73rd email: October 25th, 2010

Hey.š Things are good.š Olga's getting baptised on the 6th of November.š We were able to getting over the obstacles pretty smoothly.š yaayyy olga!
mom...i love that the first thing on your list is about your hair...you girl...haha... yeah I've got a crappy little one you can use.
and... clothes... right now we're still in just fall weather clothes...shoes and sometimes I wear boots... scarves hats and gloves and jackets... no winter coats yet.š Just bring warm clothes...like probably just winter clothes... Intourist is across the street from my apartment...literally two seconds away.š My address in Lenina 170 Ç (g) kvartira 4.š Just give me the info about when you'll be here and what train and stuff and we'll meet you at the station.š I'm in a 3-some, so we might just go on splits while you're here (let my companions go out and work and we'll go see the people that we need to see before we go)š we used to have a baptism planned for saturday night, but we moved it up.š There will most likely be an activity at the branch that night.š My release date is the 23 of november...I think we're supposed to be in Dnepr on monday 22? I'm not sure.š I bet the 22nd will be like the last interviews and dinner and stuff, and then the next day early morning we leave....well they leave... my cell phone number is 0952912760... i don't know what the country code or any of that stuff is... you'll have to figure that out.š As for stuff to bring... I want to buy garms in kiev... aparantly they are way cheap...like 40 cents a piece or something... i do need some new ones... ewww sick gross :) I know the Nielsen's like english toffee...I was thinking maybe something University of Utah something for the members?š They'd love it... Lots of like taco and fajita and ranch seasoning...everyone loves that and that's cheap...peanut butter... that ring for alyona... something for alyona's parents too maybe? they've got a cute house...something for their home maybe... And something for Arina...alyonas little sister that is like my little sister... she's 8... maybe like a Utah stuffed bear or something?š She loves all her stuffed animals... something small for my comps... i'll be sending hoggan a package in january anyway for her barf-day... We've got a little boy that's getting baptised on saturday that is the smartest most talented little guy you've ever seen... zhenya... he paints like a 20 year old... maybe a little art kit for him ( he also has a little bro thats like 5)š I don't know... i feel like i'm making a christmas list... this can be my christmas list... just these people aren't used to quality, good, things... when in fact they deserve so much better.š Ukraine is just a tough place... living condition wise... it's be nice to surprise them with something nice..š I'm giving piano books and clothes and other stuff i have away already... I'm trying to figure out what to do with my guitar... i'll probably sell it to a missionary... i'm selling my coat to sister smith... uhhh...about the airport... i dunno.. decide yourselves... i don't really care either way this makes me naustious thinking about it. ugh.š I 1000% don't want to come home and i'd get an extension if it were'nt for stupid school in January.š I love you and I'm way siked to see you... but life is just better here.š ugh... yay still a month left!!š
love you...stay strong...
love cectpa jones

send pics of halloween! we're not allowed to dress up this year :(

Ukraine is game to you?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzLtF_PxbYw

hahahaaa

UPDATED!

I updated this blog. It is a Christmas miracle. Mom, you can stop getting on my case.:)

She's almost home!!

