Nov 30, 2015

I forgot to tell you about the snow. We got like 8 inches of snow overnight and it's all gone now!! Those were the pictures that I sent.  So Tuesday last week we woke up nice and early and went to the church building in Wilmette for transfer meeting! Elder Limon was all packed up and ready and I was more than happy to help with the bags:) We got to the church and I found Elder Peralta and sat with him the whole time and it was so great my new Companion!! We went to the mission office and I got your package and I'm so excited to wear the huge socks!!! It's not quite cold enough now but it will be. Tuesday we had a super productive day as a companionship! Visited a bunch of less actives and members.  Today is Thanksgiving and we have an appointment with a family for dinner with the other elders too!  The Castellanos are feeding us tomorrow too as a "thanksgiving" dinner because they couldn't today. We are just gonna do so great though and I'm pumped. He is hilarious and we have FUN together! This is a first!!
Moving on to Saturday night. Funny story- my comp is driving and he gets pulled over and he started freaking out a little bit and turns to me after giving his license and says, "ah dude what if he finds something on my license" and I was like "like what?" and he says, "I dunno like a warrant for my arrest" and I just started laughing way hard because he was so serious and it was so funny!!! Like they would let him drive or be on mission if he had warrants.   Saturday we went to the mall as a district and stood with signs in both Spanish and English that said "What are you thankful for" we got lots of people to talk to some people loved us and some didn't.  Good times,  I have high hopes for this new companionship.  Everyone go watch this it just came out.   https://www.mormon.org/christmas

Elder Jones

Nov 23 2015

So for this week I had a fun experience with a less active woman. She invited us to help her cook some tacos for lunch to eat with her on Friday and so we went there at like 11:30. I got to chop up some peppers and cilantro and we made the salsa. So she sent us out to the to table and we sat down and I had forgotten about this appointment so I had eaten right before we came so... Whoops. She comes out and sets a plate in front of me with a full helping of beans and 7 tacos. SEVEN TACOS!! So I was like "alright, gearing up for the long haul" and pounded em:) Earlier this week on Tuesday, I went on exchanges with Elder Troll (whose real last name is Troll) and it was great! He is my current zone leader and he is a nice guy. From Chile! Anyways, we went on exchanges and the day was great and we had two appointments for dinner. Which happens only because I'm pretty sure our members conspire and make it so they all wanna feed us on the same day. So me and Elder Troll go to the first one which we were supposed to teach the two little girls. They are from Guatemala and Mexico. And so the family took us out to Chilis I was pretty much stuffed after that. Then we went to the family Lovatos house who absolutely love to feed us. And it was hermanos birthday so he had cake that he insisted he didn't want leftovers from it so... Ya I was bulging. No wonder I keep gaining weight! Have I told you how much I weigh recently? You don't wanna know;)

On... Friday night! We had a ward activity called el arbol de la vida and it was so much fun!! We got to blind fold a bunch of adults and lead them in the dark holding on to a rope all over church with tons of obstacles and it was actually way hard. I took the job of standing by the water fountain most of the time and I threw water at people and they freaked out! And then I'd run down the hall right before the end and stand in one of the classrooms and it was super long so where I was they thought they were done and I'd turn on the light right as they were going past me and say, "good job" You finished! Let go of the rope and walk to my voice". And I got a bunch of people to walk into the room and then I'd turn the light off and leave, oh my gosh it was so much fun! And then a Sister Hermana would go help them out because she felt bad. We had a couple investigators there and it was great!

That same Friday during the day, I went on exchanges with Elder Jensen oh my gosh he is my favorite person!! He told me I could stay at his house if I ever went to Utah State:) he lives like two minutes away and that would be so fun! Also, that was the night we received transfer calls:) my comp Elder Limon is being transferred and I am getting Elder Peralta and he speaks Spanish and is one of the sickest kids! I am so stoked! But ya so we had a fun exchange. And I got our investigator Ariana to say she was coming to church on Sunday.  More to come next week. Enjoy pictures of exchange day and I got new boots.  They are super warm.

-Elder Jones

Nov 16, 2015

So to answer some questions. Weirdest food so far- This pasta that is like Tiny star shaped noodles and it's just weird. Not too bad though. And mole. That's nasty do not like that at all.
I have ridden the train just the one time a few weeks back and didn't talk to anybody. Transfers are next week though and maybe things will change!  I miss you guys hope everything is good.  The most snow in 100 years in November.

Elder Jones

Nov 9 2015

It is getting chilly here too but it's different from there. I could wear shorts there through January. I would DIE here if I tried to do that. I got the package this morning and I am almost through all the Hi-chews already, thanks so much. Kalen looks great! I saw his pictures!  Here is another picture from last week in the city.  It was my first time on the trains.

