37th email: February 22, 2010

Fam-bly -

I'm sorry I'm such a terrible letter writer. I would say it's a Jones thing, but it's not. I would say I don't have time, but I do. I would say I'm a scatterbrain, and that would cover it. Haha...so I'll do my best.

A tramvy is like trax, but a billion years old. You shove people on until the doors don't close. It's awesome and it's only 1 hriven...so preferrred travel :)

I did get my package yesterday! The aps were up on sunday to do some audit thing...President is stuck in Moscow. THANKYOU! My coat is perfect cause the weather has really warmed up here...and I got everything else...splash guard - awesome :) make-up - enough to last me till I'm 40! And the candy will be great for the english kids...have I told you about the english kids?! No...so it's so awesome...in my english class I have entire school class of 10-11 year old kids that come with there awesome english teacher...there are like 20 of them plus another 10 or so regular people and 5 or so members... Their first week here was my first week here, and I'm not gonna lie, they love me :) I can't imagine a better thing in the world. These kids are getting a taste of the church early on! I love it! But yeah, everything else was there and intact...TANK-YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY BOOM-BOOM! and of course the pics of roy boy were my favorite :)

What else did you ask...oh the Webbs...yeah their awesome...their like 60 or something, so yeah, they're youngish for a missionary couple...Ct. Webb worked for the postal service for 31 years and Cec. Webb taught english and speach to high school kids...their like our mom and dad :) Cec Ave. and I did splits one night and I was with Cectpa Webb cause we had to go over her talk for sunday so I could help her with her little Russian parts and so we could go over the topic cause I needed to translate. They were so cute...made me a lil PB and J sandwich and some soup and gave me treats...haha...like grandmas house. They just barely got here in December, so pretty new...and I forgot where they are from...somewhere in Utah

Our apartment is driving me insane!!!!!!! EVERYTHING has broken within this past week...story...so we came home around 930 from being out all day and our entire podezd (like people who live in our building) were in front of our door, along with the bomb squad, and everyone was freaking out..."THERE THEY ARE! OPEN THE DOOR GIRLS!" ahhhh ok! So I open the door, and out pours some gas fumes and in rush the bomb squad ghost busters with there flashlights...apparantly our gas had been on allllll day....we figured out that we have a faulty broken oven ...but everyone was freaking out and yelling. Once the bomb squad (they're really not a bomb squad, just the gas people...but they were in fire fighter uniforms for some reason...) "dismantled" the oven, everybody came into the apartment...ALL our neighbors...and they were all telling us what to do and how to live and how to breath...haha...it was one of the most hilarious experiences ever...just all these awesome ukranians in their pjs and moving our stuff around and opening all our closets and doors :) But I guess if we would have turned on the lights, they said a fire wouldv'e started...CRAZY...So we got yelled at good, but we handled it and the drama has passed. But so that's the gas...this week our fridge started groaning all night and day, our water only comes out boiling, our lights went out, our toilet broke, and when all was lost, i was like "Well at least we have our microwave! I would die without a microwave!" yeah guess what breaks that night...haha...man,...I am some bad karma for this place....I wonder what will break today?

My companion is armenian...she's beautiful and spends a lot of time getting ready to be even MORE beautiful...dark hair, eyes, short, lil stocky... The members say that I speak russian with a a mix of a russian and armenian accent...but no ukranian accent....haha...that's thanks to cec. k and cectpa anush...i spoke mostly english with cec. lav.

Temple will be dedicated in October...so yes we will go when you come! 1000%...maybe we'll head up with some members or something...oh it's going to be amazing. It's a big excitement here and innactives are coming back in preparation for it...huge blessing to this country

dangit i answered all your questions and didn't have time to tell you about our sweet armenian FAMILY! that we're teaching or Alyona, or Zeena, ugh...hope your happy :) sorry...i'm just pretending to be sassy...life it so so good. I've got a ton to work on. But the second I take a step forward to do it, the Lord blows me away with blessings. No matter how hard I work, how dedicated I am, how lost in this cause I find myself, my service will never amount to what our Savior has done for us...but that is no excuse to hold back...perfect, godly joy in this life and the next...thats the special today people :) and it's on the house... love you all...stay strong and do your home teaching :)

love cectpa jones

ps. dad. i died when i read your letter last week... i printed it off and read it that night and literally was laughing out loud and my comp thought i was insane...your hilarious.

pspsp- j.. stop. just stop stop stop.. I'm confused and don't know you! hahah...you stud...keep writing me! what happened to my monthly letters!!

pspsps - lizzzie...thankyou!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! tell me those things that you said you wish you knew on your mission! share the goods oh wise one! love you shissa

roy - tell your rentals that i love them...and dang boy...you good-looking!

