July 19, 2010

Hey Mom,

So as always, it is great to hear from you.  I am glad to know that everything is back to normal...You and Dad working all day every day, and Chels just bumming around ;)  Just kidding, I remember that I did that too during summers.  So the heat has hit you too, eh?  It has been miserable here for us, but hey, буває!  That is life, right?

I can't believe that it is already the middle of July.  Our transfer ends this week and in 4 days, my new companion will be coming out to Rivne to meet me.  I can't believe that my time with Elder Parker is already at an end.  He has taught me so much, and he is always positive which is great for those tough days.  I have definitely allowed myself to get a little frustrated (you know how impatient I am), which I am sure has made for some tough days for Elder Parker, but he is always there to support which is great.  He is truly an example of the Savior, and how He is always there to help us when trust in Him.

So, the work is still really slow here in Rivne, but we had a good week, especially working with members and try to help them to prepare for the temple.  King Benjamin's message to his people is a great one about preparing for the temple.  In Mosiah 2:6, it says that all the people turned their tents to the Temple and the Prophet of the Lord. That is our duty too, to make our homes centered around the temple and to always be ready to listen to the words of the Prophet.  King Benjamin was such an incredible leader and example of service and the people truly loved him.  We too, need to look to the wonderful example of President Monson and strive to follow him.  Many of the members here are so ready to do that and it is just incredible to see their examples.  We put on an activity here for them this week.  It was incredible to just feel of their love and desire to follow the Lord.

Well, I want you to know Mom that I am really thankful for all that you have done to help me get here.  I know that without your dedication to the Lord and your desire to raise us correctly, I would not have this opportunity to go out and share with others the joy that I have had in my life.  I know that your love has shaped me into the person I have become and your testimony certainly helped lay the foundation of mine. Thanks for all you do!  I know that The Church of Jesus Chirst of Latter-Day Saints is true.  It is Christ's church, which has been restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith.  I know that Thomas S. Monson is God's prophet today, called to guide us through these times.  I know that Jesus Christ suffered and died for us, and that He Lives now so that all of us can as well.  I know that the Plan of Happiness which God has laid forth for us is true and that as we strive to read the scriptures and learn of it, we are preparing ourselves to live with Him again.  I know that Temples are Houses of the Lord and that through them, we can be together as a family forever.

With much love,

Elder Jones

p.s. Enjoy the photos and ask dad where we got the gas mask.

July 12, 2010 - photos

So I forgot to attach photos again.  Here are a couple of random ones
The first is a picture of the fountains in сenter Rivne.

Next are some of Elder Parker and I wearing this really cool gas mask.

















Then there are a couple of me.

Enjoy,
Elder Jones

July 12, 2010

Hey Mom,

So, those pictures of all the kids surprised me.  (I sent pictures of some of my nephews and nieces kids.)  It is so crazy to see how fast they are all growing up.  When I get back I won't even recognize them, and they definitely won't remember me.  It is so incredible to see kids grow up and before we know it, it will be them serving on the missions.  You got to see all of their parents, your nieces and nephews, when they were that age, and now look at where they are at, crazy!

Good luck this week with work and with your lesson plan.  Family history is so important, because without it, we can't bring our families together.  Elder Nelson's talk this past conference about family history was so full of information, it was really cool.  That could be a good place to start planning if you have thought of that already.

You asked about p-days so I guess I will let you know what our p-day schedule is like.  We wake up at 6:30, get ready, eat breakfast, study and then get out at 11:00 to do internet.  After that, we go shopping and get home usually around 2:30ish.  Then we clean the apartment a little, make lunch, and have a couple of hours to relax, or bake something, or study more.  There isn't a lot to see or do here and it has rained a lot on p-days, so we usually don't do much.  At 6:00 we are back to work, trying to find people and teaching lessons.  Not to special of a day, just some chores and a little bit of relaxation...but not much.

Anyway, so this week was a pretty good one here.  It was tough again and the work was slow at times, but we have found some new families to teach which is absolutely awesome.  I am so excited to be able to start teaching them, especially with the temple coming up.  One of them, Serhiy and Natasha with their 12-year old daughter Yana and their 10-year son Sasha, are really cool.  They are very religious and Natasha especially had a lot of questions, and hopefully they will recognize the importance of the gospel.  They, like a lot of people here, never got married, but have because of their kids, they are unofficially/officially married.  Natasha was saying that they don't truly love each other and we have been trying to help them understand that through faith, and by living the gospel, they can build a strong and happy marriage and household.  It is going to be way tough, but I know that as they read the Book of Mormon and strive to follow Christ, the Atonement can help change their hearts.  The other family we found, Oleksey and Tatyana are really cool and Tatyana said she was reading the Book of Mormon.  We are planning to meet with them tomorrow and hopefully we will find out a little more about them.  Other than that, we don't have a lot of work to do right now, but I know that if we work hard and faithfully, then the Lord is going to guide us to his elect children.  I hope that we can find some more people this week and help them prepare for baptism.  Without it, they can never truly be happy and that is why we are here, to have joy. 