Nov 2, 2015

Hey so it's Tuesday night and I am reflecting on the day and it is so much easier to think of experiences I've had in the same day! ;) so I have some stuff to tell you! Well this morning we had to go to Elders Jensen and Seegmillers apartment to do laundry because we couldn't get it done yesterday because there are tons of missionaries that use their stuff on Pdays. Anyways! While we were there they invited us to English class! :) every single Tuesday, they drive to the giant public library here in Gurnee and they take like an hour to teach English to people who come to a class to learn it. And it's so cool! :) I actually went last week too but I forgot to tell you about it. So we decided to go and it was so fun:) I literally got to sit down one on one with this lady from Michoacan Mexico who has been here for three months now and teach her English but the trick is I have to teach in Spanish haha which doesn't make sense but I guess it works. It was super cool! And they are all way funny and the class consists of basically 15 to 20, 30-50 year old ladies who come in and joke to each other across the room and talk like a relief society meeting and they are all just super... Amiable so that was my cool thing for today and hopefully I can have one everyday for you!
Fast forward a few days...
So we went to the Lovato's house for Halloween. They are freaking hilarious and love to feed us they are seriously the funniest people I have met here. Aside from Horacio I guess. Horacio Cordero is the coolest guy ever. He has the craziest stories and he used to be a hacker for the government and also a spy for some South American country during the Cuban war and stuff and he is like 55 now and he looks super young! coolest guy ever!! He said he'll come to my wedding:)

For Pday we got to go downtown again and ride the train.  I love this city.
And you are gonna love what I wore on Halloween;)
-Elder Jones

Oct 26, 2015

I got to go to the temple last Saturday! We went cuz a lady in our ward was getting her endowments and like half our ward was there to support her. But apparently we get to go once a transfer I believe. So I'm going to get to go more!

Every Monday night we go to Hermano Obregon's house for dinner. He is our second counselor. He has 2 kids that are in high school that I like to tease.

We are about to play games today with the other missionaries. Also here are some pics of my place (sorry didn't make my bed).

The apartment 

 

Oct 19, 2015

I want you to know that I am doing way better this week:) you know me and I am settling into my situation and really getting behind it all as far as I know what I'm doing. I am starting to put in work and trust in the Lord way more and it's helping so much. Keep praying for me but you don't need to worry anymore I promise:)

230 Moore Ct Grays Lake. IL 60030 is my address right now for letters but don't send packages here. We are in Gurnee 3 Ward Buffalo Grove stake.

Yes it's freezing already
I just realized there are way more questions you wanted answers to. Here are a few answers

So for transfers every missionary that is receiving a transfer comes to the same Iglesia for a big ole meeting which I think is typically about 40% of the mission.. Maybe. And we all have a gathering in the chapel and president will stand at the pulpit and give a little talk about the mission and share stories and stuff and then he announces the transfers one by one and it's like a ceremony haha. Once every six weeks. So that always happens on Tuesday so on Saturday is when every pair of missionaries get a text that says you wil be transferred or not and if you are they call you that night too and tell you what's gonna happen.

I eat cereal for breakfast if I eat anything. Or hot chocolate:) with this super yummy load of bread that a member gave us like last week. With butter it's so good in hot chocolate.

I am for real gonna need some good cold weather stuff or I will freeze to death and it's gonna be a bit expensive cuz I will not get cheap boots and some other stuff I'll need so... hope I have enough money still in my account.

Oct 12, 2015

Thanks for sending the picture of you and Jen at her book signing. That is so cool!!! Tell Jen I am so proud of her and I can't wait to read her book!!! :) give her my best for sure!

So typically we just hang out with other missionaries on p days but we can't really find any today so... that's a bummer. I am at a church with my comp playing basketball alone. Maybe next week will be better. This week I have really struggled pray for me.

Oct 4 2015

First off shout out to Tracee my little sis it was her birthday 2 days ago. So happy birthday!

Conference was amazing!!! :)  It was just chill around here watching but I didn't fall asleep.

So the flour pictures from last week. The hermanas in our district spent a couple hours putting together the little sacks of flour in nylon socks or something and they made like 60 of them and we just had a grand ole time:) we played capture the flag and dodgeball and then an all out war!! It was so gross once you started sweating but we had a blast:)
I read the talk by Pres.Uchtdorf in the women's broadcast and it really hit me right now that I just need to be happy and so that's what I'm doing. I have actually been able to talk to a couple of people about the church. It is so cool to actually talk about the church with people cuz they literally don't know anything about it!!
Thanks for everything mom:) I could use thermals tho... I have been told that I have no idea how cold winter can be. The weather is getting stinking cold already:) haha 50 here is like bundle up weather! In Utah that's shorts and a tank top!! 

This is me on splits and look what road we found.