January 26, 2010

So I cannot believe it is already Tuesday again. It totally feels like I was just writing you yesterday. Anyway, everything is going well. Like I said, the time is absolutely flying and in 1 week the older districts will be leaving for Ukraine and Russia (that group includes Sean and Tarl) and we will be the oldest district, along with a few Russian districts. It is scary to imagine how far we have come in such a short time, but it is also very exciting at the same time.

Tonight we have another MTC devotional with a general authority. Each one has been so much fun and the spirit has been so strong. I am hoping for a prophet tonight, but it really does not matter who it is who comes.

Yesterday, our district was visited by three doctors who are from Ukraine - two from Kyiv and one from the Crimean Peninsula. They were sent by President Yuschenko's wife who is in charge of the Health department, to see how things are done differently in the United States. I am not entirely sure why they came to the MTC, but I think they wanted to see specifically how we learned different languages. It was pretty neat to be able to talk to them and to actually understand them as they spoke to us.

So, I don't mean to scare you mom, but I hear it has been very cold in Kyiv this past week. On Monday it was -22 degrees F and last week it was -25. I guess these cold spells don't hit very often, but that is a pretty big difference from the temperature here in Utah. Even though it may be freezing, I am very excited to get over there and to start getting to work. I know that this is an experience and a calling that I cannot fail, no matter how cold it may be ;)

So I have to go, but I hope to hear from you soon. I want you to know that I am doing great. The language is coming and everyday my testimony is strengthened. I know this is where my Heavenly Father wants me to be and this is where I need to be. I know that Chirst is our Savior and that he loves us all more than we can imagine. I know that many people, including yourselves have sacrificed many things so that I can be here and I am very grateful for that and excited to do my best to further the work of the Lord and bring as many people as I can to Him. I love you all a lot and I miss you, but I know that I need to focus here as well.

love,
Elder Ryan Jones

January 20, 2010

Hey Mom,

So I sent you a couple of emails, but I figure I would write a letter too. I want you to know that everything is going just fine. I can't express how blessed I am to be here and how grateful I am as well. You and Dad have done so much for me and I am so thankful for that. Remember that I love you and that I am always praying for all of you.

So I don't know if I ever told you much about my teachers. They are absolutely awesome. First, our tutor, брат палсен (Bro. Paulsen) is an awesome guy. He went to Kyiv for his mission and got back about a year ago. He is a lot of fun. We meet with him about 3 days a week. Next is брат уелз (Bro. Wells) who served a little before брат палсен but was his companion late in his mission. These two are a lot of fun and they are both really funny - especially when together. брат уелз tells us a lot about Ukraine and often gets side tracked, but he is also a very spiritual man. Last is сестра георієва who we know best because she taught us the whole first week while брат уелз was on vacation. She has so much faith and she never ceases to amaze. She is a convert of about 10 years now, originally from Eastern Ukraine. She is fluent in both Russian and Ukrainian and she is now at BYU for grad school. She served in Kyiv too and, as I have said, she pushes us so hard because she knows the important nature of the work. They are all the best teachers and they have helped me so much.

So I guess I will leave you with a quote from Elder Holland stressing the importance of the work. He said, "When you work, work and when you study, study and when you pray, pray. . . don't miss the chance to call down the blessings that God Himself decreed." Both you and I will be very blessed for this work. Remember that, and remember that when times get tough, Dad and the girls are there for you.

(He wrote this next paragraph in Ukrainian as well as English. It takes too long to try and type it out in Ukrainian (plus it is in cursive which I have a harder time reading) so you only get the English version.)

I know that Jesus Christ loves us. He is the Son of God. I know that the Atonement is real. I know that this Church is true and the Book of Mormon is also true. I love you. (Я люблю Вас.)

Your Son,
Elder Jones

January 19, 2010

So another P-day has arrived. It feels like I have been here for a couple of days and then I realize the truth - I have been here for 3 weeks. What really scares me is that Sean only has two weeks left before he takes off for Ukraine. They committed yesterday to speaking 100% Russian the rest of their time here in the MTC. I definitely hope I can get to that point quickly, because it is scary at the moment.

I am sorry that I have not sent any letters since last week, but I am only supposed to write on P-day. Also, the weekends are messed up around here, and because yesterday was MLK day, I haven't gotten any letters since Friday so I will do my best to answer your questions whenever I actually get those letters.

Everything is going wonderfully here at the MTC. It is so incredibly difficult but I am also learning so much and that is exactly what the Lord wants. I know that even though some things...aka the language...are so overwhelming right now, the Lord is going to help us and everything will fall into place. The Spirit is just incredible here. We have firesides every Sunday, and a devotional with a general authority each Tuesday which helps bring the Spirit even stronger. Last Tuesday, Elder Perry came and bore his testimony of the Savior and of the Restoration. We also watched an old devotional from Elder Holland yesterday - it was actually 10 years to the day after he gave the talk. His testimony was so strong. I love Elder Holland's deep passion and love for this church. Being able to listen to prophets bear their testimony of our Savior is the most wonderful thing. I just hope I can live up to what they teach us and remember the importance of this work and of this gospel.So, I will do my best to write some more to each of you. Remember that I love you all very much and that our Savior does too. Turn to Him whenever you are struggling because he is always there for you. I don't know how else to say it, other that He loves us more than we can imagine and He will never ever leave us. I love this gospel and I love our Savior. I hope I can bring everyone I meet closer to Him. It is through Chirst alone that this Church is guided and that the Work and Glory of our God can be fulfilled. Always always remember that and we won't have to worry about anything - Jesus Christ will take care of it all as long as we turn to Him and do just as His gospel teaches.

