Monday, August 30, 2010
Thankful
I am so thankful! I have so much to be thankful for and I can't ever begin to thank my Heavenly Father for all He has done for me.
Clinton 08-30
Hello Again Loved ones,
This is Elder Jones with the weekly report. I am going to start dealing with the highlights of the week to save time and i think a play by play is rather boring and uneventful. This is the last week of the transfer. I cannot believe how fast it is going. It is crazy. This week was really good.
So this week we had our Missionary Training Meeting it is a new thing that the 12 are implementing. We learned alot about how to teach by the spirit and our teaching has improved so much it is crazy! The meetings were filled with the spirit and we did a lot of role playing. It is insane how much you can learn about an investigator from a role play. President Cottrell is such an amazing man.
On So on Wednesday we went to have dinner with some members who invited a less active member over it was awesome. His name was micheal and when we were leaving them with a message we were reading out of 3 Nephi and then we went around the room and talked about what we each had learned. He said he learned more from what other people said. So i was impressed to talk about 1 Nephi 19 23 and told him that he could liken the scriptures to himself and gave him some other ways to get more out of the scriptures. It was awesome. The spirit was so strong and he is such a good guy.
Thursday was an amazing day! it was our last day of training and our evening was booked, but then our first appointment canceled and then we went to our second and he canceled too. It was Kevin. He was trying to work on some resumes so we then started to go we were on our way to see someone else when Elder Butler asked Brother Waters "Can we go see sister Godwin." sister Godwin is a less active. She doesn't come to church because she worked with an old man on the weekends ( he just died this last weekend) so we go over to her house and the first thing she says to Brother Waters is "Are you here to give me a blessing?" She used to smoke and the only time she quit was when Brother Waters gave her a blessing. She had started again when she stopped going to church. So we had a lesson on the word of wisdom and faith in Christ and how going to church would help her out. So then we gave her a blessing. After that we went to see Jimmy. Now this lesson was by far the most Spirit driven lesson of my mission. It started out with him asking about tithing. We explained how there was no plate and how tithing worked. We then looked at Malachi 3 and 3 nephi 24 I think. anyhow he realized that the Bible and the BOM work together so i think that helped his testimony of the BOM. Then the discussion moved toward eternal families and i could see how that sparked something within him so i started talking about how we needed to be baptized and endure to the end to have that I then invited him to be baptized when he knew them to be true. he said "Yes When i know that it is true" I then tried to get a date, but that didn't work he wanted some time to pray about it. Then we watched the Restoration video because we were teaching his daughter as well and we also wanted him to see it. After the movie was over we discussed how he felt. He said he felt "tingly at certain points" We helped him to realize that was the spirit, and that the spirit only testified of truth. Elder Butler then asked an inspired question. "Why would the Holy Ghost touch you at those points?" Now i don't know, but i think that if Elder Butler had not said anything that the spirit would have taught Jimmy something and it would have been the difference between a date or not, but he went on and and bore testimony of the Holy Ghost. I realize that both of us need to work on silence is not a bad thing in the lesson. It was amazing though. Jimmy is progressing and i don't think it is long before he has a solid date.
Well I am running out of time there is alot of things that happen in a week. So i will stick to the highlights. I love you all take care and always remember prayer. I love you all with all my heart thanks for the love and support
Elder Jones
This is Elder Jones with the weekly report. I am going to start dealing with the highlights of the week to save time and i think a play by play is rather boring and uneventful. This is the last week of the transfer. I cannot believe how fast it is going. It is crazy. This week was really good.
So this week we had our Missionary Training Meeting it is a new thing that the 12 are implementing. We learned alot about how to teach by the spirit and our teaching has improved so much it is crazy! The meetings were filled with the spirit and we did a lot of role playing. It is insane how much you can learn about an investigator from a role play. President Cottrell is such an amazing man.
On So on Wednesday we went to have dinner with some members who invited a less active member over it was awesome. His name was micheal and when we were leaving them with a message we were reading out of 3 Nephi and then we went around the room and talked about what we each had learned. He said he learned more from what other people said. So i was impressed to talk about 1 Nephi 19 23 and told him that he could liken the scriptures to himself and gave him some other ways to get more out of the scriptures. It was awesome. The spirit was so strong and he is such a good guy.
Thursday was an amazing day! it was our last day of training and our evening was booked, but then our first appointment canceled and then we went to our second and he canceled too. It was Kevin. He was trying to work on some resumes so we then started to go we were on our way to see someone else when Elder Butler asked Brother Waters "Can we go see sister Godwin." sister Godwin is a less active. She doesn't come to church because she worked with an old man on the weekends ( he just died this last weekend) so we go over to her house and the first thing she says to Brother Waters is "Are you here to give me a blessing?" She used to smoke and the only time she quit was when Brother Waters gave her a blessing. She had started again when she stopped going to church. So we had a lesson on the word of wisdom and faith in Christ and how going to church would help her out. So then we gave her a blessing. After that we went to see Jimmy. Now this lesson was by far the most Spirit driven lesson of my mission. It started out with him asking about tithing. We explained how there was no plate and how tithing worked. We then looked at Malachi 3 and 3 nephi 24 I think. anyhow he realized that the Bible and the BOM work together so i think that helped his testimony of the BOM. Then the discussion moved toward eternal families and i could see how that sparked something within him so i started talking about how we needed to be baptized and endure to the end to have that I then invited him to be baptized when he knew them to be true. he said "Yes When i know that it is true" I then tried to get a date, but that didn't work he wanted some time to pray about it. Then we watched the Restoration video because we were teaching his daughter as well and we also wanted him to see it. After the movie was over we discussed how he felt. He said he felt "tingly at certain points" We helped him to realize that was the spirit, and that the spirit only testified of truth. Elder Butler then asked an inspired question. "Why would the Holy Ghost touch you at those points?" Now i don't know, but i think that if Elder Butler had not said anything that the spirit would have taught Jimmy something and it would have been the difference between a date or not, but he went on and and bore testimony of the Holy Ghost. I realize that both of us need to work on silence is not a bad thing in the lesson. It was amazing though. Jimmy is progressing and i don't think it is long before he has a solid date.
