Hello Jones Family

So right now I am in my 2nd area and I'm in the area that is considered the most beautiful area in the whole mission. I'm in Coron Palawan. There is no ward here it is just a branch, and yesterday I already talked and My companion and I taught the gospel principles class. The branch here is very small and there are only 4 missionaries here as well as a senior couple. When Elder and Sister Duford picked me up at the airport the explained to mean that this area, and branch really needs to be strengthened. Its so cool that I'm assigned here and I will be helping these people to understand the gospel. They told me that this area is still in the 1800 of church history time. My new area is just a small town that sits on an island surrounded by other islands. The town sits right inside a massive cove and there are lots of boats and many of the people here fish for a living. There are several places in our area like neighborhoods but are just houses on stilts over the water.Also many of the people here do not speak English or really understand English like others in Manila. So one thing I will be doing here is improving my Tagalog and all the other Elders here are Filipino. Its such a cool area and is so unique. There are no Jeepneys here just trikes and the trikes here are specific to this place and are designed to carry 7 people. The branch here is also great. Yesterday after church we went to work and while working we saw a group of 3 members out doing their home teaching. They joined us and we went and taught with them. The members in the branch are always working with us. Its so great! There were also 2 baptisms here on Saturday. Narlito and Kyle. They are both younger but are already very strong in the gospel. There is no baptismal font here so they were baptized in a swimming pool. I had already met my new companion because we were next door neighbors in our first area. We are also in the same batch so we have now both been out for 7 months.So far I'm really liking this area and I'm really looking forward to working here its so great!! 

Love you all!!! Have a great week!!

Elder Jones

Magandang tanghali po

A couple weeks ago we OYMed a guy named Paul. Just two weeks ago we saw him again and we started teaching him. We invited him to come to church with us. On Sunday the 15 of March we walked over to his home and he was sitting outside all dressed up waiting for us 15 minutes before we said we would be there. He also came to church with us yesterday. We Finished teaching him the restoration last week and we have already given him pamphlets about the restoration, plan of salvation, gospel of Jesus Christ, word of wisdom and law of chastity and he has read them all. Every time we see him he asks for a new one because he already read the others we gave him. He has also been reading the Book Of Mormon and has accepted our invitation to be baptized. We also just found another guy named Jepoy. We talked to him on Friday and asked him if we could share a message with him. He said yes and on Saturday he rode his motorcycle to the church where we taught him. He wanted to come to the church to one see it and two so that there wouldn't be so many distractions but instead he could focus and have it quite. It was cool to see him take the time to go all the way to the church to listen to our message. He expressed some things to us and how he wants to change his life. He really wanted to go to church but had something yesterday so he couldn't come but he said he will for sure be there next week. We are really finding some people who are very serious about the message and learning about the gospel. OYMing is also a very important tool because many of these people we found through OYMing and actually originally oyming another person. The OYMs branch out and we find more then one person and have found some who really want to know!!

So here in the Philippines many people have roosters outside their home that are chained up like pets. One day while walking down a eskinieta or basically a ally way. This rooster attacked my leg as I walked by it. It just kept walking because its on a lease so it cant go far but it was super unexpected! My Companion though it was pretty funny! And it was!

Love you all and have a great week!!!!

Elder Jones

Hello 

So our investigator thats wants proof we have showed him several scriptures but he keeps saying thou shalt not add. I keep trying to explain to him that in order to know if the book of mormon is true we have to read and pray about it. I don't think he understands. He still wants proof. We have given him several scriptures about faith and how we need to have faith. Anyway we have one investigator who has come to church once but hasn't been back for a while. He is doing great though besides church. He does all his assignments as well as reads. last time we were there he had read all the way to page 40 and done his assignment. He has also been praying and he has just been doing a great job. Last week we started teaching him the Plan of Salvation. We stopped about half way through and told him when we returned we would finish. He basically told us "Good cause this is really nice" I wants to know more about the Plan of Salvation and Im hoping this will help him come to church. Sister Exzyl is still doing great. We are still waiting for their marriage. The other day over at their new home Brother Jared's son Godwin was mocking and copying me. Godwin is super awesome and he is always speaking nonsense. Anyway I said "Makakapagpabagabag" and he stopped copying me cause he couldn't say it. It was so funny and everyone started laughing. Many of our investigators are doing well. We are actually finding tons of people its just that people are progressing but slowly. We have many new investigators but they are progressing very slowly. It is also very hard to meet with people in our area sometimes because the are jeepney drivers, trike drivers, and everyone sleeps during the day cause its so hot. But we just do the best we can.

