May 26, 2014

Hi family, this is my email about what I did this week.

Monday we played soccer and some football and then that was sick. Then we went home and taught a couple lessons and one was super sick because one of the kids, Ronald, said that he was interested and that he kinda wants to receive an answer to everything now, so that was pretty sick. It has gotten super cold lately and that is a struggle haha but its all good. :)

Tuesday we had one lesson in the morning with a lady, and halfway through the lesson her daughter came home and said they needed to go pick up her kids from collegio and they bailed on us. Then we went and had lunch and then we had to go and contact a little, but didn't have much time because we had a Zone meeting and that was pretty sick. The AP's were talking about how we can plan better for our investigators. Then they said that at my last Zone meeting it was Elder Gummersall and I who were the only one taking notes and paying the most attention, and that we were having the most success because we were paying attention and applying it in our lessons and we had mucho excito (much success) because of this. :). Then we had an interview with President McMullin, and it was about planning and working better with the list of members and less actives and he was asking us with what can we do to make it better, and I said that we should make lists of people who have incomplete families, and he was like "I didn't think of that, I like the way you think". :) Then we were in our personal interview and he asked how I am doing and stuff and then said that we have a bunch of really good missionaries in this mission, and I on my way to being one of those really good missionaries, so that was pretty sick ;) Then we went home and did some planning, but nothing too cool.

Wednesday was super cold and contacting was not fun, but we worked hard. We contacted a house and taught a guy named Jose and that was pretty cool because the way I explain the Apostacy is this ... "We have a bible which has scriptures in it, and I can read a scripture and say that this is what God wants because the scripture says so, but then another person can read the same scripture and say that I am lying because he thinks the scripture means something else, and so now there are two churches working from the same Bible saying different things. But this just didn't happen once, it happened multiple times and now we have millions of churches and every church has their way of doing things and every different church thinks they are the right church, the true church of God, because they are using the Bible.  But who knows what church is right, God knows, and that is why Joseph Smith went to Him.  It is really sick because as I told this to the investigator, he was like "I never really thought if it like that and it's true every church says that they are the only church of God, and that's super interesting that all the churches claim that". 

Then we talked to Guierlmo, who is the recent convert of my comp, and he is super chill but super poor and said he couldn't go to church because he didn't have a shirt and tie (and so of course I gave him one of my shirts and ties), but we got him to commit to going to church because it is super important to go to the church.

Then we shared a scripture about faith with Ronald later that night and it was chill, and we feel like he could progress he is just going to be a little difficult because he isn't too sure if he believes in God that much. Super difficult, but not impossible Thursday we had our district meeting and that was pretty cool, then we went to the other side of our area and had to take like 2 busses to get there, that's how big our area is.  We talked to Guierlmo again and that was pretty cool. Then we were walking and contacted a meno activo (less active) and that was super sick because she was like "I have been teaching everyone in my neighborhood about the church, but you guys stopped coming by so I can't get them baptized." Haha. So we had a couple lessons with her referencias and they were pretty sick. One was a daughter and her mom, and the daughter is 16 and the mom is 30, so crazy. The mom's husband is 40. Relationships down here are crazy, but they accepted the invitation to listen to us, so that was sick. Then we talked to a couple random people.

Friday  we only had a couple lessons. We talked to Ronald, and that was pretty chill. Then we had a reference lesson and that was pretty cool because she was a new contact. Because it is so cold down here, we aren't meeting many people on the streets because nobody wants to leave their warm houses.  Haha

Saturday we saw Guierlmo again and I gave him the shirt and tie, so that was pretty cool.  Then we contacted a ton and we ran into a guy who said that he is from the Tribe of Levi, and that was interesting. Then we had a lesson with Ronald and tried to get him to go to church. Then we had a lesson with the a Chukaro family and that was pretty sick because we played Jenga, and I always won because I am super good at Jenga (Gracias Austin for giving me Jenga), then we ate brownies. :) 

Sunday was church and it was raining so we only had 23 people, usually it is around 70.  Paraguayans are scared of the rain. LOL. (Laugh out loud).  I blessed the Sacrament in Spanish so that was pretty cool. After church we taught the kids of a menos activo (less active) and they both accepted so that was super sick.  Then we taught a quick lessons to another family, and that is pretty much it for the week.. 

