ROCKS, JOCKS, and KICKEN SOCKS

Hey everyone! 

Elder Tracy here with my weekly update from Bolivia. A lot of cool things happened this week. 

I talked to President Willard and we had a cool interview. There is a chance that I could be a trainer in this next transfer. So I'm trying to be a better, more obedient missionary to get ready for that next transfer.  President and I talked about my progress in the mission; how I thought I was doing.  I'm pretty sure I have progressed a lot.  My Spanish is understandable right now.  And the people are accepting the gospel.

Elder Silva (Argentina) and Elder Jimenez (Peru) made us some rock figures.  They painted it to look like us.  So mine is kinda of tall and my companion's is small.  I laughed because they gave Elder Gomez, who is a Fat Ecuadorian, a huge rock. They even made one for President and Hermana Willard.  And then I went and bought a pair of Raybans for 15 Bolivianos, or about 2 dollars, and I have been rocking those for a while.

We had the Bolivian Elections this last Sunday, so we were in the House all of yesterday.  So we ate Mileneza, and Fish, and Chicken.  SO, I was about to die yesterday.  But I digested all of the food and I'm a big missionary now. Lol

My pictures aren't loading or anything.  So I don't know if there will be pictures this week.  But the Scripture of the Week will not Fail!

Scripture of the Week: 

Alma 5: 48-49

I say unto you, that I know of myself that whatsoever I shall say unto you, concerning that which is to come, is true; and I say unto you, that I know that Jesus Christ shall come, yea, the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, and mercy, and truth.  And behold, it is he that cometh to take away the sins of the world, yea, the sins of every man who steadfastly believeth on his name.

And now I say unto you that this is the order afterwhich I am called, yea to preach unto my beloved brethren, yea, and everyone that dwelleth in the land; yea, to preach unto all, both old and young, both bond and free; yea, I say unto you the aged, and also the middle aged, and the rising generation; yea, to cry unto them that they must repent and be born again.

Have a good day!

Elder Tracy

Mission Bolivia Santa Cruz

BOXING, VOLLEYBALL, AND BOTANICAL GARDENS!

Hey everyone!  How has it been? 
This week was awesome.  We did so many fun things.  I don't even know where to begin. 

But let's begin with Monday.

After writing my family last Monday, the entire Zone went to go play Walley.  For those of you who don't know that game: Walley is a variation on the game of Volleyball.  You are inside a room, and you can hit the ball off the walls.  So that makes it more interesting.  

Elder Beals brought "Athletic Arm Bands" so we could hit the ball harder.  So, Elder Beals and I put those on. We looked like studs and destroyed everyone else with Elder Woolf, our Zone Leader.

My Companion and I went Boxing before the Activity. Presidente Alegre had boxing gloves while we were waiting. We decided to have fun. lol

The next day, one of our appointments fell through.  So we went and contacted in the Botanical Garden.  There was this really cool high walk that I went on.  We talked to a couple of people.  They were not too interested, but it is the effort that counts.  I took some pictures there too.

Thursday, I gave the class for the District Meeting.  I talked about finding while teaching, and teaching while finding.  I didn't think it was too good, but my companion, and Elder Beals told me it was okay.  So I might be going to Senior Companion or District Leader.  But you never know.

Elder Beals and I took this selfie in the back of a fruit truck.  A member owns it and we decided to be cool too. So yea.

Sunday, It got really, really cold.  So I pulled out my sweater and my Llama hat and went to work.  I also gave a talk in the Sacrament Meeting about missionary work.  I gave "wasca", or I kind of whipped people with my words.  I talked about how the Prophet said, "Now is the time in which the Members and Missionaries work together."  And then we went to our Branch President's house to get ready for the Zapato Misional Activity.

This activity has really helped us out.  It was a district-wide activity so all the Elders from the District came and helped my Branch find  us referrals. We got like 66 referrals.  And now We have a lot of people to visit.  So I'm super excited.

