Kathy wanted to tell Mom happy birthday. Yay.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
3rd email: June 22, 2009
hyelo mama!
sorry no orthotics in the shoesies... i hardly wear those ones cause my other ones are like putting your feet into two slices of heaven. Thanks for the letters and muddy buddies (apparently they're also called puppy chow)...the elders love you! and i'm happy to have a de-nastified face thanks to my face knife. Lizzie said i shouldn't call it a face knife because it sounds scary. It's weird that I see her so much...but I love it! All the Anzianos and Sorellas yell at me from across the cafeteria and outside and wherever else... haha... ciao sorella jones!... then i yell back...adlkfj40378adspiz'^#Q$%$%^&# 345324 $#%@#%^ jafdj!... Thats russian for "Hello!" The language is absolutely riduculous, but i LOVE it... but it's like a disease...at firsts my body recognizes it as foreign and tries to fight it off as fast as it can, but i'm slowly increasing my immunity to it, and then I'll be living healthily with the Russian Pox! It'll take time and a ton of work and sacrifice.
I have already seen miracles come about in my life from serving a mission...it's like i didn't even know what I was missing in my life until it comes... I came on a mission for good reasons, but now I feel the magnitude of this calling. This is the real stuff...the only means and name whereby salvation can come, only in and through the name of Christ (mosiah 3:17 or something)...I can't begin to describe how hard this hit me...just on Saturday and Sunday... THIS IS IT! Christ lives! The way has been paved! The sun has risen to light our way...and we are the messangers of Him! HOLY SMOKES. I knew it before, I know it now, I'll know it always. It's a sweet and joyous assurance, like my boy alma talks about! wow. its so cool. the gospel is cool. it puts a massive bounce in my step...i think i'm annoying people. meh.
i'm happy papa bear got his ipood... we'll see if he figures out how to use it :) lizzie gave me mine full of Raffi and our "jones family bonanza" and "jolika" (JOhnny, LIzzie, KAthy) recordings from my computer...with that, my farmer overalls, my massive tribal chief sweatshirt, my box full of tricks, and the fact that i love doing acrobatics on my bed make the sisters think i'm crazy, but they actually love cause i love them...i actually really love being forced to live with people...i'm learning so much and growing so much in ways i never would!
my district is as crazy as every...we couldn't get through our prayer the other day...tears were streaming down our face, uncontrollable laughing, some had to leave the room...we tried to resort to personal prayers, but all hope was lost...God was laughing with us :) Our district is really so perfect for me...such hooligan spiritual giants :) i'm glad that they're 19...it makes my immaturity seem a little less apparent
love you all so so much...time is up
i'll work hard, you work hard, and we'll love every second!!!
love cectpa kjonez
mom- youda best
dad - don't pretent like you know russian...translator dot com is no bueno...haha...keep it comin i like to try and figure it out
roy - poop on danny
danny - clean it up
johnny - if you don't write my a letter or draw me a picture within one week your room will blow up
lizzie - see you tomorrow
taryn - you're my fave
sorry no orthotics in the shoesies... i hardly wear those ones cause my other ones are like putting your feet into two slices of heaven. Thanks for the letters and muddy buddies (apparently they're also called puppy chow)...the elders love you! and i'm happy to have a de-nastified face thanks to my face knife. Lizzie said i shouldn't call it a face knife because it sounds scary. It's weird that I see her so much...but I love it! All the Anzianos and Sorellas yell at me from across the cafeteria and outside and wherever else... haha... ciao sorella jones!... then i yell back...adlkfj40378adspiz'^#Q$%
I have already seen miracles come about in my life from serving a mission...it's like i didn't even know what I was missing in my life until it comes... I came on a mission for good reasons, but now I feel the magnitude of this calling. This is the real stuff...the only means and name whereby salvation can come, only in and through the name of Christ (mosiah 3:17 or something)...I can't begin to describe how hard this hit me...just on Saturday and Sunday... THIS IS IT! Christ lives! The way has been paved! The sun has risen to light our way...and we are the messangers of Him! HOLY SMOKES. I knew it before, I know it now, I'll know it always. It's a sweet and joyous assurance, like my boy alma talks about! wow. its so cool. the gospel is cool. it puts a massive bounce in my step...i think i'm annoying people. meh.
