Hello.
FUNNY STORY: We were heart attacking an investigator (putting hearts
on her door). A man walked by and we said, "HEY!" And he said, "What
are you doing?" I said, "Heart attacking someone's door." He freaked
out and said, "Are you witches?" I said, "No, oh my gosh did we give
you a heart attack?" That freaked him out even more. We ended up
having a great conversation with him about the gospel though, it was a
really funny experience.
MIRACLE: Rhonda is getting baptized. She is the one who has come to
church for the past year and refused to be baptized. There are some
things which need to be approved before she can get baptized, but let
me tell about the spirit...
So we have been praying for Rhonda. She came to a members house and
the member shared a message about prayer. The next day Rhonda and a
member Jason were the only ones who came to our gospel discussion
class. (PERFECT: We picked out a talk just for Rhonda.) Afterward, we
talked to Rhonda about why she wouldn't be baptized. We helped her
understand she is living the baptismal covenant right now, so she wont
break her covenant after she is baptized. God is good to us :)
Miracle #2: A couple weeks we tracted into a man named Marco. We had a
wonderful conversation, he took a book of mormon, and at the end he
said, "This conversation went a lot better than expected." We found
out this week he is a RC's husband, which we didn't know... how cool
is that?
I taught at my last ZTM this week. I love being a missionary, and I
know how there is authority and power which comes with the call that
is very real. I am grateful that God can use all of us as his mouth
pieces as we are obedient, live worthy, and head the promptings of the
spirit.
In sacrament meeting, a man spoke and said he served in RIO. I went up
to him after the meeting since he looked about my age.. I said, "Did
you know an Elder Jones?" He said, "Mike Jones?" YES!!! So dad was his
zone leader. (DAD: His name is Scott schultz) He said that dad was a
lot of fun to serve around and that he was a great missionary. How
cool is that? (Also, dad he says hi.)
LOVE YOU ALL!
Sister Jones
Monday, November 30, 2015
Nov 2- Lots of tracting
Hello from Oregon!
Embarrassing moment of the week: Sunday morning has I was getting ready for church, I stabbed myself in the eyeball with a safety pin. (Don't ask) Granted, I don't know if I got the eyeball or the eyelid.. Either way it hurt pretty bad. I laid on the couch for a half hour because I couldn't open it. We were late to ward council and my eye was red and puffy and watery, and since my eye was watery my nose was running as well. I was pretty embarrassed since we don't know anyone super well yet... But the eyeball is fine now.
This week was basically full of tracting, which does start to get tedious after a while. We found someone new to teach, but her return appointment fell through. We are fasting and praying for our area.
Our only investigator is named Rhonda, and the elders gave her to us. She has a complicated story and isn't technically an investigator, but she has been going to church, reading, and praying, for a year. She won't get baptized, and no one is sure why... We will see what God can do :)
Tuesday we had the ward party, and we got to be the taste testers for the pie and soup contest. That was pretty awesome.
As I was reading through the Book of Mormon I came across a scripture in Helaman 4:13 which states, "And because of this their great wickedness, and their BOASTINGS IN THEIR OWN STRENGTH, they were LEFT IN THEIR OWN STRENGTH; therefore they did not prosper."
This in turn made me think of a scripture in 2 Nephi 20:15 which says, "Shall the ax boast itself against him that heweth therewith? Shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? As if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself as if it were no wood." This scripture talks about how an tools are NOTHING without someone to maneuver them. It doesn't matter if you are the "latest model," or the "sharpest tool in the shed," you are utterly useless without a skilled owner. On that note, we can be in pristine condition, but without God it doesn't really matter. On the flip side, if God is our owner, if we allow Christ to lead us, what can't we accomplish? It doesn't matter if we are old, rusty, bent, or broken. He can accomplish whatever he needs because we are perfect, he is not.
I have tried to do things my own way often on my mission. From experience, it doesn't turn out very well. God is helping me to rely completely on him while here in Santa Clara. It has been a very humbling experience. I obviously still have things to learn and accomplish!
I love you all!
Sister Jones
Oct 26th- Santa Clara 3rd Ward
Familia,
HELLO!!! Santa Clara 3rd ward has treated us well so far. I was excited to open an area, but I don't think I realized what that really entailed... Basically we have been tracting all day everyday, which can be monotonous. I am really antsy to find people to teach. I am having teaching separation anxiety.
My area: We are sharing a ward with elders. The ward seems nice, but I miss the people in Grants Pass.
My companion: Sister Asregadoo is from California and has been out six months. She has the biggest heart of anyone that I know. She loves the people and is going to be great.
The work: We found a couple solid Potentials when we first when Tracting on Tuesday, but over the curse of the rest of the week we felt like nothing was productive. We were praying a lot to be guided. On Sunday we had a pretty cool experience. Sister Asregadoo and I felt prompted that we should tract a certain street that day, so as we pulled up to the street there was someone walking down the street. We went over and talked to her, and she invited us back to her home. Right after talking with her we felt prompted to go to another street. A couple days prior we had talked to a man named Marco. God told us to walk down the street and Marco would be outside... When we walked down the street, there he was, outside fixing a light bulb. He opened us to us about how he wonders what is the point of life? Why has it been so hard for him? We gave him a Book of Mormon and testified of the Plan of Salvation. After that we went to a name of a member who was sticking out to us on the member list, and they are a PM family and we are going to start teaching their daughter the gospel. Sister Asregadoo and I were in awe- I don't tell you this to boast of ourselves, by any means. I tell you this because I know that God tests our faith, and I also know that we need to follow through with exactness any promptings which come our way.
