Tuesday, June 29, 2010

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. 

Monday, June 21, 2010

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... :)

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... :)

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Kiev Temple almost completed!

Sorry about the lack of updates!

To compensate, I'm posting a picture of the nearly completed Kiev temple. It will be dedicated in August.

Also, my mom and I just bought tickets to go pick up Kathy in the Ukraine and we'll be going to Kiev to go to the temple when we're there in November. She's been out a year now!

53rd email: June 14th

so transfers were a huge slap in the face!  haha... but what do you do?  So as of the day before transfers, I was all hyped up and ready to train an American Sister Smith.  I was about to follow in the footsteps on Uncle Steve and Blaine Smith and become "Agents Smith and Jones"!  But yeah...the day before transfers, they called and said that Sister Smith wasn't coming into country.  Everything apparently went fine with the surgery and she went back to the MTC, but the day before, she got sick again or something...i don't really know.  The new elders here raved about her and said she was was sweet and hard working.. so i was bummed.  So yeah, President called me Wednesday and told me all this and so, another mini-missionary for me.  Yipee.  haha.  No it's fine.  But so President said that I would be going from extreme to extreme... from a Cectpa that served a full, strong mission and knows a ton about the gospel and missionary work, to the opposite.  My new companion's name in Kristina.  She's from Dnepr and was baptised about a year ago and is handicapped.  She has been dying to serve a mission, and President Nielsen has just told her over and over that it's not realistic and it'd be too difficult.  She went on the splits with the Sisters in Dnepr a ton and still bugged President about it.  She got her Patriarchal blessing on tuesday (our Patriarch comes every other year and gives 9 blessing a day... talk about draining) and it said that she would get the chance to serve.  Literally right after that, the APs asked her to fill Cectpa Smith's spot in Zap.  She was so so sooooooo excited and just bouncing off the walls!  She says that if you want something bad enough, and if you pray hard enough, the Lord will bless you.  So... Cectpa Antanook.  My companion for the transfer.  We are literally starting from square one not only in missionary work, but in the gospel.  She's a little slow in learning everything and taking it all in, but who wouldn't be if you have only been a member a year!  She tries hard.  President said that I'm going to have to slow down my pace a lot and try to schedule as many lessons as I can in the branch and at the Webbs.  She can't walk very well, so contacting and tracting is kinda a no go, but there really are more effective ways to find people.  We're buying chalk today and are going to draw the Plan of Salvation in the square across the street from us...I'm siked :)  and President said it was okay ...yahoo :)  so yeah, whole different load, but I'm confident that the Lord shapes the back for the burden He places on it.  President said that this will be one of the most growing and learning transfers on the mission and really in life... ugh... haha.... no worries no worries.  
So yeah...that's transfers... haha.. at least I know I'm in Zap for two more!  It's so blasted hot here... omigosh mom you'd hate it.  Yesterday it said 44 degrees C...all i know is that when i had a fever of 39.7, that was 103.9 or something.  yeah.  do the math.  we're cooking.  At least my naasty ukrainian grey skin tone is going away and the sweet missionary tan line is coming in...hahah..it's so funny.  Wish I had more time, but got to go... life is great and i'm pumped to see what this transfer brings!  and I'm so pround of Roy for sucking his thumb...atta boy :)  stay strong...love you...dont send me any more flight plans...haha

love cectpa jones

ps.  Shout out to Tiff!  thanks girl...i get your letters and I love you!  thanks sissay :)

pspsps.  Andrea...a fanny pack??  do you KNOW what that means in New Zealand??? ewww... say bum pack...haha...i laughed so hard when I read that. 

and ps.  matt jones.. haha, i don't know if you read this, but thanks for you letter :) Remember how you taught me, "Espero que tengas una bueno noche?"  So thats now the only spanish I can spit out without confusing if with Russian words... totally impressed a Latino the other day!

pspsp... Thanks Aunt Joanie for the Birthday Card like always... i don't know how you always remember!  love you!  

ps.  I'm in Mosiah in the book of mormon,... in russian... holla...k i cheated and started last month,, but still impressive.  
 
p.s. love you!

52nd email: June 7th, 2010

Mom.  I love you so much much and I miss you.  Probably cause it's Summer and we have so much fun in the summer.  I love it when you didn't have school and we would both get up at like 11 and I'd come upstairs and plop on your bed and we'd watch some stupid show or episodes of some stupid Law and Order.  Haha... I'm so proud of you for riding your lil bum off!  Good jobbies!  Keep it up and we'll go the whole 100 miles when I get home.  Transfers are this week...on Thursday...so I'll be getting either my lil greeny cakes, or someone else.  We're cut back to 8 sisters in the mission and had to shut down Poltava (just for sisters) which is sad...but what do you do.  More sisters just to get on missions.  haha.  I'd be fine with staying in Zap for the rest of the mission...oh that'd make me so happy...but we'll see.  I've got 4 more glorious transfers!  Oh.  So basically I don't know anything about anything about anything about you guys coming over and rules and what I want to do and whatever.  I got all stressed when I read you list of things that you want me to do, so I just skipped it and decided to print it and read it later.  haha...sorry.  but i did read the part about the travel office...i'd actually be more than fine not going home with you guys...i'd prefer it actually...ya know...have my missionary coming homing experience...so yeah...but call the travel office cause I heard they're buying our tickets soon.  I didn't know we were leaving so early monday, but that's ok.  We'll save on hotels by living on trains :)  Trains are fun... You feel like Harry Potter!  so Yeah...basically I'll get back to you with the rules and stuff, but just ask Lizzie and do what she says.  She'll know what's best better than me!  This week was RIDICULOUSLY fun and full of hilarious adventures and successes...first...we had a baptism...ok so maybe it wasn't into our church...and maybe it wasn't "our" baptism...but.. nevertheless!  We met these sweet "missionaries" from canada and america...they're called the "Menonites" and are a break off of the Baptist church, with Martin Luther's teaching, and they also say they started their church 7 months ago... so ...haha...but I like them.  We met Oren and he invited us to his baptism...and so we went... hahaha.. so interesting and just...haha.. they're super nice people that follow God and love the Bible...they have really chill doctrine and don't believe in denominations.  Baptism is a way to bring the community together and show yourself and your community your commitment to God.  We weren't allowed to proselyte, but we shared basic beliefs when they asked.  I think it was an effective activity..haha..and we broke our fast with their BBQ :)  I'll show you pics...so our daily thunderstorms have stopped and the hot sunshine is here!  It was 35 the other day...I think that's around 100 or something...i love it!  My grayish Ukrainian skin tone is slowly getting back to how it should be.  Oh i love summer..,. energizes me :)  Alyona is still great...we revived 2 old investigators this week and started teaching them again...we having 3 brand new investigators..and FINALLY our constant support and lessons and skits and science fair projects about the effectiveness of Visting Teaching is taking root!  The first counselor got up at the end our our fabulous lesson that sister webb gave (we translated for her) and instead of her usual, "Ok sisters, if you want to become a VT, just tell me"... she said, " I think we realize the importance of our calling as VT's.  It's our responsibilty and a commandment from God.  Let's all take this upon ourselves!"  something like that... they're in the process of putting together callings...i was so happy i could kiss her!  I think I did.  haha...  hard work pays off...i know it. 
So cool you guys are reading the Book of Mormon in June.  i'll do it with you MOS DEF... I'll do my best to finish...if you really do save me some cinnamon rolls.  holla.. 
love you guys so muchos... much love... and grechka
love cectpa kjones
  p.s. try to find buckwheat there... if they don't have it I'm trucking it home!