8/15/11- well hello there

After not hearing from Elder Jones for six days, we finally received two emails and a handwritten letter from him!  He is doing great.  The following letter is to all of his family and friends- enjoy! The other email was a request for Phillies stats... haha.

Dear Everyone,

I haven't even been here a week but it seems like I have been here for at least 3 weeks. Yesterday on sunday we had an awesome fireside which helped me a lot with my stress. It's been overwhelming but not discouraging. The language is coming quickly but with hard work.  I can pray and pretty much bear my testimony in portuguese as well have pathetic conversations.  Today has been really great. We got to pass the MTC police and walk out of the gate into the world for the first time in 4 days. We even got a "I'm really proud of you guys" yell from some hobo in his pickup at the red light while crossing the street. 

 

My time here has been a great blessing.  I was called to be the district leader of district 33A the thurday night after I got here. That added to my worries but I handle it just like everything else here. Just put it on the Lord and press forward.  21 min left..pshh. anyways, gym time is way to short so i just run and do lower/upper body everyother day. I think im doing a good job staying in shape. campus is huge, theres lots of walking but im pretty sure ive spent at least 300 hours in this one classroom that our district sits in for what seems like a lifetime while our teacher, irmo petty speaks portuguese to us without stopping to actually tell us what he is saying. sometimes we miss really important stuff..maybe he doesnt realize we just got here? its getting better though. my comp, elder rios and i have been teaching an investigator since the 2nd day we got here. weve had 2 appointmetns already. the first was incredibly bad..we had no clue what he was saying and we didnt know what we were saying either. after we finished the lesson we stared at eachother for 2 minutes trying to figure out how to say thanks for meeting with us see you next time..it was bad. the second one was a little better.

 

anyway, this is truly the Lord's work. I have never felt the spirit so strongly and all day during every meeting like I do here. This place is awesome. I'm doing great. While I miss everyone at home, I don't let that get in the way of the work which I'm here to do. I'm happy and excited about the future. I know the future is going to be touch so im trying to learn portuguese asap.  I cant wait to be a middleman for the Lord. as long as i do my best to bring others unto the Lord I can know He will be pleased with my work. the outcomes may vary however if im doing my best i will have joy.  my entire district went to choir practice last night for tuesday's devotional..prolly gonna be an apostle!! it was legit..everyone was insanely good and we completely sucked but its all good cause the reason why we did it was so we could get front row seats tuesday!!! we didnt get cut or anything hahaha..what a joke. Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts. I pray for all of you daily!!

Love, 

Elder Jones

HURRAHH FOR ISRAEL!!!

This summer has been one of the best of my life.  After each summer I always say that that one particular one was the best and that I'll never have another like it but then it gets topped the next, so who knows where this one ranks. The best thing about this summer has been spending time with my family and trying my best to get mentally, spiritually, and physically prepared for my mission.  After all the ties, suits, shoes, and white shirts have been bought, I always end up sitting back and pondering how ready I really am to preach the gospel in Portuguese to a people I've never met.  I guess that's the fun of it and joy of it.  That's where faith comes in to play I guess.  I'm clueless as to where I'll be living in the next two years or who I'll be living with.  All I know is that I'll be serving the Lord which is good enough for me.  I have plenty of my imperfections but I know that the Lord with bless me as long as I'm trying my best.

My good friend Derek was able to visit the past week or so all the way from the deep south and we were able to have some awesome experiences together.  One of these experiences included going to the Hill Cumorah Pageant which I've attended which seems like at least a dozen times.  Every time I go to up-state NY and get the opportunity to visit the church historical sites and get to see the pageant it gets better.  I always feel the spirit so strongly and come back glad I was able to go.  The Sacred Grove is truly the place where the boy Joseph Smith saw Heavenly Father and His Son.  I know that they spoke to him.  I know that because the spirit has confirmed it to me.  I don't have faith that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only church that has the fullness of the gospel, I know it.  I know it for myself because I have asked and have put in the work to find out by reading the Book of Mormon and testing the Lord.  I know that anyone who does that can have that same knowledge.  That seemingly simple fact has brought more joy to me  than anything imaginable.  Every time I read the scriptures or talk about the gospel I find so much joy and just want to share it with everyone.  I can't imagine what joy I will feel when the Lord comes again and every tongue shall confess that He is the Christ.  For those that don't know what I'm talking about go to lds.org and talk to the missionaries. They're everywhere, literally. You won't ever regret it and the joy that you will find is indescribable.