72nd email: October 18th, 2010

momomomomoma - 

haylooo... olga's back on date which is good...all is well with her.  She's awesome.  I'm so happy for her... we're taking things a little slower this time around, and I feel a lot better about it. 
The work is rolling.  I'm in a threesome again.  Sister Antoch, a really quiet, sweet sister from right outside of kiev, is serving with us now.  I'm pretty sure it's so we had a smooth transition when I leave.  I've been here forever and Hoggan could totally handle it... but it'll be a bit easier with Antoch.  She speaks 0 english, so it's good practice for Hoggan.  AND she cooks... we now have 2 personal chefs...oh we are lucky.
Alyona turns 17 this week...ooora!!  She invited us to her birthday...cutie pie... yeah i got that ring and it fits me fine...thanks so much!  Get her a couple sizes bigger... her ring that she wears on her ring finger fits my pointer finger...but I have lerpy fingers.  And get her like a girl style one in english...the one you sent me was man style...but I guess I'm kinda like that...haha... jk...
I don't know what else to write.  we're not having pday today, and after this we're off to baburka (on the right side of the river) for a few lessons.  should be great.  There was a massive concert this week for "The day of the city" in Zap... right across the street from our house...it was crazy!  they closed down the roads and our marshrutka's couldn't make it home, so we just walked through all the drunk people... It was insane.
There are a lot of ups in serving with natives... and better yet domestic ones.  Like opening nuts.  Everybody gives us nuts... bags and bags and bags of walnuts.... and we have no idea how to open them or what to do with them... i thought maybe they don't know either, and that's why they give them too us..."How many americans does it take to open a walnut?" more than two obviously...we wandered all over the renok asking for nutcrackers, or whatever, to open these things, but we couldn't find anything.  Then Antoch comes waltzing in and I see her eating nuts.  hmmm... haha... she taught us that you just need to but a knife in the little hole at the end, twist, then break the half a walnut with your hand... it takes like TWO seconds with no tools... man... i was ready to buy a fell fledged nutcracker soldier guy that is for decoration.... hehe... so we've got a lot of walnuts now...
I don't really know what you can get members... something americanish and small and fun for them and cheap... maybe like... i dunnoo... we'll brainstorm...maybe something churchy...i dunno.. 
love you all!  have a wonderfullll week...stay strong and be good. 
love cectpa kassarellastoopidchil 

ps. guess what.  cectpa hoggan used to work in a warehouse where they had to wear masks every day because of the dust... she wrote home about the air quality in Zap and how bad it is... and guess what her old boss sent her... a huge warehouse package of face masks.  haha... some people get peanut butter and oreos... Hoggan gets face masks... :)  the best thing is that it was an $83 postage... hahahaha

Kathy coming home!

Kathy will be home on November 30th, and speaking in church on December 12th at 10:50 at our building. Just thought I'd let you know.

Heidi

71st email: October 11th, 2010

Hey mama - 

sorry i don't have a ton of time... Olga called me during internet time...here's my letter to pres.

Dear President Nielsen - 

Alyona gathered up the courage and asked her father about baptism, but he said the same thing.  He said that this next year (she's almost 17) will kind-of be a testing ground.  If she really wants to be baptized, she'll stay active.  I appreciate her fathers concern.  At least we know he's not against it.  I shared a story of my friend and the exact same thing happened to her.  When she was 16, she wanted to badly to be baptized, but her father didn't give her permission and said to wait until she was 18.  By the time she was 18, she had completely fallen away and was in no state to be baptized, and to this day is having a hard time.  We'll continue to prepare her for baptism and hope that things turn around.

I just talked to Olga like 30 seconds ago.  Some major problems arised, that I thought were already taken care of, at our lesson right before her interview.  I tried to convince her to wait and do the interview after we figured this out, but she wanted to just talk to Elder Wilcox about it.  Of course the same thing happened with Elder Wilcox, and we have postponed her baptism.  She feels like we're reminding her of her very difficult past...something that she has already suffered for and repented of infront of a Priest.  She doesn't understand why it's a problem.  I tried to explain that this is something that we ask everyone before baptism, and she has the chance to have this guilt completely taken away before a representative of Christ.  She said that it already was taken away, and we're just bringing it back into her life.  She doesn't want to meet with you tomorrow and talk about it, and doesn't want to be baptised just yet.  She said that she's not completely saying no, but she needs a couple days to figure things out.  I feel terrible that this is how it worked out, and I hope she can find the humilty to understand.  She said that'd she's take a trip up to Dnepr when she's ready.  