37th email: February 22, 2010

Fam-bly -

I'm sorry I'm such a terrible letter writer. I would say it's a Jones thing, but it's not. I would say I don't have time, but I do. I would say I'm a scatterbrain, and that would cover it. Haha...so I'll do my best.

A tramvy is like trax, but a billion years old. You shove people on until the doors don't close. It's awesome and it's only 1 hriven...so preferrred travel :)

I did get my package yesterday! The aps were up on sunday to do some audit thing...President is stuck in Moscow. THANKYOU! My coat is perfect cause the weather has really warmed up here...and I got everything else...splash guard - awesome :) make-up - enough to last me till I'm 40! And the candy will be great for the english kids...have I told you about the english kids?! No...so it's so awesome...in my english class I have entire school class of 10-11 year old kids that come with there awesome english teacher...there are like 20 of them plus another 10 or so regular people and 5 or so members... Their first week here was my first week here, and I'm not gonna lie, they love me :) I can't imagine a better thing in the world. These kids are getting a taste of the church early on! I love it! But yeah, everything else was there and intact...TANK-YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY BOOM-BOOM! and of course the pics of roy boy were my favorite :)

What else did you ask...oh the Webbs...yeah their awesome...their like 60 or something, so yeah, they're youngish for a missionary couple...Ct. Webb worked for the postal service for 31 years and Cec. Webb taught english and speach to high school kids...their like our mom and dad :) Cec Ave. and I did splits one night and I was with Cectpa Webb cause we had to go over her talk for sunday so I could help her with her little Russian parts and so we could go over the topic cause I needed to translate. They were so cute...made me a lil PB and J sandwich and some soup and gave me treats...haha...like grandmas house. They just barely got here in December, so pretty new...and I forgot where they are from...somewhere in Utah

Our apartment is driving me insane!!!!!!! EVERYTHING has broken within this past week...story...so we came home around 930 from being out all day and our entire podezd (like people who live in our building) were in front of our door, along with the bomb squad, and everyone was freaking out..."THERE THEY ARE! OPEN THE DOOR GIRLS!" ahhhh ok! So I open the door, and out pours some gas fumes and in rush the bomb squad ghost busters with there flashlights...apparantly our gas had been on allllll day....we figured out that we have a faulty broken oven ...but everyone was freaking out and yelling. Once the bomb squad (they're really not a bomb squad, just the gas people...but they were in fire fighter uniforms for some reason...) "dismantled" the oven, everybody came into the apartment...ALL our neighbors...and they were all telling us what to do and how to live and how to breath...haha...it was one of the most hilarious experiences ever...just all these awesome ukranians in their pjs and moving our stuff around and opening all our closets and doors :) But I guess if we would have turned on the lights, they said a fire wouldv'e started...CRAZY...So we got yelled at good, but we handled it and the drama has passed. But so that's the gas...this week our fridge started groaning all night and day, our water only comes out boiling, our lights went out, our toilet broke, and when all was lost, i was like "Well at least we have our microwave! I would die without a microwave!" yeah guess what breaks that night...haha...man,...I am some bad karma for this place....I wonder what will break today?

My companion is armenian...she's beautiful and spends a lot of time getting ready to be even MORE beautiful...dark hair, eyes, short, lil stocky... The members say that I speak russian with a a mix of a russian and armenian accent...but no ukranian accent....haha...that's thanks to cec. k and cectpa anush...i spoke mostly english with cec. lav.