i'm happy papa bear got his ipood... we'll see if he figures out how to use it :) lizzie gave me mine full of Raffi and our "jones family bonanza" and "jolika" (JOhnny, LIzzie, KAthy) recordings from my computer...with that, my farmer overalls, my massive tribal chief sweatshirt, my box full of tricks, and the fact that i love doing acrobatics on my bed make the sisters think i'm crazy, but they actually love cause i love them...i actually really love being forced to live with people...i'm learning so much and growing so much in ways i never would!
my district is as crazy as every...we couldn't get through our prayer the other day...tears were streaming down our face, uncontrollable laughing, some had to leave the room...we tried to resort to personal prayers, but all hope was lost...God was laughing with us :) Our district is really so perfect for me...such hooligan spiritual giants :) i'm glad that they're 19...it makes my immaturity seem a little less apparent
love you all so so much...time is up
i'll work hard, you work hard, and we'll love every second!!!
love cectpa kjonez
mom- youda best
dad - don't pretent like you know russian...translator dot com is no bueno...haha...keep it comin i like to try and figure it out
roy - poop on danny
danny - clean it up
johnny - if you don't write my a letter or draw me a picture within one week your room will blow up
lizzie - see you tomorrow
taryn - you're my fave
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Gob Bleev. I mean Bog Jeev.
This is what I learned today. Bohg Jeev (I have no idea how you really spell it) means "God lives" in Russian. However, what I've been saying for the last week, Gob Bleev, doesn't mean anything in Russian. Oops.
I went and ate lunch with Kathy today in the cafeteria. Today I brought her a few things from home, including her pillow (come to think of it, I probably looked strange walking in to work today with a big pillow) and her newly updated iPod that is not full of all the classical and spiritual music I could get my hands on, along with some Raffi to remember our childhood. Mom and Dad and Danny- I found those songs on itunes we'd listen to non-stop like Joshua Giraffe and Mikey Made a Mess and King and Queen of the Sandbox. When I went to go get my food, I told her I needed to post more videos and I gave her the camera and let her go to town. For a lot of one of them she is babbling off in Russian like we might know what she's saying.
She also told me a really funny story. I guess the fire alarm went off accidentally in their building the other day and one of the Elders jumped up in a panic and began yelling in Russian the only phrase he could think of. "Where are you from? Where are you from?" So funny.
She said she loves her teachers. Brother Pearce likes to joke around with them and have fun while Brother Olsen is more mellow and very spiritual. She says her district can get a little out of control but she loves them anyway. Apparently all they talk about are muddy buddies so if you're thinking of sending her a package, that is what she'd like most. She also asked me to get her a coat since it's been raining so much and she doesn't have anything warm to wear. She asked for the ugliest most Kathy-making-a-statementish one in her closet... I might not be able to "find" it and I'll probably end up bringing her a more conservative one that fits a little better with the MTC. The coolest part about Kathy as a missionary is that she is still able to be herself and her own person. She's very accepting of everyone and super friendly to everyone she sees. There are 5 Russian speaking sisters and 2 Russian speaking Elders in their zone (they are all from either the Ukraine or Russian with one sister from Albania that speaks Russian fluently) and they said Kathy's Russian is pretty good and that she never shuts up but just babbles away to herself all the time in Russian. It is a huge help to have them there to help with the language. Most of them are going back to Russia or the Ukraine to serve and are in the MTC in Provo just to work on Preach My Gospel and perfect their English, but everyone that I talked to already spoke immaculate English, I was so impressed! Kathy said she has 24 full pages of Russian grammar she needs to know right now but she doesn't even understand the first page. It is a humbling experience for sure.
She wanted me to tell you all hello!