January 12, 2010, part 2

(This e-mail was in response to Rob's e-mail while Ryan was online.)

So I realize I haven't written a letter to you yet. I promise I have not forgotten, but I am just so very busy. How are things going without me? I realize it is hard being stuck with the girls but I know you will be just fine. I also know that you need to always be around for them, now that you are the only priesthood holder in the home. I know you will be just fine without me there, but remember that you need to stay worthy so that you can always bless the girls. I feel really weird saying that to you, and I know you know that, but I guess I just wanted to remind you to always be aware of that.

So what in the world happened to TCU? I heard they were beat pretty handily by Boise. A lot of those bowl scores really surprised me, but especially that Fiesta bowl. If it hadn't of been for TCU messing everything up, the Mountain West would have come out again as a top 5 conference (yeah I realize I am a missionary and shouldn't know these things, but our teachers still live in the real world and so do the families of other missionaries).

So I know I have already asked this, but what is going on in Babylon...I mean the real world? I feel really weird being stuck here in the MTC where I see TVs only in big conferences, and I see cars only when I can look beyond the buildings that surround us missionaries. It is pretty interesting to be living here preparing to go out into the world, not knowing a thing about what is out there. By the way, I heard that there is an election coming up soon in Ukraine. If that happens while I am here, I would like to know the outcome. My teacher Sister Georgiyeva has been concerned because one of the contenders is strongly pro-Russian and I guess he wants to further Ukraine from the west if he wins. Anyway I don't have any time left so I will go. If you learn some Russian while I am away, that would be awesome. I would love to have someone to speak to when I get back. Anyway, I love you a ton and hope all goes well. I will send another email next week if I don't get a letter out. Tell the girls I love them, and tell Chels that I will write soon.

Love, your son
Elder Ryan Jones

January 12, 2010 - It's Me Again

So, not much has changed since last week. I still have class for about 100 hours a day, but it has been a very fulfilling experience so far. My teachers are amazing and we are very lucky because our district has its own tutor to help us with the language. Sister Georgiyeva, our native Ukrainian teacher, is the toughest teacher here, but I have heard from everyone that she is also the best so I am just going to have to do my best to endure through the tough times. It is incredibly difficult, definitely the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, but it is so wonderful to be surrounded by so many incredible young men and women who are all working towards the same goal.

Each Tuesday evening we have a MTC devotional which always have a general authority as the speaker. Last week it was Elder Michael Ringwood of the First Quorum of the Seventy. He gave one of the best talks I have ever heard about enduring to the end and preparing here in the MTC, not only to teach the children of our Lord in the mission field, but also to teach our own children and spouses once we have returned. Preach My Gospel says that the most important goal or purpose of Missionary Work is not to baptize and bring others unto Christ, but to learn how to endure to the end and teach our children and grandchildren the same thing. You might be able to find his talk somewhere online, and if you can, I would highly recommend you listen to it, because I know it can help a lot at home.

So, how are things going at home? What is new with life in Salt Lake? There is not much else that I have to say from this end. I guess I will finish with my testimony. I know that Jesus Christ lives, and that He loves us all so very much. I know that He died for us so that we can be relieved from pain or sorrow or anything that may be bothering us. I know that if we turn to our Savior, he will always be waiting with His arms open to receive us and to comfort us. He loves us all, just as I love you and even though I may not be around for the next two years, he will always be there for you. Turn to Him always and you will be blessed.I love you all very very much. Btw, DearElder.com is the easiest way for me to receive letters here and it is much faster than snail mail so if you want to say anything, use that service and I will do my best to respond.

Thanks for always supporting me. I will always remember it.

Elder Ryan Campbell Jones :)

January 11, 2010

Mom,

I was very glad to get your letter! Many of the missionaries in our district have been receiving letters daily, so it was very nice to hear from you. Although I said that, don't feel obligated to write everyday, because Tuesday is the only day I really have time to respond.

(He then had a paragraph answering my question on what kinds of things he needed in the MTC.)

The investigator thing went pretty well. There were some things that we can improve on, but that is why we practice. They were return missionaries from Ukraine so they did speak the language. It will be more interesting as we expand on our use of Ukrainian each week. It was definitely difficult though because I don't feel entirely comfortable teaching in English yet, so throwing in Ukrainian as well makes it intimidating.