Temple will be dedicated in October...so yes we will go when you come! 1000%...maybe we'll head up with some members or something...oh it's going to be amazing. It's a big excitement here and innactives are coming back in preparation for it...huge blessing to this country

dangit i answered all your questions and didn't have time to tell you about our sweet armenian FAMILY! that we're teaching or Alyona, or Zeena, ugh...hope your happy :) sorry...i'm just pretending to be sassy...life it so so good. I've got a ton to work on. But the second I take a step forward to do it, the Lord blows me away with blessings. No matter how hard I work, how dedicated I am, how lost in this cause I find myself, my service will never amount to what our Savior has done for us...but that is no excuse to hold back...perfect, godly joy in this life and the next...thats the special today people :) and it's on the house... love you all...stay strong and do your home teaching :)

love cectpa jones

ps. dad. i died when i read your letter last week... i printed it off and read it that night and literally was laughing out loud and my comp thought i was insane...your hilarious.

pspsp- j.. stop. just stop stop stop.. I'm confused and don't know you! hahah...you stud...keep writing me! what happened to my monthly letters!!

pspsps - lizzzie...thankyou!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! tell me those things that you said you wish you knew on your mission! share the goods oh wise one! love you shissa

roy - tell your rentals that i love them...and dang boy...you good-looking!

Updated!!!

Sorry I have taken so long to update Kathy's blog... I have been sufficiently scolded by my mother. But it is all better now!

36th email: Feburary 15th, 2010

sdnyom valentina vsem! yaks spravee? choodova? I lil Ukranian taste for you :) In Sev. we never ever heard Ukranian, but here its a lot more common. The members love teaching us little phrases. Most people speak both and a lot more people here think that we should switch over. It probably won't happen, but in the meantime, i'll have fun trying to learn it... So mom about that letter...haha...i really did write it and send it like forever ago, but i didn't get a stupid "par avion" envelope so it's trucking over on a barge or a buoy or something...cectpa lav said it'll take like 4 months...hahah...so that's way it's not there... i'll laugh so hard when i've been home for a year and in pops a letter :)
So the streets are completely COVERED in ice here...like whip out your ice-skates and have it covered, not even joking! They just put dirt over the ice so it's not so slippery...but it's still slippery :) The best is going downhill...i'm sorry, but it's so funny watching people fall! Of course we help them up, but then you just fall too...and before you know it like 90 people are laying on the ice...people are just used to it here, so no body laughs... haha... i'm still not used to it so i "wet" (for you mon) my plants laughing every day :)
Cectpa Avetisyan is so good to me...she's like my mom and i'm pretty sure she thinks i can't pour my own milk :) Yesterday after church she slices some cheese and bread and opened a banana and set it in front of me and was like,"Eat! You have only eaten sweets all day!" Point taken. I have this bad habit of calling her "Anush", her first name. I don't even know why...i just think it's an awesome name and it always plops out, " I'm so grateful for Anush", "Anush, wheres the heater?", "Thanks for dinner Anush!" I seriously don't mean to...i've got to break my harmful habit. Cectpa Avetisyan is great.
The Webbs are so amazing. Cectpa Webb is spitting image and character and personality and voice of Diane Buma...you can image how much i love her :) YAY new baby Maren! Send them a shout out :) They're a young couple and have all these cute grandkids...i respect them for serving...i asked them if they chose Ukraine and Cectpa Webb was like, "Oh heck no." haha...She was like you can choose where to go if you want, but they don't really want you to...so we just went where we were needed. studs. She's so scared of the tramvy!
We have some hilarious and amazing investigators here...One, Alyona, is 16 and is basically already a member. She would be baptized, but her dad is a tiny bit anti. He gave her 2 days a week to spend with us...she chose Sunday and English. To be honest, I completely understand. She's 16 and wants to hang out with 19-21 years olds from this church he knows nothing about. We haven't yet been able to meet at their home, which would be benificial. I see that he's giving her a little freedom and trust though, i appreciate that. We have a plan though. Missionaries first got her interested through the guitar...she really wanted to learn. Belnap started teaching her after english, but he can only do so much cause he's an elder. We're thinking sisters could stop by their house strictly for guitar help, and that way we could meet her family without being pushy or imposing. I'm glad I have a guitar! man...i can't ever imagine how sweet it would be if they could warm up to us...alyona is remarkable...i thought she was a member when i first met her!
Then theres Anya...hahah...she looks like Cruella Deville on 101 dalmations...like spitting image. She has the most hilarious personality in the universe. Her testimony is SO strong. She comes to church, pays tithing, STUDIES the scriptures...even the D&C...she gives us all her contacts...she talks about her baptism all the time that will be coming up...but she just cannot quit smoking. Sisters have tried everything with her, and it's just down to her will to live by Gods commandments. Shes a hoot. Hope she can turn this thing around...
We do almost no contacting here which is so strange for me...Cec. A is a very different missionary to work with! We get a lot of contacts from members which is fabulous and more effective...whole new approach for me though!
Thats all have to go...love you...

