December 20, 2011

This Year For Christmas - 2011

I skipped the sales after Thanksgiving. The thrill just wasn't there.
No pictures taken with Santa Claus, My decorating has no flair.
His presents are shoes, shirts, and ties, two suits and socks...no fun.
I've bought him all white clothes because... This year I'm giving Christ
my son.

I've spent more time in the temple, my testimony stirred.
I've reread November's Ensign, Felt strength come from His words.
Our family prays more frequently. My tears are quick to run.
Abraham seems closer because, This year I'm giving Christ my son.

I wonder how those Lamanite mothers, gave their sons to war?
Or how the pioneers chose Zion , their sacrifice was so much more.
My loss will be his presence, I'll miss his smile a ton
For two years we will pray for him, I'm giving Christ my son.

I stare at his face when he's not looking. I memorize his eyes, their shine.
He's always hungered for the part of him, that makes his soul divine.
The stories and lessons he always heard, His choice and mine are one.
I'll put my faith in God's hand, This year, I'm giving Him my son.
Past gifts have lost their glitter; I think I finally understand
Christ's birth should be celebrated by giving Him a hand.
It's because I know Christ lives and reigns that all his packing's done.
My gift has taken years to make, This year... I'm giving Christ my son.

I know there's One who understands, the sacrifice I'm making.
Who knows the gift I willingly give, The toll it will be taking.
For He has done it all before Greater love - there could be none.
For years ago God gave to me, His only begotten son.

The hands I washed, the hands I held, The hands I taught to pray;
Now knock on doors to find the ones Who will listen to what he'll say.
Because I know Christ needs him, Until all the gathering's done,
My gift has taken years to make. This year...I'm giving Christ my son.

 

December 19, 2011

Hey :)

This last week was slow but really fast haha we did a lot of less-active finding. Alot of people asked for their names to be removed. It was sad to hear. Others wanted us to come around so we could get to know them. the best part of my week was half the zone got to go to the temple! We did a Session in the LONDON TEMPLE. Hopefully we can come back to do a session there one day :)  After the temple everyone got together to eat. Every district was assigned to make up a skit of some sort.. haha not one of the skits weren’t funny! Then Pres and Sis shamo talked to us! After that I got all my letters and presents!!! Agh such a relief to have finally got them! Elder Burton  and I had the biggest boxes and the most boxes as well! I felt good to know my mom loved me!! Have I ever told you about my Bonsai tree I bought?? Well we named him Moses and he is our Christmas tree! We water him every day and he is just great to stare at! il post a picture of him ;) yep so all my presents are under Moses being cared for mom :) This week for Christmas we have DAs every night which is wonderful! Plus around Christmas time we have tons of families that want us to go over! The ward sure is good to us :) I will be at the Hinds.. They are American! He is the manager for Microsoft over here! Pretty cool guy!  He is in charge of all the video games! My Skype name is jordan.max.jones   the password to it is the same one as this email! So go ahead and add me! You can get on the account to accept the request as well okay! We are thinking about calling you guys on Sunday around 6 or 7! I will call you guys before anything to make sure all is good :) You guys excited or what??  It will be great to see you guys! It has been a quick 4 months! I haven’t really been that homesick to be honest! it’s because you take good care of me soo that’s probably why I don’t feel homesick haha other than that in church one of the members said -- what i like to do around Christmas is to write 24 things why I love you--- I thought you and dad should do that next year! :) We should also spend our Christmas serving those around us! I guess i have never really seen the meaning of service until now! It means soo much to me to know i could do one thing for someone else that would make there week or day! :) I have also come to have a better relationship with our savior! I still want to make that relationship grow through my life! Burton and I decided we were going to make cookies for people in the ward and our investigators!! We bought 4 pounds of butter and 5 bags of sugar! Can’t go to wrong with that huh ?!?! ;) Let’s hope they turn out good lol Updates on our investigators.. Chris is doing better! We are hoping to set a date and he can work towards it. Addie who is our recent convert is doing amazing! We are taking him to the temple sometime to do baptism’s.. Elain uhh slowly she is getting up there. I guess that’s kind of it.. We have a few potentials but there still trying to find out what they are going to do with their lives.. Tell Evan I said thanks for always being kind to me.. He will always carry a spot in my heart.. Well your welcome! Choosing to be your son was great! hahaha and still is ;) Bishop was right! We do have a way good relationship! :) It will always get stronger as the years go by! <3 

