Missionary Apartment Makeover                        February 21, 2016

We have been doing a lot of projects lately.  Elder Call, one of our Zone Leaders, went home today and wanted things all "taken care of" before he left.  So we did a 10-hour missionary apartment makeover--painting and cleaning.  At one point--toward the end of the day when I was really tired--I was almost finished scrubbing paint drips off the stairs, and said to Elder Call, who was painting just above me, "don't even think about getting more paint on these stairs!"  

He laughed and said, "well, we might get more paint on them, but we for sure wont think about it."

Hna. Andrade (Brazil), who also went home today, painting.  She makes everything more fun.  We will really miss her and Elder Call.  (Oregon) 

.....taking a break from painting for birthday cake for Elder Passos (Brazil)!

Making Raisins 
This is a close-up picture of a vineyard near Ovalle.  Grapes are their most important crop.  (Wine is as cheap as soda pop here!)  But we happily found some of them becoming grapes--with a lot of help from the farmer and the sun.

Another Earthquake!

On Tuesday, February 9, we were in our car taking the Zone Leaders home after a project and were stopped at a red light.  All of a sudden the car started rocking back and forth--and so did all the other cars, power poles, wires, and people near by.  It was a 6.3 earthquake centered in Ovalle!   That is the first time we have been in a car during one.  It reminded me of a Lagoon ride!  Fortunately, it did not last long.  Some power outages, but not much more than that.  Creepy!

On a P day we went to a national park near the ocean.  A very small wooded area that receives moisture because of the mountains and ocean currents.  It was at the end of an hour-long drive on a dirt road which was at times very steep.  Elder Jones loved driving it!

How do I know the Church is true?  

When the Zone Leader announces at a baptism that the missionaries will now sing a special number, and we all go up not knowing what hymn or which of us is accompanying on piano.  We all get up there, are told which hymn it is, and that we are singing a capella.  Without as much as a note played or sung to set the pitch, we hear him say, uno, dos, tres, and we all start singing ON THE SAME NOTE--and it is beautiful.  

There is something about knowing the gospel is true that lets you trust that step into the unknown--and that the step will be good, and right, and the Spirit will attend.

Sacrifice or Privilege?

When we left home a year ago, we were not prepared for how much we would miss our family.  The first few months were really hard.  I could not listen to my usual Sunday music without lots of tears.  Because of the language we felt really isolated.  I remember often thinking about how much of a sacrifice it is to go on a mission, and that no one really knows what it is like until they do it.  Senior couples feel it in quite a different way than the younger ones.  

Christmastime brought back some of those feelings.  Gratefully, we were kept really busy which helped us to not think about it so much.  Love from the other missionaries and branch members helped a lot too.  

But lately, as good things happening in our various projects, we begin to see things through different eyes.  

We see that even though plans might change several times before an activity actually happens, people will come and the purposes will be accomplished.

We see that Heavenly Father understands and loves Chilenos, and directs this work to meet their needs (sometimes in spite of our best efforts to do it the American way).  

We see that the Spirit can bypass our often confusing Spanish and testify truth to those who need it.  

We see that love, humility, faith, and a sense of humor are all needed to make it through challenging days.  

We see that it is not a sacrifice, but a privilege and an honor to be here.  And we are grateful!

We love you all.

Elder y Hna. Jones

P.S.  We know that you all can see the constellation Orion in the winter sky up there in the northern hemisphere.  We can also see it!  But there is something different about it here.  Can you figure out what's different?  (I am sure Vickie will know.  If anyone else does. write and tell us.)  :)