Scripture of the Week:
2 Nephi 22. (All of It)

And in that day thou shalt say:  O Lord, I will praise thee; though thou wast angry with me thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my son; he also has become my salvation.

Therefore, with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.

And in that day shall ye say:  Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.

Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things; this is known in all the earth.

Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion; for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.

Permenaced en lugares santos, y no seáis movidos, hast que venga el die del Señor.   D&C 87:7

Stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the  day of the Lord come.

I like these two Scriptures. They make me feel better because I know the Lord is with me all the time  and He will guide me to the people that are sincerely looking for him.

Have a good week. And Email me PLEASE.

Elder Tracy. 

It Is SO HOT Here!

Hello my friends!

Elder Tracy here with my weekly update from Bolivia. 

Here in Bermejo, Bolivia, it is getting pretty hot.  It is like 35 degrees Celsius everyday (95 degrees F).   So I'm sweating, but I'm gaining weight. I'm at a good 85 kilograms, or 185-190 pounds.  And I'm growing more.  I'm a good 6 foot 2 inches right now.

We have been finding more people to teach, one person named Veronica.  She is a daughter of a recent convert, and she is really receptive.  She doesn't say very much, but she says enough.

Funny story:  I left the door open today to the house, and a stray dog got into the house.  So I had to grab my broom and a bucket, and I fought a dog as it pooped all over the House. I got mad, and Hermana Lidia helped us clean it all up. (It is Hermana Lidia's house where we are living.)

There is a chance that my area, Bermejo, might become part of the Mission Cochabamba. SO we might see something cool and I might go and chill with some Cochabambinos. 

Scripture of the Week:

LUKE 22:32

But I have prayed for thee, that they faith fail not:  and when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren.

Looks like Dad won this week Emily.  I like this Scripture.  Be converted, and convert others.

Have Fun This Week.

ELDER TRACY

Snippets from our emails today!

JON:  Hey Mom.  week was good. We have been finding new people to teach. and we have been doing everything well.  My Spanish is getting better and I'm feeling good. 'Im weighing about 190 pounds right now. So I'm a big kid. I've filled out nicely.  lol

MOM:  When is the next transfer date?  Do you think that you are going to be sent somewhere else?

JON:  The next Transfers are the 7th of April: I might leave if president wants me to stay in the Santa Cruz Mission

MOM:  Which do you want to do?  You want to stay in the Santa Cruz Mission or go to the Cochabamaba Mission?

JON:  I don't know. I want to stay in the Mission where I was called, but going to Cochabamba would be so cool.

MOM:  How is the family you are staying with?

JON:  They are awesome. The treat me like their own kid. And Hermana Lidia takes care of me

MOM:  Anything else exciting coming up?  Any zone activities. 

JON:  We have an activity today. Don't know what it is, but we are doing something.

MOM:  How many other elders in the zone? 

JON:  We are 10 Elders, 3 Gringos, 2 from La Paz, 2 Argentinos, and a Brazilian, and a Ecuadorian and a Peruvian.  The Comp isnt letting me send Pictures

DAD:  This is Dad!   Hi Jon!  Emily and I are having a contest to see who can influence your scripture of the week choice more often.

JON:  Thanks Dad. I miss you. And I'm trying to get a you a hand carved Bolivian Chess Set. It looks cool and its like 10 Dollars

JON:  I have been praying for you all! I love you Mom.  I have to go. I'm sorry for the bad technology here in Bolivia. I'll try to get more pics for next week. 

DOING THINGS THE LORD'S WAY

Dear Family:

This is going to be kind of short, because I had lost my camera in the House, and I didn't take many pictures.  It was hot this week.  It rained until I could basically swim in the streets, 

Bolivian Rain Storm (Not Taken By Jonathan Tracy)

and I got a rejection from The Bolivian President, 

Evo Morales.

Bolivian President, Evo Morales

We were walking through the Plaza Principal for an appointment, and there was a big rally.  The President of Bolivia was there.  He looked at us and gave us a funny face, and we walked away.  So that was fun.  

I've been eating a lot of Chicken and Potatoes.

