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

Hello Family!! 

This week has been great but also kind of hard. Many people were busy or not home. One of our investigators is also moving so that really stinks. She had a baptismal date and everything to. She just wasn't really coming to church much but that's cause she is busy but she came when she could. Anyway we had some great experiences this week too. Last night while heading to a members home we stopped to talk to someone. Just seconds after we started talking a lady walked out of the house. He was waiting for her. We started talking to both of them and she told us that when she was 18 the missionaries taught her family in the province. So she has a book of Mormon and read it a little bit. We asked if we could come back and teach her she said we could. It was so cool how we were just walking then found someone who had had experience with missionaries. We also had a great message about the Book Of Mormon with Dan Jhong and Richard. They are all interested have been reading but we are trying to get them at church. Its hard thought cause sometimes they work and sometimes they have to go to the Provence. Sorry this E mail is so short but we have to go. Today we are going to this cemetery in our area with the other missionaries cause supposedly its the most luxurious cemetery in the world. The next transfer is at the end of March and I'm pretty sure Ill get transferred then. Love you all and have A GREAT week!!!Ill talk to you next week BYE!!

Love Elder Jones

Hello Jones Family!!

How are all you guys doing? This week has been really cool but also super difficult. This week was super hard to teach for some reason. We just kept visiting people and they weren't home, or they were sleeping or something. People here sleep at 1 to 3 because its so hot outside so its pretty normal. We had some amazing lessons though this week. This week we went back to meet with Richard, Jhong, and Marvin. When we got there Jhong invited his brother Danilo to come and listen to us there was also a girl named Bibi that was there. We met with Jhong, Richard, and Marvin last week and taught them about the restoration. Before we started teaching Jhong started to explain the restoration to his brother. It was super cool! Just shortly after we started Danilo stopped us to tell me I was good at Tagalog! It was super funny cause Im not that good but it means he could understand what I was saying. We proceeded with the Restoration and they had tons of questions, comments, and stories. It was absolutely crazy how amazing it was. The spirirt was so strong and they were all so interested. We gave them book of Mormons or is Tagalog Aklat ni Mormon. We invited them to ready, pray, and go to church. They all expressed that they were super interested and how they wanted to learn they things that we had shared with them. When we asked them if they would go to church Richard points at them all and says "Magsimba tayo" several times. Magsimba is go to church and tayo is we or us. Yesterday Jhong and Richard came to church. Marvin Bibi and Danilo had to work and to do some other things. Which stunk but having Richard and Jhong there was great. We stopped at their house to see if they were going and they said they would then Richard, who is a jeepney driver, drove us all over to the church in his jeepney! It was super cool. Every single one of them is so interested, very nice and wants to find out for them selves. Im just hoping it will lead them to action because in order to know we have to act. Every time we go by there are always like Elders Elders . Marvin had to leave before we finished the lesson and so did Bibi which stunk but we invited Jhong, Danilo, and Richard to be baptized if they can to know it was true and they all said yes without hesitation. By far they best experience and strongest spirit I have ever felt and experience in any one lesson!! AMAZING! The other day while waiting to go meet with some less active members we walked around looking for people to talk to. We walked down a small road outlet that goes to a dead end. It was dark and there were to people sitting on chairs in front of a stand where people sell food for extra money. There was a girl and a boy a husband and wife. The girl said to us "Hello Elders" I had never seen here before and didn't know who she was. She told us she was a member but inactive and hadn't been to church for a very long time. Her husband wasn't a member so we st down and talked to them. We ended up going back yesterday and teaching him. Him is very humble and said they would go to church next week. She hasn't been to church for a long time but I think us teaching her husband trigger a spark because she offered to give the opening prayer and was super happy to have us there. It was super cool. Its crazy how the holy ghost leads us to people. This road is super short and we knew it went to a dead end but we felt like we should go that way! And we found them! 

I love you all and I will talk to you next week!!! 

Love Elder Jones 

Hello,

The work is going great. We are teaching a lot and talking with tons of people in order to find those who are prepared for the gospel. This last week on Friday we had a service project which was awesome. One of the members had a large fence made of metal sheets and some of them were really rusted so we removed them and put in new ones. It was way fun and my companion and I got super dirty because of all the things we had to do and touch. My hands were black as if I had been working at the bike shop. It was great! While doing it I realized that I miss working like that in the yard and the bike shop. But thats ok because we are doing the most important work in the world right now. My companion and I are doing great we have become friends instead of just being companions which has helped a lot. This week we also had a disappointing experience. We taught a lady who live close to a member named sister Cathy and her husband June. They were both super nice and Cathy had starting reading the Book Or Mormon and praying. She went to Church with sister Merryann and Sister Kipkipan and she brought her two daughters. They had a great time at Church then last week when we went back to share a message with them sister Merryann and Kipkipan told us that June, sister Cathy's husband, doesn't want us to teach her or go to church. It stunk super bad cause she at first when we invited her to be baptized she said no but the next time we went back she said she had taught about it and had some questions that we answered. She had also started reading the Book Of Mormon and praying and she was attending church. It really stunk! But we have had some great experiences like the Zablan kids oldest Brother and his girlfriend, Marion and Leah. They are both reading and praying and want to go to church and be baptized. They weren't able to make it to church yesterday because something came up but they both really want to go and love it when we come by.

Things are going great here and we are having so much fun! I love you all and I will talk to you next week!!!

Love Elder Jones

Kumusta po kayo lahat!!

Sister Kasupanan showed me the pictures of Taylor's baptism yesterday!! I loved seeing the pictures!! I really wish I was there!! It reminded me of when I baptized Rylee!! Ill never forget that!! I miss you all!! 

This week here in the mission field was kind of challenging we didn't get to teach much but we just talked to a bunch of people when for some reason or another we couldn't teach! We talked to several people this week who had actually been to church before with their family or friends. But they haven't been for a while. We asked them if we could come back and share our message with them and they said we could so we have a lot to do this week! Earlier this week we were walking and as we walked by some guys who were smoking and drinking one of them yelled out "Hey Jo you want a drink" so we stopped and talked to them. Not the best OYMing approach I know but after a while we were talking to about 6 people one of them had been to church before with her family and told me she wanted to go back. She is of course not a member. Another guy who my companion was talking to was extremely interested and wanted to hear more about our message. The way the conversation started wasn't the best but everyone is a child of god and we should take every opportunity to talk to as many people as we can about the restored gospel. 

The other day we met with sister Exyl and Brother Jared to share a message. It was so cool we had a great conversation where Sister Exyl told us she is ready for baptism, she knows its true and she told us an experience that happened a while back. While getting ready for church everyone in her family was running late so she left and walked by herself to church. I remember that day when me and Elder Villian walked in 40 minutes before church started and Sister Exyl was sitting in the chapel alone. It was so cool to hear her side because she expressed how important church is to her. I later asked them if they feel like the gospel had strengthen their family and they said yes. They then gave more examples. It was so cool! They are at church every Sunday and are both active in answering questions and sharing experiences. Its so cool to have seen here progression in the gospel. 

I love you all and hope you have a great week!!!

Love Elder Jones