February 14, 2011

Hey Mom,

So the internet server has just been weird lately.  It did it to Caitlin last week too so she didn't hear from me.  Anyway, I will try to send it to the other if it doesn't work in the future.  So I do have tons of pictures from Bulgaria and I will try to send them whenever I get a chance....like in a year maybe.  We'll see what happens.  So I am feeling healthier too which is good.  Thanks for asking.  And as for seeing my old district, that was honestly the best part of the trip to Bulgaria.  And Happy Valentine's Day to you.

So things here in Lviv are going along.  Elder Valdivieso and I ended up dropping pretty much all of our investigators which was tough, but when they won't act, we have to move on and so we did.  We are still teaching a man named Yuri and he finally is starting to progress a little and this week will be the test for him.  I am excited though to see what happens.  If he comes to church this week, I honestly feel like he will be baptized so that is the key now.  Anyway, as you said, by just serving people, we really develop that love for them.  As we follow the example of Christ, He blesses us with His Spirit and gives us what we need to go forward and perform His will.  And when that work is centered around others, then He helps us to develop love and charity towards those people.  What a blessing that we have all the scriptures and modern day prophets to help remind us to center our lives on Christ.

Oh, and by the way, Elder Valdivieso is getting transfered.  I will be with Elder Shurtleff until Thursday and on Thursday I will figure out who my new companion is.  I am certainly excited to see who I will be with and what the Lord wants us to do going forward.  And to answer your question about piano, I do play the piano every once and a while, but I don't play in Church.  I want to learn how to play the piano and the guitar when I get back home.  I wish I had stuck with piano, but for whatever reason I didn't.  Anyway...

Have fun with the holiday weekend and with the family.  Tell everyone hi from me.  Oh and tell Caitlin that I saw a ski resort in the middle of Kyiv the other day.  It was just a big hill in the middle of the city, but it looked cool.  We aren't allowed to go as missionaries, but you can tell her that we will go later in life.  I actually really want to go skiing once in the Carpathians here.  That isn't important now though.

Well, thanks Mom for all you do for me.  You are and great example and I am so glad to always here that you are so happy and enjoying life right now.  I know that this is what I need to be doing right now and I am just so happy that you are supporting me and sacrificing so much so that I can be here.  This church is true.  I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and He is our Savior.  He loves us and have shown us the path.  He wants to take away our pains and sins and I know that He will if we just listen to Him and follow His gospel.  Without Christ, I wouldn't be here.  I love Him so much and I am so thankful to a loving Heavenly Father who has made all this possible.  

I love you,

Elder Jones