Week 39

Well yet another week!!!

This week was pretty good, pretty good indeed. Exciting to see the rain come down and not really have to worry about being in the street other than the when you are in the rain and just say wow there is no one in the street but that only happens sometimes haha. we were walking in the street and there were lots of people then we talked to one person and well the rain started and then there was not one person, i don't know how it happened? Rain. Well anyways life is good and from what we learned last night is that the missionary force is pretty big and the youth are suiting up to join the army of god. what a great army it is and how powerful the Gospel is world wide. 

This week I read in Helaman 5, one of my favorite scriptures is Helaman 5:12 it says this, "And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall". I always remember when I was in Primary and we sang the wise man and the foolish man when I read this scripture. oh those good old primary days the interactive part is great as well. but it really makes me think about who I am. Am I a foolish man who builds his house upon the sand or am I really building my house of faith on the rock which is Christ? It's a good question right? Am I putting my faith in the Lord or am I just saying well ya i believe but not acting.  

It says in James 2:26 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith  without works is dead also.  Well is it? I think Yes if we aren't showing our faith by building our house on Christ then are we just like a soccer ball just being kicked around? Well then if we are like that then we need to change. we need to get up and show our faith. We need to build the house we have out of rock on the rock of our salvation. Well what do you think? Will you build your faith on that rock? I will I know that. By showing my faith in the Lord and by letting it know. That's one reason I am here to show my love for the Lord and to show that I am a Representative of Jesus Christ I know who I am and I know Gods plan. What a great think to know! 

I love the scriptures I read them everyday and everyday I learn something new and something I need to be better at. One of the reasons why we are here is to be tested the trails we have are to shape our life forever. life is great and will always be that way if we just put God first and put on the smile that everyone loves. The Funnest thing is to see a little baby smile and to see someone happy it just puts something in me that makes me then smile and well then the whole worlds smiling. so be happy and smile lots!!!

the church is true there is no doubt about it!!! I love being a missionary!!! what a great calling I have!!! well that and being a Primary teacher haha!

Love you ALL!!!

Elder Jaymes Monson

Week 38 - New Companion

Hello Everyone!!!! Hope all is well. 

Well this week was a great week, its hot but you know i am Ixhuatecho (a person from Ixhuatan) the heat is good just hot that's all.  Well this week started out just awesome! we had a baptism!! the last one for Elder Jenne but it was so special. Her name is Derimeine (did-e-my-knee) She is a really great person a wonderful person who had a rough life before but now she is a new person.President Alvarez joked and told her we needed to keep her under the water till all the sins went away until the water is black he said. it was only a joke. she told us that she was absolutely scared she thought it wouldn't turn out right or wouldn't work. haha but i just smiled and said when we are doing the right thing with God it always works. she entered the water and came out and just put the biggest smile on and went and changed. While I was moping up the little bit of water on the tile she walked up to me and said wow i feel good i just smiled and said see it works. how couldn't IT work? I know that it will always work if we have the right intentions. later that night after a little party for Elder Jenne she knocked on the door of our house. we answered and she said um I don't know if this is good or bad but my mind is blank I cant remember my past, is this good? We looked at each other and smiled, Sister do you remember when we taught you that baptism was washing away your sins¿ yes, Well those things that you did wrong in the past are gone. they are gone through the love Christ has for you. She just started to cry and said this really was the right thing to do. she shook our hands and said i will never forget that I was the last Baptism of Elder Jenne and how I felt. We closed the door and just sat there and I said Elder What a great testimony builder and what a great way to finish your mission and he just sat there and said, wow the power of god is real. I can testify of that I can testify with my whole heart if we have true intentions and we really want to change its possible. Wow love this work!!!

Another thing that happened this week was I got yet another Companion. one person here said that I am like a little kid and clothes I keep changing. haha Yep I have another Companion named Elder Araniva (A ra nev a) he is from El Salvador. He is really Short!!! Its kind of funny because he is my senior Companion but i look down on him but the best thing is that he looks up to me!! haha. So that's a new thing for the week. 

One of the best things I learned this week was from the Book of Mormon something that is one of my favorite parts of the greatest book known to man! Its about 2000 young men that I am sure were built body wise. yep the 2000 stripling warriors! oh what great guys they are what power and faith they have. and what an obedient group of young men because it says they know what their mothers had taught them was the truth and they did it. they fought with God on their side because not one of them died they all lived and they all did the best in the eyes of the Lord and not just in their own eyes. ya they might have had a good looking body but they got it from working and from doing something, they fought for the people they loved and with the most powerful person and well he only person that needs to be on your side always, God. what great examples of strength in doing the best they can and doing it in the eyes of the lord. They really are the great warriors from the past. 

Well That's just a little bit from my good week. Hope you all are having a great Monday! its just a wonderful thing to be here in the earth to see all that we can do and to see what the lord can do for you. Happy Fathers Day to all the Fathers sorry its just a day late but hey I remembered haha. 