Well I am running out of time there is alot of things that happen in a week. So i will stick to the highlights. I love you all take care and always remember prayer. I love you all with all my heart thanks for the love and support
Elder Jones
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Mowing the Lawn
So yesterday I wanted to get my yard work done. I went out to start the rider and it wouldn't start so I put the charger on it got it started and it wouldn't engage and go forward or backward. So I got frustrated and decided to just mow the stupid yard with the push mower. I get partway done and Jes calls and I am having a pitty party so she comes out to help me finish. Then after Harold gets home later that day I tell him all about my day and he says "why didn't you use the rider." and I tell him why and he says "did you push in the little bar that engages the motor in the back?" Wow I had a great workout, next week, I will be riding.
My new strawberry bed
My husband is so kind. He had my son in law come out and build me a raised strawberry bed. Its so nice! I love it. Can't wait now to get the soil in and plants started!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Letter From Pres Cottrell
So I got home yesterday and there is a letter from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Raleigh Mission!!!!! Holy Cow! All kinds of things go through my head, is he sick, is he hurt, is he ok??????? It just was letting us know where he is assigned and with who, Elder Butler from Alberta. AND it has a picture of them together on the letter. Very Nice. I will try to scan it and put it on here.
Monday, August 23, 2010
08-23-10
Hello Family and Loved Ones Alike,
This is Elder Jones with the weekly report. This week we have been working very hard. In spite of direct opposition [my physical ailment] we are pushing forward. The work is going great and I love this area and this ward. the people here are amazing. Elder Butler and I are trying to get things rolling here. We have been working with the members really trying to find new people. Tracting is great, but there are other ways to find and we are exploring some of those. So things have been good. I would take more pictures of the area, but then every picture would be tree, tree, tree, Hey look!! tree. ha there are alot of trees here in Goldsboro. haha Elder Butler and I have developed a new form of entertainment that you will see when i get my pictures mailed home. We found some spiders outside our apartment and what we do at night after the day is done is we catch some of the moths that fly around and we stick them in the web and watch the spiders wrap them up. it's awesome! Well thats the news i will now go into the weekly report.
So last P day we went to raleigh i had a meeting with President Cottrell it was really good, but Elder Butler and i got lost in Raleigh for hours we drove two huge circles around it before we found our way home to Goldsboro at 900 hahaha it was funny i was laughing. He wouldn't listen to my directions.
Tuesday was our exchanges i went with Elder Tibbits to Goldsboro 2 it was way fun We had four lessons that day. Our first was with Brian he is not a member, but he is living with his grandparents who are. He has no religious background. so that was good. Then we went to visit Cameron he is eleven and he is way excited to be baptized. His mom is scary her name is aMANda. She looks like a dude! yikes. Well after that we talked to a part member family and he is getting ready to be baptized. They are doing well over there.
Back to my area we finally got back to talk to jessica so that was good. we are looking for a time to teach her the second lesson she is doing so well. She is looking for the church and she doesn't even know it. David has been standing us up. I think he may be dropping us. I hope not. Then when we were tracting we found two potentials Jennifer she is a baptist woman who want to know more, and Melody She is a black lady we tracted into a couple weeks ago so there is some potential there.
Thursday was pretty good. We got to have a lesson with Jimmy. He is a partmember that we have been teaching for awhile. He is progressing. I think with him it is just a lot to think that his church is wrong its the way he was raised and he feels that the things we are saying are true he doesn't want to accept it though. so i dunno. it's good we are also teaching his daughter now so maybe things will work out for him.
Friday was bad. I was Sick and we really didn't do anything. i went to the Dr. and he couldn't find out what was wrong, but thats the night we started sacrificing moths to the spiders outside they wont bite us now. haha
Don't remember much of saturday. dunno why. er... sorry bout that.
Suday was way cool. We got to go to Wilson with a member and we got to give a blessing to his boss. We met up with the Wilson Elders and while we were there all four of us were able to bare testimony to Tony. It was way cool. And something that does not happen often. so i was greatful for that.
I am more tired than i have ever been in my life it is crazy. but i love it its great i love it out here. We will keep on pushing the work forward keep praying for us i love you all. Until next week.
This is Elder Jones with the weekly report. This week we have been working very hard. In spite of direct opposition [my physical ailment] we are pushing forward. The work is going great and I love this area and this ward. the people here are amazing. Elder Butler and I are trying to get things rolling here. We have been working with the members really trying to find new people. Tracting is great, but there are other ways to find and we are exploring some of those. So things have been good. I would take more pictures of the area, but then every picture would be tree, tree, tree, Hey look!! tree. ha there are alot of trees here in Goldsboro. haha Elder Butler and I have developed a new form of entertainment that you will see when i get my pictures mailed home. We found some spiders outside our apartment and what we do at night after the day is done is we catch some of the moths that fly around and we stick them in the web and watch the spiders wrap them up. it's awesome! Well thats the news i will now go into the weekly report.
