Miracles Abound! Happy Easter!

Goodday everyone! Happy Easter weekend! I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend celebrating the amazing fact that Jesus Christ is Risen and alive today! I testify that He is Risen! 


Weekly Highlights:

-Well it has been 2 weeks since I have emailed! I had a rough week with lots of opposition, but this week was much better and we saw much success and many miracles! 

-We tried out a new street contacting method of mass inviting to church and it has been very successful! We found 20 people this week! We went out for one hour and my poor companion only found 1, but I had found 5 haha. It is all about who you talk to!

-We ran into someone from Utah who gave us 50 dollars! Gotta love Utah members! Very very rare to run into someone from Utah here!

-We found and taught someone that I found almost 2 years ago at the beginning of my mission, but had never responded to our texts anymore. But we ran into him again in the mall and he is interested now. His name is Hernan and he might be potentially elect! The Lord is always reaching out to His lost sheep again and again!

-Adam is officially on date and locked in for his baptism this week! It will be incredible! He said that this baptism day will probably be the most significant and important day in Australia for him!

This will be one of the highlights of my mission!

-We went to the beach last p-day as a district and that was so much fun! We had gone as a city district almost 2 years ago and so it was reliving some of the good old times! Got some cheeky greek gyros and some Copenhagen ice cream and then played ultimate frisbee and volleyball on the sand! It was perfect weather! Not cold enough to need a jacket, but not hot enough to sweat! Crazy to think that we are on the bottom of the world sometimes haha. 

-Elder Sun and I are working so hard and are dead tired haha. We woke up Sunday morning with such big tired rings and bags around our eyes! We looked like zombies! We are getting to bed at around 9.30 at night nowadays because I can't stay awake any later...and then we sleep like a rock through the night! Never have I slept better in my life than on my mission! Sunday morning was hilarious. I woke up, had breakfast, then sat on the chair to read scriptures and fell asleep with my finger on the screen! 

It is a miraculous work we do! Think about it - 2 years with no vacation or break!  

We work everyday all day long to help people feel Heavenly Fathers love and become happier! 24/7 365 days a year! And somehow Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ give us the power to keep going everyday for 2 years straight! I can't explain it! I go to bed every night exhausted, but somehow God gives me enough energy the next day to continue to help invite others to come unto Jesus Christ! It is an amazing experience and it makes me so happy to see other people find more purpose, peace, love, and happiness by coming to know Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father for themselves!

-Easter Sunday was amazing! We missed the early bus to the chapel, but so did all of our friends haha. So we all ended up on the same bus together! It was us and 10 new members/friends all bussing to church together on a cold rainy Easter morning to worship Jesus Christ! It was a pretty epic scene turning the corner and walking into church from the bus stop! The Sisters who were welcoming everyone were shocked to see so many friends coming in! We walk in right as the sacrament hymn is finishing....and shove everyone to the supposedly reserved 1st row of the chapel. But it had been taken so they all scrambled and sat in the closest available seat haha. It was a sight to watch! But we didn't have a seat and the whole chapel was packed! We had to wait until the sacrament was finished and we set up extra chairs in the back of the cultural hall! There were over 450 people there! It was the most people I have ever seen at a sacrament meeting since leaving Utah! It was insane! So incredible! Our zone had almost 40 friends at church! The Lord is working miracles!

-The zone in the last 3 transfers has gone from 20 new people a week to 80! From 10 LMPs to 37! From 8 at sacrament to 33! From 3 on date to 19 on date for baptism! Truly incredible!

-The Lord is opening the windows of Heaven for our area, zone, and ward! We have sifted through the dirt for so long and now we are finding the gold! So many elect friends are showing up! I feel so special, blessed, and grateful to be a part of this amazing thing happening right now! I am almost holding my breath because I can't believe what I am seeing before my eyes!

-The weather is getting cold again! It was 40 degrees on Sunday and it was raining! It felt like it was going to snow haha. I wish! But it literally feels like Christmas time! We left a member's meal and were driving to the Easter music devotional in the rain and there were some Christmas looking lights on houses and we had a Christmas feeling song playing and wow it felt like Christmas! So random, but so fun!


Spiritual thought:

Jesus Christ went through the atoning sacrifice for us! It was painful, it was hard, but at the same time, what was he experiencing...?? Simply, the joy of saving souls! D&C 18:10 if you bring..."one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!" Brothers and Sisters, you, each like the Savior are going through some hard even painful times. Frankly it is not easy, but we won't shy away because the joy of saving souls will compensate for all that you sacrifice! You can be part of the greatest work on earth! Everyone can be part of bringing the light, love, and joy of the Savior into the lives around you!

D&C 18:44

"By your hands."

44 And by your hands I will work a marvelous work among the children of men, unto the convincing of many of their sins, that they may come unto repentance, and that they may come unto the kingdom of my Father. 

45 Wherefore, the blessings which I give unto you are above all things.


Brothers and Sisters the Lord is inviting you to experience the joy of saving souls! 

Easter has now become, along with Christmas, my favorite holiday of the year!

Jesus Christ's resurrection is incredible! The unconditional gift of a universal resurrection is such a wonderful message to share! He Lives! 


Ponder the question: what does Jesus Christ being alive today mean to you?


Now imagine the despair, purposeless life, hardship, worry, hopelessness, depression, and lack of love in people's lives that don't know that Jesus Christ lives!?! 

Because of Jesus Christ we can see our loved ones again, because of Jesus Christ we can live again, because of Jesus Christ we can have Eternal life, because of Jesus Christ we can have hope, joy, love, peace, happiness, because of Jesus Christ we can purpose in our life, because of Jesus Christ all things are possible! The list could go on and on! 


And the amazing thing is that we don't have to wait for Eternal life to have the happiness and purpose we need in life! Because of Jesus Christ we can have love and happiness right now! 

I am sitting here and am literally at a loss of words! I don't have adequate words to describe how I feel about Jesus Christ and this Easter season! 


"Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son."


HE LIVES!


Hope you all have a great week!

Here are the pictures: https://photos.app.goo.gl/oKvbayuuvTVUH6tx8

Cheers,

Elder Jones (zhangzhanglao)

























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