Bolivian Chicken and Potatoes

AND there is a rumor going around that the Bermejo Area, where I am currently serving, might become part of the Bolivia Cochabamba Mission 

Bolivia Cochabamba Mission Boundary Map

instead of the Bolivia Santa Cruz Mission.  The Mission Limits are changing because of a new mission in La Paz, so I might be in the Cochabamba Mission.  They might do it this next transfer in April. 

Bolivia Santa Cruz Mission Boundary Map

But yeah!  We will see!

Scripture for the Day: 

2 Nephi 2:25

Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden.  They ate the fruit and fell.  They were separated from the presence of God. They needed to fall so the Entire Human Race would have a chance to live in this World and become like God.

Have a good week!

Elder Jonathan Tracy

(Mom, I'm doing fine, you don't have to worry.  I love you!)

EL AGUA. BAPTISM.

This week was amazing!  We had a baptism, and I baptized him!  We have been meeting more with the members so that we can gain confidence and find more people to teach.  We don't have many, but we are slowly getting there and I can see my branch changing it's attitude. 

Baptism of Arnoldo Gonzeles

But first, Elder Beals, Elder Jimenez and I went on a six hour adventure to Tarija.  Because we are all "immigrants" to Bolivia, we had to do some papers for Migrations.  So we spent three hours in a car to Tarija.  Elder Beals and I only had to give our fingerprints.  We stayed the night with the Zone Leaders from La Viña.  We bought a pizza the size of a bed mattress and ate it in twenty minutes.  After the feast, we slept on the floor.  I woke up like four times, and I was dying off thirst.  But we made it to the Migrations place, where Jehovah's Witnesses made fun of us in English.

Then we made the three hour trip back to Bermejo, and Elder Beals and I talked for three hours. We have like eighteen hours together in that car.  We survived, and then we got ready for the Baptism.

Arnoldo Gonzales was baptized on Saturday.  I dunked him in the water.  He was confirmed on Sunday.  So that is my third baptism here in Bermejo.   And that is only the beginning!

Scripture of the Week: 

Romans 5:19

For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Thanks to my sister, Emily, for showing this scripture to me.  I like it a lot.  We are all disobedient, but thanks to Christ and his obedience, we can be saved.

Que Dios les bendiga,

y que les vaya bien

Elder Tracy

WEEK 24: I WAS INVISIBLE FOR TWO WEEKS

Hey!  

This is the Llama beanie I bought, and the Argentina jersey my Companion gave me.

I'm not dead.   For the people that emailed back last week, I was stuck in the house for Carnaval for a week. 

I had a lot of fun, because last week... I TURNED 19. I'm a big kid now. I feel weird for being a little bit older.  And for not having a Birthday in the house for the first time.

This is my Birthday Cake. It was sooooooo goood.  Hermana Lidia brought it.

I saw the biggest cricket ever. I have a picture with my finger next to it for scale. It was so big. 

And I'm teaching Arnoldo, who is going to be baptized this Saturday.  He is so cool!.  In our last lesson, he actually started crying because he said the Gospel has changed his life.  We met this guy drunk in the plaza, and he was a little drunk.  But when he accepted the Gospel, he changed.  And now he is a Disciple of Christ.  It has been a privilege to meet this guy.  He is the coolest. 

Scripture for the Week --  Alma 56:46-48

 For as I had ever called them my sons (for they were all of them very young) even so they said unto me:  Father, behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth; we would not slay our brethren if they would let us alone; therefore let us go, lest they should overpower the army of Antipus.

Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.

And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying:  We do not doubt our mothers knew it.

The Stripling warriors learned and believed the words of their mothers and were delivered. They knew the Lord would protect them for being righteous.

Have a good week. 

Elder Tracy

From emails received today.

Here is my Package.

JON:  I got the Christmas Package like 20 minutes ago. Thanks for the floss. I ran out like a week ago.

MOM:  Hey, Jonathan!  How are you doing today?