Well, I probably need to go, but I want you to know that I know this Church is true.  I am here right now, in Ukraine, because I have found that out and I want to share it with others.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way that we can return to live with God, with our families, forever.  That is why we are here, to prepare to return to live with God, and I know that only through the Gospel and Atonement of Jesus Christ is this possible.  I know that Christ is our Savior and that He loves us.  He knows us and knows how to help each and everyone of us.  As we rely on him and do our best to follow His example, we are preparing to live with Him again.  I know that Temples are truly the House of the Lord.  The Spirit of God is stronger in the Temple, than on any other place in the world and as we go there often, we can feel His guidance and the Love of God.  Go to the Temple, because that is our duty.  The covenants we make there are so sacred and we must always learn more of them and the Temple is where we do that.  I love you all very much and that I why I am here, because I want others to feel the same way I do.

Love,

Elder Jones

July 5, 2010

Mom!

Happy 4th of July.  Believe me when I say, we didn't forget.  We tried finding some fireworks, but then thought that may not be the best way to represent the Lord.  But we did have a little party.

So thanks for the advice on talking with families.  It is very difficult right now to get them to talk with us and when we do, they don't have much desire to meet.   Hopefully as I try to focus more on the blessings that the gospel will bring into their lives, they will have a desire to enter into the covenant of baptism.  Right now as a mission, we are focusing on baptisms as we prepare people for the temple.  It is incredible to see how we as a mission are getting out there and working hard towards a huge goal of 50 baptisms in twelve weeks.  We are now down to about 8 and the baptisms are starting to stack up.  It is great to see how the Lord blesses us as we all strive towards this goal.  Even though the work is still really slow for Elder Parker and I, we are starting to find those people who will hopefully desire to prepare for baptism and I am learning to better follow the Spirit.  The Lord is definitely teaching us right now.  

So, you did tell me about Kit.  Let me know how he is doing and how his mission was.  I am sure he has grown so much since he left and that he is prepared to go forward now and be a faithful servant of the Lord long into the future.  One thing that I have really realized since I have come out is how we must always act to fulfill our duty to God.  President Eyring talked about it in the Priesthood Session, about how we, especially holders of the Priesthood, must always diligently strive to serve others.  Service is a duty of ours as members of the church, one that I didn't fully understand before I began my mission.  The new Duty to God program that was developed sounds like it will help Young Men better understand their duty which is great.  As President Eyring taught us, we must strive to understand our duty and then act in all diligence.  If we are lazy and don't fulfill our duty, then we are not growing and becoming like Heavenly Father.  I really like President Eyring's talks too :)

Well, I don't know what else to say.  I am grateful for your love and support.  There is not a lot going on here right now for me to tell you about, but I am doing my best to learn what the Lord wants for me.  We are all looking forward to the Temple which will shortly be opening.  It is absolutely beautiful!  The Lord is preparing the people here in Ukraine.  He has been doing it for a long time, and in a short 20 years, the Church here has grown from its beginnings to this, the dedication of a House of the Lord.  My love for the people and for the Lord has grown as I have seen His hand here.  I am thankful for His example and His sacrifice, so that all of us can return to live with Him.  This is His work and it will never be slowed or stopped.  He won't allow it.  I am grateful for that knowledge which I have, and for His love for all of us.  I love you and want you to know that I know Christ loves us.  This is His Church and He leads it today.

Love,

Elder Jones

June 28, 2010 - Photos

Well I figured I would send you a couple of neat photos I took. The first are of the town market or "ринок" and the others are of the big white orthodox church up the street from us. Well, enjoy!

Love,

Elder Jones

ринок

Orthodox Church

June 28, 2010

Hi Mom,

So it sounds like you have a crazy couple of weeks ahead of you.  (We have two family reunions and girls camp coming up.)  I am sure it will be a lot of fun though and you will be just fine.  Say hi to everyone in the family and let them know that I love them.  Also, if they have any questions, I would love to answer them so just send them my way.  Anyway, so Caitlin is at Bear Lake all week and Chelsea is playing soccer - or watching it all week.  And then you are working all week.  What does Dad do?  Just kidding.  Sounds like life is just as busy as it always was, except now I have something that is keeping me busy too.

It seems that Ward conference went well. Again, another great opportunity to receive guidance from our leaders. President McConkie is such a spiritual leader and he definitely knows what he is doing as the Lord is guiding him in his calling. The commandments are so basic and key, but sometimes they do seem tough to follow or we just forget about them. What President McConkie said is true though, when we follow the commandments, we will receive peace and joy. That is what we try to tell people here to help them read the scriptures or give up smoking. God loves us. We are here on earth to receive joy, as 2 Nephi 2:25 says. God gives us commandments so that we can have that joy. It is so basic. Anyway, so I actually read that talk from Elder Carlson this morning so it is pretty convenient that you talked about it. Those scriptures he shared at the end are great too. Along with them, one that came to my mind when I read it was D&C 82:10 which says, "I the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say, but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." Also D&C 130:20-21 go along with it. Every commandment has blessings along with it. As we read the scriptures, there is a pattern of law, and then promise. As we diligently search the Scriptures, we can find those promises right along with those commandments. And because God is perfectly just and loving, he always blesses us when we keep the commandments.

