Привет возлюбленый семья!
Hey der lil famfamfamfam...it's me...cectpa kjonez...broadcasting from UKRAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!! ha...i've lost all my skills of acting like I'm black. Every black person we see (MAYBE 4 in this whole time) we stop...cause you know they speak english...i told you about our brothas up in cinferopol. Don't worry, i'll get it back...a quick trip back to Chicago and it'll seep in like a sponge. :)
What a busy crazy week you had! I love business with a little dash of chaos...it makes life exciting! Grandpa's thing sounded like a blast! I haven't seen Dad's side of the fam for a while now! Ha - cectpa's talking to some guy about the book of mormon...just a sec. haHA! seems promising! I love it when people ask about US...we're calling him back later after he finishes reading about the restored gosepel pamphlet...
oh another greaaat week. Era came to church!!!!!!!! Like real church, sacrament, sunday school, the goods. She sang with me and participated in discussions and knew the answers to some questions which really helped her confidence. You know this is her first time at real church in 4 MONTHS of invesitgating??? It really is a miracle. Before church on Sunday I read that little book you gave me mom abou missionary miracles...I prayed for a miracle that day...That era would live up to her words and come...oh man! AND we started teaching Славик (Slavik) a guy we found on the street. He's paralyzed from the waist down but he OWNS on crutches... handicapped people here just beg on the streets...people dropping in a couple kopecks every know and then (like less than a penny) We walked right up to him, looked him in the eyes, and started talking about the gospel. I could tell that no one does that to him very often. He was a bit uncomfortable and taken back at first. But he came to general conference, he came to our appt. with the elders, he came to church on sunday, he played ping pong with us (he held the paddle while I played fetch) I think he's surprised that we actually care about him...that we want to meet with him...that we want to be his friends. I've never looked at people the way I do now...as children of God. Ive always understood this...had a testimony about it...but it's like...it doesn't matter if someone doesn't love exactly what you love. It doesn't matter it they're funny looking or smell bad (we still like dad)...It doesn't matter if they're ridiculously mean or if you think you have absolutely nothing in common with them. ya know? We're all children of God...brothers...sisters...and every person is actually really cool if you give them the time of day. Right now we're just Clavik's friends...but I know He can see a light in us...I know he feels something.
I think I told you about Ирина и Оксана? Well they're two sisters we've been meeting with for a couple weeks now...they are HILARIOUS...Oksana has a hilarious sense of humor, which to be honest, is hard to come by here! Irina is SO ADD, I love it. They are definitely a comic relief to our week...but also, they have a lot of questions about the gospel. Oksana right now said she's only living so that she can buy a car and an apartment, other than that, she doesn't really have a purpose. Ira lives for her little girl, Россия (Rocia - haha...her name is Russia!) They believe that like 6 generations ago, this weird lady put a curse on their family so that the men in their lives would either be awful or non-existent...and i guess so far its true :S Anyways, they brought Roca to our appt the other day and she was SO amazing....SO AMAZING...like she really accepts the restoration and that God loves her and really likes us and wants to continue to meet...I know she'll be a strength to her aunt and mom. Oh it's a miracle.
Era is still smoking. We don't really know how to help her. She's a stubborn lady and wants to do it all by herself, but after 25 years, I think this is proving a lot harder than she thought. We're trying everything we can, but I know we need the Lord's help more than anything. She needs motivation, self-control, a real deep desire to quit based on her love and trust in the Lord. She trys SO HARD to understand, but understanding isn't enough. I've learned it's actually not very important. Understanding comes after desire, faith, and action. I KNOW that. Help us pray for her to quit...
инна...eena eena eena...she loves the idea about family home evening. We're going to hold one with her this week. We've started meeting with her at her school (she teaches Ukrainian to kids) before class because it's too distracting at home. Kids here learn Russian, Ukrainian, French and English in school...and actually learn it!
Людмила (lyoudmila) an amazing lady in our branch, just got back from the temple this week. This was the lady we helped that one day to do all her temple names on the computer...oh shes still glowing. She gave a fabulous talk in Sacrament about how special she felt there. she expressed her want for everyone in the room, who hasn't yet, to get to the temple. She gave eveyone little rocks from the temple grounds to remember our goal...she's so solid.
Cectpa K is so funny...she's a little...oh i forgot the name, but she always thinks she's got some kind of disease. She lost her voice a little this week and i swear to you, we went to the Аптека (pharmacy) everyday to get some new herb or gargle or tea or syrup or pills or spray or rub...there were so many different things in her body, i'm surprised she slept at night! Actually she didn't...i woke up one night to find her bent over a boiling pot of water, baking soda, and herbs...just breathing in the steam...haha...i was rolling with laughter... ya know what worked? What i always drink when i'm sick? Sprite. Her voice cleared up an hour later. She's hilarious. She leaves a few days before Christmas, but I told her its forbidden to talk about anymore...haha...i'm scared to death to be honest...
We teach English twice a week now... we have a fairly good turnout, and a lot of people wanted to come on saturday...more crazy lesson plans for me! Cectpa doesn't feel completely comfortable teaching, so she translates (our class is on the ABC's) and I teach with LOTS of hand motions...we have a good time...
Ukraine is so beautiful right now...the weather is incredible and the leaves are all changing... the trees look like they're on fire! We strolled through the forest yesterday with some members before our lesson...it's so beautiful here. You gotta look for it, but when you do, you find it :)
Love you alllllll....stay strong, be happy...i'm doing my best :)
love cectpa jones
ps...mama - i haven't gotten the packages yet but they've probabaly gotten to the mission office...next week is zone conference, so most likely then! MOM. what are you being for halloween?? i forgot to ask!
pspspss - give roy a kiss for me :) oh wait...you already do...
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