So last P day we went to raleigh i had a meeting with President Cottrell it was really good, but Elder Butler and i got lost in Raleigh for hours we drove two huge circles around it before we found our way home to Goldsboro at 900 hahaha it was funny i was laughing. He wouldn't listen to my directions.
Tuesday was our exchanges i went with Elder Tibbits to Goldsboro 2 it was way fun We had four lessons that day. Our first was with Brian he is not a member, but he is living with his grandparents who are. He has no religious background. so that was good. Then we went to visit Cameron he is eleven and he is way excited to be baptized. His mom is scary her name is aMANda. She looks like a dude! yikes. Well after that we talked to a part member family and he is getting ready to be baptized. They are doing well over there.
Back to my area we finally got back to talk to jessica so that was good. we are looking for a time to teach her the second lesson she is doing so well. She is looking for the church and she doesn't even know it. David has been standing us up. I think he may be dropping us. I hope not. Then when we were tracting we found two potentials Jennifer she is a baptist woman who want to know more, and Melody She is a black lady we tracted into a couple weeks ago so there is some potential there.
Thursday was pretty good. We got to have a lesson with Jimmy. He is a partmember that we have been teaching for awhile. He is progressing. I think with him it is just a lot to think that his church is wrong its the way he was raised and he feels that the things we are saying are true he doesn't want to accept it though. so i dunno. it's good we are also teaching his daughter now so maybe things will work out for him.
Friday was bad. I was Sick and we really didn't do anything. i went to the Dr. and he couldn't find out what was wrong, but thats the night we started sacrificing moths to the spiders outside they wont bite us now. haha
Don't remember much of saturday. dunno why. er... sorry bout that.
Suday was way cool. We got to go to Wilson with a member and we got to give a blessing to his boss. We met up with the Wilson Elders and while we were there all four of us were able to bare testimony to Tony. It was way cool. And something that does not happen often. so i was greatful for that.
I am more tired than i have ever been in my life it is crazy. but i love it its great i love it out here. We will keep on pushing the work forward keep praying for us i love you all. Until next week.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Night Visitors
So..........Its always a zoo around our house. One Sunday afternoon not too long ago Nate and Melissa were out visiting and all the kids were downstairs and Harold had gone Home Teaching so just Lissy and I were sitting in the livingroom talking (Nate was asleep on the couch) when something out the front window catches my eye. I look out and there is a little moose about a yearling, trotting through my front yard BIG eyed and looking left and right acting like he was lost! I am guessing that his momma had another calf and he was kicked out of the nest, poor little thing. So we watched it trot clear around the side of the house and through the back yard and he dropped right down into the creek and swam around the corner out of sight anticipating that it would jump out on the bank somewhere so we continued to watch it and there it was at the other curve still in the water! So we kept an eye out and it finally jumped out on the other side of the creek about 1/4 mile down. It was so cute. Its always fun to see wildlife out where we live.
So last night the dogs go CRAZY in the middle of the night. Harold goes out and lets Lenny off the chain (she is our hound) and she takes off on something on the west side of the house. Then Harold runs in as says " Get me a gun there is a huge porcupine on the woodpile!" So we head out and by this time the dogs have needles in their nose. It was the biggest porcupine we have ever seen! Fun Fun! Needless to say we didn't get a lot of sleep last night!
Monday, August 16, 2010
30 years together
We celebrated out 30 year Anniversary! We took off on Thursday Aug 12 and headed to the cabin where we met mom and dad and Dave and Jan. We spent the night in the cabin with mom and dad the first night, Dave had guests from Montana in our cabin. Then the next day we moved to the other cabin.
Two Birds with One Stone
We also had a Crossley Family Meeting on Friday so Dan and Sherie got there and a bit later Mike and Kathy showed up. We had dinner together and then us Crossley's headed over to mom and dad's cabin for the meeting. It was very emotional, talking about final wishes and such. It is not pleasant talking about that stuff and we all cried just thinking about it. But the meeting went good and then we all went out to watch Dave pan for his GOLD.
The next morning Dan and Sherie left for Island Park for a Farnworth reunion and Mom and Dad headed home for the weekend and then Dave and Jan took off for Boise also. Leaving Mike and Kathy and us. We spent the next two days taking walks and playing cards and watching movies and just being lazy in that beautiful place near Lowman! On Sunday night Mike and Kathy went home and that left us in the cabin all by ourselves and oh man that was really nice to have the place to ourselves! We just relaxed, we both needed that chance to wind down. Mom and Dad got there Monday afternoon again and we just visited, had dinner together and helped dad put the soffet ( I am not sure how to spell that ) on the kids cabin. Hit the sack and then Tuesday we had breakfast at mom and dads and then I went to pack and clean and Harold helped dad on some finish work on the porch. We were on the road by 11:30 and home by 3:30. It was a absolutly wonderful trip, so relaxing and rejuvinating! We both needed it, cant wait to go again!
8-16-10
Hey Loved Ones!
Well it's been another week. Man they blend together. I am going to apologize up front i forgot my planner and journal today and the days blend together here so this may not be a very full report, but i am working as hard as i can enduring the pain that i am in. Love you all well here is the week.