Monday, today, we went and we went shopping and played ultimate frisby and ate empanadas and now i am here emailing you.

The time is going by really fast. I can't believe I have been gone for five months already. It's going quickly because we stay super busy.

Questions of the Week from Mom:

1. How many investigators do you currently have? What are their names? We don't  really have many progressing, Ronald and his mom, a guy named Christian, and another guy named Edgar.

2.  Who is your favorite person this week and why? The 1st counselor in my Branch, Jimmy, because he is super funny and does super random things.

3.  What is your favorite thing about your new area? It is giant and I have a lot more places where I can eat without leaving my Zone. Haha

4.  What was your favorite spiritual moment from this week? Monday when we taught Ronald. (I should have asked him why.) :)

5.  What was your biggest success this week? We were able to teach pretty good and more in unity ;) 

6.  What was your biggest challenge this week? The cold and not getting many lessons

7. What can we pray about for you? That we can get more people that actually want to talk to us. Haha

8.  What is your favorite time of the day and why?  Before my mission, like 2 or 3 in the morning -- I just like to be up later ;) 

9.  What chore do you absolutely hate doing and why?   I hate taking down and putting up Christmas stuff with a passion, we all know mom went crazy with Christmas and I was the one who was always in charge of the boxes. Haha

10.  What is your favorite sound?  Babies crying. ;) Just kidding, probably rain, I am not sure.

Well, I've got to go. I love you all. Stay safe and unstressed.  One thing my comp says is that if we are trying to accomplish something, if we think about what good it will do for the church, we are able to better accomplish it.  This is the reason that we, as missionaries, learn the language so well. It's because it is to help the church and not ourselves.  Dad, I know you have a lot going on and a lot to do, but I have faith in you.  






Love y'all -- Elder Turley

 Chillin in Paraguay

 Elder Turley and Elder Reynoso 

 Jon's new companion, Elder Reynoso, has a fun personality ... Look, he's riding a broom!

 Getting to the end of the month and the end of his missionary money, Jon's eating a lot of rice!  The good news, at least he has Cholula to put on it!

May 19, 2014

Monday ... We played football and that was pretty sick because you know how much I like football,  and you don't get much of it in Paraguay.  Haha.  Actually we do get football, but it is very different.  Haha.  After we played football, we went home and then we taught two lessons.  One was with a menos activo (less active), and the other lesson was with their cousin who is kinda difficult, but I am always up for a challenge.

Tuesday ... We had our District Meeting and that was pretty cool.  It was about opening our mouths, which is super appropriate because we got super stoked to talk to people, and that's all we did on Tuesday because nobody let us in and we walked around for 2 hours and that was not a lot of fun, but it is what it is and I am happy, we did our best and did what God wanted us to do, so it was good enough.   :)  It's interesting because at District Meeting I read the scripture Jacob 1:19 which is kind of scary ...  "And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the world of God with all diligence; wherefore by laboring with our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day."   We didn't get our all our lessons on Tuesday, but we did magnify our calling, and so it was good enough.

Wednesday ...  was better cause we had five lessons and were ready to teach the word of God.  We got two nuevos, Ronald, the son of Jenny, and he is cool but I am not sure how much he is going to progress, and Thomas, the son of a guy we contacted, and that was pretty cool because I think that he can progress.  Then we contacted some menos activos  (less actives) and that was good.

Thursday ... we had a division, but really didn't do much because it was Mother's Day and everyone was busy with that.  On top of that it was raining, so it was a super sad day.  We were able to teach a  recent convert the Sacrament Prayers,  and that was sick cause he was super cool.  He said "I need the missionaries because the Word of God is way too important for me to just let this go."  It was super cool!