love cectpa jones

35th email: February 8th, 2010

so. haha. Zaporozia, the branch, the members, the blasted weather, my companion, my district, the city, the marshrootkas, the dogs, the stores, my apartment. All 100% different than Sevastopol...like fer reals...i'm blown away. They say that crimea is basically it's own country and sevastopol is basically Russia...and now i see that they're NOT joking. I love it here! I waltzed into the branch and full on gasped...it's HUGE! They have a blasted family history library! And enough members to fill callings! Oh Sevastopol...I keep on meeting all these amazing members and in the back of my brain i'm screaming "Move to Sevastopol! They need you there!" Like we were at a lesson with this innactive lady and who knocks on the door? None other than Anton, her home teacher. WOW. I have never met a member like Anton. He is a return missionary, probabaly 27 or something, and knows how the church needs to be run. He is ALWAYS willing to help the missionaries and is normal and full of energy. He lit up the room when he walked in Larisa's house. I later found out that we're in the process of setting up a real home teaching program, and that he just does it by himself. He just goes around and claims everyone as him home-teachie-homies...what. a. stud. I want him to move to Sevastopol so bad! haha...no...i'll soon see that he's needed here. But we have the resources and the members and the strength to successfully set up a program here. We're planning on holding a leadership training this month and set up some assignments. It's ridiculous how many innactives there are in the Europe-East area... 85% innactivity rate. It's tough. President Nielson said that it's because Satan has got such a hold on the hearts of these people because he knows that the potential here is so great. The people here are tough and strong people...we've just got to channel that in the right direction and the Christs church will THRIVE...I'm excited :) We're still in the building the foundation stage...but i already see the growth in Zaporpzia vs. Sevastopol. This is Christ's church. He knows how it needs to be run. He is our head, so it WILL not fail. We've got to sacrifice for it though.
So yeah, theres a ton of work here, and I'm in a awesomely strong district! I love it...I'm back with my brotha Johnson from the MTC! SO good to see him after almost 6 months...and we have a Senior Couple, The Webbs (yeah mom we're probably related) and they're just a bundle of lovin. I translate for mamochka webb during relief society...she SO wants to understand and talk to these members...i know how she feels.
My Companion is a little armanian angel. She doesn't speak english, and part of my assignment in coming here was helping her with that. President Nielsen is amazing. He cares about the lives of his missionaries, even after the mission. He wants her to learn english. haha...i tried to pray in english the other night...it was a car wreck...but she didn't know! My apartment is big and open, but SO dirty...i scrubbed like 6 years of grime off the countertops today...ugh...i swear sisters apartments should be clean. And thank the heavens, Cectpa Avetisyan is a lil gormet chef as well! The lord loves me...and my taste buds :) Another transfer of no cooking! I'll be with her for two actually...she's going home in two. What else...she's 25...joined the church when she was 18...she was baptist. Her sister is a member and also served a mission, her parents are not. Did you know in armenia missionaries can't proselyte? weird...she said that english is really effective. She's beautiful...she looks like jasmine and is a lil sassy dresser... we're a lot alike :) Her and my cec. lav are absolute opposites. Cec. Lav is like Haerre...remember my crazy friend Haerre? and Cec. Avetisyan is like...well...i dunno...i'll get back to you. but not like Haerre :)
It's freezing here. So cold. SO cold. My routine in the morning just doubled... :) we have a lot of lessons which is good...not so much time on the streets!
Mamochka, i'm so happy your coming for me! I told everyone in Sev that I'm coming back at the end of november...it's gonna be so so so funny! You'll love everything about it! And Lizzie, I'm sorry, but you have to come. Sell your car. Have a bake sale. Lemonade stand. You'll find a way :) But that's still forever away...no worries...but just know that I'll greet you all with a huge shapka...and a love :) I'm super happy here...we're headed to FHE at the Webbs right now...oh i love senior couples! Thanks for everything and support and putting up with me! more fun next week!

love cectpa rel..

ps. Ukranian handymen are crazy. We have no hot water, so handy man Victor came over and goes to work...so our apartment is really open and i glance over from the study room to the kitchen and he's full on changing into his lil jumpsuit...BIG MAN...ughhhhhhhhh.... he was not ashamed! He just waved and smiled...blah...i was ashamed...
psps. It's not as dirty as everyone says by the way! well maybe it is, but its constantly snowing, so i can't see anything...what you can't see can't hurt you... yayaya zaporozia! i'm in ukraine!

