11.30.11 email

Whaddupp.

Hey there all. Didn't e-mail on Monday because we're going to the temple tomorrow, but we got permission to do it today!

This last week was sweet! Saw a few miracles and lives change! Plus we had a VERY filling Thanksgiving!

We had a sweet investigator lesson this last week! We taught the Word of Wisdom and I kinda threw down on cigarettes, haha. Felt kinda bad at first, but a couple days ago she told me that what I said is what she needed. Taught the doctrine of why she shouldn't and then gave a couple examples to kinda show my point, instead of just telling her to stop; the Spirit was really there and you could tell her heart was pricked by what she was feeling. At the begging of the lesson, she said that she would never quit, and by the end she set a date to be done by Dec. 10th. I'm pretty excited for her, it's not only going to help her spiritually, but also physically and financially. Her daughter actually thanked me on Sunday, because her mom wasn't smoking in the house anymore, so it wasn't hurting her head anymore! The progression is awesome!

So guess what, it finally snowed and stuck (last night actually). Not too much, maybe a quarter inch, and it's supposed to snow a lot more here in the next week or so. We'll see!

Sorry to those that I haven't physically written in a while, been way busy and then when I have time I'm too tired, but I'll get to ya soon! Promise! Haha.

Yesterday was sweet too, we had our zone conference (big missionary meeting) and it was legit. Very Spirit powered and uplifting. We practiced a lot of new things and I'm stoked to get out there and try them!

Gotta run. Hope you all have a great week!

Stay safe and stay chaste.

~ Elder Jones

11.22.11 email

Hey all, what up doe(s).

How’s it hangin? What’s new? You know, all the good stuff. :)

Everything is good here in Detroit. It's getting colder so people are calming down, and on the plus side, the modesty percentage is going up at a very pleasing rate! haha We had our first snow about mid-week last week. Nothing stuck but it flurried a lot! It’s gonna be fun when the snow does stick and we gotta ride our bikes!

This last week was cool. We found a less active on the bus, he had just got out of the military and was looking for the church but didn’t know how to find it! We were definitely able to help him! Ha he didn’t know much.

That’s about all! Hope you all have a good week!

Stay safe and stay chaste!

~ Elder Jones

11.18.11 letter

Family,

Hey there. How's it hangin'? Or if you want it in Detroit slang: "What's good witchu?" Kind of gotta throw that last part together like a car crash. Ha!

Anyway.... how's school, work, weather, life? :) It's gettin' more cold here, it snowed off and on in some intense flurries yesterday. It all melted when it hit the ground, but it still snowed! :D

Sorry I haven't gotten any pictures to you yet. As soon as I get to a computer that will let me load them, I'm gonna send every picture from week to week. And start from this last week.

Oh, so guess what? My trainer, Elder Adair, is training again! So I have a little brother missionary out here. (Slang in the mission is: trainer's trainer = grandpa, trainer = father, then you get the pic of uncles and brothers, etc.) His name is Elder Simpson and he's from Connell, WA. Think there's any relation? He didn't know Dean's name, so I don't know.

So I'm now in my 7th of 18 transfers you get on your mission. Missionaries here count how long they've been in each area a few different ways: 1, by weeks; 2, by months; 3, by companions, and 4, by transfers. I'll test ya and see if you can figure it all out! Ha!

So I've been sick for about the last week. My throat is feeling better but my ears won't pop; any ideas?

In exactly one month from today I'll be 20! Whoa! Crazy!

Anyways... lots of random thoughts. Sorry!

So, how's life in the 208? Any news on the Meridian temple? I'm stoked to see any info!

So, hey, I'm probably going to be sending home a few more packages; I've realized over the last few weeks that I have acquired a lot of... stuff. Some of it I'm just gonna label to myself - those things you can just store. The rest of the stuff, you'll get the idea of what to do! :)

Welp... I gotta hit the road and study. E. Chaus is in the shower, so I had a moment to myself to write!

Love you all. :) Stay safe and stay chaste! :D

~ Elder Jones

11.15.11 email

Hey all.

How's it hangin'?

Things are well here in D-Town. Got transfer calls this last Saturday and I'm staying! so I'll be here in Detroit for another 6 weeks guaranteed. Should be fun. That means I'll be on bike for a lot of the winter here! so I'll have been here for the dead of summer and most of winter! Yay!

