Sept 28, 2015

Hey everybody!! So sorry that I haven't been able to get a group email
out in... Well a couple weeks! I know it's been awhile but I get so
stinking busy on my Pdays it's crazy!! First off, I LOVE CHICAGO!!!
Second I love the Latino people here with all my heart. The people in
my ward have really given me an amazing welcome and they all love me
lots so it's great!

I'm sure most of you know the daily schedule of a missionary so I
won't go into that much but I do wanna say that we have a car, (the
only red car in the mission I might add and I totally feel like
Stitch) and we do a whole lot of driving. My companion and I have one
of the biggest ares and at some points we have had to drive 45 min for
one appointment!!

I love teaching people and I feel like my Spanish has improved 63%!!!
Which I feel like is a lot so I am proud. I don't get to talk as much
as I would like to in a day though and it's something I really need to
work on!!

A funny experience that happened to us this last week was with this
one lady that we have been teaching for about two weeks really had a
change of heart and decided she hated us one day. So we showed up to
our appointment and the Book of Mormon that we gave her was sitting on
the porch in a plastic bag. So ouch. But it's ok because my spirits
are still high!! My soul delighteth in the things of the Lord and he
is my joy.

Thank you all so much for your emails and support of me. Hopefully I
will be able to think of more awesome experiences as I try to get this
email out every week. My favorite part so far was last pday though. We
had the opportunity to borrow a couple of bikes and go to the actually
city of Chicago and bike around and talk to people all day. It was
extremely downtown which is an experience I have never had before and
I loved it to death!! I can't wait to be in a bike area!!

I love you all and you are in my prayers for sure! Please try to
remember the Lord in all things for he has given you all things and I
promise you that. Never forget him and why you are here! I love you
all very much!

-Elder Jones

 District lunch 

 Flour fight 

 Finally made it downtown and to the Bean.  Love riding bikes. notice the pant legs tucked in "it's a bike thing"

Sept 14 2015

Quick update!! Well Chicago rocks peeps, well at least the suburbs do.  I haven't been downtown yet.  It is super
pretty up here!!!  I love being with the missionaries in my district and members tho!! They are amazing! Keep sending me pics/letters  I really need that. I'll try to get a big email out next week.  I always run out of time on Pdays.  Also.... Did you guys get my package? I sent you Bueno bars. They were so good in Mexico I brought some with me to mail to you guys.  Maybe you won't like them but they tasted good in Mexico cause I hadn't had treats in awhile.

Here we go...

New companion/trainer and the mission president and his wife.  Glad to be in Chicago...

Sept 7, 2015 1st P-day in the mission

The Mexico airport was way fun. I loved talking to you guys (family) at the airport and the people were psycho there!! We got eggs and bean paste on the plane so it was fine;) just kidding it was nasty as poop but I ate it!! I pretty much eat everything now, seriously there isn't much that I won't put in my face after living in Mexico. Yesterday we ate tacos at Hermana Guardados house and I picked up a tortilla, brushed the ant off of it and then made my taco:) haha it is a blast here.  We got delayed for so long getting out of Mexico that we weren't able to see the city like we were supposed to but it's all good. 

My area is absolutely huge and boring. I am stationed in Gurnee it is literally the top sliver of the mission.  We are as far away from the downtown city and anything like unto it.  There are tons of corn fields around here. We have a car because it's so big and we never get to talk to anybody that isn't a member or inactive. We pretty much just work with members here so I don't get the opportunity to bring many new people to Christ that often.  We have had one lesson with an investigator. But it's alright and I'm having fun!
  
I have an iPad that I study with everyday and it's super useful. I am reading two books by prophets and am almost done and I have plenty of study time.    It is probably safe to send packages now:)  If you want information give me specific questions it will just be easier to answer you that way.
I love you mom!

Not sure who this picture is could be district in CCM before he left or Elders that he traveled to Chicago with.  Hopefully he will share the names next week.

Elder Jones

Aug 31 2015

Received this today from mission home in Chicago

This email is to let you know that your missionary arrived in the Illinois Chicago Mission on Monday, August 31 and will be a blessing to this mission.  When missionaries arrive, their luggage is transported to the Mission Home, and the missionaries are taken to the train to travel to and from downtown Chicago.  They are given the opportunity to contact people and place a Book of Mormon in this process. It is an exciting introduction to missionary work.

When the missionaries arrive back at the mission home, there is a dinner of Chicago Pizza for them.  After dinner they are trained by President Woodbury, Sister Woodbury, and the office staff.    They sleep at the mission home that night.

On Tuesday morning, the new missionaries all travel to the nearby Willmette Stake Center where transfers take place. First there is more training. They receive their IPads and get them set up.  Then, after brief messages from our President, the trainers are asked to sit on the stand, then come up one by one and describe their area of service.  Then President Woodbury introduces the missionary they will be training.  Some hugging and handshaking takes place as they return to the congregation to be seated together. 

After this, the missionaries travel to their area of service and your missionary will begin actual missionary service.

The new missionaries are always excited and full of energy, and bring that delightful spirit with them to the mission where we all enjoy their enthusiasm. 

Also, it is possible you might see a picture of your missionary on the Christensen’s personal mission blog –vonandcarolynchristensen.blogspot.com

Aug 30 2015

Received this today from the mission pres wife in Mexcio City CCM 

Elders and Hermanas,

It has been a pleasure to serve with you.  Thank you for your examples of dedication to the Lord and for the service you are about to give.  We send our love and prayers with you as you begin this most important part of your life.  

We love you,

Hermana Call

Aug 25 2015

This is my last email from the CCM.  I will be in Chicago by next week.  I am really glad because the food here is just the same and I can't eat another taco.  I have made a ton of new friends down here and seen many of my buddys from high school.  I even ran into my best friend from 1st-3rd grade Timp Academy Zach Burbidge.  I am ready to get to work in Chicago.  Thanks for the support and keep those letters coming.
Address in Chicago for letters or packages
Elder Kelly Jones
Illinois Chicago Mission
800 Waukegan Rd Ste 203
Glenview, IL 60025

 MMHS boys

 Jon Chappell

Zach and me 

 district selfie

Aug 18 2015

Happy Pday everybody!!! Well at least I hope that you all have as good of a day as I do on my Pdays! 

I just have two experiences that I want to share this week! 

1) today we had the opportunity to go to the open house of the Mexico City Temple and it was a most incredible adventure! If you know anything about the roads in places that aren't America.... There are almost no rules. We sing hymns the whole way there and that is about the only reason I feel safe as our bus driver cuts people off and shoots gaps in LITERALLY A BUS. The temple was gorgeous and the Spirit of the Lord is already settling in those holy rooms.

2) I was called on to give a talk in sacrament on Sunday. So I don't know how it works in other MTCs, but here everybody writes a talk during the week on one of two given topics and after the opening hymn a member of our presidency will announce who is speaking that day. It is a real life Hunger Games. Now about last Tuesday my companion and I had volunteered to bless the sacrament and so I thought that there was no way they would call on me for a talk. So I didn't actually write one... Ya whoops. 2 minutes before I go up there to speak a buddy of mine in my district sees me frantically... whatever I was doing and slips me his talk. I literally was changing it into Spanish as I gave it in front of our whole zone. What an experience:) 

So the CCM is super great and I love hearing from all of you!! Continue to be followers of Christ and you will be blessed in all that you do, I promise this as His designated representative. 

Love you all and you are in my prayers,

Elder Kelly Jones