August 2, 2010-Dad's email

Hey Dad, 

So thanks for the sports updates.  Go Giants.  It is great to hear that they are doing so well.  I miss watching games just a little.  Especially after this past weekend.  You'll never guess what we got to do this past weekend.  This guy gave us a call, telling us that he had an amateur baseball club here in Rivne.  He invited us to come play, so on Saturday, we went out and played real...ish baseball.  It was so much fun to get the old arm warmed up again.  I ended up pitching too which was crazy.  I am an awful pitcher, but it was still really fun to play.  It was certainly interesting playing against Ukrainians.  They are all really good at soccer, and I have played with some who play basketball really well, but Ukrainians can't play baseball very well.  It is certainly America's pastime.  Anyway, so that was something that I had to tell you.  I probably won't ever play again, but that one time was great.  My arm is still tired though so it is probably good that we don't have time to play more often.

Well, apart from sports, we did some work too. Yesterday was fast Sunday as you know, and it was really cool.  I love the Spirit that is always present at Sacrament meeting.  It is especially strong when the members here bear their strong, personal testimonies, which they received by reading the Book of Mormon and following the gospel.  I certainly have a new appreciation for Sundays.  Also, next week, two of us from Rivne will be going into Kyiv for the temple open house.  We still don't know who, so I may or may not be there, but I am super excited.  Four weeks from yesterday is when President Monson will be here to dedicate it.

Well, that is what is new here.  Thanks for your letters and love and support.  I am truly thankful for all of it.

Love,

Elder Jones

p.s. I miss you too

August 2, 2010

Hey Mom,

So maybe I should start writing you first because I never seem to leave myself with much time. To answer some of your questions (I am unsure about which quesitons you meant from last week, but we will see. Um, anyway, Elder Powell (Ryan's new companion.)  He is from Mesa, Arizona and is the youngest of three. His sister is getting married on the 5th and his brother is probably going to school. His brother served in Samara, Russia and got back about a year ago. He is really funny and is super sarcastic, which is funny when he is around Ukrainians (many of them don't understand sarcasm). Hmm, as far as letters (I asked who he had received letters from), I get them from the family, from the mission, from Elder Sudbury, and then sometimes one more. I need to write Jacob though. I have been awful at writing to him. Also, I don't have any other family members addresses, other than grandparents'. The pouch is annoying too, because I can only get that mail once every 6 weeks. I haven't gotten much though. Next, so the open house (for the Kyiv temple) does start this week, on Saturday. We find out on Thursday which two of us will go there first. The language is still super hard. I am finally comfortable enough to talk with people and understand them just fine. It is weird though, because not everyone here speaks the language I learned. There is a lot of Russian, or a mix of Russian and Ukrainian too which always makes conversations fun. I love the language though, even though it is super hard. The pictures...the one with me in front of the church is with a member, Roman. He is now living in Kyiv, but he is one of my favorite people here. The one in the field is a branch activity and the streets are just random pictures around Rivne.

Anyway, wow, that was a lot of questions. So here is a question I have for you. I was thinking about it this week and thought I would ask you. So, all those years ago, when Chelsea fell in the pond, what were your thoughts as that whole thing played out. Do you remember what helped you get through the hard moments and how Heavenly Father helped you? I would like to know what you thought and felt.

So I am glad to hear that your family history class went so well. I really enjoyed the quote from President Eyring that you sent last week.  ( President Henry B. Eyring said, "Many of your deceased ancestors will have received a testimony that the message of the missionaries is true. When you received that testimony you could ask the missionaries for baptism. But those who are in the spirit world cannot. The ordinances you so cherish are offered only in this world. Someone in this world must go to a holy temple and accept the covenants on behalf of the person in the spirit world. That is why we are under obligation to find the names of our ancestors and ensure that they are offered by us what they cannot receive there without our help.")   It is so important for us to get those names of our ancestors ready or they won't be able to receive the blessings that are in store for them. Many of them probably already have a testimony and they are only waiting for us to get to the temple and do their work. That is what I have tried to share with the members here. It is so necessary, especially as the temple is nearing completion, to prepare ourselves to go to the temple. We must all be worthy to go to the temple and take part in the blessings that are promised us. We first must go to do those ordinances for ourselves, so that we can be saved. But, once we have done that, we can't stop. We need to go forward, living worthily to go and perform those ordinances for the billions of others who have not yet received it. As the Lord promises in Doctrine & Covenants 18, if we labor to bring just one person to His kingdom, our joy will be so great, but if we bring many to Him, oh how much greater will it be! It is our duty to make plans and set goals to get to the temple as often as possible so that we can bring our ancestors to the Lord's fold.

I have a strong testimony of the temple and I am so excited for the Kyiv temple which will soon open. I know that temples are literally houses of the Lord. There we enter covenants that can bring us protection from all the dangers of the world. I know that as we continue to go to the temple to do the work for our ancestors, we will feel the love of God greater and be more prepared to face our daily challenges. I know that the Lord visits His temples and there we can receive revelation and be endowed with power. I know that we can be together as a family forever through the temple.

With Love,
Elder Jones

July 27, 2010

Hey Mom,

This past week, it was 90's all week and miserably hot and then today, it is in the 60's and has been pouring rain for the past hour.  It is crazy, but a lot of fun to be here.  I really love this country and the people here and I am absolutely enjoying my time.

So this past week, I got a new companion, Elder Powell, who only has 5 months left on his mission.  He knows a lot and has been great to work with so far.  I have learned tons from him which is great and has helped make the work more fun.  I have also noticed that he is letting me do a lot of work by myself, because he is new to Rivne and doesn't know the people.  It has helped me realize how far I have come and what all I have learned since being here.  It is such a miracle to be here, speaking a language that I have never even heard 7 months ago.  It is such a blast.  Elder Powell and I have been working hard this week trying to find new people to teach, and though it is tough, it has been great to feel the influence of the Spirit as He guides me to talk with people.  Often times I have no clue what to say, and sometimes I use that as an excuse, but I have noticed that as I do my part and talk with the people, I figure out what to say and I am getting a lot better at it.  The Lord guides us to those who are ready, even when those who I talk to don't want anything, the next person may be that person, and often times I find them, only because I talked with the first person.

Yesterday, we had zone conference in Lviv.  It was great and we learned a lot.  We really focused on baptism and how it is only the first step we take.  Once we help someone to get baptized, our next step is to prepare them for the temple, one year down the road.  It is this way for all of us.  Once we are baptized, and we receive the Holy Ghost, we have entered into the gate.  But, the end of the path, the Celestial Kingdom, is only achievable (is that even a word?) through the temple covenants that we make and keep.  We must go to the temple, and often, in order to receive the fullness of the blessings in store for us.  We watched Elder Bednar's talk from April 2009 "Honorably Hold a Name and a Standing" together as well.  That is a wonderful talk and I recommend you read it.  He teaches us so well, the necessity of visiting the temple and the blessings we receive.  I really appreciated the scriptures in Alma 26, verses 5 and 6 that he reads.  I don't have time right now to explain it, but read his talk and you will understand.  Verse 6 tells us of the wonderful blessings that we receive from going to the temple.  I know that the temple is the house of God and there we do receive a special protection as we are endowed with power.

Well, I am out of time, but I will write next Monday.  Thanks for all you do and remember that I love you.  Have fun with all you do and strive to get to the temple as often as you can.  You will be so greatly blessed.  I am so excited for the temple here in Kyiv which is opening in one month.  I am looking forward to the day the members here can start taking part in those same blessings we have. 

Love,
Elder Jones

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