Feb 22 2016

So sorry that I wasn't able to get an email out last week. It's because I just moved (got transferred) into a new area!! I was super busy last Monday getting ready. So I officially live in the city of Chicago now! My new comp is Elder Rejas from Lima Peru he has been out 6 months.
How cool is that?? Just a little of what I do now, no more car and a lot of walking. We take the bus or train to wherever we need to go. Downtown is in my area and it is so much fun!

Way cool but some information about here: the church building that I meet in is called the Logan Square building and it is the only LDS church building with under ground parking. Not sure if that's true but I was told so and I believe it cause it's cool so... Someone check that out for me:) I already miss my member families in Gurnee but I can't wait to meet the people of Chicago 3rd ward.

On the spiritual side God lives. I just want all of you to know that I have a testimony of Jesus Christ and I know he helps all of us with every part of our lives. If you can't see it you just need to look
harder. I love this gospel and I love all of you. Thank you so much for your support of me!
Jones

Feb 15 2016

Hey mom isn't it your birthday today? Well happy birthday then. Have a great day without me. I know you can't but just try anyways maybe the girls can make you a cake.

So Elder Jensen is in Blue Island and he has till October of this year before he goes home. I know nothing about my new area. I will have another native so I will not have had a white companion yet in the field. I have no idea what apartment it will be. I guarantee it's not gonna be one I've been to before. Everybody is walking right now. It's too cold to bike. I am in a biking area so maybe in the spring. I am busy today with packing and moving. It's February and I'm not shoveling everyday.. Little disappointed to be honest;) they tell us this is gonna be one of the lightest snowfall years in a long time. So great. Right when I get here and I wanna see some 6 feet days and we get the shaft:(

Have a great week.
Elder Jones

Feb 8 2016

Hello everybody!!!

This is Elder Jones from Chicago Illinois, in case anyone forgot. I know it's been a long time since I sent a weekly email but I have two excuses this time! During both of my last two pdays the elder around me here in Gurnee have had trouble with emails but it's all good now!

For any who does not know I will be hitting my six month mark of serving here next week and I am so excited! I don't think they will be throwing me any parties but a six months missionary is a cool missionary here (at least that's what they tell me).

In the last two weeks some cool things that have happened were deer tacos, way cool black ladies, and the rabbit that I almost caught. So the deer tacos were from a super awesome Mexican lady with a big white husband. He shoots and she cooks and that's how it works in their house. Deep fried deer meat is a delicacy here. The black ladies story happened as we were leaving a medical clinic (we were there for my comp who was having back trouble) these two ladies see and us and flip out going, "are you guys Mormons?! Hey look at the Mormons!" We proceeded to have a stirring conversation about how they knew the missionaries in Ohio and they loved the "Holy Spirit" that they brought into their house but they lost contact when they moved here. So we gave them our number and are still hoping they call to have us over! And the rabbit... Let's just say we didn't have dinner one night. And then let's just say we still went hungry. Rabbits are way fast.

That's about it for me! Thanks so much for all your support. love the Lord everyone and it will all work out!
-Elder Jones

Feb 1 2016

Bad news I slipped and fell on ice and my Ipad went flying and broke. Our plans changed last Pday and we got to go to the city and hang with Jensen:) I love Elder Jensen!!! I am most likely being transferred. Six months in Gurnee and it's almost time for me to head somewhere else, most likely south side of Chicago mom;) haha how crazy is that?
So for the last... At least a month and a half:) Hermano Obregon has been teasing me that if I don't speak enough Spanish that he will make menudo when we come to eat. And finally he did it!! Last Monday we show up and they are like are you ready? And the whole time I was always like bring it on. Ya I can do it. Obviously you know me;) and they set it in front of me and oh my gosh... Look at that picture. It looks disgusting. It is cow intestines in a nasty soup is literally the whole dish. I took two bites and told them that it was horrible and they just started laughing at me. They had chicken ready for me in case I hated it. I feel bad for Kalen cause he has to eat that kind of stuff with a smile on his face. Here the members do it more as a joke.  The stuff that looks hairy really is.

Jan 25, 2016

So this is George we went in to get haircuts and he said "I need a haircut soon" so I said "I can shave your head". So he let me do it.


Update on lake slidding: The neck is gonna be fine. I think I am already all good but I am scheduled tomorrow for a ct scan on head and neck just in case. We are doing laundry right now and pretty much no plans the rest of the day. Shout out to my cousin Noah for entering MTC!! Atlanta is going to love you.

On Wednesday we had the coolest opportunity to take part in a World Wide Missionary broadcast from the church. It was in the morning and Kalen and I were probably watching it at the same time:) how cool is that?! It was very inspirational and uplifting as we heard from Neil A Anderson and Dallin H Oaks. Super neat experience that no other missionaries have had in over 10 years. Then we actually had to go back to the doctors office for my companion this time because he is having back pain. On Thursday we had interviews with president and that was fun. Friday we went on exchanges. Ooh boy.
So exchanges. Elder Seger came to my area with me for the day. I would describe him as... A soul searcher. And I say that because if he wasn't asking me thought provoking questions like, "why are you here on a mission?" Then he was asking things like, "what kind of man do you think you'll be at the end?". You know me not much of a talker so I was sick of that before we got back to our house on Thursday night!! It was a great exchange for missionary work though we were able to contact a guy where I placed a Book of Mormon like 4 months ago and we had a lesson with this other guy that was just a stop by so it was a good day but man!! Elder Seger could talk the ears off of every relief society across the globe mom and I ain't kidding;)

Saturday was the bomb:) ELDER JENSEN CAME BACK UP FOR A BAPTISM!!!! It was so exciting!! :) he baptized a lady he had taught up here for a while so he came up with Elder Lee. he goes home in three weeks and he is the coolest guy. So they rode up here with president and then we had to take them to the train station afterward so I got to hang with Jensen for like and hour before the train. Then when we got to the station it was all closed down and apparently the train had left an hour before when they thought so we had to just drive them all the way to the mission home and it was great:) agh I miss Jensen he's a great kid!!