59th email: July 26th, 2010

hhhallooo again  -

we just had the best pday.  Lucy and Kellie came and he went to Khortitsa Island and ate Sharmas and played the guitar and some crazy Monopoly card game...i usually hate monopoly, but this was fun.  Oh it was so good to see Lucy...i just love her!  I don't know when I'll see her again which makes me sad...maybe when we're in Kiev for the temple...probably then.  So fun to hang out with her but weird that she's not a missionary! 

So Sister Hulk Hogan isn't coming in anytime soon.  We don't know what's going on, but I'm with mini missionaries again this transfer...ugh.  I'm pretty much 100% here till I die.  Crasy!  We'll see if she comes in next transfer.  There really is power in working with someone that has been set apart not only as a missionary, but as a missionary for Ukraine.  Theres a real difference when they're not.  BUT i guess this is how the Lord wants it. 

The Webbs got a transfer.  WHAT?  yeah that doesn't happen for senior couples...but Elder Webb got called to be Branch President in Kherson in place of another senior couple that are going home.  Their branch really need a strong priesthood holder...they have no one.  The craziest part is that we won't have a replacement senior couple.  That'll be tough and different.  We're alll pretty bummed about it.  What do ya do?  :) 

Yeah I have an awesome missionary tan line.  haha...it makes me laugh daily. 

OH!  I got your package Mon...thanks!!  I loved it all and blagadaryou!  I will now be a healthy lil rel.  By the way...Puerto Rico has lost her latin fever and is now set on America.  We'll see how that works out!  Sometimes I wish I wasn't from America.  Some people see me as opportunity, and that bugs me.  I understand.  This is a tough country to live in.  But it distracts them from the Gospel.  People put money and quality of life before salvation.  It's just how it works.  We've got to find the people that don't think that way...quite the task.

welp we have to go...love you!  be good

love cectpa jones

ps.  Will you send me a Specialized Geneological Interview Device? haha.. i died laughing

58th email: July 19th, 2010

hallo.

Of course my next companero gets visa problems... I am a cursed missionary.  I've had like 400 companions in 3 transfers!  President just sat me down and laughed on Sunday...haha...man...they talked about moving me out to serve in a threesome, then they talked about finding a different mini...then they talked about switching me to open Antartica...and we decided on me staying with Sveta until the new sister comes in.  Sweet Lizzie met her!  Yeah she's my next victim here in in Zap...haha...she'll absolutely love it.  I'm sooo excited to serve with her and to serve with a full-time set apart missionary for our mission.  so excited.  I'm thinking that I'll stay in Zap till the end of the mission, which would be intense, but really fun.  7 transfers... haha...we'll see what other twists and turns come my way...maybe Sister Smith will show up! 
I'll make sure and write Grandpa this week.  Send him my love...
It's great serving with Sveta...it reminds me of my times with Sister Lav...just super super fun and you get along great, but hard to remain focused.  We're still working hard, but we could be doing better. 
Congrats Johnny Cakes!  Your blessing will be awesome for you to read and reread throughout your senior year.  By the way, since when does everyone call you John?  Lame.  It's all grown up. 
It's boiling here.  Above 100 with a kajillion % humidity and no airconditioning at church with the sun facing the windows...these Saints are hard core.  Sister Webb was telling me that the air conditioning broke during church a couple Sundays ago in her city and they cancelled church.  haha...  President Nielsen was at our branch on Sunday and he was toastin...We are getting and AC installed as we speak...slash type...well as I type.  HOORAH! 
We did side-walk chalk contacting this week...SO FUNNY.  We drew a massive Plan of Salvation and just invited people to walk through it...i felt like a was a worker at an amusement Park..."And everybody!  Keep your arms at legs inside the vehicle as we are BORN!  WEEEE!  And now...hold tight as we travel to...dun dun dun...OUTER DARKNESS!!!!  haha...just kidding we didn't include outer darkness...but that wouldv'e been sweet.   next time next time. 
I got a call fromm the one and only Lucy Lav this week and she is traveling all throughout our mission with her old companion Sister Baxter...they're coming to Zap next P-day!  It'll be so great to see them...
Alyona is still a gem... after every lesson with her, I feel like we just in the cream of missionary work... she is so smart and strong and committed.  We've just got the help her build up her courage to ask her dad to get baptised.  she will...
Welp everythin is good!  Just doing everything we can to build up this branch and prepare these people for the Temple.  I'm so excited for it...
well that's all for this week!  love you all... stay strong...don'tget too toasty...take advantage of the sprinklers and pools cause you CAN. 