The work: We found a couple solid Potentials when we first when Tracting on Tuesday, but over the curse of the rest of the week we felt like nothing was productive. We were praying a lot to be guided. On Sunday we had a pretty cool experience. Sister Asregadoo and I felt prompted that we should tract a certain street that day, so as we pulled up to the street there was someone walking down the street. We went over and talked to her, and she invited us back to her home. Right after talking with her we felt prompted to go to another street. A couple days prior we had talked to a man named Marco. God told us to walk down the street and Marco would be outside... When we walked down the street, there he was, outside fixing a light bulb. He opened us to us about how he wonders what is the point of life? Why has it been so hard for him? We gave him a Book of Mormon and testified of the Plan of Salvation. After that we went to a name of a member who was sticking out to us on the member list, and they are a PM family and we are going to start teaching their daughter the gospel. Sister Asregadoo and I were in awe- I don't tell you this to boast of ourselves, by any means. I tell you this because I know that God tests our faith, and I also know that we need to follow through with exactness any promptings which come our way.
I have never served in Eugene area my whole mission, and when the new missionaries come into the field we get to sing to them. We sing the EFY medley, "Armies of Helaman" and "Sisters of Zion." I cried. I wished so bad that I was sitting in the place of all those new missionaries, so much time ahead of me to serve in the Lord's vineyard!
I love you all!
Sister Jones
Sister Training Leader Call
20 October 2015
Dear Sister Corinne Jones,
You have been called to serve as a Sister Training Leader, we are pleased with your dedication and faith. The Lord will lift you and the Holy Spirit will guide you in this assignment.
Under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost you will lead your missionaries, teaching and providing the example for obedience, diligence and working by the spirit. Specifically, you will lead by example in planning, finding, teaching, inviting and baptizing. Help each sister missionary have a vision, to set goals and plan with great devotion. Help them to inspire and teach members. You earn the missionary's respect when you demonstrate effective work in your own area. As you produce and bring people to Christ, building a successful area, missionaries will want to be like you. You are expected to lead the way with your area; you should lead out in all key indicators.
Lead by example - look at the sons of Helaman for an example: "And they were all young men (applies to women), and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold this was not all - they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted. Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him." Alma 53:20-21
Through your special talents and gifts, God will provide you with heavenly inspiration. Through your faithful obedience and dedication to the work, various blessings and endowments will be poured out upon you. You will be guided in your work; He will inspire you. Be true at all times and remember not only do I trust you, but so does the Lord! In addition to the above counsel, please see attached specific duties of a Sister Training Leader.
With profound love,
H. Jeffery Russell
Mission President
Dear Sister Corinne Jones,
You have been called to serve as a Sister Training Leader, we are pleased with your dedication and faith. The Lord will lift you and the Holy Spirit will guide you in this assignment.
Under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost you will lead your missionaries, teaching and providing the example for obedience, diligence and working by the spirit. Specifically, you will lead by example in planning, finding, teaching, inviting and baptizing. Help each sister missionary have a vision, to set goals and plan with great devotion. Help them to inspire and teach members. You earn the missionary's respect when you demonstrate effective work in your own area. As you produce and bring people to Christ, building a successful area, missionaries will want to be like you. You are expected to lead the way with your area; you should lead out in all key indicators.
Lead by example - look at the sons of Helaman for an example: "And they were all young men (applies to women), and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold this was not all - they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted. Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him." Alma 53:20-21
Through your special talents and gifts, God will provide you with heavenly inspiration. Through your faithful obedience and dedication to the work, various blessings and endowments will be poured out upon you. You will be guided in your work; He will inspire you. Be true at all times and remember not only do I trust you, but so does the Lord! In addition to the above counsel, please see attached specific duties of a Sister Training Leader.
With profound love,
H. Jeffery Russell
Mission President
Oct 12- Another week.... In GP.
Oct 12 at 1:13 PM
HELLO!
This has been the weirdest week of my life. It feels like I was hardly even in my area. Tuesday Sister Holliday and I drove to MLC in Eugene, which was spirit filled as usual. (We were on time as well...) 1/3 of our mission is in training, which means we have a lot of new missionaries. Our Training has been on concepts which are very basic, so the mission can learn how to do them. It has been nice to go back to the beginning's of missionary work.
Update on the work.
While I was gone, Shadeed's wife kicked the sister's out of the house and said we aren't welcome there. Shadeed still wants us to come back, though.
Tyler is SO CLOSE to setting a date for baptism!
Monika is quitting a drug which is highly addictive. I am really proud of her, but at the same time we aren't teaching her a whole lot. The other sisters had a baptism on Saturday, and we BEGGED and BEGGED her to go... she doesn't have a whole lot of motivation to do anything since her body thinks she is dying without drugs. We finally convinced her to come. I wish I could say it was because she felt the influence of the spirit... but she promised to come if we made waffles. (Not the best way to get someone to do something, but better than nothing right?)