This last week was good! Found some sweet new investigators! We were tracting towards the bottom of our area and just as we were about to leave the street and hit up Micky-D'S, a car pulled up beside us and asked if we were the police (it happens more than what you would believe), well we said no and introduced ourselves and they said they have been searching for God in their lives and they commited to come to church this next week! They had prior this for this last Sunday :) but I'm pretty excited for it.

Our new ward mission leader is awesome too! :) He is fired up: ready and willing to help! Love it!

Oh, hope you all had a wonderful 11-11-11!

Well I gotta run! Hope you all have a good week.

Stay safe and stay chaste...

~ Elder Jones

11.7.11 email

Hey all. What up doe(s).

This last week was good. We taught a lot and saw a few sweet miracles! Had a couple of sweet exchanges too! It's cool to be able to go out with other missionaries for a day and glean off them, and kind of form your own style of teaching for yourself.

This week we have specialized training! It's where two zones get put together for the day, we get to be instructed, practice teaching and instruct ourselves. I'm pretty excited for it!

Next week is transfers too... on the 15th to be exact! I'm pretty sure I'm gone, but we’ll see!

Think that’s all for this week!

- Stay safe and stay chaste,

E. Jones

11.5.11 letter

Family!! 10.31.11

What up! How's it hangin'? WOW! Last day of the month! Insane! Right now you guys are scaring people and giving candy out. I'm watching red glows grow and disappear as fires are started and put out.

Last night was the craziest. There was a glow over the city, sirens the whole night! Lots more shots fired, too. But these were kind of distant, so it wasn't too bad.

I'm writing this before bed, because we have had an adventurous day! So I get a chance to reflect on the whole day now.

This last week was actually pretty cool. We saw a lot of miracles. We picked up 3 new investigators, gave a blessing and gave 5 copies of the Book of Mormon all in one day. The area is picking up, so it's good. So that was last week in a bottle.

Today was good, too. We got a ride with Monty & got groceries, then mailed off the package you should have gotten before this letter! After that, he dropped us off at the bowling alley, so we could meet up with the rest of the district. We did our district activity, which was bowling... think I already said that, ha! But I had a blast bowling. Our district is us, Ferndale & Hamtramck. So us, the district leader and the zone leaders; kind of intimidating, but they're just regular missionaries that love to have fun, just like me! So it was interesting. :D Haha.

After we bowled, we had to go up to the Ferndale bike shop to get the gear cluster changed from the old rim to the replacement one CTR Bikes sent me. Well, we were on foot, and Ferndale elders weren't, so I sat on Elder Mo'unga's handlebar for 2 1/2 miles to the shop. My abs still hurt from laughing the whole way up there!

But, we got everything taken care of and started to head home. Well... on the way back, we were banking on catching a bus, but... we didn't see a single one! So we hoofed it 5 miles home & didn't make it to the library on time to catch the public computers. But... you'll have read that already, ha! That was the day!

But anyway... I got these protective strips for my tires that will prevent flats. They go between the tire & tube. They have a guarantee that if a puncture flat happens, they'll replace the liner & tube. So, I have installed them! My tires are theoretically bullet-proof... as long as they don't get shot! Ha.

So...................................... there's like a 95% chance that I'm gonna get transferred. Next transfer meeting is on Nov. 15th, so in about two weeks. We'll see! If I do transfer, I'll be in a new area for Christmas & Thanksgiving. Should be exciting!

Here are some treats for the kids... for ages 12 & under only. :( I got 'em for me, and then I read the stupid rules, ha. So they'd better enjoy 'em! :)

So, how's the ipod coming...? Just wonderin'. :)

Welp! I think that's about it for this letter. Oh, no word on the camera's memory card. I tried the word of mouth thing... we'll see if it works.

Tell everyone hi for me. Love you and keep you in my prayers.

Stay safe and stay chaste!

~ Elder Jones

11.1.11 email

Whaddup.

How's it going? Has it snowed yet where you are? A few days ago we were forecast for it, but it ended up just being really cold rain! The weather is definitely changing. I love the colors of the trees, the leaves are sick!

Have had a few more bike issues but they are slowly getting taken care of! Ha.

This last week was pretty cool. We found a few new investigators and saw some sweet miracles. Just one prayer answered can really brighten the day! Let alone a few!

Angel's night and Halloween night weren’t that bad but there were still lots of fires, shooting and sirens! It's funny, the news doesn’t report half of what really goes down!

Not too much to report this week besides that, actually. Hope you all had a good Halloween!

Stay safe and stay chaste.

-Elder Jones