JON:  Hi Mommy. I'm 19 :D.  Hey. I got the Christmas Package today.  I'm wearing one of the new ties.  I love the little picture book.  Everyone is looking at it right now. But the word Trumpet isn't trumpeta lol.

MOM:  What did you do during Carnival?

JON:  I slept.  

MOM:  Any last words of wisdom for me to share with your family, friends and followers?  Any other requests of things from home

JON:  Nope. I love you Mom. JOOON

WELL, I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING FUNNY TO SAY: SO IT IS JUST WEEK 22.

How is it going my friends?!?!?!

Jonathan and a stray dog that followed him for four hours one day.

Elder Jonathan Tracy here with my weekly update from The Mission of Miracles.  

The miracles are real and I see them daily.  This last week I have been really trying to see the miracles everyday.  The members have been giving us more references to work with.  Miracle of the week.  We received a reference for a Hermano (Brother) named Arnoldo.  His friend, Oscar, gave us the reference.  Arnoldo isn't married, he has a child with a less active member, and he literally was searching for us before he called us.  He said he wanted to change his life. He also said he wants to be baptized as soon as possible.  So we are working with him to get him ready. He is super cool and really has the desire to change.

I was driven 3 hours to go to a Mission Conference in Tarija. About 20 minutes into the ride, another missionary, Elder Beals threw up everywhere, and I was sitting next to him. But we got him cleaned up and we made it to the Conference. President talked about not being prideful.  I'm proud to be a missionary.  Then I gave the Closing Prayer, and I talked to my Trainer, Elder Gutierrez that day. 

Seeing Elder Guiterrez, Jonathan's first companion in Bolivia, at Zone Conference.

Then we rode 3 hours back to Bermejo.

And that is what happened this last week.

Scripture for this Week: 

Alma 26: 11-12

But Ammon said unto him:  I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God.  

Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore, I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.

The example of Ammon, and his knowledge of who he really serves, is a testimony builder.  He knew that by himself he could not do a lot.  But with God, he could do all things. It is the exact same with us.  We can do all things in God.

Have a great week everyone.

Love, 

Elder Jonathan Tracy

Misión Bolivia Santa Cruz

2014-2016

Jonathan and Chelo, a friend that left to study in Tarijo.  Picture taken at Chelo's house.

This young man is Chelo, he is a member that had done some visits with us.  He left for Tarija to go study today. And I was in his house when this picture was taken.  lol

From Jonathan's email to me (MOM) today.

MOM:  Did you get any of our Christmas packages yet?

JON:  I haven't got anything.  And Mom, next Monday I can't write you, because I'm going to be stuck in the house for Carnaval.

MOM:  What is happening during Carnaval that you can't be outside for?  Wild women?  

JON:  For Carnaval.  People throw balloons full of paint, and they drink, and the women walk around naked I heard.  I'm going to be in the house from Sunday until like Wednesday.  I saw my Trainer again. We went to a zone conference in Tarija, so I rode 3 hours in a minivan to get there, and afterwards. 3 hours back.  Elder Gutierrez is serving in Tarija. Theres like 10 Elders serving in Bermejo, so 5 of us got into a minivan. and another 5 in another minivan.  We left at 6 in the Morning to get to the Conference at 9, and we left a 4 pm.  They fed us good food.

MOM:  Teach any interesting lessons this week?

JON:  I just have been teaching the 2 things that Dad wrote me about. The Divinity of Christ and the Restoration.

MOM:  Do people have cars and take themselves to Tarija or do most people ride the buses.

JON:  They have these things called "Micros". Its like a tram system, In my old Area, we always used the 100, the different numbers have different routes.  Last week. Remember how I said I lost like 5 kilograms?  I was feeling sick. 5 Kilos is 11 pounds Mom. I had really bad Diarrhea, but I'm better.

MOM:  Anything you need?

JON:   Just tell people to write me please. :)

PLEASE WRITE JONATHAN via EMAIL:   jonathan.tracy@myldsmail.net

His Birthday is February 14, 2015!  He will be 19 years old!  Let's give him a bunch of email for his birthday!