Ponyatna... ipod over rella chile. Thanks. I swear you just got a new ipod? What's with this young generation and all their electronics and toys...in my day we banged on pots and pans and that was OUR music...hehe
sososososo hows the fam? Hows salt lake? still there? I'm really good. Just working to build up this branch as much as we can. So apparently like 2 years ago we had 16 young women and now we have...dun dun dun DUN...one less active and our Alyona that's always there, but isn't a member yet. Did you know that Ukraine is the highest ranking country for drug and alcohol use for teenagers? Yeah...tough place to live for these guys...but they're troopers! I seriously look at the youth of the church here and want to kiss them... they're so strong and centered on the truth and the standards of the church. Alyona had graduation this week and they do this huge all night party/banquet thing...and she was the only one with a modest, classy dress...dang I love that girl... seriously the values and standards of the gospel are just naturally engrained in her...that's how it should be! She shines with the Light of Christ more than anyone I know... I pray everyday that I can see her baptised and maybe that's putting my will before Heavenly Father's...but I still pray for it. At least I know in a small way I helped her get there.
In my studies this week, I was reading in 3 Nephi 18...Christ's words. He's talking to the Nephites about the Sacrament...like how to do it, why we come to church...but at the end, He talks about how to treat those who don't take it seriously. He said in verse 32 something like Don't ignore them or cast them away...you never know when they'll come back and repent....... ok (this is me talking) so how do we help them out? then He says something like, Come unto ME and I will heal them, but you'll be the means of bring salvation to their souls. When I read that, I realized more that ever, that if we want success, we turn to Christ for counsel. We are not the healers. We aren't capable of that. It's impossible for us to stoop down in a persons low places and pick them up with our own two arms and save them. Christ can though. We are just his means....i dunno this is a principle that I've learned, I swear, a billion times...but this scripture just bore it into my soul. Sweet. Scriptures are true!
I fell this way with Alyona and other investigators...almost helpless when I try by myself, but when humble myself and slowly step down from my hard core kjones pedestol ( the one in which I think i can spell pedestol without a dictionary) and turn to him in prayer, there is real, visable, measurable sucess.
I love you all. I love being on a mission. I've grown more than I thought was possible... that's the glory of this gospel. We are created to surpass our means if we only let ourselves :)
love cectpa jones
ps. haha...i'm glad Hukill called you! He'll try again probably.... he's a good elder and a good friend! He likes black people like I do :)
ps... mom... hahah.. glad I remembered... make sure we're flying out of KIEV. We need to go to the temple there on our last day... and please send me your flight plans so I can let the office know...thanks mon
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