I went and ate lunch with Kathy today in the cafeteria. Today I brought her a few things from home, including her pillow (come to think of it, I probably looked strange walking in to work today with a big pillow) and her newly updated iPod that is not full of all the classical and spiritual music I could get my hands on, along with some Raffi to remember our childhood. Mom and Dad and Danny- I found those songs on itunes we'd listen to non-stop like Joshua Giraffe and Mikey Made a Mess and King and Queen of the Sandbox. When I went to go get my food, I told her I needed to post more videos and I gave her the camera and let her go to town. For a lot of one of them she is babbling off in Russian like we might know what she's saying.
She also told me a really funny story. I guess the fire alarm went off accidentally in their building the other day and one of the Elders jumped up in a panic and began yelling in Russian the only phrase he could think of. "Where are you from? Where are you from?" So funny.
She said she loves her teachers. Brother Pearce likes to joke around with them and have fun while Brother Olsen is more mellow and very spiritual. She says her district can get a little out of control but she loves them anyway. Apparently all they talk about are muddy buddies so if you're thinking of sending her a package, that is what she'd like most. She also asked me to get her a coat since it's been raining so much and she doesn't have anything warm to wear. She asked for the ugliest most Kathy-making-a-statementish one in her closet... I might not be able to "find" it and I'll probably end up bringing her a more conservative one that fits a little better with the MTC. The coolest part about Kathy as a missionary is that she is still able to be herself and her own person. She's very accepting of everyone and super friendly to everyone she sees. There are 5 Russian speaking sisters and 2 Russian speaking Elders in their zone (they are all from either the Ukraine or Russian with one sister from Albania that speaks Russian fluently) and they said Kathy's Russian is pretty good and that she never shuts up but just babbles away to herself all the time in Russian. It is a huge help to have them there to help with the language. Most of them are going back to Russia or the Ukraine to serve and are in the MTC in Provo just to work on Preach My Gospel and perfect their English, but everyone that I talked to already spoke immaculate English, I was so impressed! Kathy said she has 24 full pages of Russian grammar she needs to know right now but she doesn't even understand the first page. It is a humbling experience for sure.
She wanted me to tell you all hello!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Second Email: June 16th, 2009
i'm always so scatterbrained when i write...i've got like 30 minutes to read all these goodies, and now a few minutes to write...oh well! I really do love the MTC! Elder Bednar came and spoke to us a week ago...elder bednar...uh...i cried. He talked about knowing the difference between the spirit telling you to do something and you telling you do do something...this is what he said, "Quit worryin' about it! Be a good boy, be a good girl, stay true to your temple covenants, keep the commandments, press forward in faith and the LORD will guide your footsteps, HE will inspire your utterances!" It's like mountain biking, you can't switch gears until you start going... if I wait around for the spirit to tell me to turn right or left, then oppurtunities shoot right by us! He shared D&C 80:3-5..."ye cannot go amiss." The Lord can't afford to have us mess up! I loved it...it made me pumped to start moving...
The natives are here! They're so great, don't speak a lick of english. oh wait two of them do...one of them, cectpa kadikyan, is from Armania and she speaks Russian, English and Armanian. She's awesome, they're all so faithful. They went through the temple for the first time a couple days ago...it's amazing how blessed we are to have a temple on every corner...they were just bawling. But cectpa kadikyan (i don't know how to spell that) is going to dnepr too...she could be my companero!
My roommates are CRAZY. Its SO funny to watch 6 strong and opinianted personalities clash in a closet of a room...i LOVE it. I laugh every day at all their weird insightful deep conversations...one of them conducts her classical music as she listens on her ipod...no two of them... i love them so much. cectpa champenois, one of my roomies, is from denmark....she's tall lanky and has blonde hair to her bum bum...her comp is cectpa calderwood... a firey red head from alaska who has so many random talents its amazing...she's a hard core seamstress...and SO SO genuine and honest...i love her...then we have the yoga sensei master, cectpa smith...she's earthy and in touch with her inner spirit...i do yoga with her in the mornings and she kicks my trash...i like her a lot....and oh... cectpa jackson...90 lbs of opinionated educated breaks out in broadway in the middle of dinner crazy intimidating lovely sister... i love er... sometimes i just gotta laugh though... and then my cectpa schaefer... and when i say she speaks russian, she speaks russian...she's studied for 3 years in college and lived in moscow for 5 months...she is so bored in class! i feel for her... i try to help her as much as i can. It's tough having a companion that already speaks though. It's a lot easier when you learn this language with someone, and during lessons and approaches, she takes over...cause she can! it's tough. This language is INSANE... trying to learn it is the hardest thing i've ever done, but i work at it tirelessly...gift of toungues is real... I'll get it.
