Hey there familyyyyy -
Ummm. What's new. It's hot. like way hot. yesterday with 45 degrees ó I don't even know what that is in Farenheight, but it's hot. and humid. and people smell soo bad. haha...you just get on the tramvy and are rushed with the glorious smell of old people armpits. I'll try to bottle some up and send you some. I'm still with Sveta. President send that we probably won't get the new missionaries for another 2 weeks or so. Both me and another elder in my district are waiting for these visa-less missionaries...so our district is a little hap-hazard. But we make it work! I'm excited for my new companion. Tell her to get ready to come to the best city in the mission!
I'm glad you're having fun at the cabin...man i'm yearning for that fresh mountain air! Bottle some up and send it to me, k? Zaporozhia is just not clean. It's wonderful...but just too many factories!
Did I tell you about Sergei? So like 2 or 3 months ago when I was serving with Nastia, we were sign boarding. I had just gotten a contact and was just writing their details in my planner. I glance× up and I saw this kid that looked so familiar with a "Italy" shirt on. I thought to myself...weird..wonder who that is, but thought nothing of it and continued writing in my planner. Then l looked up again like 5 seconds later and he was standing across the square full on staring at me. I was like, "Hello!' and he was like "Hey." It was kinda akward, so I was like, "Hey do you study English?" and he yelled back, "Yeah, a little." Then I yelled back, "Great! We have free English practice...blah blah blah...it's tommorrow, can you come?" and he yelled back, "Ok, where is it?" basically it was a hilarious conversation that consisted of us yelling back an forth through a bunch of people. Finally, he came up to me and we had a normal, pleasant conversation. He still just looked so dang familiar to me! So, he agreed to come to english (like everyone else on the street) and I didn't get his number, so i figured it was the end of that. Then the next day, he actually came! He was in my beginning class, and he really liked it. We talked a little while after, had a good conversation about the gospel, and I invited him to come to church. I was pretty sure that he would come...but again, I didn't take his phone number. He ended up not showing up at church, and i was a little bummed. I hoped that he would come to english again, but never showed up for another month. Then, one day just for like a 30 minute interval, we were at the branch with one of our investigators practicing for a musical number on sunday. In the middle of the song, I saw Sergei out in the hallway. Weird. so I went out and was like, "Hey! what are you doing here" and he said that he was just close by, and decided to stop by. He also asked for the number of someone that can answer some questions about our church. I gave him the number of our branch president (he wanted an adult's number, not missionaries) We had another great conversation, and I invited him to come to English again. He said he'd come. I again didn't take down his number... And then he didn't come again. I was dissappointed again, but what do you do. Then like a month later, on Sunday, I was saying my morning prayers and Sergei randomly popped into my head. I know that for some reason, he keeps on running into our path, and I keep on failing to keep a connection with him. I prayed that before I leave, Heavenly Father gave me another chance to be a bold representitive of Christ and invite Sergei to be taught. We were sitting in Sunday School later that day, and guess who I see again in the hallway...yep...our Sergei. I was in shock. I prayed and asked for an oppurtunity, and God was like...alright, here you go. We invited him to come in, he participated in our lesson (one of our strong, amazing members was there, which I was so happy about...his name is Anton and is seriously awesome, but he lives 3 hours away and can only come like once a month, if that. He's a strong, confident, RM, priesthood holder...he helped answer Sergei's questions) and after the lesson, I caught him and straight up told him about my prayer that morning. He said that this whole time, people have been telling him how terrible our church is...that we're some kind of sect. I found out that that is why he asked for President's number...so pass along to those people and his father that had so many negative feelings about our church. He said to that morning, he just felt like he should drop everything that people were saying that was holding him back from us and just come. He said that he wants to come to church and activities and be involved with us. So he came, and I got my chance to share the gospel with him and invite him to be taught. Sergei is our new investigator. He is definitely searching for truth, and has had quite the tough life to bring him to this path. Miracle. An immediate answeË to a prayer. I'm still in shock...and that's not all even...so the other night, I get this call at like 10:15. On the other end, there was this creepy, low voice that was asking for "Jones" I threw the phone to Sveta, but she gave it back cause he wanted to talk to me. So I was all tough sounding and asked him who he was and what he wanted from me. He said, "This is Sergei's father. I'm in Prison in Donetsk (North-Eastern Ukraine...not our mission). I'm searching for truth, and I want to read this book, 'Another Testement of Jesus Christ'" Again I was in shock. All he wanted was for me to pass his number to the Elders in the Donesk mission. I told him I would, but I couldn't promise anything...seeing as he is in prison. We had a good conversation about God, and I told him I'd try to help. Crazy! I was thinking about Dad and the work he does in the jail. This whole story with Sergei is a crazy, miraculous adventure. We'll see what the Lord has in store for him and his family.
Welp, times up. I lvoe you all so much and you're all in my prayers...i hope youre safe and happy and healthy... stock up on prunes and all-bran and get your cup oÁ milk and 5 servings of fruit and veggies! haha... stay strong lil fam-damily...i'm doing my best half way across the world :)
love cectpa JONES!!!!
ps. thankyouuuuuuuuu for da monniess!! I bought roy the cutest ukrainian kozak shirt in the universe...oh so cute.
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