46th email, April 26th, 2010

DEAR FAMILYYY -

so.  haha.  I'm serving with Hermana Tikhenko!  She is hilarious. She's a lot of fun and has a good attitude about working hard.  She's new to the church and missionary work and everything, so it's a different load on me.  It'll be good for me.  I'm trying to pound out my fear with faith...bam bam BAM...pounded.  haha.  I got a blessing from Elder Webb on...yesterday.  I have never really freaked out before...like in my whole life...but at church on Sunday, I was kind-of freaking out.  I was mad at our investigators for not coming...and the ones that came came for other reasons besides partaking the sacrament and being strengthened by the word of God...and members were not doing anything...and all the youth were playing on the computer during sacrament....and i was just complaining and everything was chaotic.  Ugh.  I got a blessing and I feel better.  Fear left me and peace, but mostly trust, poured in.  I know that our sacrifices and work as missionories aren't in vain...though it may seem to be sometimes.  I know Christ is the head of this work, and oh how grateful I am for that.  The Lord is putting this work into my shaking hands and I'm terrified of dropped it and breaking it...but it's then that He takes my hands and walks me through things.  I will grow a lot this next transfer.  So after Sveta for two weeks, I'll get a RM sister from Dnepr.  She served in the England, Burmingham mission and I've talked to her and she's amazing.  She's at the temple right know, but on the 10th, she'll be with me till the end of the transfer.  We had to find all these last minute companions for me cause I was supposed to train the new American sister that was supposed to come in this transfer, but for some reason or another, she won't be here till next transfer.  I don't know if I'll still train her...we'll see.  I still feel like a greeny dangit...fear! ...faith...bam bam bam...pounded!

I got the packages mon....thankyou!!!!!!  I haven't opened them yet...haven't had time...haha..maybe i'll just save them for my birthday...yeah!!!  22...fantastic age...it's like 11 but DOUBLE. 

Sveta is another miraculous chef...haha...i have NEVER had to cook on the mission...no complaints there...

Alyona is still amazing and has a strong testimony and will be baptised...someday...I love her like a sister...I want this so bad for her...but time kjones...time .  I'm just scared that she'll loose it if she doesn't act know when she has this testimony...fear...faith...bam bam bam...POUNDED!  She'll be baptised.

Life is good...tough and stretching...growing pains hurt...but they're good for you...I'm so siked to talk so ya'll...i don't know anything about skype, but we'll figure it out...i'll think about it...maybe a sunday morning thing would be best....or like sunday afternoon, so morning for you guys?...i dunno..we'll see.  gotta go..love you alll!

love cectpa jones...

ps... it's almost may!  where is all this time going/??????????

picture from zone conference

Russian man singing.

This is a Russian man. He is singing. In "Russian". I had to share this.

My questions:

1) Do you think he wrote this song himself?
2) Do you think he completely forgot the words to his own song he wrote himself?
3) Do you think he built that backdrop?
4) Do you think Kathy will be able to sing like this when she gets home?
5) On a scale of 1-10 how pleased do you think he is with himself?



Russian is awesome.

45th email: April 19th, 2010

 LURVE you momackika and familychka...

short cause we have FHE in like 15 minutes....

1 - my companion leaves on friday and I'll have a mini missionary (a hilarious girl from the branch named Sveta that is planning on marrying a member in puerto rico...yeah she speaks zero spanish...haha...we're going to do spanish language study...yeah for my one semester at the U!

2 - i get a new companion next week...speculations are everywhere, but I'm not speculating...waste of time cause i'm always wrong... yeah for new companion!

3 - we did shashliki (bbq kebab things...we forgot the matches, so guess who did a bow drill fire!!!!!! yes...remember when i was testing one in the backyard, and Dad took my knife away?  good thing i was already finished...golly ;) haha...but yeah...well i should say that right at the last minute, they found a lighter, and totally stole my thunder....)  today on khortisctki island...fun!!! and funny...i waded, as much as a missionary can, in the freezing, nasty dnepr river...and dropped my camera in it...but then salvaged it...