love cectpa Jones

p.p.s what happened to July?
psps what happened to Tom?
pspsps what happened to my newborn nephew almost WALKING?!
psps.  cover yous

57th email: July 12th, 2010

Hey der mommer and family -

Bulgaria was nuts!  I stayed with the Sisters there (I was with one of them in the MTC so it was so fun to see her) and they are just so happy and bubbly bunches of joy...really it seems like all the missionaries are happy bubbly bunches of joy...different mission.  So anyways, I just hung out with the Elders all day and tried to find people that speak Russian.  We walked around Sofia and saw the sights, ate at Subway, KFC, Burger King, Dunkin Doughnuts...all for lunch...the Elders were crazy.  McDonalds bought the rights to be the only fast food restaurant in Ukraine, so we've got none of that.  It was so funny.  We bought peanut butter (that got taken away in Vienna, dangit) and oreos and a bunch of other weird Bulgarian stuff. The best part was just being with my group again from the MTC...we had so much fun!  It was weird for us to just wander around the city with nothing to do and no language to speak...but what do you do? We ended playing like 4 hours of Mau (it's like Uno on steroids) in the food court... it was soo so funny.  Main thing I guess is that we got our visas and we're good to be here for another year!  Maybe I'll stay till next summer :) So yeah, I liked it there.  It's clean and pretty and there are mountains and people are really nice....but I'm glad I serve here.  I like this mission.  I like our mission President.  Bulgaria is like the size of our mission, so theres just one mission there.  When I flew under the brown clouds of Dnepropetrovsk, I felt right at home :)  haha...on my way back to Zap, our bus broke down!  It was like 2 in the morning and we were all just on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere.  It was so funny watching them trying to fix the bus...they'd like pound really hard on the sides of the bus and then step back and look at it.  haha...soo funny.  after a couple hours of taking off all the tires and putting them all back on, we were good to go :)  I got back way late and poor Sveta was just waiting for me in the voksal...on her birthday...haha...she's a good sport.  So yeah, Sveta's my companion for another week and a half...the girl from Zap that I served with before Nastia...we get along really well and she's super easy going.  I like her alot :) 
Omigosh, yesterday we were walking up to the ostanovka from church and there was a huge accident...well not huge, but a car rammed into a Kvas stand and ice cream stand and into 2 women.  They were both pretty banged up and people were just standing around staring at them as they were lying on the ground bleeding... ?  I was able to help one of the ladies with her head wound and control the bleeding until the ambulance came.  They were both ok, just in shock with some deep cuts.  It was exciting :) 
Alyona went to Youth Conference this week and just LOVED it and raved about it.  She was in a group with President and Sister Nielsen and other youth throughout our mission.  Then she spoke about it on Sunday.  She is so close to getting baptised.  She's just got to straight up talk to her Dad about it! 
Welp...things are good...I get sick when I think about where all this time has gone.  I really need to write in my journal better!  But I'm happy and healthy and working hard.  Love you all!!  stay strong...love you

love cectpa jones

ps happy anniversary rentals... dad...let mom go swimming in the crater for $16...hahaha...

56th email: July 5th, 2010

I love how the font got bigger and bigger as the letter got longer and longer...haha...oh mamochka. 

