Happy Christmas everyone! Missionaries in the MTC don't get to call home on Christmas, but it seems they get an extra email opportunity. What a sweet surprise.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jordan Stamps Jones <jsjones@myldsmail.net>
Date: Wed, Dec 25, 2013 at 7:21 AM
Subject: Christmas
To: Lisa Stamps <stamps.lisa@gmail.com>, Steven Jones <sajmba2002@yahoo.com>
Hello!
Just a quick email before P-Day the one time we're allowed to do so.
Merry Christmas! I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the break! Say hello to Bonni's family, Robert, Grandma, Ben, and anyone else who decides to visit on Christmas :) I hope you all have a great time and remember the reason for the season.
I am doing well here, but I am looking forward to getting to the actual mission field more and more as time goes along. Nonetheless, I am grateful for the package you sent me. It was touching. I will look at the pictures often and will enjoy the treats for as long as possible because I know I won't find any as good anywhere else in the world. A special thanks to Grandma and Ben for the letters: I will keep them safe and reply to them as soon as I can. We aren't supposed to do any mail on days other than P-Day...
Anyway, my time is short, so I will just leave you with my testimony that this holiday is a time to celebrate the birth of our literal savior and redeemer. He lived for us. He died for us. And through his Atonement, we can live again with Him and the Father in the Celestial Kingdom. The gospel is true and I know that President Thomas S. Monson along with all the members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve are prophets, seers, and revelators.
I love you all and I look forward to seeing you when I return :)
Press forward with steadfast faith in Christ
Best wishes,
Elder Jones
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Week 2: MTC
It's great to hear from all of you! How did Ward FHE go?
Thank you for shoveling the Townsend's walk. Please thank them and tell
them they are remembered. Let me know if you get to teach them again!
Thank you for the bank statement and, as far as mom's note, could we
please start each month with exactly $500 and I'll budget for that? I'm
glad Sister Lee's grand kids get to go to scouts; it will be good for them. The ward mission plan sounds good, and I hope everything goes well!
Elder Taylor got your letter and was quite
surprised. He is 18 and originally from Utah but moved to Kansas early
on. He lived in Norway for 5 months before coming to the MTC and loved
it there. He played soccer in high school and professionally in Norway.
He's the district leader if you want to talk about that.
As far as phone calls on Christmas, we don't
get any. We can call when we go to the airport, but we still need to
pay. Also, the last group of missionaries going to Korea left at 2 in
the morning, so I don't know how things will work out then. I don't know
exactly where the bag is, but if it is not behind the rocking chair in
my room, it may be in the bag of bags I have stored on the East side of
my room.
I hope all of you have a great time on
Christmas and I hope you know you are missed. Pleas tell the ward I miss
them even more than I thought I would. The Sego Lily Ward truly is the
best ward in the world. And please say hello to Brother Hecker for me.
The list I was referring to is the list of
email addresses of people who wanted emails. I think you invited all of
them to the blog, but I would love to be able to send some personal
emails as well. I'd also love it if Hannah could give me updates from
Summit about how things are going. Also, I would really love that
shipment of Dr. Shulze medicine. If you happen to have the medicine
delivered home first, please add an old pair of sneakers; some of the
coaches don't want us to use toe shoes :S Also, apparently Koreans like
pictures of family and hobbies, so, if it's not too much trouble, please
send that too...
Life here is fairly monotonous, though not
bad. Every morning is spent studying and preparing for lessons in the
afternoon with occasional breaks for exercise and meals. The afternoon
and evening are filled with classes where we learn Korean and then teach
investigators. Sundays are essentially study marathons with meetings
interspersed throughout the day. On Tuesday nights we have devotionals
and Fridays are P-Days. Other than that, everyday is basically
identical. That's why I haven't had much to say. Korean is going fairly
well, but I feel I have not been working on it as much as I should. I am
going to begin a more structured and strict study program.
Thank you for all your love and I look forward to hearing from you soon. I may be able to squeeze in another email later today.
Much love.
Press forward with steadfast faith in Christ
Best wishes,
Elder Jones
Monday, December 16, 2013
Family letter to J
Elder Jones,
It was great to hear from you through mom's email. It would be nice if you could tell us more about your daily routine, Elder Taylor's background, how learning Korean is going, etc. Do you know yet if you will be able to call us on Christmas? If you can't, just be aware that we will be thinking of you.
Tonight we have the next ward Family Home Evening at the Christensen's house. We should have some investigators there. The missionaries don't have too much going on in our ward right now. Joyce Lee's grandsons will be going to scouts and they could turn into investigators.
On Sunday the ward council was able to finalize the Ward Mission Plan. Since you will be working with wards/branches/districts, the ward mission plan is a short document that specifies how the ward/branch/district will help individuals "Come Unto Christ". Our mission plan starts with God's Mission (Moses 1:39). Then the four-fold mission of the Church (preach/perfect/redeem/care for poor/afflicted). Then the stake wants three goals (number of convert baptisms, % sacrament meeting attendance, and #/individuals that become temple worthy-temple recommend). We then asked each of the quorums/auxiliaries to have specific goals to help achieve the ward goals. Each group provided input and we will review each month in ward council and update each quarter.
As I was shoveling at Bree Townsend's house, Angel came out to thank me. She asked about you and I told her that you were already in the MTC. She said that she was sorry that they missed your talk but wished you well on your mission. Several members (Sego Lily and within the stake) have asked how you are doing and I tell them that you are well, you like your companion, and you are learning Korean. Unfortunately I don't have much else to tell them. Hopefully you are still writing in your journal so that you can refer back to it when you want.