Have a great week

Elder Jaymes Monson

Week 37, Good-bye Elder Jenne

HI from the heat of Ixhuatan where I just got word I am staying a little while longer!!! 

So ya this week was a really good week a nice and warm week but it was actually a good last week for Elder Jenne. Its really interesting how fast things go int he mission I was just looking and well at the end of next transfers the transfers will be on my Birthday! thats quick it seemed just like yesterday! wow! I just love being a missionary!! the spirit is just strong here. I remember one lesson this week with Deriemine who is getting Baptized in like an hour. last baptism for Elder Jenne and well he is baptizing her. its going to be a great reminder. but in one of the many lesson's we had this week was her and was a very spiritual lesson. All about the Atonement. I really have been thinking a lot about the Atonement and well my companion Elder Jenne who is just a great guy and I know he will return with Honor on Thursday. But I have learned a lot about what the lord has done for us. he Atonement is the whole reason why we are baptised and why we repent. The Atonement is the best gift we could have ever been given. Better than Christmas Morning and Birthdays! its the Best thing!! the Fact that Christ suffered for us in the Garden of Gethsemane and then Died on the cross and then three days later he was resurrected it is a blessing for sure. anyway we where with Dereimine and well the very best lesson i have been in about the Atonement when we just opened up and we told her the love that god has for her then to see her feel this love she said ,"Elders that is why i always want you to come and talk with me and to teach me" then We looked at each other and I said, " deriemine would you be baptized to show your determination to follow Jesus Christ. She nodded her head and we could see that this person who before had had such a difficult life. she then told us how the Atonement has made her life turn around and she said I want to be baptized and I Will do anything to do that to make my life better. Oh man!!! there want a dry eye in the room. she has taken the path I never want to take or i would never want anyone to take. I know that Christ Atoned for us and I know it was for our benefit as well.  our Father in Heaven Loves us!!!

Another thing I have been thinking and trying to explain to everyone is that we need to always put on our Armor and we always need to keep it on to keep ourselves out of temptations. I Know that if we have the Armor of god on we will be protected. Well we will take and example out of where I am reading in Alma the War Chapters. the Lamanites for example. they were stupid who goes to war with only a loin cloath. now if we suit up for war with satin and we only have that wow i really dont think we will make it just like the Lamanites didnt make it. Now if we are like Moroni then well we have all of it like it says in Ephesians 6  13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins ^agirt about with ^btruth, and having on the ^cbreastplate of ^drighteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of ^apeace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of ^afaith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery ^bdarts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of ^asalvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 ^aPraying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all ^bperseverance and supplication for all saints; If we have all of this then well why would we die? if we are a lamanite then well with one blow we are gone poof! so dont be a LamAnite be a Nephite.

Well I hope you had a great week life is good Isnt it I just love being a missionary. Hope all is well where you are

May we remember the Atonment of Christ and how wonderful it is for us.

Elder Jaymes Monson

Week 36 Hurricane!

Hi from Ixhuatan!

This week was an adventure all of its own! It sure was fun!!! We were in Chuahites when the rain came beating own and well it was pretty crazy because my companion and Elder Reyes and Huitron were not ready or it. so the picture is of Elder Jenne telling us to hurry up because he was getting wet in his trash bag haha. but what fun it was to see the rain come flying down. it sure is an adventure here! 

I read this week in Alma in probably some of my most favorite chapters in the Book Of Mormon they are so full of power and so amazing it is just awesome! Especially where I read today in Alma 40 and 41 All about the Resurrection and how Alma Explained it to his son Corianton. in this chapter Alma really Explains the things he has seen or he has heard from the lord. We will all be resurrected someday and we will all have perfect bodies and we will then speak with god face to face to be judged of our works. this I know. I really was wondering this this week and it came today as I read Alma 40 and 41. what a great thing to be able to have our perfect bodies and be resurrected. that means i wont have this scar from my stitches 2 months ago haha. The things of the world really don't matter Money is good til we die then we will not need it and a nice car is good to have to feel good here in life but we wont need it after. The great thing is that our Wisdom will go with us. I sure hope to remember to pack it haha.

This week was really quite good quite good indeed. a bit of rain here and a good amount of walking for the lord work. This is the best work i think i have ever been on that and working in the yard haha. I cant believe that just a few weeks ago i completed one year having my call and well it has gone so fast!!! the lord has taught me so much through the Spirit and just by doing things. I can remember that I didn't know Spanish! but now Its part of my life! it is amazing to just see the difference in lots of things. I am so Happy to be on the lord work! there isn't anywhere else i would rather be!!!!

I love this work! Stay dry and stay happy! you can put on all the clothes the armor of god you can but if you don't put on a smile then you are hiding something beautiful! so Just smile!!

Love you All!!

Elder Jaymes Monson