Friday ... We contacted a ton and taught The Book of Mormon to Thomas and his sister, Perla.  We felt good about our lesson with them because we kept going to their house and we were able to meet them.  It is super cool because they have a giant family, and I think they will progress. ;) 

Saturday ... we had four lessons and that was sick (awesome). We worked super hard.  It's interesting because after 6:00 p.m., people in Paraguay like to sit in their front yards and drink and listen to music and if you try to talk to them they say they are too busy, so all of our work was in the daytime. We did go to some members' homes and ask for references and we did get seven, and contacted them all on Sunday.

Domingo ... Church was really good, and after we had a pretty awesome lesson with Alba, who was a contact.  She seems to want to get baptized because she knows the importance of it and isn't baptized yet, so that's really cool. Then we contacted all of the references that we got the night before although we didn't find anyone who would let us in.  Finally we talked to the Branch President and his mother-in-law, who is the Relief Society President, and we taught them the first lesson, which helps us learn the lessons a little more. ;) 

Monday ... I got a hair cut and then played football and soccer and now I am here emailing you. :)

We had a neat experience last night when we found a lady who seems pretty awesome.  She lives with her boyfriend and they are thinking about getting married.  She was Evangelical, but left her church because tons of churches say they are the right church, and it confuses her.  She wasn't baptized into her church because she didn't feel right about it.  She likes to read the bible and knows baptism is right for her.  I have hope we will be able to work with her.


Questions of the Week:

1.  Who are you investigators:  Jenny, Alba, and Edgar.  We are working with more, but these are our most hopeful.

2.  Who is your favorite person this week?  Jesus

3.  What is your favorite thing about your companion? He is a a chill guy and keeps me working hard. Haha

4.  What was your favorite spiritual moment from this week?  I was about to go to bed, and then I thought I had to go to the bathroom, but I had just gone to the bathroom, so I was confused.  So I got up and went to the bathroom, and then I realized I had forgotten to put my water bottle in the fridge, and so I went to put my water bottle in the fridge and realized that I had left the stove on because I was boiling water, it had been running for an hour and probably would have burned down the house.  That was pretty cool because at first when I felt like I needed to go to the bathroom, I just thought "No, I am just going to go to bed," but I followed my feeling and most likely ended up saving myself.

5.  What was your biggest success this week? I was able to do 10 pushups. :) What up I'm giant ;) 

6.  What was your biggest challenge this week? We didn't have any lessons on Tuesday, and that was hard.

7. What can we pray about for you? I would really like to have hair when I grow up. :)  (Oh Jon, glad to see he still has his sense of humor). 

  

8. What food do you miss the most being in Paraguay? Taco Bell 

9.  Where do you want to live when you are raising your family and why? I don't know, Haiti? :)  I haven't decided that yet. Haha!

10.  What is the most exciting thing you ever got for your birthday and why? Probably the cake you sent me because it was super American and super delicious.

May 12, 2014

I got transferred this week to Coucure.

Monday … So it was p-day and we went to the office.  Then we went to McDonald’s and that was super delicious!  After that we went around and said “goodbye” to people, and that was pretty sad.  Finally we talked to the Lopez Family and that was pretty cool.  

Tuesday... We packed up all our things, and then we said “goodbye” to the rest of the people.  Adriana said that she liked me more then Elder Gummersall so that was pretty cool, haha!   Then we ordered pizza and then went to sleep.

Wednesday… We had changes and now I am in Coucure and am companions with Elder Reynoso, and he is super cool.  I had to go to migrations on Wednesday and that was pretty cool.  I realized that I know my passport number just based on the fact that I had to use it every time that I buy pizza.  Haha

Then we had to go to teach.  I taught some lessons with the Perez Family and we taught about prayer.  Then we talked to Jenny, and she is super cool!  It was our first lesson with her and it was cool because when I got done sharing my testimony, she said “you aren't the only one with a testimony and told us how she has a Book of Mormon and reads it every day.  She told us how it has brought peace into her home, and she accepted a date to be baptized!  That was super cool!  Then we talked to the Mendez Family and that was pretty cool!