So Yeah.  I've been serving in Dnepr for the past few days cause Chirstina went home a little earlier.  CrazY!  I miss Zap. These sisters are great though.  We went shopping all day for P-day.  ugh.  NOt great. But it's actually not that bad here.  We were greeted on the fourth of July with a wonderful flood in the center branch (they have 4 branches here) so that was funny cleaning up...we were up to our ankles in nasty flood water from the top floor and the entire ceiling in the Primary room fell.  no worries...we made it in time for Sacrament!  What else.  I DON"T HAVE AIDS!  phew.  I think I'll frame my certificate.  I leave for Bulgaria tomorrow... man it'll be so hilarious.  Almost my entire MTC district is serving in Dnepr right now and its so fun  to see them...I'm glad I don't serve here cause I"d be sooo distracted!  what else.  Mom, you can put some tums extra strength with calcium in there!  I've gone through the two bottles you sent me :)  and I'm doing ok on everything else. thanks :)  I'm sorry this is short, but Vova just called and I have to go to the office to fill out some paperwork.  Have so much fun in Richfield!  jealous.  next week will be a better letter :)  I love this misison and life and everything.  OH... send me some uno cards and phase ten cards...members LOVE them...so send a few.  and skip bo!  thanks for everything.  I'll take more pics, i promise...love you!!!!!\

love cectpa KJONEZ!!!!

ps.  so i forgot pday clothes and we went ice-skating today (with elder KUUUUU!!! and SLAEKER!!! )  and obviously you can't go ice skating in a skirt...so i was like...hey...sisters...help me out here :)  All we had was a pair of snow pants...i'm sitting her in the boiling heat...in snow pants...lovely :)

Picture of Kathy

55th email: June 27th, 2010

Man!  Johnny cakes is growing up and I haven't even seen him.  UGH!  Miss you j-fus.  I remember trek.  I'll always remember the spirit of Martin Cove.  The veil is this there.  Good to hear that J is taking his place as a leader...where that boy belongs!  haha.  This is week is better.  People are still being way lame, but I tell you what... It was mos def MY fault for having a not so hot week.  When people argued with me, I'd fire back with argueing.  When people would bible bash with me, I'd fire back with the same.  You can't fight fire with fire...but I was trying to prove that wrong and just fight with BIGGER fire.  We were on our way to a lesson this week and this lady comes up to us and was like, "So you're Mormons, right?"  Ooo she had a fire in her eyes :)  I was like...yes...she started up the conversation pressing on the the usual sore spots...women and the priesthood, american religion, plural marriage, Jospeh Smith... and so it began.  I got the strongest feeling to just calm down and not argue.  I ignored it and got fired up a bit, but then I felt that prompting again.  I literally took and deep breath and just taught her.  I just shared our message about the basics of the gospel coupled with my testimony...and she listened.  The spirit was there.  And she argreed to meet with us tomorrow to learn more about the gospel.  Man.  I'm glad that I was able to feel the spirit through my thick layer of pride.  I've learned my lesson.  When I bash with people, I drop the the help of the Lord, and am left to my own merits which will NEVER be enough.  So...we live and we learn, we crash and we burn... :)  AND I found out why there were/are so many people harassing me... just so happens to be a massive Jehovah's Witnesses convention in Zaporozhia for these two weeks...haha... funny.  :) 
Cectpa Antonyouk is leaving early.  The mission is harder on her than she thought.  I know that she would serve harder if her conditions would permit, but what she's got is enough for the Lord.  And those who have a desire are called to the work...we repeat that every morning.  (D&C 4) I'm blessed to work with someone with such a huge desire.  But so yeah...ANOTHER mini missionary...haha.  man...  I'm used to it now.  I have no idea who it will be, but she'll be with me after I get back from Bulgaria.  Did i ever mention that I'm going to Bulgaria in a week?  Haha...it's me and 5 elders from my MTC group...interesting :)  But yeah, we're there for a couple days and then back to work.  I'm excited!  We'll have time to hang out in the city for a couple days which will be funny :)  I got my AIDS test this week and we are anxiously waiting for the results until tomorrow...dun dun dun...hahah... man... ukraine...aids test...that is an adventure.  There is a new missionary that should be coming in next transfer...so we should be back to normal and have a full time missionary with me by the end of July...but whoooo knows.  maybe i'll stay in Zap till the end?!  Doubt it, but that'd be great.
SEND ME pics of Roy Boy!  I saw him 2 months ago and thats a lifetime for little guys his age...Don't want his hair going gray on me :)  I love you guys...thanks for your support when i need it...and just always i guess..it was great to open my mailbox and see support letters from everyone :)  I should write about hard stuff more often :)  hehe...don't worry about me... i'm having the time of my life! 