We taught Our investigator David the Plan of Salvation it went really well. He is pretty solid. He is very intelligent and knowlegeable on religion. He has a problem with organized religion, but when he knows the BOM is true i am sure we can get over that. He is alot like Matt in a way very smart and into Final Fantasy ha. wish Matt could help me out here. He is Doing good though he is reading the BOM every day and is done with 1 Nephi. We committed him to baptism when he knew that these things were true he said he would certainly consider it. So we are making progress. We are meeting with him again on tuesday. except I will be on an exchange to Goldsboro 2nd ugh. Oh well there i have four lessons. I hope that this weeks lesson goes well though. it kinda scares me that someone besides me will be teaching him. because i was the one who found him. It was late one night 8:45 and Elder Butler was about to turn in, but i said no we have fifteen minutes. Three houses later we knocked on his door this was two weeks ago. we talked to him and he said you don't want to get me started on organized religion. I was like please do. He told me that religious leaders use religion to control and i agreed with him which i think confused him. so he wanted to know more and we have taught him twice and answered his questions about the BOM so its all good. He is doing good and i hope he continues to progress.
Our other investigator is Jimmy Wiggins. He is a good guy. He is Married to a less active in our ward, and two weeks ago he asked us to give him a blessing. so we did and after the blessing we asked if we could teach him and he said yes. we have only had one lesson, but we gave him a BOM and challenged him to Baptism. He said that he was born penecostal and he will die penecostal. (We will see how long that lasts now that the converting power of the Book of Mormon is in his hands MHWAHAHAHAHA) but yeah he said if he knew it to be true he would consider it. we are also meeting with him and his daughter this week.
This week we are going to meet With Jessica. She is one of our potentials that i feel has a lot of potential. She also had a problem with organized religion. We met her our 2nd day here we just rode our bikes past her house and she was outside so we talked to her and told her a bit about what we were doing and she seemed very interesting, but the most impressive part was that she apologized to the entire church for her preconcieved perception she held of the church it was amazing. we haven't met with her since because she went on vacation, but i am optimistic about her future.
Karen is moving so we wont be able to teach her, but pray that she can find the truth she is seeking.
Keep praying for the people that i said and me. No one new this week i will keep you all updated on new investigators and their progress love you. I am praying for you all individually. And please write me. this has been one long letterless week and thats pretty sad. love you. Until next week.
Elder Jones
Well it's been another week. Man they blend together. I am going to apologize up front i forgot my planner and journal today and the days blend together here so this may not be a very full report, but i am working as hard as i can enduring the pain that i am in. Love you all well here is the week.
We taught Our investigator David the Plan of Salvation it went really well. He is pretty solid. He is very intelligent and knowlegeable on religion. He has a problem with organized religion, but when he knows the BOM is true i am sure we can get over that. He is alot like Matt in a way very smart and into Final Fantasy ha. wish Matt could help me out here. He is Doing good though he is reading the BOM every day and is done with 1 Nephi. We committed him to baptism when he knew that these things were true he said he would certainly consider it. So we are making progress. We are meeting with him again on tuesday. except I will be on an exchange to Goldsboro 2nd ugh. Oh well there i have four lessons. I hope that this weeks lesson goes well though. it kinda scares me that someone besides me will be teaching him. because i was the one who found him. It was late one night 8:45 and Elder Butler was about to turn in, but i said no we have fifteen minutes. Three houses later we knocked on his door this was two weeks ago. we talked to him and he said you don't want to get me started on organized religion. I was like please do. He told me that religious leaders use religion to control and i agreed with him which i think confused him. so he wanted to know more and we have taught him twice and answered his questions about the BOM so its all good. He is doing good and i hope he continues to progress.
Our other investigator is Jimmy Wiggins. He is a good guy. He is Married to a less active in our ward, and two weeks ago he asked us to give him a blessing. so we did and after the blessing we asked if we could teach him and he said yes. we have only had one lesson, but we gave him a BOM and challenged him to Baptism. He said that he was born penecostal and he will die penecostal. (We will see how long that lasts now that the converting power of the Book of Mormon is in his hands MHWAHAHAHAHA) but yeah he said if he knew it to be true he would consider it. we are also meeting with him and his daughter this week.
This week we are going to meet With Jessica. She is one of our potentials that i feel has a lot of potential. She also had a problem with organized religion. We met her our 2nd day here we just rode our bikes past her house and she was outside so we talked to her and told her a bit about what we were doing and she seemed very interesting, but the most impressive part was that she apologized to the entire church for her preconcieved perception she held of the church it was amazing. we haven't met with her since because she went on vacation, but i am optimistic about her future.
Karen is moving so we wont be able to teach her, but pray that she can find the truth she is seeking.
Keep praying for the people that i said and me. No one new this week i will keep you all updated on new investigators and their progress love you. I am praying for you all individually. And please write me. this has been one long letterless week and thats pretty sad. love you. Until next week.
Elder Jones
Monday, August 9, 2010
2nd Email from NC
Hello Friends and Family,
Elder Jones here with a weekly report for Y'all. (Look at me usin' my foreign language) Things this week have been a little slow. not as exciting as last week so im sorry for the dissappointment.
Monday was P- day yay the busiest day of the week. geeze. Sorry to You all for not getting out letters its hard i don't have time. Now alot of you are concerned about my adress so here lemme clear that up right now. USE THE MISSION HOME ADRESS. It is easier for everyone involved if you just send things there. 1 because i might be moving soon and 2 i dont wanna deal with sending my adress every transger then deal with letters being sent to old locations so it is just easier for me and the people working at the office to do that. and 3 it's only 1 days difference that i would get a letter so its ok. anyway. P- day ends at 6 so we went out tracting with no success. Lots of doors slammed in our faces and what not.