My district is HILARIOUS...oh wow... they're really great spiritual and solid kids, but we get off topic ALWAYS... we have all the rambunctios ones in our district...we make the most noise...but we work hard...and no one's been quarantined yet! we made a rule that no one would get sick, and if someone did then we'd all have to go into quarantine with them...along with the teachers...my teachers are amazing...100% different, but really good for us...
the food is fine...it gives me bad heart burn, but i'll deal with it...I've got my TUMS! i don't need really anything mama... and letters are the funnest, but emails aare convenient... dear elder bugs me... ct. anderson (an elder in my district) got 12 yesterday...haha...he put it on facebook. but anything is fine! I love you all so so much and i love being a missionary! It's THE MOST humbling thing in the whole world...i can achieve nothing without my heavenly father... i've never fully understood this...i'm getting there! love you mom and dad and kids and roy... and everyone else who gets this! i'll tell lizzie if i need anything :)
love cectpa kjonez
ps... i finished my thankyou notes...i just have to give them to lizzie...come get them sisterrr!
pps...mom. maybe you should google how to make muddy buddies and send them to me? i dunno...jsut a thought... haha...my district loves them
ppss...let me know if i can do anything for anyone...i'm a lil bit stranded, but ya know... i could sneak ya some KILLER meatloaf... or ya know...pictures of jesus...
The natives are here! They're so great, don't speak a lick of english. oh wait two of them do...one of them, cectpa kadikyan, is from Armania and she speaks Russian, English and Armanian. She's awesome, they're all so faithful. They went through the temple for the first time a couple days ago...it's amazing how blessed we are to have a temple on every corner...they were just bawling. But cectpa kadikyan (i don't know how to spell that) is going to dnepr too...she could be my companero!
My roommates are CRAZY. Its SO funny to watch 6 strong and opinianted personalities clash in a closet of a room...i LOVE it. I laugh every day at all their weird insightful deep conversations...one of them conducts her classical music as she listens on her ipod...no two of them... i love them so much. cectpa champenois, one of my roomies, is from denmark....she's tall lanky and has blonde hair to her bum bum...her comp is cectpa calderwood... a firey red head from alaska who has so many random talents its amazing...she's a hard core seamstress...and SO SO genuine and honest...i love her...then we have the yoga sensei master, cectpa smith...she's earthy and in touch with her inner spirit...i do yoga with her in the mornings and she kicks my trash...i like her a lot....and oh... cectpa jackson...90 lbs of opinionated educated breaks out in broadway in the middle of dinner crazy intimidating lovely sister... i love er... sometimes i just gotta laugh though... and then my cectpa schaefer... and when i say she speaks russian, she speaks russian...she's studied for 3 years in college and lived in moscow for 5 months...she is so bored in class! i feel for her... i try to help her as much as i can. It's tough having a companion that already speaks though. It's a lot easier when you learn this language with someone, and during lessons and approaches, she takes over...cause she can! it's tough. This language is INSANE... trying to learn it is the hardest thing i've ever done, but i work at it tirelessly...gift of toungues is real... I'll get it.