34th email: February 8th, 2010

so. haha. Zaporozia, the branch, the members, the blasted weather, my companion, my district, the city, the marshrootkas, the dogs, the stores, my apartment. All 100% different than Sevastopol...like fer reals...i'm blown away. They say that crimea is basically it's own country and sevastopol is basically Russia...and now i see that they're NOT joking. I love it here! I waltzed into the branch and full on gasped...it's HUGE! They have a blasted family history library! And enough members to fill callings! Oh Sevastopol...I keep on meeting all these amazing members and in the back of my brain i'm screaming "Move to Sevastopol! They need you there!" Like we were at a lesson with this innactive lady and who knocks on the door? None other than Anton, her home teacher. WOW. I have never met a member like Anton. He is a return missionary, probabaly 27 or something, and knows how the church needs to be run. He is ALWAYS willing to help the missionaries and is normal and full of energy. He lit up the room when he walked in Larisa's house. I later found out that we're in the process of setting up a real home teaching program, and that he just does it by himself. He just goes around and claims everyone as him home-teachie-homies...what. a. stud. I want him to move to Sevastopol so bad! haha...no...i'll soon see that he's needed here. But we have the resources and the members and the strength to successfully set up a program here. We're planning on holding a leadership training this month and set up some assignments. It's ridiculous how many innactives there are in the Europe-East area... 85% innactivity rate. It's tough. President Nielson said that it's because Satan has got such a hold on the hearts of these people because he knows that the potential here is so great. The people here are tough and strong people...we've just got to channel that in the right direction and the Christs church will THRIVE...I'm excited :) We're still in the building the foundation stage...but i already see the growth in Zaporpzia vs. Sevastopol. This is Christ's church. He knows how it needs to be run. He is our head, so it WILL not fail. We've got to sacrifice for it though.
So yeah, theres a ton of work here, and I'm in a awesomely strong district! I love it...I'm back with my brotha Johnson from the MTC! SO good to see him after almost 6 months...and we have a Senior Couple, The Webbs (yeah mom we're probably related) and they're just a bundle of lovin. I translate for mamochka webb during relief society...she SO wants to understand and talk to these members...i know how she feels.
My Companion is a little armanian angel. She doesn't speak english, and part of my assignment in coming here was helping her with that. President Nielsen is amazing. He cares about the lives of his missionaries, even after the mission. He wants her to learn english. haha...i tried to pray in english the other night...it was a car wreck...but she didn't know! My apartment is big and open, but SO dirty...i scrubbed like 6 years of grime off the countertops today...ugh...i swear sisters apartments should be clean. And thank the heavens, Cectpa Avetisyan is a lil gormet chef as well! The lord loves me...and my taste buds :) Another transfer of no cooking! I'll be with her for two actually...she's going home in two. What else...she's 25...joined the church when she was 18...she was baptist. Her sister is a member and also served a mission, her parents are not. Did you know in armenia missionaries can't proselyte? weird...she said that english is really effective. She's beautiful...she looks like jasmine and is a lil sassy dresser... we're a lot alike :) Her and my cec. lav are absolute opposites. Cec. Lav is like Haerre...remember my crazy friend Haerre? and Cec. Avetisyan is like...well...i dunno...i'll get back to you. but not like Haerre :)
It's freezing here. So cold. SO cold. My routine in the morning just doubled... :) we have a lot of lessons which is good...not so much time on the streets!
Mamochka, i'm so happy your coming for me! I told everyone in Sev that I'm coming back at the end of november...it's gonna be so so so funny! You'll love everything about it! And Lizzie, I'm sorry, but you have to come. Sell your car. Have a bake sale. Lemonade stand. You'll find a way :) But that's still forever away...no worries...but just know that I'll greet you all with a huge shapka...and a love :) I'm super happy here...we're headed to FHE at the Webbs right now...oh i love senior couples! Thanks for everything and support and putting up with me! more fun next week!

love cectpa rel..

ps. Ukranian handymen are crazy. We have no hot water, so handy man Victor came over and goes to work...so our apartment is really open and i glance over from the study room to the kitchen and he's full on changing into his lil jumpsuit...BIG MAN...ughhhhhhhhh.... he was not ashamed! He just waved and smiled...blah...i was ashamed...
psps. It's not as dirty as everyone says by the way! well maybe it is, but its constantly snowing, so i can't see anything...what you can't see can't hurt you... yayaya zaporozia! i'm in ukraine!