Earlier today we woke up early to go to the temple! We went to the LRT and there were so many people so we took a jeepney which went or about 45 minutes then dropped us off where we had to then get on the LRT and go to EDSA station then get on another LRT and go to another station where we had to take a shuttle to get to the temple. It was great it took forever but at least we had a great time and had fun with the district. I also saw one of my MTC teaches over there at the MTC and we talked for a little. It was awesome last time I couldn't understand her and this time I could. So we talked for a little then we also saw Brother Garcia, one of the cooks at the MTC. He also remembered me so we talked for a little! It was so cool to talk to and see them again. The temple was great we had such a great time.

Next week on Wednesday I finish training my companion so ill probably be transferring. I really want to go to Palawan but we will see what happens.  

I did get the package just last week so it was more like Birthday rather than Christmas but it was still amazing!!! THANK YOU all for the wonderful letters and packages!!! 

Love you all!! Thanks for he packages letters and Emails!! Until next week!!

Love Elder Jones

Hey guys!!

Anyway right now we are sitting in a computer shop with the whole district but its only 6 of us so not a ton. Early this morning here the McDonalds were giving away free breakfast to the first 1000 customers so we all woke up early to go get some free breakfast. When we arrived I got the last ticket for the free meal. I was the 1000 person and my companion didn't get one so he had to pay!! Joke I bought him food since he payed for the trike that took us there. It was super fun. After that we went back to the other Elders apartment and did our studies. Now we are in the computer shop and after we are going to go get some pizza! So far its been a really good day. 

This week was pretty good. We have one investigator who its trying to find out the Book Or Mormon is true but its kinda hard because he wants proof in the New testament ant he wants it to say "Mormon" I have been spending a lot of time searching for a really good scripture in the Bible to help him. He reads and prays when we visit him and he always has a lot of questions but its hard for him to accept the Book Or Mormon as well as Joseph Smith as a prophet. He is so fun to teach though cause he really challenges us. The nice thing is he doesn't try to bible bash. The area that I'm in right now is supposedly one of the hardest areas in the entire mission. I believe it. Our area is very difficult but we have several investigators who we have found who are doing great. Just having those investigators makes all the hard experiences in our area worth it. This week while walking a lady yelled out to us and asked if we were Mormons. Of course we responded yes. She told us she had been to church before and she wanted to go back. She isn't a member. But she just arrived here in our area and isn't to familiar with the area. Thats was a really cool experience we just have to teach her. While talking with her a bunch of her friends got involved and several of them expressed an interest to hear our message. Also sister Exyl our Golden investigator is still doing great. Her and her family are always at church and we had a FHE with them last week and we watched the Joseph Smith movie with them. Brother Jared and Sister Exyl are still working on their wedding but they said it will be soon. I will probably be leaving this area on the 25 of March and Im very worried that I wont see her baptism. If I don't im just glad I was one who was able to share the message of the gospel with her. 

Love you all so much!! Have a great week!!! 

Love Elder Jones

Hello,

March 1

Well I'm  at 6 months which doesn't seem like much but it went by so fast. It feels like I just left home and now 6 months and Im still in the same and my first area! I finish training my companion on the 25 of march! Then Im sure ill transfer. Im hoping I go to Palawan but we will see. Things are picking up in our area we have found several new investigators who are reading the Book Of Mormon and also praying. Sometimes is so hard to get people to come to church because many people work on Sundays here. We have several investigators who really want to come but work on Sunday or like two of our investigators they have to go to the province almost every weekend. One of our investigators has already read all the way to Jacob in the Book Of Mormon and many others are reading on a regular basis. Its so cool when we ask our investigators about their reading and if the finished the reading section we gave them and they tell us they did. Many of our investigators will then expound on what the learned. Its way cool. In preach my gospel its talks about how the Book Or Mormon and the spirit are our most powerful resources for conversion. If people will read then they will feel the spirit and the truthfulness of the gospel. Reading the book of mormon is super important. 

Have a great week everyone!! I love you all so much!!! BYE!!! 

Love Elder Jones