Thursday...  We went running, then we talked to Ceaser, then we left and got two more nuevos with a guy named Jorge and a girl named Alejandra.  Then we talked to a girl in english and she is super Catholic, but she spoke in English and that was super weird!  She is super dope and told us her brother is super depressed, and asked us to help him.  It was super cool! 

Friday... Friday was hard because we only had two lessons in seven hours.  But it was what God wanted and that was what we got, so I am positive! ;)

Saturday…  We had an activity with the youth of our Stake, and we went to three menos activos outside of our area and that was pretty cool.  Then we went to San Lo to the cyber and talked to you guys via skype for Mother’s Day, and that was pretty cool. Then we hit the lessons and had a noche de hogar and a noche de missional, with is kind of like a farewell.

Sunday… We went to church and that was pretty cool.  We talked about our testimonies of the El Libro de Mormon and that we need to always be willing to testiy of this book!  Then we taught a menos activo who was super tough.  I kind of choked on my Spanish, but it is all good.  Then we taught Jenny and that was super cool.  Then we taught the Relief Society President about Preach my Gospel, and how important it is for everyone to have a copy in their home.  We also talked about how important it is for everyone to do their home teaching and be ward missionaries.  One cool thing that it says in Preach my Gospel is that we can only gain salvation if we do missionary work, pretty crazy right.

Monday… We played American football and i was quaterback and threw like 5 touchdowns and won of course!  Haha.  Then we went to McDonalds and Elder Gummersall was there and that was super dope and super good, and now I am writing y’all! 

1.  What is your favorite thing about your new area and why? We have a lot of like random shops on the side of the road with dope cheap stuff. Haha

2.  How many investigators do you have, what are their names, write a sentence about each of them.

Jenny.... She teaches Guarani and is going to get baptized the 7th of June, she is golden.  We also have Edgar and he is going to get baptized on the 24th. 

2b. What are the advantages and disadvantages about your new area and why? My new area has real roads.  Haha 

2c. How big is your new area and size wise what would you compare it to? It is double the size of my last zone 

2d. Is it a safe area? Yes mother, it is super safe.

3.  What is a day like in the life of Elder Jon Turley? Imma boss so I do boss things like fly to the moon, and have giant fish friends,  And I sell synergy.  Haha 

4.  How is church in your new area? Do you have many people in your branch? We had 65 people come.

5.  What is your favorite thing about your new companion? He is going to teach me good Spanish because he only speaks Spanish. 

6.  What has been your biggest challenge this week and why? We didn’t have many lessons on Saturday and that was tough. 

7.  Is there anything we can pray for you for?  Please pray for our people to show up to church 

8.  If you could live anywhere in the world when you are older, where would it be and why?  Pallet Town (ask Tom).

9.  If you could be anything in the world when you grow up, what would it be and why?  Batman

 

May 5, 2014

So my weekly stuff went like this.

Monday was pretty dope.  We played basketball and that was pretty sick (awesome). Then we went to a random place in San Lorenzo and that was pretty good and super cheap.  Then we went to Fabiolla’s house and taught her a little and then we went to a family’s house and we had a Family Home Evening there.

Tuesday was pretty normal.  We didn’t really do much but we had probably one of the best lessons that we had with a girl named Adriana and she is super dope (awesome) and like it was super spiritual and I felt like she actually understood what I was saying.  We think that she will get baptized soon but she is 15 and needs to move out of her 20-year-old boyfriend’s house, but it was super cool and she is for sure going to progress.  Then we went over to Lorena’s and Matias and he is super sick (awesome) and not feeling good and that was sad because he is this super happy kid and it is super sad that he is sick.

