Mom's latest letter to J

I'm glad that you are enjoying the language study. Grandpa suggested that when you learn a new word, you plug it in to several different sentences.

Example: Car (new vocab word)
I like your car. Your car is red. I want a car. My car is damaged. I wish I had my car. I like to drive my car. There is a car. Does she have a car? Do you like to drive your car?

I asked him to write it to you himself, but they are SWAMPED with Temple Presidency activities. I think they work there 4 days a week now. It used to be just one evening...

One final thought... would you kindly write a "public" letter each week? It feels funny posting/fowarding your replies to your dad and me and Hannah. YOU TOTALLY MADE HER DAY, BTW. She started squealing, "He replied to me!"

Elder Taylor is now the big crush in our ward. Both Katie and Rachel went absolutely gaga after receiving his letters. Thank him for taking the time. It's making your absence less painful for them. :$

I miss hearing your cough. Isn't that strange? If I'm in my room when everyone comes home, there's silence. Then I look up at the ceiling and realize that you're not there coughing. Well, and then there's the uke, and the VLOG Bros. It is a lot quieter here...and a bit more mellow. I confess I don't miss the testosterone.

Speaking of changes around here, a hot air balloon landed on Barium by the dead end sign in our yard. Trucks had been driving back and forth in front of the house; then I heard the "whoosh" of the hot air blower, and went out to investigate. They deflated it in our front yard (and on Platinum). It always amazes me to see how big those things are. The neighbors who were outside their houses saw it coming down, and came over to help. Kyle Herd, Chad Christiansen, the DeWolfs, and Brian Herrmann. Jade and Abbie came running down in their jammies. It was a fun adventure for Rachel's birthday morning.

One last thing. Grammar Nazi attack: Your sign-off line needs a period!

I love you!
Mom

Hannah's Christmas letter to J & his response...

Let's see....Bekah- bike

Rachel- phone, DW Yahtzee

Me- phone (matching pair ^), DW dictionary, books 3 and 4 of the "Inheritance Cycle"

Sarah- pink stetson and crown, and gloves to match

Those were the big ones. Bonni's family was there, we Skyped: Dan's family, the Popes, and Nate's.


Congratulations on all the presents, but don't get addicted to the phones! Other than that, have fun with it all.

Let me know how Doctor Who is going occasionally and tell me about Capaldi. It seems like he'll do well and I want to know what you guys think about the series. Just, please, don't be too fangirl-y...

Did everyone have fun with relatives? How is everyone doing? 

Thank Robert for the treats. though I am sure you helped, so thank you. Also please tell Grandma and Ben that I am working on replying to them, but it is slow going...

Have fun, and enjoy your holiday.

Press forward with steadfast faith in Christ

Best wishes,

Elder Jones

J's reply to Dad's Christmas letter

Dad,

 

Thank you for the prayers and well wishes. I hope everyone had fun at Christmas and enjoyed each others company. I would have loved to play as well. Tell Ben we could try long distance, long term chess over email if he's up to it.

 

Tell all the departing missionaries good luck for me and let me know which ones are coming here! I have the opportunity to be host anytime I want and it would be fun to welcome them. Tell Kevin welcome home for me. Also, tell Sister Hill I got a chance to see Dillon up here. He didn't recognize me and I didn't have time to chat, but he was helping the Cambodian students.

 

Really quick, do you have any recommendations for retaining vocabulary. That is the closest thing I have to a challenge here, but I would like to get better anyway. There really isn't much going on here. I am bored quite often when not doing personal study or Korean. The only thing I ever actually learn is Korean and until I am in the field, that is not very helpful. Any recommendations for how to be more active would be much appreciated.

 

Tell mom I will do my best to send the pictures she requested, but it will take time since I can only email on P-Day and don't have any pictures at the moment.

 

Thank you for your prayers and I look forward to hearing from you again.

Press forward with steadfast faith in Christ

Best wishes,

Elder Jones

Christmas card from J

Dad's letter to J on 12/26/2013

Jordan,

It was great to receive your email and cards. I appreciated your testimony and your clever joke with mom. We received the packages and should be able to send them to you. Christmas was enjoyable for the family and was nice to have Bonni and Chris and their family here. Ben and Chris were playing a board game and I know they would have loved to have you there. You are loved and missed. We know that you are doing your best and hope that you are finding joy in serving the Lord. This Sunday Josep Rivera will give his farewell talk in the Galena branch. In our ward, Maddie will give here farewell talk and Elder Wellman will give his homecoming talk. Mom would like your companion or one of the other missionaries to take another picture of you for your plaque at the ward. The pictures we took of you turned out great but mom (and the bishop) wants to have one with your name tag. Try for a "school picture" look like Kevin Wellman's.

Please keep up the good work and study hard. We continue to pray for you.

We love you.

Dad, mom, and the rest, here on Jordan's fan club

Surprise from the MTC!

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

Family photos at Wheeler Farm November 2013