Anya is gone.  She had an arguement with one of our members and then invited herself over to his house with a pile full of questions about our church.  That man can't see God, that there's not just one church, about baptisms for the dead...all topics that we've addressed and overcome already.  The member wasn't able to give her the answers she wanted.  We stopped by last night, and answered every one of these concerns precisely, that it was impossible to misunderstand.  I felt so guided by the spirit and I've never spoken cleaner russian or recalled verses like I did last night.  Sister Hoggan, was firm and serious with her.  She needed to understand that there are answers...and that we are missionaries, not toys to be played with...and that this church has authority.  She wanted to meet with us today to ask us more questions, but we said no.  She really is just not ready to recieve them and we need to move on.  We told her to keep searching and praying and to not let these silly questions disrupt her progression.  I hope she'll come back with an attitute of learning and humility. 

So our investigators are hitting road blocks, and we've got our work cut out for us to help them through.  We do have some others that we're focusing on, so the work moves on!  The mission is tough sometimes.  My confidence is shaken sometimes.  I can't find answers sometimes.  But this is when my faith can bridge over those gaps.  That's when I'm humbly forced to my knees and allow the Savior do His work...and then we see the miracles.  I trust Him.
Thanks for your support and love.  Thanks for keeping me in Zaporozhia...I know I needed to be with these people!

Love Cectpa Jones  

70th email: October 4th, 2010

Hey mama - 

I'm so siked about conference.  I was thinking about it all yesterday and about who's talking and what not.  For conference, we get all together, watch the first session, take a borcshe break, and then watch the second...and the same thing the next day.  I can't wait...good to hear that we got a little shout out! 
Things are good...the work is good...we're busy which is good.  Olga's truckin along for baptism in a couple weeks and she's solid...you will absolutely LOVE her...omigoodness she taught us how to stand on our heads this week...she is 60...but probably like 12 inside... my type-a woman :)
And yeah, we're still bummed about Alyona, but everything will work out... she hasn't had the chance to talk to her dad yet, but she said she will.  We talked about Esther with her and her courage to get what needed to be done, done.  Like Alyona, she had this guy holding her back from saving her life and the lives of others.  She knew what she needed to do, pondered and fasted about it with the help of her family and friends, and planned out how she was going to approach him.  She buttered him up with some feasts, and then firmly let the king know not just what she wanted, but what she needed.  She needed the King to reverse the decree that Haman made...for the sake of her and her people.  Alyona needs her Dad to reverse his decision that he made...for the sake of her and her family.  We encouraged her to think up a plan, think about why she wants to be baptised, and then wait for the right moment to approach him with it.  We fasted together on Sunday, and are constantly praying so that she can have the courage, and her father can have the humility, do get that decree reversed.  I see Alyona, and I see an entire family tree of members of the church with her at the root.  I see her marrying a returned missionary and raising her kids as active, strong, saints. I see her getting married in our Kiev temple... ugh... it'll all work out.
I don't need anything else...I'll just have you bring stuff to give to members and investigators and companions and stuff. Not alot.  Think of something fun to give to our members!  I've promised a couple people Skippy and taco seasonings and ranch and stuff like that.  I wanted to get a CTR ring for Alyona for her birthday...it's in a few weeks...can you get her a cute one? In english is fine, they think it's cool... :) Just a cute, girl style, little one...she likes blue... 
I still think Johnny should come. 
BYU!  4to takoy!  I can't stay at home by meself next year!  The U is a WONDERful school...and really fun... don't get lost in our inbalanced family of BYU kids. 
I don't know what else to say...life is good... I'm in a wonderful companionship and am as happpy as a clam in zap...funny things happen every day...i talk in my sleep in russian... it's getting chilly again which i love... and Christ lives and loves me and guides my every step...if I allow it.  Love you all!  Stay strong and be good... give roy a smooch and get him ready for crazy tyotya kjones to get home and tackle him with love...haha...just joking...kind-of...
love cectpa rella-cchillle

p.s. we're teaching an armenian guy that hardly speaks russian...and knows know english...but he reads his aremenian BofM that we gave him and comes to church...it's a whole new experience teaching him...but i love it!  

psps.. how would you feel if I bought my own dog when I get home? haha... but I'm kinda serious...3's a crowd? :)