34th email: February 1st, 2010

Wow. I’m still in awe at Dad’s email. Are you really doing Kilimanjaro??? MAN. Haha, you’re killing me. I feel like my family is finally coming alive after I leave! Good on ya… just keep it going when I get home dangit :) So big news of the week is that I’m getting transferred. Poo. We were not expecting it at all, ну ладно! Yesterday was my last Sunday in my branch…ugh I hated it. Well no, I loved it, but you know what I mean. And Lena! We had such a fabulous lesson with her this week. I asked President about the last lesson that we had with her. You know, in the MTC we were really pushed to talk about baptism like first thing…first lesson. In Preach My Gospel, we’re advised the same…but I think we can take this the wrong way and be pushy and intimidating to people. With Lena, I was getting a bit nervous cause it was already a month or so of teaching her and we had never challenged her to be baptized. I read a talk by Elder Scott and he said that when we don’t take advantage of the spirit that investigators feel early on in meeting with the missionaries, then they could loose that spirit. So we had a lesson, I challenged her to be baptized, and I felt so weird after. Like just…uncomfortable. Everything was great and our lesson was great, and she was fine cause she’s Lena, but I just felt so pushy. I was all confused cause I swear I was doing everything right…and I swear I was just trying to be a good missionary and help her. So anyways… :) …I asked President and he gave us some good tips. He said that we can forget that asking someone to be baptised, to make this covenant with God, is sacred. It’s not a step in the lesson proccess…it’s definitely not a goal to achieve for them to say “YES”…and then just mark it down on your little record… so we talked about how to bring it up with more of a sacred overtone and promise her blessings…and our lesson went beautifully! I wish I could say it ended up in a date with her, but almost better. She is sincerely searching for an answer whether or not this church is true. She’s legit and won’t say she feels something if she doesn’t…which is like a breath of fresh air :) I SO appreciate that she ‘s taking all this seriously… but she said she hasn’t received an answer yet. We’re focusing on commandments and I know once she sees that when we LIVE in the light of the Gospel, it’s hard to veer away from it. She’ll notice the difference that a lil bit of truth makes… she’ll get there….but I won’t be here for it which kills me. Such is life on the mission unfortunately! Mom, I’ve promised everyone that I’m coming back at the end of November, so I hope everything works out! You’ll love these members, they’re a riot…hahah…I sound like you…riot… So yeah I’m leaving my cectpa lav. Haha…to tell you the truth, it’ll be good for us. We getting along SO well but she gets SO distracted…it’s seriously is the most hilarious thing ever :) I’ll miss her cooking that’s for sure…and english. I know where I’m going but I’m not supposed to…hehe… I’m going to Zaporosia which is two zones north of my little paradise of sevastopol… i think my body will seizure when I get off the train! It’s back up to plus 15 today! So anyways, I have to buy boots today said cectpa nielsen. Mine aren’t waterproof and I can’t wear my shoes…dang. Remember when it was negative 15 last week here and I was dying? Lets just say its -30 there. Ughhhhhhhhh….hahah…it’ll be so funny…I’m planning on wearing everything I own every day….and I’ll take dad’s advice and stuff with newspaper :) I’ll sound all crunchy…
So yeah, Zaporosia. My companion is Cectpa Avetisyan from Armania and she doesn’t speak a lick of English :) haha…oh man alive this will be great! This is her last transfer, so I’ll only be with her for 5 weeks or so. I told one of our investigators that I might go to Zap and he was like, “Foo, it smells bad there!” haha…that city definitely does not get the same attention and love that sevastopol does…Sev is like the golden child, Zap is like the wayward weird smelly one. So basically I’m like sev and Danny’s like Zap…haha… I’m stoked :)
We have a sweet new investigator named Viktor. He’s an anesthesiologist, has a family, and is interested in the gospel…that doesn’t happen! When we contacted him on the street, he gave he a super snickers! He was like, welp I already have one and you look like you need a lil chocolate…haha… he owns and ping-pong and had a great time playing with the elders. We’ll see where he goes!
Welp, I’ve got my work cut out for me this transfer! The lord gives us trials, but He also leads us through them. The church is true. It’s ingrained in me now and I couldn’t get rid of that if I wanted to…I guess that’s a little success in and of itself, yeah? haha…work hard lil fam-fam of mine...sounds like you’re really enjoying to slopes! I can’t even believe you guys…you don’t sound like my family! I so happy we’re stuck together though…
Я вас очин люблю и скучаю по вам! Ну не слышком много…
С любовю всегда!
Cectpa Jones

