana, and we argue about who will ask for a bit, and finally I walk in and ask for her. This is all just so hard because I've never had someone really close to me pass away and I don't know how to deal with it or how to help people. I was struggling, but finally the hermana there says "we just want you guys to give a blessing and say some words and then sing a hymn". I have no idea what to do. So I call the Bishop and he doesn't answer. I look at my companion and I'm like "I don't think we can bless dead people", I was so confused. He said "well, we can say a prayer with them" and so we head on in and start planning things and we're about to start and I finally say to the hermana, "hermana, I don't know what to do. I've never assisted a funeral". She explains and I wing it the best I can. There is one thing I do know....as we were singing the hymns, God Be With you till We Meet Again, Oh My Father, and Families Can Be Together Forever,  I was about ready to start crying because I felt the spirit so much. I was sure that this young man was in the spirit world listening to the gospel. It was a huge help for my testimony of the plan of salvation. I know that whenever we die, that while our bodies stay in our graves, our spirits go to the spirit world. That in this spirit world, all people who haven't accepted or haven't had the opportunity to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ, will have that opportunity. Then people here on earth can perform the necessary ordinances for them so they're saved! The sacrifice of Jesus Christ is infinite. Even if we don't accept in this life, there's still hope in the next. I know that he died for us so that in him, we can live again. through his sacrifice, we can have an eternal family, and live with them forever. I know that he loves us so much and that's why he did what he did and because of that, I have an eternal family, and will have my own eternal family some day.

Love you guys lots!! Feel free to send me letters and packages as an appreciation of your amor for me. Hahaha!! Have a great week and stay safe everyone!

Elder Jones

USA USA USA USA USA USA USA

Tomorrow is the celebration of the Independence of the U S of A and I happen to be in the Republica de Mexico. But no worries you can all be assured that I will be living it up tomorrow the best that I can. Enjoy a Mountain Dew and some barbecue and fire works for me.(except we have more fire works in Mexico actually)

Due to the special transfers I received on Saturday morning I'm now in the area of Aquiles Serdan/ Culturas/ Hacienda. We're covering three areas. I'm pretty pumped to be here. Nervous, but pumped. These areas border my first two areas so I actually know some of the members. I got to see some of the members from my first area last night which was super cool. I'm excited to be here with Elder Noris from Sinaloa, Mexico.

Right now I'm in the process of applying to BYU so everyone pray a lot for me and if you'd like to write my essays I would greatly appreciate that.

Look what I found in my new area:

​That be HoneyCombs cereal and great value milk IMPORTED FROM THE U S OF A. Milk here is terrible. It ruined my life so when I can find real milk it's just the best.

I'd like to share a poem with you all (I didn't write this one)

​You all can study and ponder on that this week.

I want to testify of the power of the atonement and repentance. This past week at church someone gave a lesson on repentance, on how we need to talk to the Bishop when we have bigger problems, and how we can get the burdens we carry off of our chests. I want to testify to all of you that repentance is worth it. The process is probably one of the hardest things we have to go through in our lives, but it is WORTH IT. I used to think that it was so easy for missionaries to talk about repentance because they never have to do it, but I promise you we are no where near perfect. When I was in the offices I saw many people go and talk to President and work through problems, and even I have had to work with my own personal problems with President. Repentance is like using a really good weight loss program. Afterwards you're a new person. I know that we all, through repentance, can lose a LOT of weight and become new people, through the power of the atonement. I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us so much. I know that we can be forgiven because of what Christ did for us. I know that they love us no matter what we've done and we can ALWAYS return.

Sorry I've been bad at writing group emails but we'll see if I can get back on track! I love you guys! Stay safe!! Pray for me and my area and my companion and for America and the Prophet and yourselves and everything! Prayer is important!

cuidense mucho y les amo

Elder Jones

Enjoy this Mexican sunrise:

I'm feeling a lot better this week mom. I've been making better choices trying to get back on track, and I think that's made a lot of difference for me. I'm really nervous to be in the city again but I think we'll have a lot of success. I've just gotta try and be diligent so prayers about that would be appreciated. haha Anyway I'll be sending my essays to you or dad and also could you pay the fees this week? I want to send the essays by next week but I don't think it'll happen but I want to do it soon! Keep taking pictures with my fat head and send them next week, Enjoy your trip and I'll talk to you next week!! Love you mom! Talk to you soon!