My district is HILARIOUS...oh wow... they're really great spiritual and solid kids, but we get off topic ALWAYS... we have all the rambunctios ones in our district...we make the most noise...but we work hard...and no one's been quarantined yet! we made a rule that no one would get sick, and if someone did then we'd all have to go into quarantine with them...along with the teachers...my teachers are amazing...100% different, but really good for us...
the food is fine...it gives me bad heart burn, but i'll deal with it...I've got my TUMS! i don't need really anything mama... and letters are the funnest, but emails aare convenient... dear elder bugs me... ct. anderson (an elder in my district) got 12 yesterday...haha...he put it on facebook. but anything is fine! I love you all so so much and i love being a missionary! It's THE MOST humbling thing in the whole world...i can achieve nothing without my heavenly father... i've never fully understood this...i'm getting there! love you mom and dad and kids and roy... and everyone else who gets this! i'll tell lizzie if i need anything :)
love cectpa kjonez
ps... i finished my thankyou notes...i just have to give them to lizzie...come get them sisterrr!
pps...mom. maybe you should google how to make muddy buddies and send them to me? i dunno...jsut a thought... haha...my district loves them
ppss...let me know if i can do anything for anyone...i'm a lil bit stranded, but ya know... i could sneak ya some KILLER meatloaf... or ya know...pictures of jesus...
Sunday, June 14, 2009
An addendum to Kathy's email
Kathy: "Did my email make sense?"
Lizzie: "Huh?"
Lizzie: "And maybe you'll use punctuation?"
Kathy: "Yeah, maybe."
A Kathyism...
So I saw Kathy in the cafeteria the other day and she told me some funny stories. She told me that the day she arrived at the MTC, she was the first to get to her bedroom that she shares with 5 other sisters who are all learning Russian, one of which is her companion. She unpacked a few things and then took out a pair of fake glasses and a set of fake teeth that Richie gave her. She put on the glasses and put in the teeth... and waited. She must have looked like a mixture of these two:
The other sisters finally showed up and she crossed her eyes and limped over to them, introducing herself. She said at first they seemed pretty shocked but then all began laughing and took out cameras to take pictures of her.
As you can see, Kathy's always been great at first impressions.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
First email! June 10, 2009
Kathy's first email:
Hyelo family! Wat doin? Let me know if you want me to write to any other email address...these are the only ones I know. The MTC totally rocks...Russian racks my brain... and my days are surrounded by the spirit! My companion is Cectpa Schaeffer. She's a twin and her sister served in Korea. She's so funny...she was a professional salmon fisher/gutter for the past 3-4 summers and works at mcdonalds during the school year! She already speaks Russian... she studies it in school and lived in Moscow for 5 months. Yup...personal tutor. She's so great though...she loves star wars and fantasy books and is super happy and positive. She gets SO excited over the funniest things...and my district is hilarious. So hilarious that it's hard to focus sometimes! We have 11 missionaries, 2 sisters, one 3-some... I love them. We're lucky... the russian natives come to a- our mtc and b- MY BRANCH! they came today...they're going to be such a help for our language lack of skills. uhmmm.... Ukraine is going to be the best mission in the world...the work is booming there. This past week, President Uchdorft (whatever) visited Russia and Ukraine...it was the first time that a member of the first presidency has visited over there...he said that through the faith and commitment of the members and missionaries, great things can be expected... and we will see that in our lifetime. The temple in Kiev will be huge in furthering the work... I guess it's now being dedicated in October which is the month before i leave...and i have high hopes! My mission president and his wife are truckin around here somewhere, but i haven't seen him yet...give stuff to Lizzie for me! I see her all the time@! like mayberr some muddy buddies...mmm....the food honestly is weird here, and i'm not just saying that cause it's cool to hate the food...but i embrace it... i know why i'm here...so the Lord can teach me to be a shepherd to gather his sheep in Ukraine.... the spirits strong every day...it SO hard...SO frustrating...my brain hurts...but i love it! And my body hates me right now for sitting in a hard chair all day...gym saves me! I try to straight up run the entire hour! I shower mom... i've showered twice already! and i wear normal clothes! ps i'm so glad i got the clothes i did...not sketchy at all...they're totally fine...and....i dunno what else! i love it here...don't worry about moi.... i can testify and and meet someone and pray in Russian... and i made up a song to the first vision... more of a chant...more of a jumprope "cinderella dressed in yella".... love you mon...and can you maybe give lizzie another pillow for me? and i llove you... and i can read in russian...