Friday Sister Holliday and I taught at ZTM. #stressful
My entire mission I have said, "I love the church and I know it is true, so I will do anything for it... but sing." To some, that may sound ridiculous. Let me tell you what happened this week...
Saturday we had the adult session of stake conference. The Stake president had the genius idea to make the missionaries sing the EFY medley. We have been practicing for a while, and it is really embarrassing because we only have four sisters, and we split up into parts. None of us can sing. (That is a fact.) However, the sisters were LATE and so they missed our practice, and sister doxey and I had to sing a duet IN FRONT OF EVERYONE. I was so embarrassed. We sang parts, so I was the only one singing one part and she was the only one singing the other part. Officially, I will really do anything for the church now.
This morning I read a talk by Elder Holland which is called, "The best is yet to come." I have noticed that often people feel their situation is hopeless because they are held hostage by their past and don't think they can change their future. This talk is about Lot's wife, who was told to never look back. We know it wasn't the physical act of looking back but her longing for the past which proved her destruction. There is a quote which says, "God doesn't care nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where you are and, with His help, where you are willing to go." I hope we can all look forward to the future, and the beautiful things which lie ahead. THE BEST IS YET TO COME.
Pray for Monika, Sally (who is going to tell her family she is meeting with us,) Shadeed, and Tyler! I love these people with my whole heart, and I want them to have a better future than they have past.
I hope that this isn't my last week in Grants Pass, but I will let you all know where I am spending my next six weeks next Monday!
I love you all!
Sister Jones
Oct 5- Harvest Season
Hello!
We went to the zoo today, so I don't have a whole lot of time... But
it was a fantastic week.
Miracle: We were making sandwiches for lunch, just like normal people
do. We decided to toast it so we warmed up the oven and put it inside.
Sister Doxey, after a while, said, "why does the oven smell weird?" I
respond that is normal, we don't use it very often. Shortly after that
our fire alarms go off, so we open the doors and air out the house. We
still hadn't checked on the sandwiches in the oven. Finally I check,
and our sandwiches are literally bursting into flames. ALL IS WELL AND
OUR HOUSE STILL STANDS.
We had a weird week because so much was going on. Tuesday we had
interviews with President. He gave me some wonderful council, and I
do love that man! We did service for the food bank cutting up squash,
served at the soup kitchen, helped rake leaves at the women's
shelter... I love service! :D it was also interesting because his week
is harvest week. So, in missionary terms, the field is white all ready
to harvest. That usually means baptisms. However, it is marijuana
harvesting season, so everyone is getting antsy. (Since marijuana is
legal and basically everyone grows it.) I do love Oregon.
Sally is doing awesome! Monika wants to be baptized! Shadeed and Nando
are awesome, they just need to get off of parole! We met an
investigator who is golden we are handing off to other missionaries!
Bobby can't quit smoking! Things keep moving along!
Wasn't conference amazing? I have reflected on the amazing words of
our prophet and his chosen apostles. I know they are men acting under
the direction of the spirit! Sister Doxey and I have all ready started
"ponderizing," along with some of the women in our Ward. We watched a
session with Monika, and she cried during Elder Hollands talk. (Who
didn't?) it was absolutely amazing.
I love you all and will give you a more updated email next week!
Sister Jones
We went to the zoo today, so I don't have a whole lot of time... But
it was a fantastic week.
Miracle: We were making sandwiches for lunch, just like normal people
do. We decided to toast it so we warmed up the oven and put it inside.
Sister Doxey, after a while, said, "why does the oven smell weird?" I
respond that is normal, we don't use it very often. Shortly after that
our fire alarms go off, so we open the doors and air out the house. We
still hadn't checked on the sandwiches in the oven. Finally I check,
and our sandwiches are literally bursting into flames. ALL IS WELL AND
OUR HOUSE STILL STANDS.
We had a weird week because so much was going on. Tuesday we had
interviews with President. He gave me some wonderful council, and I
do love that man! We did service for the food bank cutting up squash,
served at the soup kitchen, helped rake leaves at the women's
shelter... I love service! :D it was also interesting because his week
is harvest week. So, in missionary terms, the field is white all ready
to harvest. That usually means baptisms. However, it is marijuana
harvesting season, so everyone is getting antsy. (Since marijuana is
legal and basically everyone grows it.) I do love Oregon.
Sally is doing awesome! Monika wants to be baptized! Shadeed and Nando
are awesome, they just need to get off of parole! We met an
investigator who is golden we are handing off to other missionaries!
Bobby can't quit smoking! Things keep moving along!
Wasn't conference amazing? I have reflected on the amazing words of
our prophet and his chosen apostles. I know they are men acting under
the direction of the spirit! Sister Doxey and I have all ready started
"ponderizing," along with some of the women in our Ward. We watched a
session with Monika, and she cried during Elder Hollands talk. (Who
didn't?) it was absolutely amazing.
I love you all and will give you a more updated email next week!
Sister Jones
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