Ps…happy bday papa bear 

33rd email: January 25th, 2010

yup...negative 10 right now. But this is nothing compared to the negative 30 everywhere else! i'm freezin my buns off! if I get transfered then...hehe...it'll be fun. Want to here about how i get dressed? k...so first the sock pants. They call them "kolgoatkee" (tights) but no...they're fleece lined sock pants. Then my ski socks...probably the best thing i brought to ukraine! Sometimes two ski socks...and then my jewel bags for my feet. My boots have a hole, so they aren't too waterproof, so althought they get wet, my bagified feet are dry...haha...learned from a babooshka :) Then i shove my mummified feet into my boots. Then i wear a skirt or two...and on top my long sleeve shirt then another long sleeved shirt then my sweater then my jacket then my coat. Then my two pairs of gloves and my shapka and my hood and all zipped up, topped off with a scarf, tag and book of mormon. :) hehe...quite the proccess. don't worry...i'm fine...it's funny when you sniff in and your boogers get frozen...haha...feels funny. Yesterday night, we discovered that we have basically an ice-skating rink in the back of our dom...sooo fun! i ate it once pretty hard, but no body saw except my companion...haha....i was like welcome to the clumsy life of cec. kjones :)
We had such a great week this week...we're focusing on contacting for lessons, teaching for baptisms, and just beig more effective in general. Cectpa Lav and I more than doubled our lessons this week! The Lord just needs us to sacrifice and use our brains and think of ways to be more effective...and he'll help us through the process...its so fun! The center of missionary work is teaching. Nothing happens until we find someone to teach :) that's a lil preach my gospel jem.
Lena is great. She's working a lot, but always wants to meet with us...on her breaks, after a long day at her shop, on her day off...she is ready for this. I love her so much! I think she realized that the gospel is true. It's hard to miss it. It really is a shining ray of light and truth in a world where there are so many lost people. I feel such a huge responsibility to help them. The truth exists, we've just got to humble them enough to realize it :)
welp i'm out of time...but know i love you alll "super pooper!" as they say here....haha...russian...meh...don't worry about it...it's coming :) i love it...
llllllllllloooooooooovvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeee you!
love cectpa jones


mom thanks so much for sending that!! love you !