So, just to update you on the work here. There isn't much at all actually. This was the hardest week of my mission without a doubt. It is ok though, because Elder Parker is a great missionary and he is guiding me a lot. We are going to keep working and try to find people. Elder Smith and Fanning are still here in Rivne. It is their second transfer together. They don't have a whole lot either. It is really tough right now, but that is because Satan is pulling everything he has out to bring us down. He knows that in less than nine weeks, he will lose whatever grasp he has over Ukraine. The temple is ready. It is so close to being done and in 2 months, President Monson will be here to dedicate it to the work of the Lord. I am so excited for that day. Until then though, we still have a lot of work to do. There are plenty of people who know nothing about the temple and it is our responsibility to bring that knowledge to them. There are families everywhere that could receive the blessings of the temple, but first, we need to talk with them. What would you say to a mother and father who are walking around with their kids? What would be the most comfortable approach for them that we could take in trying to talk with them? If you have any ideas, that would help a lot.

Well, I want to finish with my testimony that I know this is the true Church of Jesus Christ. I know that the Book of Mormon is the true word of God. I know, because I read it everyday and I feel the Holy Ghost bear testimony to me. I know that Joseph Smith is a true prophet of God. I am so grateful to him for the many sacrifices he made. It wasn't easy, but he did his responsibility and as a result, we have the knowledge of Christ's gospel. It is true. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way that we can live together as a family, with God, for eternity. It is the only way to a fullness of joy and peace, in this life, and for eternity. Thomas S. Monson is God's prophet on the earth today. He loves us and through revelation, he guides us. All we have to do, to know this for ourselves is to follow the teachings of Christ, because they are true, and the blessings that result testify to us. God lives. Christ lives. They love us.

I love you all,

Elder Jones

June 22, 2010

Mom,

So the socks are doing better, but we will see in the future. (Don't buy the cheap socks at Men's Warehouse, they get holes right away! :( ) I will let you know as time goes by. And woohoo for the ring...finally. It would be great if you could send a ton of claritin because that has been working, and maybe a bag of candy...but really that isn't necessary because we have been making plenty of brownies recently. We have actually been making them for investigators and for members and it turns out that my cooking skills aren't too bad. They are pretty tasty brownies, made from scratch. Anyway, so yeah, candy isn't really necessary because there is plenty of that here if I really want it and you are already spending enough money for me. It should say ВП on it which means Choose the Right!

So Caitlin did tell me about camp and it sounds like she will be having fun up there and that it will be a great learning experience for her. And Dad told me about the Pac-12 which is one of the coolest things I have ever heard...I am super excited for all those future Cal-Utah games where I get to go cheer against Dad's old school. But that is still way down the road so I am not super worried about it. Chelsea didn't tell me about the World Cup, but I will write her and ask. She probably just watches that all day at home, doesn't she? Well, I hope she finds a way to have fun this summer.

So it is crazy to hear about that oil spill, but I am glad that it is getting taken care of. And the weather is probably going to start getting hot for you soon. It is summer time which is absolutely crazy. It has been way hot here, but we still get rain (it is actually wet today) which has kept it cooler. Still, it is short sleeves everyday for me. And it sounds like work is pretty crazy for you right now. 38 hours a week is a lot. How many vacations do you have planned in the future, or were you talking about all those trips to Cedar City and whatnot? Well, good luck with it.

So, just so you know, we had zone conference in Lviv yesterday (hence the late email...sorry to scare you ;P). (We didn't get his email until today) It was a great day and we learned so much about how to go out and better do the work. It was a long day, and we didn't get back until late, but we learned so much about how to do missionary work and I plan on doing my best to implement it everyday as we try to go out and work. The work is very slow for Elder Parker and I right now, but we have learned and continue to learn so much every day and as we follow the guidance of our leaders and the examples of great missionaries in the scriptures, we will start finding the elect that God will place in our path.

Speaking of great missionaries, it is awesome to hear that you are all studying and discussing the life of Christ. That is one thing that the Apostles always emphasize is a sincere study of Jesus Christ's life. As we know, he is our greatest example. Our Heavenly Father's purpose is for us to all receive immortality and eternal life. Through the Atonement of Christ, everyone will receive immortal bodies as a gift. Wow! Also through the Atonement, we can all gain Eternal Life if we choose to apply the atonement and become better. As John 17:3 says, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." Eternal Life is to know God. How better can we get to know Him, than by following the perfect example of His Son, Jesus Christ, who is One with the Father and therefore knows Him perfectly. We too can come to know God if we just strive to follow the example and the teachings of Christ. I am striving so hard to develop love like our Savior has for us. He is perfect and He has charged us to be perfect even as He and His Father. What a great invitation, eh? It may be tough, but we can do it with His help. I know that Christ lives and that He loves us and that through His perfect atonement, we can live with each other forever, along with God in His Kingdom.

Love,
Elder Jones