Please let us know if you need anything. Mom sent you your bank statement so that you could see how much was in your account and if you wanted to change how much was in each area of your account.
Bonni, Chris, and family are still planning on visiting during Christmas. Last week Dallin Colgrove did something to his leg so that he couldn't bend his knee. We are praying that he recovers quickly. Elder Wellman from our ward still hasn't been able to leave his mission in the Philippines due to visa issues with the typhoon. He has finished his mission but can't leave until the government says he can. He doesn't have a mission president now and supposedly he is released but still has to follow the rules to be safe. His parents are frustrated but hopeful.
Do you remember where you put the bag/cover for the inflatable mattress so that I can put it away? No one has moved into your room (yet). There were several missionaries on the train today going to the airport but they didn't have any luggage. It may be that the MTC will now send all of the luggage to the airport by bus and send the missionaries by train/TRAX. You will be leaving on February 4th but don't know what time. Sarah and I will look for you that day on the train (leaves South Jordan at 7:30 am) but if we don't see you, we know that you are in God's hands.
We miss you but are happy that you are serving God. He will support you and help you in doing His will. He will help you in learning Korean and how to teach people. You are a great son and we love you very much.
Please continue to provide as much information as you can.
Love,
Dad, (Mom, Sarah, Hannah, Rachel, Bekah and everyone else who is praying for you.)
It was great to hear from you through mom's email. It would be nice if you could tell us more about your daily routine, Elder Taylor's background, how learning Korean is going, etc. Do you know yet if you will be able to call us on Christmas? If you can't, just be aware that we will be thinking of you.
Tonight we have the next ward Family Home Evening at the Christensen's house. We should have some investigators there. The missionaries don't have too much going on in our ward right now. Joyce Lee's grandsons will be going to scouts and they could turn into investigators.
On Sunday the ward council was able to finalize the Ward Mission Plan. Since you will be working with wards/branches/districts, the ward mission plan is a short document that specifies how the ward/branch/district will help individuals "Come Unto Christ". Our mission plan starts with God's Mission (Moses 1:39). Then the four-fold mission of the Church (preach/perfect/redeem/care for poor/afflicted). Then the stake wants three goals (number of convert baptisms, % sacrament meeting attendance, and #/individuals that become temple worthy-temple recommend). We then asked each of the quorums/auxiliaries to have specific goals to help achieve the ward goals. Each group provided input and we will review each month in ward council and update each quarter.
As I was shoveling at Bree Townsend's house, Angel came out to thank me. She asked about you and I told her that you were already in the MTC. She said that she was sorry that they missed your talk but wished you well on your mission. Several members (Sego Lily and within the stake) have asked how you are doing and I tell them that you are well, you like your companion, and you are learning Korean. Unfortunately I don't have much else to tell them. Hopefully you are still writing in your journal so that you can refer back to it when you want.
Please let us know if you need anything. Mom sent you your bank statement so that you could see how much was in your account and if you wanted to change how much was in each area of your account.
Bonni, Chris, and family are still planning on visiting during Christmas. Last week Dallin Colgrove did something to his leg so that he couldn't bend his knee. We are praying that he recovers quickly. Elder Wellman from our ward still hasn't been able to leave his mission in the Philippines due to visa issues with the typhoon. He has finished his mission but can't leave until the government says he can. He doesn't have a mission president now and supposedly he is released but still has to follow the rules to be safe. His parents are frustrated but hopeful.
Do you remember where you put the bag/cover for the inflatable mattress so that I can put it away? No one has moved into your room (yet). There were several missionaries on the train today going to the airport but they didn't have any luggage. It may be that the MTC will now send all of the luggage to the airport by bus and send the missionaries by train/TRAX. You will be leaving on February 4th but don't know what time. Sarah and I will look for you that day on the train (leaves South Jordan at 7:30 am) but if we don't see you, we know that you are in God's hands.
We miss you but are happy that you are serving God. He will support you and help you in doing His will. He will help you in learning Korean and how to teach people. You are a great son and we love you very much.
Please continue to provide as much information as you can.
Love,
Dad, (Mom, Sarah, Hannah, Rachel, Bekah and everyone else who is praying for you.)
Friday, December 13, 2013
Week 1 MTC P.S.
P.S. If you guys have time and resources, please send my companion a letter in the mail sometime. He doesn't often get any (Elder Taylor).
Week 1 MTC: The beginning
Thank you for the message, and I look forward to reading more next week! Everything is going pretty well here. The language is difficult, of course, but other than that and fatigue, everything is fairly easy. I miss the days when I got to go to bed early. I also miss my healthy food from home. Everything here is outrageously processed and the digestive system is not happy with it. My district is really great. There is just one person that rubs people the wrong way, but everyone is learning patience and charity, so it will be better for them in the long run. I have the best companion in the MTC for me. He's fun, but is also able to be serious when necessary. We have been teaching lessons in Korean for about a week now and they have been getting much better.
I hope everyone is doing well back home and I look forward to more news! Thank you for all the prayers and I want you to know that nearly every prayer said here includes a blessing on our families.
Best wishes, Elder Jones
I hope everyone is doing well back home and I look forward to more news! Thank you for all the prayers and I want you to know that nearly every prayer said here includes a blessing on our families.
Best wishes, Elder Jones
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