Tuesday I'm just going to say right now that tracting bore no fruits this week so i dont have to bother. but we did have a lesson with our investigator David. He is pretty solid. He grew up Methodist and turned away from religion, but when we talked to him he said he was "hungry brother" so we gave him BOM and he is reading. Hopefully he continues to read and feel the spirit. We are going back to see him on tuesday.
Wed. we had district meeting where we report the weeks works and role play to become better missionaries. then we had lunch with a member then we started tracting but my companion and i felt sick so we went back to the apartment. and that is where things went downhill for me. i never got to feeling better but Elder Butler did. any way we went to see some partmember families and a former investigator. So maybe we will have some work we are supposed to see them this week. so thats potetially good.
Thurs we did our weekly planning and tracted nothing much.
Friday we had our appointments fall through and our tracting did not go very well. that night we went to see two former investigators one was home and we talked for a while he is being held back by his family. ugh. and the other one wasn't home so nothing productive.
Saturday we didn't do a whole lot i was feeling pretty bad so we were inside until we went to give a blessing to a nonmember more for her member mother, but oh well we did it. then it was back to sitting in the apartment. It has been really hard for me to be sick like this. i cant do anything yet i want to its been pretty hard for me.
Sunday church and then the hospital. They couldn't find anything wrong i have abdominal pains and am feeling nausea so i dunno i dont feel well. the dr. said it was acid reflux but the mission dr. says that it cant be because the pain is in the wrong area. it has not been fun so we are still trying to figure it out so pray for me ok.
Keep on praying for the people here and the specific people i said last week.
Pray for David that he might feel of the spirit as he reads and as we teach that he may feel the truth of what he is learning.
well that's about it for this week. so i love yuo all and you are all in my prayers. I will continue to endure. and hopefully i can feel better. Whatever the Lord wants for me i will follow so thats whats going on over here. love you all and keep me updated on what is going on at home and i will let you know what is going on over here. love you.
Elder Jones
Elder Jones here with a weekly report for Y'all. (Look at me usin' my foreign language) Things this week have been a little slow. not as exciting as last week so im sorry for the dissappointment.
Monday was P- day yay the busiest day of the week. geeze. Sorry to You all for not getting out letters its hard i don't have time. Now alot of you are concerned about my adress so here lemme clear that up right now. USE THE MISSION HOME ADRESS. It is easier for everyone involved if you just send things there. 1 because i might be moving soon and 2 i dont wanna deal with sending my adress every transger then deal with letters being sent to old locations so it is just easier for me and the people working at the office to do that. and 3 it's only 1 days difference that i would get a letter so its ok. anyway. P- day ends at 6 so we went out tracting with no success. Lots of doors slammed in our faces and what not.
Tuesday I'm just going to say right now that tracting bore no fruits this week so i dont have to bother. but we did have a lesson with our investigator David. He is pretty solid. He grew up Methodist and turned away from religion, but when we talked to him he said he was "hungry brother" so we gave him BOM and he is reading. Hopefully he continues to read and feel the spirit. We are going back to see him on tuesday.
Wed. we had district meeting where we report the weeks works and role play to become better missionaries. then we had lunch with a member then we started tracting but my companion and i felt sick so we went back to the apartment. and that is where things went downhill for me. i never got to feeling better but Elder Butler did. any way we went to see some partmember families and a former investigator. So maybe we will have some work we are supposed to see them this week. so thats potetially good.
Thurs we did our weekly planning and tracted nothing much.
Friday we had our appointments fall through and our tracting did not go very well. that night we went to see two former investigators one was home and we talked for a while he is being held back by his family. ugh. and the other one wasn't home so nothing productive.
Saturday we didn't do a whole lot i was feeling pretty bad so we were inside until we went to give a blessing to a nonmember more for her member mother, but oh well we did it. then it was back to sitting in the apartment. It has been really hard for me to be sick like this. i cant do anything yet i want to its been pretty hard for me.
Sunday church and then the hospital. They couldn't find anything wrong i have abdominal pains and am feeling nausea so i dunno i dont feel well. the dr. said it was acid reflux but the mission dr. says that it cant be because the pain is in the wrong area. it has not been fun so we are still trying to figure it out so pray for me ok.
Keep on praying for the people here and the specific people i said last week.
Pray for David that he might feel of the spirit as he reads and as we teach that he may feel the truth of what he is learning.
well that's about it for this week. so i love yuo all and you are all in my prayers. I will continue to endure. and hopefully i can feel better. Whatever the Lord wants for me i will follow so thats whats going on over here. love you all and keep me updated on what is going on at home and i will let you know what is going on over here. love you.
Elder Jones
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
First Email from NC!!!
Hey mommy and family!
Greetings from… GOLDSBORO NORTH CAROLINA!! My first area is amazing. I’m out in the country and it is great! People here are nice our ward is amazing! They are so missionary oriented. No I have not gotten a single letter since I have been here and I find it kinda sad, but oh well off to a good start workin hard. My companion Elder Butler is a great guy. I love working with him. We are always laughing a joking. We really hit it off from the beginning. He is from Canada (We don’t hold that against him) Letheridge Alberta. He is into theater too and there is so many things we have in common. Get this, the girl that is waiting for him is… Mindy from Rigby! Haha I laughed. She is a twenty four year old RM, and she spells it with a Y so I know it aint my girl. LOVE YOU MINDZ! Anyway it’s just really great working with him. He is a great Elder and I am grateful to be training under him.
