6.30.11 email

Hey there all. Long week & a half!!

Not much really occured, besides the baptisms of Izzsh (Ausha) and Keyosha, her daughter. We taught a ton of lessons and kept pretty dang busy.

Today we went to the temple so that was fun. Learned a lot and felt the Holy Spirit :)

Not quite sure what else to throw out there...... peace!

6.27.11 email

Just a quick note, I won't email till Thursday, because we're going to the temple this week, just lettin' ya know. :) Oh btw, we baptized two more this last sunday, I'll hopefully get pics Sunday! love ya.

hey

{Look what I found! :) ~ Taffi}

http://mormon.org/me/4C0R/

6.24.11 letter

6.20.11

Dear Mom & Family,

Everything is going well here. We're staying super busy, but we're not teaching as much as I want to - but that will come in time and learning the area. I'm kinda getting the area down, but it's taking a lot of time!

This last week I went on 2 exchanges - 1 was in Lapeer with Elder Hansen, and that was ok. The other one was in Lake Orion with one of the zone leaders, Elder Fogth - with him, we biked between 24-25 miles in around 9 hours. My legs are still killing me and that was on Wednesday & Thursday. But it's all good, the rain kept us cool as we were biking, and I lost 4 pounds, so that was the upside, I guess. :)

Well, I gotta get going. We have apartment inspections next week, so we have some major cleaning to do! Haha.

Love you guys! Stay safe and be good!

Peace out ~

Elder Nye-Nye Jones

Oh, P.S.... we had a baptism yesterday!! You'll see it in the email, but just thought I'd let ya know. :D

6.20.11 email

Hey there, how goes it! Everything is going well here. Been a busy week with exchanges and meetings but we're managing it!

We actually had an awesome week, the high point would definitely have to be my first baptism!!! Her name is Terri Smith. Her husband Billy baptized her and she's asked me to confirm her next week in Sacrament, so I'm looking forward to that.

But I had a busy week. 2 Exchanges, one in Lapeer and one in Lake Orion. They were fun for the most part, I'll let Mom fill you in on the blog if you wanna hear more about those, haha. I just don't feel like typing today! {Mom's note: I'm assuming the stories will be coming in this week's letter, which should arrive on Wednesday or Thursday.}

Zone conference was awesome! I got to meet some of the new Elders that came in last transfer, there are now I believe 5 Elders from Idaho, which is sweet! Way to represent!!

Well, I think that's about all. Hit me up. Peace out!

~ Elder Jones

{Mom's other note: Elder Jones attached 7 photos to his email, but didn't explain any of them... so if you're confused, ask him! LOL}

6.15.11 letter

Family! 6/13/11

How's it going?! I hope everybody liked what they got in the package! I'll get something for Emily soon, I promise!

Everything is going good here! We had an adventurous last week! Went on an exchange with the Burton elders and got 23 lessons. Next week will be better!

We didn't have the scheduled baptism yesterday like I thought we would, but we should have at least 1, if not 2, next Sunday! I'm so excited!

Anyway, how's everybody? Excited for school to be out? How's work going for Dad? Did Brett find a job yet?

P.S. to Dad - HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

An idea for summer would definitely have to be the zoo! I never made it there, so you guys definitely should!

Hope you guys liked my story about the shooting! But don't worry - we're safe. :)

I wish I had a stinkin' CD player for the apartment; it's driving me crazy to just sit here in silence!

Tell all of the MOFia members I said hello & I hope they are all doing well.

Well, I gotta get goin'! Love y'all!

Peace out ~

Elder Jones

{Taffi here... the sticker on the back of the envelope was a checklist that said, "Please send more... / / Money / / Cookies / / Letters / / Anything" and he'd checked off the 'Anything' box... so I'm sending a package today - please feel free to send him letters, too! Let me know if you need his address! :D }

6.13.11 email

Hey there! It's been a fuuuun week! hahaha

I'll start from the beginning!

- Monday we went to Forman Mills and I got some what the store guys said, "thug threads." Haha I just got a couple hats!

- Tuesday we just had lessons and a pretty bland day.

- Wednesday I had a meeting then had an exchange with one of the Burton Elders, Elder Morris, and that carried me into Thursday.

- Thursday I finished the exchange and just had more lessons. We also tracted some of the not-so-good part of town (the ghetto).

- Friday was pretty normal, just lessons and tracting.

- Then.....on Saturday we were driving on Welch and Dupont, stopped at a light, and I heard a loud POP! I kinda looked to the right and saw this car drive by real fast, then I looked behind us about 20 yards back, and saw this 16-17 year old kid like ninja jump off this porch, bring up a gun and squeezed one (shot) off!! Haha so I slumped down in my seat real fast and turned around and looked and he pulled the trigger two more times shooting at the car, and that's when I yelled GO! GO! GO! GO! and we had to wait for one more car to move and we drove off. We parked like a half block away and looked and saw the kid running after the car towards a gas station with gun in hand!!! He was shooting parallel to us at the black car that drove by us real fast. Once it was done, we prayed and thanked Him, and went on with our day. You hear gun shots all the time here, but usually not that close. So that was exciting! Hahaha good way to break up the routine!

