3.29.11

(Mom's note: the one in which the parents receive validation. :) )

Hey all!

Wassup! :)

Hope all is good back home. :) It's been crazy here. We have been having to do a 'linner' around 2 PM, then we get back home around 9 PM.

We didn't really do anything too exciting, but one that happened was.... we went to a potential's house and started teaching about the Restoration, and this guy, who was like 40 (and I think he was pretty 'special') was standing in the kitchen, and he kept yelling stuff and commenting from the kitchen as we were teaching this other guy. Well, we got to the Angel Moroni part and he yells out, "Hey, did you know that guy was actually a WHITE SALAMANDER!?" and I looked at him and said, "Huh. Nope, I definitely did not know that I believed in white salamanders," and he got MAD and kicked us out. Hahahahahahaha! We drove away laughing.

That's about the only exciting thing this week.

It's weird to think that I'm already halfway into my first transfer. To be honest, it kinda scares me. I love this feeling being here, I don't want it to end so fast. But I guess we'll see. :)

Mom - :) I love ya! I have been cleaning everything... like, EVERYTHING in the apartment since Elder Adair has been cleaning by himself for the last 6 months. It's nice to know how to do everything. So, thank you very, very, very much for showing & making me do my chores. :) I never thought I'd say that sentence. But I really am thankful for everything you've taught me. :)

Dad - I love ya! Thank you for teaching me to finish what I started. You planted that seed of the principle of hard work and it has sprouted. Everyone here is surprised that a 'greenie' is ready to get out there and just do what needs to be done. So, thank you!

Brett -I love ya brosiff! You have been helping me learn the meaning of patience for the last oh... I don't know... almost 18 years. :) Dealing with comps are hard, but not as hard as you, so thanks! And I mean that with all the love in my heart. :)

Emily! I hope your birthday went good. :) Can't wait to hear ALL about it! Stay good and do well in school! :) Love you! Thanks for the pic!

Ben - I love ya, buddy! I hope everything is going good! Thank you for the picture! Both your and Emily's are hanging on my wall! Stay good & read the Book of Mormon! :) Love ya!

Well... I gotta get goin'. :) I love you all!

Peace out,

Elder Ethan 'Nye-Nye' Jones!

(P.S. - Our P-day next week is being moved to Thursday, can you send an email for everyone knows?! Thanks! :) )

3.28.11

Today's email:

Hey! How goes it on the home front?

Everything is going good here in Howell! The weather is still cold but hey, it's a Michigan winter haha.

Not too much to report this week. We had some good lessons and some bad ones, but hey, this wasn't meant to be easy. It was too cold this week to be on a bike, so we used a lot of miles. (We're alloted so many miles a month that we can drive in the mission car.) But hopefully we'll be on a bike a lot more.

Being with a companion 24/7 is hard but I guess I'll get used to it! It's teaching me a lot about patience, which is good.

Well... like I said, not too much to report on this week! If any of you wanna write, you can get my address from my mom at her email. :)

Peace out!

Elder Jones

3.22.11

(Mom's note: Elder Jones doesn't put dates on his letters, so I'm guessing this was written on the 22nd, based on the postmark on the envelope. Hopefully some day I'll get him to write the date, but I'm not holding my breath. :) )

Family,

Hey there, how goes it!

Everything is goin' good on this end. Been busy every day. We only scraped by with 20 lessons. This week will be better! We have 32 planned as of right now.

We Bible-bashed with a preacher for about an hour. He disproved himself like 80 times. That's why I was laughing to myself. He would disagree with what we said, then agree after we proved ourselves right, then change the subject. We covered everything from Joseph Smith being a horse thief to how Adam "died" when he partook of the fruit. It was fun. I know we're not supposed to do it, but the opportunity showed itself, so... yeah.

I don't really have much to write about this week. Sorry. :( Hope there will be more next week!

Sciptures I studied this week:

Doctrine & Covenants 88:41-47

2 Corinthians 5:6-7

Alma 30:44

Moses 3:5

Those are only a few! Love you guys!!

~ Elder Jones

3.21.11

Hello all... again! Hope all is well where you're at!

It's been a busy week! Not much to report on my side other than that this last week we talked with a preacher of 24 years and he said we were "well versed" and that "you guys are the most knowledgeable missionaries that I've talked to so far." Hahaha... I was laughing the whole time (in my head). And we have a new investigator named Gerardo Luna. He's stoked about the gospel and on his way to being baptised!

I've been having a blast working and I can't wait to hear from you all!

Peace out!

Elder Jones

3.18.11

Letter written 3.14.11, received today... I was feeling quite lazy, so rather than type it all in, I scanned his letter & the photos... although I did type in the captions he wrote on the backs of the photos. Enjoy! :)

Elder Larson wiping his mouth on Elder Gylling's towel - ha!

My residence hall at MTC

Left to right: Elder McAbee, Larson, Me, Gylling, Sister Ete, Dunn, Shaw & Perry: this was my district, plus McAbee

Snow CTR @ the temple

me, Gylling, Larson

me & Elder Strong

Elder Larson & Elder Gylling

Moroni & the flag at the temple

Just thought you'd like this one! Bumper sticker on a car I saw out here.