Also I’m thankful for Pres Whetten! I sure do love him! I hope he knows that! I’m thankful he is taking care of my dad while i have been gone! The twin ;)  I always like hearing a good story! If there are any good stories tell people to write them to me :) it would be appreciated! I’m thankful for dad! :) Love you dad! When we went to the temple is snowed a lot the whole way there! But melted shortly after! I wish i would have gotten a picture or two, but since we were on the train I couldn’t really get a nice picture.. It is getting really cold, but I have a nice jacket that is way warm! No need to worry :) Please let me know how that experience goes for you :) The best moment I had this past week was to be in the temple and to socialize with all the missionaries! I still haven’t gotten the package with 17 Miracles! I’m sure I will get it soon :) Thanks for that Spiritual thought mom! I will def do those! It’s always good to have Reminders so that we can go back and improve! I glad I get to talk to you guys this week! I didn’t realize til a few days ago that I’m talking to you guys in a week! Pretty weird :) This week has been slow as in teaches and street contacting, but this week should be full of exciting things! Sure do love you guys! I will talk to you soon :)

 <3 Elder Jones <3

P.s There is a kid from Mexico City serving in the London South with me! I just barely found out til yesterday! Were good buddies now!

December 12, 2011

This week has gone by soo fast! I have felt the harder you work the faster your days go by! I love that feeling! It’s always good to hear that things are going well! I hope things will get better with the family! I’m sure everything will be okay! I will send him a letter soon to let him know I love him! Please tell him I said that! Mom I will do better and better each day okay :) I guess I’m still learning the ropes, I’ve got them figured out really well. My comp is not as obedient as he should be. It puts a lot of pressure on me to lead the way of the senior companion. it’s also difficult when he just wants it to go his way but patience is been my key attribute believe it or not haha! I’m very patient now :) Thank you for those quotes! I too have seen how obedience blesses me daily! I hope people can always feel my strength of love towards them. My goal is to be that strong one. I am learning to be a leader and I have chosen good when others haven’t on the mission! I pray that heavenly Father will always give me learning experiences so that I can help others and understand what they are going through.. Thanks for the talk and insights you have sent me mom! I’m always seeking the advice of my parents and leaders.. I’m sure that quote will remind you of something :) Please don’t think you’re preachy. Thanks for the thoughts and improvements you think I need to better! That’s the goal is to be a strong one in the lords hands! :) Tell Elder Johnson I said I missed him haha and thank you for his concerns! He’s a good ol guy ;) I’m glad that the kids enjoyed that letter haha they asked me a lot of funny stuff! I will get my packages this Thursday! We will be going to the temple to have a reunion kind of thing and that’s where we will get the boxes and letters :) We have found 2 new investigators yesterday :) They are going to Italy for 2 weeks but when they return we will begin teaching them :) I’m happy :) Chris is doing well! He has given up his old lifestyle and is now turning to the right path! He loves what we have to say and everything that church has to offer :) Elain is alright... she is also trying to give up old habits and start coming to church! Its sad to see what alcohol and smoking can really do to your life! Half the time she doesn’t know what she is doing, but people can change. I know she will change! It doesn’t look like I will have a baptism on Christmas... but it’s okay! I’m sure we will have 2 or three in January! Mom I just want to say thank you for preparing me for this moment! I’m grateful to have been taught well and how obedience will be the key to everything!   I’m also grateful to have inherited that from you mom! To sense when things are not right and to help others when they are not doing well! It has always been a blessing in my life to have that attribute. I am learning how I can be more sensitive to those spiritual promptings.. to know when to do the right thing at the right time.. Thank you for always teaching me! I’m trying to be like one of those stripling warriors! It’s not easy but I can do it:)   thank you for everything you do! This should be another great week! I hope you guys know i love you and thank you for all the prayers :)

I will talk to you guys soon! -

Elder Jones

December 7, 2011

Dear Mommy!!

Haha transfers were this Wednesday!! Sooo guess what?? Elder Burton and I are staying in Reading for another 6 weeks! I’m happy we didn’t get moved. Our work isn’t finished together.. We are planning to work extra hard these next 6 weeks! We are doing a lot better towards obedience. It’s hard when you’re tired haha but it doesn’t bother me as much as it used to. I’m going to do better each day. I hope you are up when you get this email. So we were at a members house the other day talking about deep doctrine stuff.. He said a good book to buy is -(Encyclopedia Of Joseph Smiths Teaching- Larry E Dholl Donald Cannon) I was wondering if you could buy that and when I get home I could have it. You could read it as much as you want but when I get home it all mine :). Also my lips are getting really dry and they - (hurt real bad- napoleon) could you send me a couple of sticks of Softlips chapstick!! :D that would be great:) Also if it would be possible if you could send me 17 miracles... I miss that movie. So I will share a miracle with you okay. It’s a small one. Anyways we had an ex-change with the other missionaries so I ended up staying in Reading and Burton went to Woodley. I decided to knock some doors close to a member’s house. I said hey lets go down this street and before we do let’s say a prayer. We prayed that someone would let us in and we will begin teaching them and others they will let us plant that seed in their heart. We walked up to the 1st door and a lady came out of her house. She then let us come in and we taught her the Plan of Salvation. Her husband was very nice and she had 2 kids. They had a nice home. Usually the more well off of the people they choose not to listen, but they listened to us. She said she was going to read the pamphlet and get on the church website. She said come around Thursday sometime. So hopefully we will see what happens! Isn’t that cool :) others just asked us to come around some other time! I haven’t yet written it in my journal but I will today! I’m hoping all goes well with them :) 

I love you! 