- Sunday we went and stopped by an investigator, and there were some thugs sittin' outside and were like "Y'all Mormons?" and I said "Ya" and he was like "Oh OK, don't worry 'bout us then, we ain't wantin' to go to hell today! Man I'm even Muslim and I don't wanna go to hell!" I started laughing and said "Man, I respect that." Then we had a little discussion and said he'd call if he had any more questions! But what Mom's friend said is right, they respect us and actually watch out for us, because we are, in their eyes, "God's people" and they'll do anything to help us out.

So yeah, was a pretty interesting week. I really do love everybody I meet here! It's God's way of showing me that we can make friends in whatever situation we might be in.

Here's a good quote that I got and I want to share it with you all :)

“Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be the miracle.” –Phillips Brooks

Just thought I'd leave that with ya! You all be safe out there! Peace out ~ Elder Jones

6.9.11 package

We received a package from Elder Jones today! In it we found several things he wanted us to store for him, some ties that need repaired, and some gifts - a really sweet backpack for Brett, a fun not-yet-to-be-named gift for Dad for Father's Day, and for Ben... a harmonica. (Yikes!) There were also some mementos from his trip to Hell, MI - I had to share! I put it up on the wall by his other mission stuff :D

6.6.11 letter

6/6/11 (hey, it's a date!)

Hey there!

How's it hangin'?

Everything is goin' good here. As you guys know, I got transferred. I'm now in an area called "Super" Flint. It's both the Flint North & Flint South areas combined. So, it's just me & Elder Mortenson, and thus far, it's crazy! We only taught 19 lessons this week, but we were busy with service & meetings and such. I hope this next week will be better.

This letter is probably gonna be short. Fair warning. :)

Um... I have only seen 2 drug deals so far, and only heard like 5 or 6 gunshots. :) Haha. It's all good, though. No one here will mess with us. Everybody out here knows who we are and what we do.

Whenever we pass by someone or vice-versa, they will say, "Praise Jesus!" or "Praise the Lord!" So that's always fun! I've learned a ton of slang already. It's funny!

Hopefully we will have a baptism this next Sunday. His name is Mike M. I really hope that he doesn't fall through!

Hey, do you guys remember the Myers that lived on Birch, next to Coral? The thought came to me this last week to try to get a hold of them. Is there any chance you could possibly get their address for me?

I have a package waiting for me at the post office. Random thought - but yay! :)

OK, so I think that's all.

I love you guys! Peace out.

~ With hugs and kisses,

Elder Nye-Nye Jones

6.6.11 email

Hey there! How are y'all doin'? Everything is going good here!

Flint is pretty big! It's pretty ghetto too and I love it! The people here are so open to everything it's awesome! Everyone out here knows who we are and what we're about so they're all like "Praise the Lord", or "Praise Jesus!". It's pretty funny. Their hearts are all in the right place.

So, I may have gave wrong info last week, haha. Elder Mortensen is from Aztec, NM. I might have said Arizona last week but I'm not sure.

The weather (I know, exciting right?!) is getting warmer.... like A LOT warmer. We hit 93 yesterday with I don't know how much humidity. So yeah, it's hot! Dry heat is A TON better than a wet heat. You just sweat constantly and you always gotta down a bottle of water, like on the hour! But I'm lovin' every minute of it! :)

Not much really happened this last week besides the crazy big town stuff. We didn't teach as many lessons as I would have liked but hey, it's all good!

Peace out!

Elder Jones

5.30.11 letter

Mom! & Family! :) 5/30/11

Hey there! How are y'all doin'? :D

Everything is going good here. So by the time you get this, you'll already know that I'm getting transferred! Hahaha! I'm excited and nervous at the same time. I hate packing. It's the worst thing ever created!

This last week has been pretty interesting. I'll start with today, Monday: Just a little while ago, we were ballin' it up and somehow the back ankle half of my shoe got stuck in the partition divider at the church. Well, I tried to run out of it without knowing I was stuck, and I pretty much fell on my face - and when I fell, I hit a folded-up table leaning against the wall, and it came down and hit me on the top of the head before the rest of me. So, that was fun. That's all for today. Well, yesterday, Sunday, first, the seminary kids spoke and Austin Douglas gave me a 'shout-out' with his fist in the air and head bowed. Then I stood in on a confirmation which was cool, Jacob Nyfeller is his name. Then we went to the Brooks' for dinner & ended up eating in the basement, watching the weather channel, listening to the tornado sirens go off! Ha! So, that was pretty fun! There was actually some pretty bad ones that hit Fowlerville, Cahocta and Cahocta Township. Those are the only ones I know of. Then... on Friday & Saturday I was on exchanges with Elder Welch... who is my 3rd cousin! Hahaha! I don't know if Grandma has told you or not, but yeah, he is Aunt Dean's great-grandson!I went to Hell with him, got some pictures. I just don't have any money to print anything off, haha. The blue card from the mission office isn't here yet. But, it's all good. This last week was ok, like, honestly we could have gotten 5 or 6 more lessons than what we did, I just wanted to tract. So we only finished with 31 lessons. I know that sounds like a lot, but we could have done more.

Well, I gotta run. We're going to a barbecue! I love you guys!

Oh, and I'll be sending a package soon, I just don't have any money to send it with, lol. :)

LOVE

YOU

ALL!

~ Peace out!

Elder "NYE-NYE" Jone$ <-- ha ha :D