love cectpa jones (sestra)
Hyelo family! Wat doin? Let me know if you want me to write to any other email address...these are the only ones I know. The MTC totally rocks...Russian racks my brain... and my days are surrounded by the spirit! My companion is Cectpa Schaeffer. She's a twin and her sister served in Korea. She's so funny...she was a professional salmon fisher/gutter for the past 3-4 summers and works at mcdonalds during the school year! She already speaks Russian... she studies it in school and lived in Moscow for 5 months. Yup...personal tutor. She's so great though...she loves star wars and fantasy books and is super happy and positive. She gets SO excited over the funniest things...and my district is hilarious. So hilarious that it's hard to focus sometimes! We have 11 missionaries, 2 sisters, one 3-some... I love them. We're lucky... the russian natives come to a- our mtc and b- MY BRANCH! they came today...they're going to be such a help for our language lack of skills. uhmmm.... Ukraine is going to be the best mission in the world...the work is booming there. This past week, President Uchdorft (whatever) visited Russia and Ukraine...it was the first time that a member of the first presidency has visited over there...he said that through the faith and commitment of the members and missionaries, great things can be expected... and we will see that in our lifetime. The temple in Kiev will be huge in furthering the work... I guess it's now being dedicated in October which is the month before i leave...and i have high hopes! My mission president and his wife are truckin around here somewhere, but i haven't seen him yet...give stuff to Lizzie for me! I see her all the time@! like mayberr some muddy buddies...mmm....the food honestly is weird here, and i'm not just saying that cause it's cool to hate the food...but i embrace it... i know why i'm here...so the Lord can teach me to be a shepherd to gather his sheep in Ukraine.... the spirits strong every day...it SO hard...SO frustrating...my brain hurts...but i love it! And my body hates me right now for sitting in a hard chair all day...gym saves me! I try to straight up run the entire hour! I shower mom... i've showered twice already! and i wear normal clothes! ps i'm so glad i got the clothes i did...not sketchy at all...they're totally fine...and....i dunno what else! i love it here...don't worry about moi.... i can testify and and meet someone and pray in Russian... and i made up a song to the first vision... more of a chant...more of a jumprope "cinderella dressed in yella".... love you mon...and can you maybe give lizzie another pillow for me? and i llove you... and i can read in russian...
love cectpa jones (sestra)
Monday, June 8, 2009
Sprechen Sie Russian?
Nope... I can't read it either. She LOVES the MTC. Among the Italian missionaries, she is quite the celebrity. They all come in my room and interrupt my class to say "Sorella Jones! I saw your sister! I saw her and she said hi to me! And she also waved!" They love her. Her companion is named Sister Schaffer, who took some Russian in college and went to Moscow to teach english for four months so she already speaks Russian pretty well. They get along great. Kathy loves her teachers and is loving the life of a missionary.
Here is Kathy speaking some Russian... this was on Friday, her 2nd full day in the MTC.
.
By the way, those red vines were supposedly a gift for me... but she "accidentally" ate most of them before she got to my room. Haha. Ad I love how she says "okay.... okay.... okay..." before speaking the second part.
MTC!
I teach Italian at the MTC so I was at work when Kathy arrived with my mom and dad and John. Kathy got a call on sunday saying that because of an outbreak of swine flu at the MTC, parents were now going to be saying goodbye on the curb instead of inside the MTC. I met everyone out front and jumped in and the we drove a few hundred feet and parked the car. Leaving it running, we unloaded Kathy's luggage, which some Elders took to stack by her residence hall, and we each gave her a quick hug goodbye. 
She's an official missionary now!
Setting Apart
Tuesday night was amazing. Kathy was set apart as a full-time missionary. She was promised a ton of blessings if she tried to be humble and prayerful and rely on the Lord. The Lord promised her that she would learn, understand, and speak Russian very well. She was promised that shed have the ability to touch the hearts of the Ukrainians. She was also promised strength and patience. It was an awesome evening. She probably started packing around midnight. 
Everyone at her setting apart.
Rents and Rell.
Last family picture before Sister Kathy left.
Kathy saying goodbye to baby Royboy.
non-Farewell
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