I know I will miss my family and friends when in Brazil but I will have the comfort of knowing that my family and the Lord stand beside me in everything I do which is all I need.  I can't wait to be in Brazil.  I already have one bag packed and hope the other will fit everything else..haha.  Anyways, I know the Lord will provide as long as I keep His commandments and my heart has good intentions.  Until I return from the Good country of Brazil incredibly tan, God speed, and HURRAHH FOR ISRAEL!!!

Alma 26:35
"Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all ^apower, ^ball wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a ^cmercifulBeing, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name."


I love you all.  Keep it real dubtown.  As as one of my brothers in the Lord one said, "GO PHILS."

my time at southern virginia university

leaving southern virginia is harder than i originally thought it would be. my first semester here went by rather slow. my senior year of high school to my freshman year of college was not a shock since i prepared for the worst but it certainly challeged me to a level ive never been to before.  being done with early morning seminary i was excited to be done with the waking up at 530 am chapter in my life.  that never ended..baseball lifting had me waking up at 530 and often going to bed at 2 or 3am on school nights up late studying anywhere i could find light. while everyone slept i was up studying fairly often and then found myself up before anyone got up. at first i felt like rocky and on top of the world but i soon realized that it absolutely sucked.  hard preseason workouts had me excited to be done practice and start the season that seemed would never come.  nevertheless, its safe to say that the first semester of college was the hardest thing ive ever done in my life but im proud of what i achieved. 

over the first semester i met so many awesome people that i will never forget.  a few of them left me to serve the Lord before the second semester started.  i look forward to seeing a few of them again in the future. the second semester was certainly filled with awesome events and memories ill never forget as well.  starting playing games was probably the biggest motivator of the year.  it was exciting to begin my first season as a collegiant athlete.  opening day was looked forward to like no other after all the long practices and early morning weights.  during the second semester i also met some new friends that ill always love and remember. 

this is my last day on campus.  i remember the first day i pulled up to main hall and walked into 4th floor main with my family who helped me move in.  looking back on my experience here cannot be explained. it just feels weird.  i feel like ive grown so much. i have learned more than i have in my entire life. i know i still have a long way to go, but i feel ive also matured a lot.  i dont know if its the education at this school, if its the friends who ive spent all my time with, or if its just the time that has gone by that has taught me so many life lessons, but i feel so much more ready for life. 

its hard to leave, never thought ide call a small southern town in virginia home.  this is where i read where ill be serving the Lord for two years. this is where ive had so many opportunities to serve others. this is where ive worked harder than i ever had in my life, both physically, spiritually, and mentally.  this is where ive had some of the worst times and best in my life.  ive some some insane things here, that only my friends and i should know about.  everything ive done here has been permantly written in my life.  there are many memories in life that pass and are forgotten about later in life, this will not be one of them.  to all my friends who ive made here that have worked through the hard times and late nights, as well as the great times, thankyou, i love you. ill never forget you.  youve given me strength to keep going in the future. your examples have engraved characterists that i want to emulate.  through you, especially the returned missionaries who are my close friends, i have a good idea of what i need to do and be when i return from brazil. 

even though leaving my home is harder than i thought it would be, i know its what the Lord wants me to do right now in my life.  i have faith that the Lord will provide for me in the future as long as i stay worthy of his awesome blessings.  leaving for brazil in august is something that i have waited for my whole life.  i feel so ready, although i know there is a ton i have to learn.  i know ill see everyone that have meant so much to me later, whether in this life or the next.  i have an awesome family back home in delaware that i am so excited to see and live with for another couple months before i leave.

i thank the Lord for the past.  ill always look back on the past with awesome memories and a smile and to the future with faith in the Lord and a determination to succeed.

its been real southern virginia..good times.

Portuguese is harder than I thought..