Provo Temple

He did include two more photos, both of a Colombian python, one of him holding it (it said on the back of the photo, "I don't know why, but a member has it!") but out of deference to some of my friends that are highly phobic of snakes, I'm not going to post them. I've got them scanned if you really want to see them - send me an email if you'd like either the snake pics or his new address. :)

3.14.11

All sorts of letters today. :)

First, a regular letter came from the mission president and his wife, letting us know "Elder Jones has arrived in the Michigan Detroit Mission safe and ready to go to work" among other bits of information (like we need to write to him once a week, he can call twice a year, stuff we already knew). But best of all was the photo tucked in the envelope with the letter...

Awwwww.

Then there were several gems in my email: the mission newsletter full of cool things, and letters from Elder Jones - one to me, the general mass email, a message for the MOFia (my online friends) and another quick mass email with a plea for photos. Ready? :D

~~~~~~~~

Hey Mom...

I wrote you a 4 or 5 page letter this morning, so I'll let ya read the details when it gets to ya. ;) hahaha lol Not much news since this morning. Look for a envelope thingy (like the big version that dad's cards come in [ed.: big padded envelope]) here in the next few days. I printed off some pictures and I'm sending my little picture key chain thing so you can put some family pics on there :)

PLEASE CALL VINCE AND TELL HIM TO WRITE ME ABOUT THE MISSIONARIES!!! I haven't heard anything since you said that in your letter and he emailed me and said he was meeting with them. Lemme know how it goes.

I got lots to email people so I'll ttyl. LOVE YA GUYS!!

love- elder Jones

*************

Hello all!

Hope all is well where ya are! Everything is good here in Howell, MI. It's my first area and this is the end of my first week in the field. Things went good this week. Busy as heck!

My trainer's name is Elder Adair, pronouced as Elder Ah-Dare. He's pretty cool. He's from Monticello, UT. He stands at 6'1'' and has red hair! haha He's a skinny-pants-wearing cowboy. I know, weird sight in your head huh?? haha

The flight from Salt Lake was fine - about 2 hours, 45 mins. Slept about 20 minutes and was up the whole time. I HATE flying!

Not much to report this week really. There might be more next week. Peace out... -Elder Jones

*************

To The Lovely Ladies of the MOFia...

Hello there! Hope you ALL are doing fine! Just thought I'd stop by and say hi. I'm doin' pretty good :). It's wierd having no mail for a week but that's mostly because of the lack of an address for everyone. I hope that'll pick up ;) hahaha. I guess what I'm tryin' to say is I miss hearin' from everyone. Not only my friends and family back home but from the MOFia too. It was fun hearing about everything from everyone.

Today marks the one week portion of being in the field. It's been super busy but hey, that's why they call it work right? haha :)

Hope all is wonderful where you are. Know that the MOFia is in my prayers, and that the angels are rootin' for YOU also!

with love- Elder Jones

(p.s.- haha don't know how to say it but I will anyway, if any of ya know of anyone who is lookin' for a pen pal that might be of another gender, Mom's got my address :) hahah)

******

Oh!

And if any of ya wanna send pictures, you're more than welcome to! Either here on the email, or through the mail! Here's my address just in case you don't have the new one, I'll be here for a while. Thanks!

Elder Jones

(message Taffi if you'd like the address)

Howell, MI

peace - Elder Jones

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I can't wait to get the rest of the mail that's on its way this week. :) Of course I'll share it, along with the photos, when I see them! Thank you for your continued prayers and letters - we both appreciate them! :)

first area

I got a super short email this afternoon...

So I haven't had a chance to read any of your e-mails, but I have like 5 minutes to email you guys and let you know that I made it safe. My area is the Howell, Michigan Area, & my new address is ******* Howell, MI if you guys wanna write or send anything. My new companion's name is Elder Adaire. Well, I gotta go so I hope to hear from you soon!"

Let me know if you'd like his address. :)

no email today...

... because I got a super quick phone call instead. :)

Elder Jones called about 6:30 this morning from the airport. "Sorry to wake you up, Mom, but thought I'd call & say hi and bye before I went to Detroit!" He said that calling was 'neither encouraged nor discouraged, but they didn't say we couldn't!' and chatted for just a few minutes while they were waiting for others on their flight to board. He and his traveling companion, Sister Dunn, are in the air right now - they should be landing in Detroit in about an hour, and then, he said, they'll "hit the ground running" so he won't get a chance to check his email today. He was pretty pleased with himself - he doesn't do so well with packing, normally; he can't get things to fit as easily as I can - but he was happy that he didn't have to leave anything behind. "I got everything to fit in there! Of course, my big suitcase weighs 49 pounds, and the other one is 45, but I didn't have to leave anything!" He asked me to tell everyone hi and give his love, and promised to write as soon as he could. Then the pay phone beeped and asked for another quarter, but he had to go - it was time to board! Good luck, Elder Jones!