We got into Goldsboro Tuesday and started working we got white washed which means me and my comp were new to the area. We were just walking and a guy pulled over and asked us what we were all about. We got his number, but when we called the number didn’t work I don’t know if he gave us a false number or if we took it down wrong. It’s kinda sad. After that we tried a members home and she needed a blessing. She sprained her ankle and she asked me to give it. I was SCARED it was my first blessing, but I did and I am grateful for the opportunity. Nothing much after that happened.
Next day we started tracting long and hard. I got my first door slam it was funny. The guy answered the door and I said “hello sir” and he just waved and said “Bye” and slammed the door. We just laughed about that. We talked to an old man very set in his ways about his religion, and had a very good conversation, but to no avail. We did find 3 people who said we could come back Kristin, Dawnice, and Hunter. When we went back to Hunters it turned out that no we can’t go back to talk to him he wasn’t there and his dad said he was just being nice. Bummer, But we get to go see Kristin and Dawnice tomorrow. Kristin is a young mother whose husband is in the airforce (BTW I am in air force country.) she has a cute little boy. She said she was religious, but she said we could come back. I am hopeful. Dawnice I dunno about she answered the door on the phone and told us to come back, and when we did she wasn’t there but we have another appointment so I dunno we will see. Oh and that day I almost placed my first BOM I was soooo close. We tract into the young black man and have a very good gospel discussion covering most of the first lesson, and when I gave him the BOM and asked him to pray he took it, but then gave it back and said he would research the church. Ugh!
Thursday was our busy day when. We planned to see Thomas Kartcher, a guy who the missionaries before us were teaching, but that fell through. Then we tried to go see members who lived close to us, but they weren’t there either. On our way back to lunch we see this woman working in her yard. So we stop and talk. Her name was Jessica she was super nice. She has a small family, and her husband works a lot. But we talked and covered the first lesson and I gave her a BOM and asked her to pray about it and she accepted!!!!! I was so excited we can’t get back to her until Aug 16 because she is going on vacation, but I am prayin for her. We were supposed to see Kristin, Dawnice, and Hunter, but they all stood us up, but it was for good reason I guess cause we got to go see a partmember family and teach her the first lesson. We gave her a BOM and asked her to pray she said she would too. We are going to check up on her soon. Later that evening we got to go give a blessing to a less active member and her non member sister. We went they told us what was going on and the member that we were with gave a comfort blessing, but we asked her sister if we could give her the lessons and she said YES!!! So the work goes good.
Friday we had zone conference and weekly planning so not a productive day. Zone conference was great. Saturday was a hard day. Nothing turned out to be in our favor people we went to see weren’t there and we didn’t really tract into anybody… except one man. We rode our bikes out to this area and this black man was sitting on his porch. We said hello and he said, “you don’t want to talk to me”
We says “well why is that
Hey says “im a heathen”
“Well why are you a Heathen?”
“Because I like to have fun”
We talked to him about it. Turns out he was kidding he just liked to see peoples reactions and what they would say. We talked for a while about prayer and feeling the spirit and made an appointment for this week. And I gave him a BOM so there is two for me and one from my comp. so Three between the two of us. This is so great I love this work.
Sunday was great we got to go to church to meet the members. This ward is amazing. We got a ride home with Brother Waters (Who I swear could be a Jacobson accent and looks geeze.) anywho he is an amazing man. I swear he is one of the most Christ-like men I know. He has amazing stories. Well he invited us over for lunch. Mmmm spaghetti I love it. We had a good time then he took us home and we tracted some. We ran into Lyle he is a young man who said we could call on wed. and maybe teach him. So I’m hoping.
The work is going great. We are working so hard. I can’t wait to see the fruits of my labors. It is amazing how much the spirit is working with me. Oh Saturday we tract into an old man who has lost all faith in anything. Said “I don’t get involved with politics or religion.” So naturally I started preachin religion to him. After I was done with my mini lesson 1 he looked at me and asked, “How old are you, son.”
I replied “19 years old sir”
“And what is your IQ?”
“I said well I dunno, but I had a 3.9 GPA in high school.” He told me that I had really impressed him. I bore testimony that that was the spirit speaking to him and had nothing to do with me, but he still said he felt nothing. Oh well but it was amazing to see exactly what I can do with the spirit. Maybe someday someone will touch him, but I am convinced that I planted a seed.
Well that’s how things are going here. What’s going on at home? Oh and this email is best don’t use dear elder I dunno, but I think that is only for the MTC. Still longing to hear from home. And tell Miss Mindi to e-mail me! Geeze all Y’all need to E-mail me or Ima get right upset. More letters from everyone its hard enough being out here without not hearing from home. So this is my formal rebuke to all you WRITE ME OR ELSE!!!!
I Love you all so very very much and never forget that you are member missionaries. Help the efforts it starts with the members preparing and giving referrals something that I wish we had more of them. So work hard fellowship and help the missionary efforts. Your part is very important. Never forget that. Thanks for all the love support and prayers.
Pray for these People specifically
Karen Smith Rodriquez: she needs to be touched by the spirit so that we can teach her and she needs strength in her trials.
Jessica: She needs to feel the spirit as she reads and prays about the BOM, and a desire to learn more. Pray for her family and pray for protection on her home as she goes on vacation.