4 - so happy you're getting tickets... get siked

5 - So there was this member that wouldn't open the door or answer the phone to anyone all winter long...we had no idea what happened...but she is back! and she and I have kindred spirits...we have already planned to go surfing together in the Pacific...on the same board...she's 69 years old :)

6 - Russian is good... hard every every day

7 - we had zone conference and Sis Lav and I had a MARVELOUS reunion...i love that girl...she's coming to america at the end of summer for 6 months...get ready...haha...

8 - i really have to go...love you all super pooper mucho dineros

love cectpa jones

44th Email: April 12th, 2010

hey mmmmmon!

My release date is November 23rd... i think that's like a monday or tuesday...tuesday probably.  How long are you planning on coming for?  If we could some how fit in 2 Sundays, that'd be the best.  Another elder's parents came I think the Saturday before his release date, so you could do that...and then we'll also go to Kiev to the temple :)  there are rumors that the older missionaries will get to go...but it's just that...rumors.  Haha...the mission is so funny.  It's like one big mystery/drama soap opera...it just so happens that all the actors are called of God, not Steven Speilberg.  The more and more I speak Russian, the more and more hilarious things become...i love it. 

The people in Zap are different from Sevastopolians just in that they're more intense.  Zap's a high paced, crazy city and Sevastopol is more chill and small.  The people are really nice in Sevastopol and it's easy to contact and tract.  We rarely contact or tract here...i miss it to be honest.  Half the fun of missionary work is waltzing up to someone you don't know with a beam on your face and just talking!  But yeah...intense busy people...but there are some gems of people here....I have met some of the most faithful, dilligent people here in Zaporozhe that exist in the universe.  A diamond in the...iamond in the...iamond in the ruff...haha...lame joke...i bet nobody gets it :)

The branch is way different (we don't have wards in our mission...only wards are in Kiev) It's bigger, more organized, more members.  I was blown away my first sacrament meeting!  I was used to 8 or 9 people at church, and I walked into a chapel full!  well like 30... sweet.  So the best way to find investigators is through the members and other investigators.  Those are the ones that stick with us the longest...cause they have a different reference to trust other than the kid missionaries.  We have a few through english and finding work, but those are slower movers.  Usually, their intentions are to learn english, hang out with Americans, or get help from the church.  I really believe that a testimony can stem from that (canned food Mormons!  wasn't Conference amazing?!), but it's just slower.

What else did you ask...the temple affecting missionary work...mos def.  The fact that we can say that the first of the Lord's temples in Eastern Europe is being built in THIS country...people like that....it helps them realize that this religion is legit.  I think we'll really see a difference was the temple is dedicated in working order.  That means that God has taken up a residence here....we see, but also expect, big changes.

Biggest challenge that investigators face is quitting smoking, tithing, and acting upon and recognizing the promptings of the spirit.  It's hard to make such a big change, like tithing, if you haven't yet seen the enormous blessing that entail...faith baby.  I know that if someone bases a decision off of FAITH instead of REASON... they will 16 times out of 17 stick with and live by that decision...so i made up that statistic...  but truth is truth :)

What else?  Nothing really...still working hard to find the people that are ready for this.  They're out there...somewhere...

Thanks for everything.  After Conference and all the talks about stregthening families, I realized how blessed I am.  I know I'm not just lucky to be born in a strong family.  It's because our relatives, and you guys, have sacrificed and worked alot, with everything rooted in faith, to build up a successful family.  It's constant effort, but it's all worth it.  It's the only thing of worth really.  I know that a foundation in the principles of THIS gospel and the teachings of the LIVING Christ brings families together...gives hope...and provides a protection against the "mighty whirlwinds" of satan.  Scriptures (in many forms! yeah conference!) are our guide.  A Father is at the lead receiving revelation.  A Mother is the power keeping the family together.  Prayer is our connection to Heaven and obedience to the commandments qualifies us for that help.  OF COURSE the Lord's church is centered in families.  sweet.  live it.

