Hermana Jones

Argentina Buenos Aires North Mission

miércoles, 19 de mayo de 2010

The MTC is incredible! This is going to have to be quick and probably will be scrambled.
The spirit is so strong here and I've never prayed so much in my life! I'll write a letter with anything I run out of time to say!
Well, I got here and basically went straight to class. My first full day here we learned how to pray in spanish and the second day we learned how to testify, or bear testimony.

(I don't know how to do accent marks, lo siento)
Yo se que la iglesia es verdadera. Yo testifico que Jesucristo es el Hijo de Dios y el salvador del mundo. Testifico que el Evangelio es verdadero. Me encanta este Evangelio de los ultimos dias. Jose Smith es una profeta de Dios y ha restaurado el Evangelio.

The spanish is going quite well for me so far. It's not so easy for my companions, so I feel blessed.
My companions (I'm in a trio) are Hermana Wheeler, from Idaho Falls and Hermana Payne from Lehi, UT. My entire district is going to Argentina except for 2. Hermana Wheeler and Elder Sitton are going to Toronto Canada East. Our maestro's (teachers) are Hermana (sis) Gigena and Hermano (bro.) Allred (todorojo)(he is a redhead). Hermana Gigena served in california, but her dad is Argentine, and Hermano Allred served in Texas. He likes to make fun of Argentine spanish :). My district ispretty cool. Our zone is aweome. We have 3 districts in our zone. One district has been here for 1 week longer than us and the other for 4 weeks longer. They are all Spanish speaking. Our zone is our branch. We have church all in spanish, and 2 missionaries are called to speak on the spot in sacrement meeting on a topic each week in spanish! How crazy is that?! So, every week we have to basically write a full on talk in spanish and be ready just in case. There are 2 other hermanas (sisters) in our zone. Hermana Gleason and Hermana Tavernier. We share a room with them. They are in the oldest district. They are so cool! They know so much! It's hard to believe in 4 weeks our spanish will be as good as theirs. On Sundays, we get to walk to the temple and take pictures. Picture taking is only allowed Sundays,and P-days (wed.).

Today we are going to the temple! I'm excited. Living in the residence halls here is exactly like the dorms. We get a meal card with $8 a week for everything we need, vending machines, etc. that doesn't include meals.

The Elders here are so respectful and love the Hermanas, so Rachelle, get excited! In our zone, they stand when we enter the room, they always get the door, take our meals trays, and stand when we go sit at the table at meal time. Teej, start practicing :). The food here is the same stuff they serve at the canon center cafeteria in the dorms.

On Sunday and Tuesday nights we are blessed to have devotionals. Yesterday, we heard from Elder and Sister Christensen of the 1st quorum of the seventy. I'm bummed I missed last tuesday, apparently Elder Holland came and it was full of inspiration, chastisement, and passion haha. Oh and Relief Society = amazing! All the sisters meet together in the entire MTC. So I'll definitely see Rachelle when she comes. This week our lesson in RS was given by Sister Dibb (presMonsons daughter) & Sister Cook from the YW's presidency! They gave me hugs and Sis Dibb said she loved my shirt (the green one from the bookstore, that is the same as the brown one). It was so incredible.

Thanks to those who have sent me letters. I'm proud to say that I was the first one to receive a letter in my district and the only one that got one that day (thur.)(from Kasey, thanks Kasey).
I also got a letter from Teej which was short and sweet.
Thanks to Grandma Rice for the letter, and thanks mom for the cookies! I love mail and can't wait to receive some from all of you! WRITE ME!!!

Use DearElder.com if you want. It's fast, free, and easy. Plus it is printed and delivered to me the same day!
the info you need is:
MTC Box # 225
depart date 7/13
mission code ARG-BAN 0713

so do it! I expect lots of DearElder letters and handwritten letters real soon now!! :)

I can only email 30 min and my times is almost up. I don't have time to attach pics this week, but I'll either print and send or do some next week.

Mom please also send:
-yellow & blue ruffel shirts
-maybe another sweater (any that goes with lots of skirts and collared shirts)
-my other white short sleeved downeast
-copy of my passport (in bins on right 2nd bin from bottom)
-orange body splash (in my BR undersink)

Hopefully next week, I can write lots more, but that's it for now.
I love you all! I love it here and am doing really really well! I am so happy to be here and haven't been sad once.
I know this is where I am supposed to be and I love it!

Love,
Hermana Jones

jueves, 13 de mayo de 2010

We dropped Haley off at the MTC at 1 PM yesterday. Darren I had flown down with her Tuesday afternoon, did a session in the Salt Lake temple Tuesday night and then prepared for the "drop-off" Wed. morning. We did have to return/exchange 2 of her suitcases which we had purchased just for her mission as they broke on the flight to SLC from Seattle but the Sister Missionary Mall stood behind them, replaced them, and hopefully they will wear better the rest of her mission.

As we pulled up to the curb at the MTC, there were many smiling Elders standing there to greet the new missionaries. They got her suitcases out of the car and were very kind and friendly to her and to us. They seemed excited that she was going to Argentina. They told her they had been there for 2 1/2 weeks and loved it there and told her she would love it there too! They enthusiastically said Elder Holland had been there the day before and that there were a lot of sisters there right now. We gave her tearful hugs and then they walked her inside taking her bags for her and showing her where to go. They were such gentlemen...some mothers somewhere in the church can be proud of the sons they have raised! We then got back in the car and pulled away feeling impressed that she was being cared for and supported by the priesthood in a very literal way! We pulled into another parking lot and cried for a few minutes but then decided that everything had gone as well as could be expected and that it was a little tender mercy of the Lord to let us know how she was going to be taken care of by the Elders and the Lord her whole mission.

I hope we can raise Trevor to be the kind of examplary gentleman and priesthood holder that we witnessed at the MTC yesterday. The kids are missing her a lot already, Trevor wrote and mailed his first letter to her yesterday! We keep wondering aloud what she is doing at each moment. I'm sure she is excited and learning and doing great things!