Robert Gay: Pray for him that as we teach him he may feel the spirit and feel desire to follow the path before him
Kristin: pray for her family and pray that we may be able to get in to teach her. Pray that the spirit may touch her and that she may feel the love of her Father in Heaven.
Dawnice: Pray for her family and that we can also get in to teach her. Pray for her Physical well being as well as her spiritual
Marcus: Pray that he may somehow come into contact with us again
Kevin Holes: That as he reads the BOM that he may feel a desire to learn more that he may recognize the spirit in his life and as we teach he may feel that testimony that what we speak is true.
Continue to pray for the people here that their hearts may be softened. Pray for my strength and my will to carry on and work my hardest. Keep me and these people in your prayers. I love you all and miss you, but I also love these people and this work, and I only get this opportunity for two years. I love it and I will do my best to do you all proud I love you. Keep praying, and keep on being good. God be with you. Remember my love.
Love Elder Clinton Harold Jones.
PS I can have an ipod so please send me a doc and load it up with some good churchy music. get on my profile and put all my scripture mastery songs and at the end of them is a song by kory kunz called the sound of slicing put that on too. don't put anything with romantic lyrics. so i cant have "this is love" By Kory Kunz but do put the rest of his stuff on it. President changed the rule on ipods so ya please send me one. Oh i cut my own hair today! haha you will see the pics i didnt do too bad ok well i had to send this today because the internet was down tomorrow. love you again. Send that ipod fast i need my Kory Kunz.
Greetings from… GOLDSBORO NORTH CAROLINA!! My first area is amazing. I’m out in the country and it is great! People here are nice our ward is amazing! They are so missionary oriented. No I have not gotten a single letter since I have been here and I find it kinda sad, but oh well off to a good start workin hard. My companion Elder Butler is a great guy. I love working with him. We are always laughing a joking. We really hit it off from the beginning. He is from Canada (We don’t hold that against him) Letheridge Alberta. He is into theater too and there is so many things we have in common. Get this, the girl that is waiting for him is… Mindy from Rigby! Haha I laughed. She is a twenty four year old RM, and she spells it with a Y so I know it aint my girl. LOVE YOU MINDZ! Anyway it’s just really great working with him. He is a great Elder and I am grateful to be training under him.
We got into Goldsboro Tuesday and started working we got white washed which means me and my comp were new to the area. We were just walking and a guy pulled over and asked us what we were all about. We got his number, but when we called the number didn’t work I don’t know if he gave us a false number or if we took it down wrong. It’s kinda sad. After that we tried a members home and she needed a blessing. She sprained her ankle and she asked me to give it. I was SCARED it was my first blessing, but I did and I am grateful for the opportunity. Nothing much after that happened.
Next day we started tracting long and hard. I got my first door slam it was funny. The guy answered the door and I said “hello sir” and he just waved and said “Bye” and slammed the door. We just laughed about that. We talked to an old man very set in his ways about his religion, and had a very good conversation, but to no avail. We did find 3 people who said we could come back Kristin, Dawnice, and Hunter. When we went back to Hunters it turned out that no we can’t go back to talk to him he wasn’t there and his dad said he was just being nice. Bummer, But we get to go see Kristin and Dawnice tomorrow. Kristin is a young mother whose husband is in the airforce (BTW I am in air force country.) she has a cute little boy. She said she was religious, but she said we could come back. I am hopeful. Dawnice I dunno about she answered the door on the phone and told us to come back, and when we did she wasn’t there but we have another appointment so I dunno we will see. Oh and that day I almost placed my first BOM I was soooo close. We tract into the young black man and have a very good gospel discussion covering most of the first lesson, and when I gave him the BOM and asked him to pray he took it, but then gave it back and said he would research the church. Ugh!
Thursday was our busy day when. We planned to see Thomas Kartcher, a guy who the missionaries before us were teaching, but that fell through. Then we tried to go see members who lived close to us, but they weren’t there either. On our way back to lunch we see this woman working in her yard. So we stop and talk. Her name was Jessica she was super nice. She has a small family, and her husband works a lot. But we talked and covered the first lesson and I gave her a BOM and asked her to pray about it and she accepted!!!!! I was so excited we can’t get back to her until Aug 16 because she is going on vacation, but I am prayin for her. We were supposed to see Kristin, Dawnice, and Hunter, but they all stood us up, but it was for good reason I guess cause we got to go see a partmember family and teach her the first lesson. We gave her a BOM and asked her to pray she said she would too. We are going to check up on her soon. Later that evening we got to go give a blessing to a less active member and her non member sister. We went they told us what was going on and the member that we were with gave a comfort blessing, but we asked her sister if we could give her the lessons and she said YES!!! So the work goes good.
Friday we had zone conference and weekly planning so not a productive day. Zone conference was great. Saturday was a hard day. Nothing turned out to be in our favor people we went to see weren’t there and we didn’t really tract into anybody… except one man. We rode our bikes out to this area and this black man was sitting on his porch. We said hello and he said, “you don’t want to talk to me”
We says “well why is that
Hey says “im a heathen”
“Well why are you a Heathen?”
“Because I like to have fun”
We talked to him about it. Turns out he was kidding he just liked to see peoples reactions and what they would say. We talked for a while about prayer and feeling the spirit and made an appointment for this week. And I gave him a BOM so there is two for me and one from my comp. so Three between the two of us. This is so great I love this work.