Elder Jones

December 5, 2011

HEY guys!! This week has been difficult but nothing too big. Chris decided that he doesn’t want to get baptized on the 24th.. He said that he has too much going on and that he feels that a better time for him will be in January. We felt that that would be right... we don’t want to just baptize someone who will later fall away from the church, we want people who are going to benefit the ward not just make them deal with more less-actives. We are teaching a kid named Decklin. He came up to us wanting to get taught. He has been taught before by missionaries. He could possibly be baptized on the 24th or the 26th we are not sure.

This week has def gone by fast. It makes me happy to know that you have enjoyed those pictures! :) Elder Burton is way funny haha Moves day is on Wednesday. One of us might get moved, we are still not sure how it is all going to take place. We didn’t end up going to Windsor Castle. We decided to go to a town further north called Oxford, that place is way fun. One of the missionaries serving there was celebrating his 1 year mark so we wanted to go to a little get together :) it was fun! I am happy I made the choice of coming on a mission.. Even though I still don’t yet realize the blessings of it, it has made me happy and I have seen my spiritual growth :)

That’s nice to hear that Rodrigo got baptized.. It makes me happy.. Mom thanks for all your prayers and fasts :) I have seen the impact it has had on me lately! I will begin praying to know what we can do better.. This month we have decided to visit the less-actives and re-activate them. I’m sure it will go well :) Hopefully one of us doesn’t get moved so we can see the growth of the ward come back! That’s amazing to know that you did that around the wards in your mission, mom! I wish I could have taken singing more seriously so that I could offer that :) haha this Christmas we will have a big get together at the temple.. It will be our zone which should be way fun :)

  

I forgot to mention that one of our investigators (Wayne) promised us he would read the Book of Mormon if we read some of his stuff... he keeps on trying to convert us which is way funny :) he ended up giving us this Anti book! Elder Burton read it clear through with no problem.. So I thought it wasn’t that big of a deal.. I picked it up and right away felt a spiritual prompting to set it down.. The book was full of darkness.. It scared me! I read the intro and gave up. I followed the promptings given instead of ignoring them.. Who knows what could have happened.. Anyways I thanked Heavenly Father for that :) I have been learning sooo much! I have been writing it down in my journal..  I loved that insight about the Atonement :) I will copy that down and put it in my study journal! This week has been okay.. not the best.. I’m sure this week will be wonderful!

I love you soo much! I am excited to get the packages! :)

talk to you soon :) Love Elder Jones  

Thanksgiving 2011

Thanksgiving with the Ambrose Family - Reading, England.

November 28, 2011

Hiiiiiii!!! This week has been wonderful! We had a great Thanksgiving at the Ambrose Family! They are soo nice to us.. :) It’s good to hear that you received those letters.   I thought some of those pictures and videos were quite funny as well..  You guys will receive another letter soon.. I sent one to Victoria and I think one more to Dad.. idk maybe it was the one you already read.. I’m thankful for Grandma Elma and the great example she has been to me. I have always loved her and cared soo much about her.. Tell Grandma Christine to tell her I love her and I’m doing really well on my mission. :) Most of the missionaries always miss home around this time of year. I’m just happy to be out here haha not that I don’t like you guys, I just like it out here a lot more :) I’m excited to get those packages.. Once again thanks mom <3 It makes me happy when I hear how proud dad and the family are of me.. I’m making really good progress. I’m getting better and better each day! It makes me happy to hear how well Clave is doing! Please tell him i said hello and that he needs to email me when he gets his mission call :) haha I miss the geese flying over our house.. I wish we had some geese but they just have swans swimming in the canals haha.. It’s starting to get cold.. This morning we woke up and it had frosted for the 1st time. I was wanting to buy more thermals since I only have 2 pairs.. Would that be okay?? I have learned a lot from the scriptures lately.. before I left you said those scriptures better be worn out.. they are already getting worn. Hopefully they will be in tact when i get home  ;)

