Hermana Emily Jones: Honestly, being a missionary is the funnest and the bestest! :)

Hello! Muy buenos dias/casi tardes a todos! I hope this email finds you well and enjoying your first real day of summer vacation! What a crazy but fun weekend you probably all had. I have always loved graduation weekend and cannot believe that I graduated HACE DOS AÑOS! (I graduated 2 years ago) Me siento viajita. It is also crazy to think that one of those years has been spent as a full-time missionary. What a special year it has been. Speaking of which, congratulations to all those who will be leaving on missions in the next few weeks! I love reading mission calls in my emails and am so happy for all that is ahead for each of you :) It feels good to know that I am just one small part of a world-wide army of missionaries. Suerte a todos!

Well, not a ton of crazy stuff happened this last week. We went shopping for dress pants with President and Sister Stutznegger and had a great time. It will actually be weird to wear them but we will because were are in an area with mosquitos and threat of Zika virus. Yesterday was wonderful because A. went to Church! It was the first time that he has been in 3 years. He leaned over during one of the talks in Sacrament Meeting and told me that he doesn't know what he or other people would do without the missionaries. He said that we really are the light in the world and guide people to come back to Christ. That meant a lot to me. He has a baptismal date for 16 de Julio. It was our last Sunday in the Church building because next week we will be cramming approximadamente 40 people into a little house for la casa de oracion! Lots of people are really excited because it will be much easier and cheaper to go to Church now. The Church building that everyone has been attending is about 15 minutes away and, depending on where you live on the hill, it costs up to 13 pesos a person. To take a family to and from Church every Sunday starts to add up; so many people are excited. The majority of the members who live in our area are less active in the Gospel for this reason (other reasons too of course) so I am feeling confident that this will be a very positive change for many here. Los servicios empiezan a las 9 en la mañana (the Church services start at 9:00 a.m.). I think a very special Spirit will be there with all of us.

Yesterday we contacted a referencia from the Elders named G. He is a stud. We taught La Restauración to him outside his front door on the sidewalk and he accepted baptism right there. I am looking forward to getting to know him better. One of the things I will miss the most will be teaching random people in random places and at random times about how the Savior’s Gospel was brought back to the earth after being lost for many years. It is so much fun! Now that I feel really comfortable with Spanish I can take the kind of direction I want with the message, and change it up depending on the person, their needs, situations, and concerns. The other night after a day of divisions (working with other missionaries) we were in a jam packed combi and, because there wasn't enough room in the back, my companion sat right behind me and I sat in front in between the driver and another guy. Sitting in front in the combis is the best because I just start chatting it up with them and have a grand old time. Eventually they ask me where I'm from and what I am doing here and I teach them. This last week I taught a man named D. and a man named E. -- both times by myself in the combi. I love seeing their faces light up as I share the message of the restored Gospel with them. I don't think it's very often that they have someone in front with them asking them how their family is or how work is going. Honestly, being a missionary is the funnest and the bestest! :)

Blast...I am on one of the office computers right now and they need it for something so I'll try to get on later, but I love you all so much!

Hermana Jones

Me with the most wonderful couple who got baptized this last Saturday. Their names are D. and K. Elder Allred and Elder Onofre have been teaching them and it has been great getting to know them along the way. I met them for the first time in the Temple visitor's center when they still weren't sure whether to be baptized or not. It was during that visit to the Temple and Visitors Center that they decided to be baptized. That was back in April when I was still in my previous area. I didn't know then that I would move to the area right next to where they live! They have a three year old daughter named R. Love them :)

Me in pants next to a sweet old Volkswagen (there are so many of those in Mexico).

These are pics, courtesy of President and Sister Stutznegger, of the pants shopping excursion. As Sister Stutznegger said, “it's a new day, sisters wearing pants instead of skirts to protect them from the diseases carried by mosquitoes. 3 hours later we had 32 pairs of dress pants.”