Love Cectpa Jones

ps. Happy fourth of july!!!!!!!!! Are you guys going to Richfield?  Did you know 4th of July is my favorite holiday???  We're having a good ole American BBQ and playing some water balloon volleyball with the branch... And we're making home-made fireworks and bottle rockets to celebrate...just kidding...i wish. 

54th Email: June 21st, 2010

Hello there. 

Tough week.  Satan keeps putting people our way to mess me up.  I feel like our companionship is such a target...an American and sweet little Cectpa Antanyouk.  I have never had so many people question my testimony or my validity as a missionary.  I have never been the one to get mad at people on the street or to bash with people, but man...some people.  They just don't know what they're talking about and are so closed minded and when they try to disprove the Book of Mormon by a wrongly-interpreted verse from the Bible, and top it off with, "moya sonlichka!" It means my sunshine...meaning that I'm naive...I lose it.  Now don't write back now with what Christ said in 3rd nephi about arguing and contention being of the devil...i'm full aware...it's my weakness and I'm trying to get over it.  I'm just kinda in shock at how it's been like every other person on the street.  A group of guys and girls that I invited to english went off about how girls shouldn't be preaching the gospel..."it's a man's job!  Remember Eve?" literally what they said. You can imagine how well that went over. The girls they were with just sat there and let their own friends degrade and disrespect them.  ...wish I could say I bore my testimony, smiled and walked away like President Nielsen tells us to do.  I'm used to having someone back me up with doctrine and testimony... I'm trying to teach Cectpa Antanyouk to bear simple truths as added support.  I remember what Dad said that I would never see such spiritual highs and such spiritual lows than on the mission.  Stupid satan.  He's really messing me up right now.  I wish my witness so as bright as the prophets in the scriptures and that it was just obvious to people the difference that we have.  That'd be nice.  But I have a solid testimony that we are blessed after hard, dilligent, tireless work.  I think the Lord accepts the fact that I stand up for his truths and his Prophets.  It's funny...a little while ago I was worried about being numb to missionary work.  Now that's impossible.  I'm forced to be sharp and ready and prepared daily as I walk out that door, whether I like it or not because of all these little angels that Satan is putting in my way.  Ugh.  no worries.
Sorry this letter is so weird.  haha...it sounds like I'm about to punch someone or something...don't worry...I'm not that hard core...all is well fer rizzle, just a little bump in the road that the Lord saw fit for me.  Life is good.  I'm learning to cook...kinda...haha...my companion doesn't like to cook :)  When I say I'm learning to cook, I guess that really means that I'm buying more cereal...good thing that's my favorite food!  Mom, will you send me some vitamins?  haha... actually, sister nielsen told us we need to take them.  This can be the last thing you send me, honest...and not a huge box like you usaully do... I already don't know what to do with all these hilarious toys :)  Keep on keepin on fam-damly of mine.  I love you guys and your support and letters mean the world to me. I couldn't do this without you!  Give Roy a huge kiss and bring my cardboard cut out on your fieldtrips :)  Be safe and send me pictures of summer stuff!  Love you all so much and I miss you guys...

Love Cectpa Rell

Ps.  Mom I talked to Sister Nielsen, and they said that you guys can come...she's probably just busy and hasn't gotten back to you...no worries there... when it gets closer, we'll figure everything out
psps...MOM HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! 79...wow time flies...How'd you manage having Johnny at 62?
psps... and Nat happy barfday...don't forget to tag suicide rock... :)