 
Do you remember when i told you what Pres. Eyring said to Pres. Shamo? - The time will come when the seekers shall return?? This past week has had plenty of experiences like that.. the 1st we were at the bus stop and a lady walked up to us and wanted to start learning about our church! The next was we were coming back from the chapel and i felt impressed to talk to a lady that was sitting next to me at the stop, so I asked her how she was doing. I asked her a series of questions and she then accepted to be taught. she said she had always wanted to know more about the church! I later thought to myself.. what if God had put her in my path and I didn’t even come out of my comfort zone and talk to her? How would i have then felt if I didn’t do anything about it :) We got invited to Krispy Kream on Saturday.. Elder Burton wanted to see a girl he used to teach.. After we got a dozen of donuts haha… we walked out and this 12 year old kid walked up to us wanting to learn about our church.. We found out that his dad was a LA member and didn’t attend church that much.. We are going to work on re-activating him and maybe even getting this kid to come to church.. :) I thought that was pretty cool of that kid because he walked away from his friends to talk to us.. I thought it showed some courage! Other than that we are going to Windsor to see a Castle and tour for p-day.. Look it up online if you would like haha! I think that is it for this week.. Next week I will update you on everything next week. Moves day is the 7th of December.. Elder Burton has a feeling he will be moved.. So this might be our last moves day together. Thanks for your prayers! Know that I’m working hard :) love you guys

<3 love elder jones
p.s I loved the pictures and videos you guys sent me.. it made me laugh to see those guys

November 21, 2011

Hey mom :) and hello family :)

Christopher S. is doing really well! We set a baptismal date for the 10^th of December but he hasn’t been to church because of school and such, but he promised us he would come to church this week :) We felt like that he needed a little bit more time so we are thinking about moving it to the 24th :) It would be amazing to give Jesus that present don’t you think? <3 Wayne and his family (the one in the accident) are slowly making progress..The other day we met up with him and taught him about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.. He has a hard time thinking about having a Heavenly Father.. At 1st he said he would never read the Book of Mormon and guess what??? He promised me he would read 60 pages! It’s amazing to watch your prayers get answered :) makes my eyes water up sometimes.. The Perez family is having a slower time progressing but I know they will be baptized one day!

Tell Elder Rowe’s Mom to tell him I said happy b-day! I sent him a letter the other day! He might just get it today haha England is getting cold! Since its humid here the cold feels extra cold which isn’t very fun, but I don’t mind it.. I looked at the area Appledore from where the Jones’s came from and it’s not very close to my area! Maybe I’ll get transferred somewhere more close so I can go see that place :) Keep me updated on those little areas so hopefully I can see them.. Thats great that you got that letter :) I’m so happy! I’ll try and get that picture from elder Burton! He has one on his camera as well. Today we have a little Zone Conference! Everyone is going to get together and play some games! It should be fun! We also got invited to eat some good food on Thanksgiving at the Ambroses house! She is American but her husband is English! She is a nice lady :) Other than that i did get that Envelope! I was sooo happy to get it! That jerky was AWESOMMMEEEE!!!!!! hahaha I set up that little turkey thing on my desk! :)

Tell Uncle Tony I love him! Thank him for always taking care of me <3 I owe alot to that ward!! Each person has a part in my life :) Tell everyone I am doing well and I thank them for their prayers! I see them answered each day.. it always makes me so happy to hear that people are always asking about me.. It gives me that extra kick to keep working hard :) I always love getting pictures! Dad sent me 2 haha.. It’s sad to see the boys miss.. If they only knew what they were missing out on.. My advice to give would be to work with the ones that do attend regularly and talk to the parents of the boys who don’t attend.. Tell them if they want there kids to go on missions they better ephasize it a little bit more for them.. Speak BOLDLY ;)

Thanksgiving sounds really exciting this year! I hope you guys have tons of fun! I can’t wait to get those boxes :) Our mission does let us Skype! So get that set up next month and make sure all the internet connections are working.. The update on Elder Wright being here.. He talked about feasting upon the words in the Book of Mormon.. He said there are rooms in the Book of Mormon that you need to find.. Picture walking into a room and you see a bed, curtains, windows, etc well that’s the same in the Book of Mormon. FIND THE ROOMS and study them.. I never looked at in that way you know.. He also said we need to recognize our dependence on the Lord.. and when we struggle to take those problems in mighty prayer! Sometimes we let out fear control our faith in most occasions.. If our faith isn’t great, we can’t really move mountains as it says in the Book of Mormon or that the trees will obey us.. Faith is a hard thing but only through trials that is where we test our faith.. This week in church was very special to me.. I learned that temples are a Sanctuary, School, Salvation, and a Sealing place.. Your light isn’t sufficient enough by itself.. You need a greater light! The speaker really broke down those 4 S's. the next thing I thought was interesting was that we think things are soo hard and we can’t do them and we have to sacrifice things and such. If we prepare for that sacrifice, if we prepare for those blessings, if we prepare to receive them, God will do the rest.. That struck me.. We need to prepare a lot more.. and when we don’t we feel we are sacrificing.. I hope you get what I’m trying to say hahaha things just speak to people in different ways! That is why we have the holy ghost to speak what they need to hear..

That is my letter for this week.. I hope that something in my letters may answer a question, satisfy a need. I love you.. Thanks for your letters :) <3 Elder Jones