So thanks for everything.  Good to hear that life is in order back home!  I love you all a lot and miss you...don't freak out that I said  I miss you guys...it's normal.  haha...until next week!!!!!!

love cectpa rella chile

p.s. Happy birthday Mary!!!  zipadee yay and heidi ho! 

psp.  yeah that springville sister has been here for 3 transfers already...who knows if i'll serve with her?  It's be crazy to serve with an amercian... I don't know if president would put two americans together...we've got another one comeing in at the end of the month though...

ds. Tell johnny cakes to write his sister another letter!

43rd email: April 5th, 2010

Nu.... privet vcem... Eesoos Voskres!  Bo eesteenoo voskres!

 

Happy Easter.  Here you can say to anybody, "Christ is Ressurected!" and they'll say back to you, "In actuality ressurected!"  It's a fun lil game.  We stopped by the Pravoslavny Church Sunday Morning and got splashed with holy water.  They take their "paskhee" (cake things that look like massive cupcakes) to be blessed and splashed with water on Easter Morning.  We thought we'd join the tradition!  Great day...sounds like our weather is better than yours!  I'm walking around in short sleeves!  Hey, I'm sorry, but I deserve it.  haha... winter is over!!!!!!!!!  Fun times...but not times to be repeated! 

Elder Hall was in another district, but I know him well.  His companion is insane, but HILARIOUS...elder rowe...i served with him in Sev.  Elder Hall is a nice kid...I haven't served with him yet, but he's served with some great elders I think...good kid.  Glad you met them :) Mom I told you not to get everything dangit!  Now I feel guilty.  I just ramble things and then you actually do it!  By the way, do you want me to send stuff home, or just wait till you get here to get cool stuff?  It'd be easier for me to wait, that way I won't have to lugg it all around...i've already gotten a couple things, but let me know basically if you'd like me to send something else home :) I'm happy to!  

Today we had an awesome day.  We spent the day on the one cool site/beautiful area in Zaporisia... Hortiski Island.  Sweet place...there were all this bikers and climbers and hikers...i felt like I was back in New Zealand for about two seconds...probably cause they have laws about littering there :)  Clean, beautiful place to be!  We had a picnic with the branch, played games, played guitars, frisbee, soccer, and went to this cool old Ukranian museum village set up thing place area something like that...best part was that Valentina came with some of her friends.  Valentina is our golden investigator...not golden in the fact that she's immedietly ready to be baptised, but golden in character and personality.  Man.  I love that lady!  I spent the day with her, and she showed me around the cool old Ukranian museum village set up thing place area something like that...she knows alot about Ukranian history.  She and her husband came to church on sunday and really liked it.  They met all the members and Anatoli (the dad) and our Branch President hit if off talking about fishing :)  Everyone has just fallen in love with Valentina.  She asked me how to become a member of our church on Sunday... i was so taken back I could only say "Through baptism!" and give her a big hug...she probably thought I was crazy, but oh well :)  We're meeting with them tomorrow and we're eating Paskhee...I've probably eaten 30 pounds of Paskhee in the past 2 days...ugh... haha..oh well...Only one Easter in Ukraine!

Alyona is amazing still...she and her sister are like my siblings... sometimes it's hard to not get too lost in having fun together, and focus on her spiritual growth...i still know she'll serve a mission.  :)  Still teaching her guitar, and now one of her friends...fun fun stuff.

What else to say...prayer works...it's a form of work...and it works. 

I'm seeing my second baptism on Saturday!  Again, not someone we taught, but at least I'll see him :)  His name is Anatoli... He has has helped me so much in realizing the simplicity and beauty of this gospel.  He's a doctor, physically handicapped, quit smoking in one day all thanks to his faith, love's his Heavenly Father, and wants to become a missionary.  He's amazing.  Got to go ...man...drama in the internet club :) haha...love you all...thanks for support and love and all that stuff...

 

love cectpa jones

 

 

 

psss... Andrea...HAPPYY BARFDAY!!!  hehe...i sent you letter, but it'll be late... :)