I don't have much space so I will quickly tell you about the Branch. Sean (a friend of Ryan's from high school who is going to the same mission, but learning Russian) is in my branch and he lives just down the hall so I see him daily. His class is also in the same building as mine. Tarl McCallson (a boy in our stake who took the Community Ed Russian class with us and is going to the other Ukraine mission) is Sean's roommate too, so I have talked to him as well. I don't have a calling in the branch and I don't know if I will get one for a while, but we do have to be ready to give talks each week, so that is a bit of an obligation.

I love you tons! Tell Dad and Chels that I would write if I have time, but I really don't have much. I will try though! Tell everyone else that I love them and miss them. I will write again on Tuesday.

Love,
Elder Ryan Jones
(or maybe your son)

January 5, 2010 - Your Son

Well, it has been nearly a week here in the MTC. How are you handling life back in Salt Lake without me? I want you to know that I am loving life here. It is very difficult, but I have a great district full of eight spiritually minded and very intelligent Elders, as well as Sister Robinson, who definitely completes our district. It is also the only Ukrainian speaking district in the entire MTC, which makes it a very special group to be a part of. Our teacher, Sister Georgieva, has been absolutely wonderful so far. She is a native Ukrainian who speaks both Russian and Ukrainian fluently so we are very lucky to have her. We still have not met Brother Wells, our other teacher, but I have heard he is a great teacher (plus he is also as tall as me which means he must be awesome.)

My companion, Elder Hinkson, is from Smithfield, Utah. I don't remember how much I told you about him, so I will just say what I want to say. Elder Hinkson is an absolute blast to work with. He has an incredible knowledge of the gospel and a very strong testimony of our Savior and of His gospel. He is going to help me grow so much while we are here.

The language is coming very quickly although it certainly does not feel quick. Luckily, my slight background in Russian has helped me get a bit of a headstart which is good, because I am able to help Elder Hinkson. The Ukrainian language is definitely different from Russian though, moreso than I had expected. It is going to be a very long 11 weeks trying to get a grasp on the language, but it will be fun as well. We are also very lucky as we will most likely be learning a good deal of Russian too, while the Russian speaking Ukrainian missionaries are not going to learn as much Ukrainian.

Apart from spending about four or five hours a day on the language, we have at least 2 hours of personal and companion gospel study and 2 more hours of class gospel study. The days are very long and they require a lot of work and attention, but it has helped me grow so much and I am very excited to be able to learn a lot more and become closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ.

The mission itself as you know is the Western portion of Ukraine, but what I have learned since getting here is that much of the eastern portion of the Kyiv mission is still Russian speaking. I will try to send a picture or drawing of where exactly I will be most likely to serve, but just for your knowledge, it is likely going to be the far Western part of the country with the possibility of being in areas in the middle as well. I am probably not going to serve on the Black Sea as much of that is still Russian speaking, and I will definitely not be serving near Chernobyl, so Mom, you don't need to worry.

The MTC is going to be a very interesting experience. We have our first real lesson with a possible investigator tomorrow in one of the teaching centers. The person we teach, may or may not be a member, so it will definitely be an intimidating experience. We also have to do the initial contacting in Ukrainian so the first 5 minutes are going to be an absolutely terrifying experience. Although it will be scary, I feel that we have enough knowledge that we can start with an ok lesson, and the Spirit will help us make it all the better.

So, just some things for you to know . . . my p-day is today, and each and every Tuesday until I leave. P-day is the only day that I will be able to read or write messages on the computer and we only have 30 minutes each week so if you have a lot of questions you want me to answer, I would prefer to get them through mail during the week and then I can answer them during my email time. Also, my planned departure date is March 16 so after that, it may be difficult for letters to get to me. If you want to send things, try to do it before that week.

My time is almost up so I just want to leave you with my love for you. Thanks for supporting me and for helping me get to this point in my life. Also, can you send me the girls' email addresses?

Thanks a ton! I love you all very much.

Elder Ryan Jones

December 31, 2009

Well, day 1 is over! It was a long day and a long night as well, but I have made it to the 24 hour mark. So far it has been tough, but at the same time, I enjoy being close to so many young men and women who all have the same goal.

My district has 8 elders and 1 sister, all of us learning Ukrainian. My companion, Elder Hinkson, is from Smithfield. He is going to help me a lot as we study and learn and grow closer to our Savior. He has a wonderful Spirit of love and friendship, and he leads quietly by example. I am going to love spending time with him!

The Ukrainian is pretty fun and I am very excited to learn it. We learned how to pray today which was really neat. Soon I won't be saying my prayers in English anymore, at least not out loud.

We met our Branch presidency today and we received our first callings. It is going to be a blast in this branch; not many Ukrainian speakers from what I have seen, but it will still be fun.

Well, I've got to go for the evening. I still need to plan with my companion before getting ready for bed. I get to use email on Tuesdays so that is when you can expect mail. I will do my best to write. If you send, or want to send letters, us the www.DearElder.com service. That will make my life easier, plus it is free and you can get them here quickly.

I love you all and I love this opportunity I have. I will write soon!

Love, Elder Ryan Jones