Sunday was great we got to go to church to meet the members. This ward is amazing. We got a ride home with Brother Waters (Who I swear could be a Jacobson accent and looks geeze.) anywho he is an amazing man. I swear he is one of the most Christ-like men I know. He has amazing stories. Well he invited us over for lunch. Mmmm spaghetti I love it. We had a good time then he took us home and we tracted some. We ran into Lyle he is a young man who said we could call on wed. and maybe teach him. So I’m hoping.
The work is going great. We are working so hard. I can’t wait to see the fruits of my labors. It is amazing how much the spirit is working with me. Oh Saturday we tract into an old man who has lost all faith in anything. Said “I don’t get involved with politics or religion.” So naturally I started preachin religion to him. After I was done with my mini lesson 1 he looked at me and asked, “How old are you, son.”
I replied “19 years old sir”
“And what is your IQ?”
“I said well I dunno, but I had a 3.9 GPA in high school.” He told me that I had really impressed him. I bore testimony that that was the spirit speaking to him and had nothing to do with me, but he still said he felt nothing. Oh well but it was amazing to see exactly what I can do with the spirit. Maybe someday someone will touch him, but I am convinced that I planted a seed.
Well that’s how things are going here. What’s going on at home? Oh and this email is best don’t use dear elder I dunno, but I think that is only for the MTC. Still longing to hear from home. And tell Miss Mindi to e-mail me! Geeze all Y’all need to E-mail me or Ima get right upset. More letters from everyone its hard enough being out here without not hearing from home. So this is my formal rebuke to all you WRITE ME OR ELSE!!!!
I Love you all so very very much and never forget that you are member missionaries. Help the efforts it starts with the members preparing and giving referrals something that I wish we had more of them. So work hard fellowship and help the missionary efforts. Your part is very important. Never forget that. Thanks for all the love support and prayers.
Pray for these People specifically
Karen Smith Rodriquez: she needs to be touched by the spirit so that we can teach her and she needs strength in her trials.
Jessica: She needs to feel the spirit as she reads and prays about the BOM, and a desire to learn more. Pray for her family and pray for protection on her home as she goes on vacation.
Robert Gay: Pray for him that as we teach him he may feel the spirit and feel desire to follow the path before him
Kristin: pray for her family and pray that we may be able to get in to teach her. Pray that the spirit may touch her and that she may feel the love of her Father in Heaven.
Dawnice: Pray for her family and that we can also get in to teach her. Pray for her Physical well being as well as her spiritual
Marcus: Pray that he may somehow come into contact with us again
Kevin Holes: That as he reads the BOM that he may feel a desire to learn more that he may recognize the spirit in his life and as we teach he may feel that testimony that what we speak is true.
Continue to pray for the people here that their hearts may be softened. Pray for my strength and my will to carry on and work my hardest. Keep me and these people in your prayers. I love you all and miss you, but I also love these people and this work, and I only get this opportunity for two years. I love it and I will do my best to do you all proud I love you. Keep praying, and keep on being good. God be with you. Remember my love.
Love Elder Clinton Harold Jones.
PS I can have an ipod so please send me a doc and load it up with some good churchy music. get on my profile and put all my scripture mastery songs and at the end of them is a song by kory kunz called the sound of slicing put that on too. don't put anything with romantic lyrics. so i cant have "this is love" By Kory Kunz but do put the rest of his stuff on it. President changed the rule on ipods so ya please send me one. Oh i cut my own hair today! haha you will see the pics i didnt do too bad ok well i had to send this today because the internet was down tomorrow. love you again. Send that ipod fast i need my Kory Kunz.
Monday, August 2, 2010
No email!
Well Clintons first P day was today and every 10 minutes I have been checking my email. Now its 10:00 his time and he is going to bed I am sure. I guess this means he didn't get to a computer today, so I BETTER BE GETTING A LETTER in a couple of days. I did however receive a letter he sent with the picture of him and President and Sister Cottrell.
Dear Mommy and Daddy,
I am in Raleigh!! Just got here met the Cottrell's (cot-rell) fyi on pronunciation. They are super nice. Its is so HOT here I think I may sweat to death. The plane ride was long and boring. Well I don't know where I am to be assigned yet right ow I am at the mission home. We get a chance to write now. P-day is Monday got that? Good. I can still only write on P-day so don't expect anything. I love you. Anyway I am excited to be here it is beautiful. I am way tired I had to get up at 1:30 am to be to the travel office at 3:00. Our flight took off at six went to Texas then we arrived at 2:25 my time. That's noon:25 to you. Anyway your boy is in the field and life is moving to fast is seems like yesterday I was saying ye now I am in NC!! I'm so happy. i start teaching tomorrow Yikes! I got off the plane and got some dirty looks. Yay! I'm teaching the people. (note the sarcasm) needless to say I am a bit scared. this is going to be an interesting experience. I can;t wait to send home more pics. This place is amazing. Oh yeah, don't know my new comp until tomorrow. Well give everyone my love. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo- Give Mindz a few for me
Elder Jones
He sounds wonderful. I took the photo card he sent home last week of all his pictures from the MTC and printed off a bunch, but I made him an MTC Photo Book. It will be shipped to the office in a couple of weeks. I am SO excited. I don't know whether to keep it or mail it to him! I will have to check with my girls and see what they think.
Life is good otherwise. Kids are all healthy. Harold and I will be going on the Branch float trip this Saturday and then next weekend, we are going to the cabin to see my mom and dad and brothers and then Harold and I are staying for a few days because its our 30th Anniversary on the 16th! Holy Cow, he kept me around all this time. haha
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