Wednesday we had lunch and it was raining super, super hard and we ended up in like knee-high water and that was pretty crazy.  Then we got over to a members’ house and we got to give her a lesson.  Then we went to a guy named Alexis and he was pretty sick (awesome) and was like “Yeah I’ll go to church” but it was pretty cool.  Then we went over to Fabiolla’s house and her step-dad was hammered (drunk) and was like “Never come over again – you guys make me nervous” and that was sad but we got through it.  But like every lesson we had fell through and it was tough because it was raining super hard, but we made it through it.

Thursday was pretty sick (awesome).  We didn’t have many lessons, but we talked to a menos active (less active) family Galleano and had to drop them because they aren’t making progress like they are saying and that was sad, but its chill.  Then we contacted a bunch and then had a fireside with Elder Wilhelm who is from Chile and is a 70 and was super cool, but I didn’t really hear much because I brought candy and I was taken over by little kids who wanted candy.   Then we were headed back to the bus and a family was like “Here we will take you home” and they are a little bit richer and took us in their Mercedes and were like “Are you hungry?” and we were like “We had lunch” and they took us and bought us lomitos and some soda and that was super good because I put the Cholula on it and it was soooo good haha.  It reminded me of home -- that is what you guys would have done, so thank you. ;)

Friday... We had a Zone Meeting with three zones. Elder Wilhelm came to visit the mission and I got to meet him.  He talked a lot on faith and if we have faith that we will be able to achieve even super hard goals and that we should set our goals super high and just hope that Christ will give us these goals and it was super sick (awesome).  Then we went to Eva’s and ate some more lomitos.  Then we went to the Soto house and got the two nuevos (comitted to baptism) that seemed impossible, but since we had faith we were able to get them.

On Saturday we had lunch with the bishop and that was super good.  We ate chorizo and asado and mashed potatoes.  Then we went to clean the font and that took a little bit and then we went to Moroni’s and chilled with him for a little bit.  Then we went to the interview of Fabiola and then we went and got ropa (clothes) and went home.

Sunday we had church and that was super chill.  Then we had the baptism of Fabiola and that was super cool. I made carrot cake and everyone loved it.  Then we went to lunch then we kinda went around and talked to the people and said that I was going out of the area and that was sad but it will be good.  I am going like super close – like I have left my area and accidentally gone there before, so it is super close.  But then I taught a lesson at a member’s house to a member who said she was an investigator, haha.

Monday I went to lunch at McDonalds and that was super, super amazing and now I am here talking to y’all and being super productive.

Questions of the Week:

1.  What has been your happiest moment this week and why? 
We had a super amazing lesson on Tuesday or opening my package. :)

2.  Who is your favorite person from this week and why?
Elder Willhelm.  He was super cool and good at inspiring people.

3.  What was a time when you most strongly felt the Spirit this week? What happened?
That lesson on Tuesday because like I was just using like my past feelings and experiences to apply to her and that was super sick (awesome).

4.  What has been your biggest challenge this week and why?  
Fabiolla’s dad said we can’t come back and that was sad because she was so ready to be baptized and we had like 1 day to teach her everything, but it all worked out.

5. What can we pray about for you this week to help you in your work?
Probably just for Spanish because I am going to need to be able to get better at that for sure, or for all of Paraguay to learn English – that would be sick (awesome)! ;)

6.  What is your favorite book you have ever read and why that is not The Book or Mormon or scriptures? 
Harry Potter… I haven’t really read that many books in my lifetime. ;)

7.  Are you excited that the next Star Wars will be out in December 2015, so you will be able to see it right when you get home?  (I thought you would be excited about that). 
Yeah that’s super cool.  I am super excited for that and hopefully it is going to be really good.

Jon with another dog ... he loves dogs and they love him.

This scary looking thing came to Jon's house to visit

Fabiola's Baptism 

What it's like when it rains in Paraguay!

Zone Conference with Elder Willhelm

Pictures of San Lorenzo ... Jon's new area