Well this past week was probably one of most exciting weeks of my whole life.  After our game on thursday, I turned my phone on to read a text from Denny saying that I had my mission call in my mailbox.  I can't describe how excited I was at that moment after the longest week of my life waiting for a white envelope to tell me where I'll be spending the next two years of my life doing the greatest thing I can imagine.  Once our bus pulled back into school, I anxiously ran to my room took a quick shower and ran down to the mail center.  I opened my mailbox and it was still sitting there, the big white envelope.  I was just about to reach in and get up but I stepped back in humility being overcome with amazment at both how time flys and how honored I was to recieve such a divine and important responsibility.  I remember being a little boy going to church and showing off my little "future missionary" badge and here I was pulling out my real missionary call.  The Lord blesses us without us even realizing.  Later that night I opened my call at my friends house in front of my awesome friends and family (and other friends out at byu) on skype.  I was sure that I would be able to read the call without getting emotional or a delay of anykind, and I think I was right..but they had no clue what was going on inside of me.  My heart was beating so incredibly fast that I had to pause after pushing through the first paragraph reading that I was called to serve in the Brazil, Belo Horizonte mission, portuguese speaking, and sit back in my seat in both joy and unbelief. 

Recieving your mission call is not as much as a suprise and exciting as it is humbling.  I can't believe that the Lord trusts me to go overseas and to teach his children his gospel in their language.  I feel so ready but know I am far from being prepared.  I am truly humbled and estatic to have the opportunity to serve in Belo Horizonte.  I know the Lord will help me in all of my rightouse endeavours.  I know I need to prepare as much as I can now in order to be a successful missionary and bring people unto Christ in Brazil.  There is nothing that brings me more joy than knowing I have this divine and sacred calling to serve for two years.  The thought of dedicating two years to the Lord and exerting all of my efforts and energy into preaching His gospel is undescribable.  Part of me wants to leave now, however I know I have more preparation and responsibilities I need to take care of such as school. 

Well, for now I am on spring break, having a great time in BV.  The baseball team as well as many of my friends stayed so it's nice to be able to relax, play baseball, get ahead with school school work, and of course attempt to learn Poruguese.  Till next time, Hurrah for Israel!!!!

Sundays are the "bessssttt" - (get it nachooo)..

Hi, today is Sunday and this week was great! Our baseball team is now 5-1 looking forward to tomorrows home opener.  It's exciting to finally play a home game after 6 away games to open the season! This week was lots of fun, it was really busy, but tons of fun.  I love hanging out with people at SVU.  Even if you don't know them, everyone is really awesome and fun to be around.  This morning was fun.. so Denny and I accidentally slept all the way in to 12:30 which was the most sleep I have had since being here, and missed our home ward! We were freaking out and pretty sad/disappointed in ourselves.  So I got up and ran to the shower and back to find Denny getting the good ole cereal out.  As I get ready I hear a loud crash and Denny yell "nooooooo my milk." I thought something terrible happened, and surely something did hearing Denny's cry for help.  I look around the corner to see Denny holding a milk carton completely busted on the bottom with milk pouring out.  As runs with the upside down carton to the bathtub while holding the lid trying to stop the brand new gallon of milk from pouring out on the floor, I am desperately running around the room trying to find something to hold the milk for the time being.  I finally find an old carton of water and pour it out and give it to Denny who seems to be holding back some massive tears.  Knowing Denny's love for cereal, I realized that the pain he must be going through cannot be comprehended.  Denny then tries to pout the milk out of the busted container to the empty one and pretty much misses leaving him with only 2 inches of milk and the rest floating in our clogged bathtub drain.  We then mourned over the loss of milk by singing a song while Denny played the guitar hopelessly.  We realized it would be a long day, nevertheless the day must go on.  So I left to go to meeting and find a Sacrament Meeting and Mish. Prep class somewhere and Denny took off for home teaching. 

We will never miss church again..

im gonna try this too..

hi everyone! im living in buena vista virginia where im attending southern virginia university.  i absolutely love it here. i have the most awesome friends and everyone here is really awesome and kind. the classes are challenging and great. we just started our season last tuesday and are now 3-1. im excited to continue to have the opportunity to play with this group of people.  ive never been on a team so talented and professonally handled which is really great. well, im gonna go take a nap now, but its good to finally write on this thing after having a blank page for 4 months hahaa.. welp, ill try to write as often as possible but life is good! ill be getting my mission call in less than 2 weeks!!!!!! heck yeah.