26th email: December 7th, 2009

Momamomamomachka! And family and friendssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IT'S ME! Guess what I'm listening to right now...stairway to heaven, boston, journey...the goods. It's on in the Internet club and its making me so happy and I feel like a little rebel...haha. Missions make you weird. OK MOM. Look back at the past 5 emails and you'll see that I got the packages at halloween! Haha...I loveeed them so mucho and everything was there and intact and hannah montana loved the journey to ukraine on those UNO cards...dont worry! I'll let you know the second the others ones come...thankyou soooooooo much for not forgetting about lil Rel in Ykraina...love you. I got the envelope with pictures and your questionaire this week! And you'll be proud to hear that I already sent you a letter with all the answers :) Should be there sometime. I loved those pics of Roy boy...i think he looks like a turtle. Haha...i also got a nice package full of candy from my relief society presidency...they're the best! We found a christmas tree and we named it Doug. He's a sad, tiny little fella, but once we slap some lights and ornaments on him, he'll perk up, I'm confident. My companions said no to the big tree...but thats okay :) We're too poor for it anyway. Welp, another fabulous week in Sevastopol! We really are in the best city...I've only worn my winter coat once and can STILL get away without wearing nylons. Happy happy day. We have a lot of fun in our little threesome – i've learned to just laugh at the fact that I'm surrounded by russian all day. I learned a ton this past transfer. I learned that one of the biggest temptations that we're faced with is feeling sorry for ourselves and getting stuck in our own little pity parties. One night I was wading around in such a pity party, thinking, “Ugh, Heavenly Father, I know you need me here right now to learn something and to serve and to do some good...but how am I supposed to do any good with two strong, russian-speaking companions?” I was thinking all this to myself as my sisters were gabbing away about something and then, like a rhino to the face, I realized that one of my OBVIOUS blessing is right in front of me. I pray every night and ask God to help me with russian so that I can understand it better, respond in an understandable way that doesn't hurt people's ears...bam...start listening to your companions cectpa jones. I felt so ashamed after that...that when God was trying to answer my consistent prayers, I was wading around singing my own little pity song. So often God IS there...he's answering our prayers at the same time that we're complaining that He's not! So now I'm trying to soak in every phrase and word order that they use...this is a HUGE blessing, and I've got to use it!
So Neena's getting baptized :) WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You know what she said when she came into our 3rd meeting? “Will you baptize me? I know this is true...i prayed and read the Book of Mormon just like you said! I feel so good and special when I do. I can't believe you found me on the street!” Uhhhhh. Wow! We were like, welll, there are a few commandment you need to keep, there are a few lessons we need to go over, you need to gain a firm foundation of a testimony! She was like, “Ok, so we meet for about an hour...if we meet for two hours, can we move up my date another week?” Hahah, I literally laughed...she's amazing. She flat out accepted to live the law of chastity, though she has a boyfriend...she broke up with him. She flat out accepted the word of wisdom. She flat out accepts Joseph Smith as a prophet of God. We give her assignments to read in the book of mormon, and she decides to read to the end of the book....i just love her. This is so new for us! So her date was for this Saturday, but she got sick on Sunday and couldn't come to church, so we had to move it back to next Saturday...but our hopes are high for it actually happening ;) I can't get too excited too soon because then I just disappointed too fast, but she's got my faith and we're supporting her a lot. She's a lovely lovely beautiful lady – I hope her desires are pure...I hope satan goes on vacation these next two weeks. Era is back in action, but progressing like a slug. I'M the one that needs more faith and patience in her though. To be honest, her job is suffocating her...not just that she works all the time, but the product she sells is one of those “quick fix” products that is supposed to make you soo energetic and happy....it's a piece of plastic in a velvet cover that you sit on...all for 5000 hriven ($600)...it's killing her and the faith and spirit that she used to have. She claims she's not tired and she has joy every day because “this is her mission”, but we see how this is draining her...but this is her job. What else is she supposed to do...if she doesn't believe in her product, or act like she does, she won't sell anything, than she won't have a job. Finding work right now here is virtually impossible. We don't know what to do. I pray the Lord will provide some kind of way for her to open her heart to Him.
I love being on a mission. I'm so happy that I have to biggest and best chunk in front of me...it's already been so good. Cectpa K is so sad and confused to be going home. We're sad too to loose her...but we've got some amazing plans for her last week... :)
I'm glad you found the tree stand! And we have lights! You know how happy that makes me :) And dad sent me pics of the dogs...Sadie is HUGE! I remember her being half that size...maybe just cause jack is scrawny...i miss the dogs...I think I want to get my own when I get home...what do you think about that? Haha...it'd be so fun. And about calling...i have no idea what we do...i forgot about it until last week when lizzie reminded me...the elders said that we just call you a couple days before and then you call us on our cell phone...i dunno...i'll tell you next week...lov eyou gotta go!!!11
love cectpa jonesy

ps....send me that cinnamon roll recipe!
Psps - love you all...stay strong!