32nd email: January 18th, 2010

Hey mamochka and family –

Sooo…another week in Ukraine! By the way, a lot of people say “In THE Ukraine” and its not right…it bugs people here. Haha. So spread the trend of just “in Ukraine”…you’ll find some happy Ukrainians  What’d we do this week? Ummm…so yeah we had zone conference on Monday which was amazing…it’s always such a great spiritual booster for the transfer! We talked about better ways to contact (like always), a little bit of history of the Pravoslavic church that I’m positive 99% of the members don’t even know, we talked about way we even work with members…that was good for me…it’s really hard to work with members here cause Ukrainians like to talk a lot… a lot a lot…haha…so when we invite them to lessons, needless to say, it’s hard to get the lesson in. HOWEVER, I need to remember that I am leaving soon…their missionaries will leave soon, and they’re left in the hands of the members. If I think that the members need to do something different, well then we need to help teach the members…but refusing to meet with them is not the answer. The first Presidency promised us that this is the most effective way to be successful in the work…we need to be better at it. If we don’t help them learn to be teachers and supporters, well then no one will teach them how! Elder Kemp gave a fabulous talk on the Lords timetable…so basically patience…  it was good for all of us! It’s tough to work all day everyday and have nothing to show for it…but nevertheless…the Lord’s hand is in His work. It may be part of a process that we can’t fully comprehend, but our job is to work our butt off for it anyway! I’m reading in Alma right now and I was just thinking how sweet it would’ve been for the sons of mosiah to see those anti-nephi-lehis lay down their lives staying true to their covenents with God. They were like…the Lamanites…like bad bad mean guys…I can’t think of a stronger, more touching display real testimony than this…and they got to SEE that change in these people they brought to Christ…it took them a few years, but they saw the “fruits of their labors” like we hear a million times in the scriptures. I hope one day we can see those fruits. President Uchtorf promised that within our lifetime, we will see this area expand. It’s already happening in Kiev! Golly…share the goods with crimea :) So yeah…that was zone conference! Today we went to balaklava…I’ve been there like 5 times and it never gets old! We went and hung out for a little bit with one of the elders investigators down on the dock where all the old guys go fishing…it was so funny. There were like 50 lined up in their shopkas with their thermos of tea and fish sandwiches…I loved it so much! I kissed one of the guys fish…hahah…it was nasty.
Cectpa Lav is just as cute as ever…she gets SO excited over the funniest things… she makes presents for everyone and is ALWAYS baking or cooking for someone…she’s a fabulous cook! I totally am too. This week I made one thing. Toast. But we don’t have a toaster. Well actually I broke it. So one of the elders was like, “just toast it on the pan!”. Yeah ok! Good idea if you’re not kjones and forget everything…I forgot about it of course, but was reminded when I saw smoke coming out of our kitchen…haha…meh. I’ll probably starve when cectpa lav leaves me :( Actually I’ll leave her. We’re thinking next transfer and my two choices are nikolaiv or Poltava (the cold city!) Sisters are only in 5 cities in our missions…cev, nikolaiv, poltava, zaporosia, and dnepr…I really don’t want to leave! Meh…it’ll be fun.
Lena is so so great…she accepts everything and basically sets up her own meetings with us :) Everytime she prays, I just want to cry. Theres something about witnessing someone talk to God for the first time…she’s so real and sincere about it. She’s really building her relationship with God and I know she has a testimony…we’ve just got to help her realize it. We talked about baptism with her. She brought up the concern that she’s already been baptized (like everyone) but that was all. She didn’t agree to baptism yet (I just don’t think she’s comfortable as she needs to be) but she agreed to let us help her change. She really doesn’t have that much to change …she’s a saint. I need to be more patient with her. Cectpa keeps telling me to give her time…salvation is just a hard topic for me to be patient with… but I know that the Lord is helping her out. It’s funny how as missionaries we really don’t do anything. All the investigators that our district has right now (like the real actually progressing ones) do everything on their own. It’s my job, like Andrea (the aunt one ) said, “Be humble enough to put the work in the Lords hands, but live worthy enough for Him to put it back into yours!” I loved that…thanks We’re just doing a lot of praying and planning for her…I’m scared I’m gonna mess something up…I know we won’t …but it still gives me the jibberies :) hahah…send me back I definition of jibberies.. I don’t even know.
So yup…all is so good. I love being on a mission. It’s stinkin hard, but it better be…seeing as Christ’s sacrifice in giving us salvation wasn’t too easy. Converts, members, missionaries and investigators alike are going to have to go through some crappy times in order to reach it…that I know! But that’s ok. The reward is pretty much the best thing you can imagine…times a zillion.
Lots of love and grechka…

Love cectpa jones
in UKRAINE...haha...i still can't believe it...i've lived here longer now than any other country! well except america...

Ps happy bday j-fus! I can’t believe it…you’re 17. eww. Have a good one…I’m sending you a sweet present!

31st email: January 12th, 2010

Hey so don't kill me but this is going to be short...we've got a ton to do today...sorry we didn't write yesterday...we had zone conference earlier...AMAZING! Today we went to Fiolent again and i got rocket-shot with this massive wave...soaked to the bone! No worries...i live in Cream...wasn't even cold :) Man what else...Lena is amazing! We meet with her all the time and she accepts everything...i talked to her about baptism and her only concern is that she was already baptized in the pravoslavic church...we told her that we totally respect her and her family's desire to do what's right... man...i really don't have time...i'm so sorry! i just printed off the emails, so i'll get back to you next week... i love you all so much...i love my mission...i don't want to ever leave cevastopol... i think i'll build a hut in fiolent and live there with the monks and herd goats with them. I'll allow vists fer sure... haha...love you!

love cectpa jones

ps... elder hukill says thanks for the advice papa bear...
psps...lizzie...man...that's all i have to say...soak it up!
psppssp - hi bundial
pspsps - mom, i'll have cec. k send me some picsssss

paka!!!