If you haven't watched this video...you must watch...soooo funny!
25 April 2008
24 April 2008
Our first pics of Christi in the MTC
Christi's District
We dropped Christi off with sunshine and warm weather....4 days later she was bundled up in all her winter garb...gotta love UT springs.
Her first companion...and if you remember from one of her first letters...she is like Christi's older sisters...and lets her know what she needs to do....I sure like this one!
Portions of letters to her sisters...(April 24, 2008)
So Christi decided that this week she would send one email with a short paragraph to each of us...then a general letter. Our paragraphs are pretty much direct answers to questions (as if I am supposed to remember what I asked) I think it only fair to post a few excerpts from the other emails, as it sounds a bit more like Chris then the general letter does...
Teri-
Thanks so much for the Blog!! That is so awesome...I'm practically famous now!! lol!!
(not sure who she thinks is looking at this that would make her famous)
Yes I did mean thigh-highs. I want to try them out. (pretty sure that Grandma gave her this idea)...
Vicki-
Thanks for the words of encouragement. The language is coming. I still can't speak it really at all, but I can
understand more and more everyday. Thanks for all the great advice. oh yeah...I meant to say this last time. I loved the story about the tick. The way you told it to me in the letter made me laugh!! I was laughing so loud that my district made me tell them. They thought it was funny...especially the aunt ticky part!! Sorry about the stitches though!! I can't wait to see the scar!! ;o)
(if you haven't heard this story...ask her...pretty sure gross is more appropriate then funny, however, when Vicki tells a story it will make you laugh).
Mandy-
My favorite thing about the MTC is probably the RC where I get to make phone calls and talk about the Gospel. Although this past week I was there from 1:45-3:15 and I talked to about 7 people. No one would answer there phone!! I will try to mail off a copy of my weekly schedule soon. Thanks for thinking of me during the day!!
(I think Mandy must ask questions about her schedule in every letter...Mandy just can't stand not knowing what other people are doing:-)
We love our Sister Jones! She says that Dear Elder is the best way to write her as she is timed on the email...it's very easy and free while she is in the MTC!!!!
Teri-
Thanks so much for the Blog!! That is so awesome...I'm practically famous now!! lol!!
(not sure who she thinks is looking at this that would make her famous)
Yes I did mean thigh-highs. I want to try them out. (pretty sure that Grandma gave her this idea)...
Vicki-
Thanks for the words of encouragement. The language is coming. I still can't speak it really at all, but I can
understand more and more everyday. Thanks for all the great advice. oh yeah...I meant to say this last time. I loved the story about the tick. The way you told it to me in the letter made me laugh!! I was laughing so loud that my district made me tell them. They thought it was funny...especially the aunt ticky part!! Sorry about the stitches though!! I can't wait to see the scar!! ;o)
(if you haven't heard this story...ask her...pretty sure gross is more appropriate then funny, however, when Vicki tells a story it will make you laugh).
Mandy-
My favorite thing about the MTC is probably the RC where I get to make phone calls and talk about the Gospel. Although this past week I was there from 1:45-3:15 and I talked to about 7 people. No one would answer there phone!! I will try to mail off a copy of my weekly schedule soon. Thanks for thinking of me during the day!!
(I think Mandy must ask questions about her schedule in every letter...Mandy just can't stand not knowing what other people are doing:-)
We love our Sister Jones! She says that Dear Elder is the best way to write her as she is timed on the email...it's very easy and free while she is in the MTC!!!!
Hallo....I love the MTC (letter from Christi April 24, 2008)
Ok, so this past week has been SO great. The Lord knows us so well. It
is crazy!! I was getting a little frustrated with the language because
It's not coming as fast as I had hoped. Then on Sunday my branch pres
gave the BEST talk!! He talked to us about faith and hope. My favorite
thing that he said was, "Doubt and fear are opposed to faith. Doubt and
fear cannot exsist if there is faith." I felt like he prepared that
talk just for me. It was so amazing. It's not that I didn't have faith, I
was just doubting the power that God really has to help me. He did not
send me here to fail!! He wants me to succeed!! Then I got to watch a
talk by Jeffery R. Holland about the gift of teaching. It was just for me
as well. My favorite thing that he said was, "Never let your faith be
difficult to detect." I wish everyone could watch that!!
My days are pretty much the same every week!! The meetings are all
amazing!! The Spirit is so inspiring!! I want to just run over to Germany
and convert the whole country!! It is possible...we just need faith. My
favorite thing here is the RC and the TRC. I love being able to teach
the Gospel. The RC I get to testify on the phone and it is amazing. I
talked to this lady who used to be a member and I got to testify about
Jesus Christ and how much he loves us and how he can heal all wounds!! I
love this Gospel!!
is crazy!! I was getting a little frustrated with the language because
It's not coming as fast as I had hoped. Then on Sunday my branch pres
gave the BEST talk!! He talked to us about faith and hope. My favorite
thing that he said was, "Doubt and fear are opposed to faith. Doubt and
fear cannot exsist if there is faith." I felt like he prepared that
talk just for me. It was so amazing. It's not that I didn't have faith, I
was just doubting the power that God really has to help me. He did not
send me here to fail!! He wants me to succeed!! Then I got to watch a
talk by Jeffery R. Holland about the gift of teaching. It was just for me
as well. My favorite thing that he said was, "Never let your faith be
difficult to detect." I wish everyone could watch that!!
My days are pretty much the same every week!! The meetings are all
amazing!! The Spirit is so inspiring!! I want to just run over to Germany
and convert the whole country!! It is possible...we just need faith. My
favorite thing here is the RC and the TRC. I love being able to teach
the Gospel. The RC I get to testify on the phone and it is amazing. I
talked to this lady who used to be a member and I got to testify about
Jesus Christ and how much he loves us and how he can heal all wounds!! I
love this Gospel!!
18 April 2008
I'm speaking to the Germans (letter from Christi April 17, 2008)
On Sunday I got to go to Relief Society and the speaker was sister Thompson from the RS general Pres. She is so amazing!! She served in Hamburg as well!! I didn't really get to talk to her, but I shook her hand really quick and told her where I was going!! It was great.I got to teach the second lesson for the first time on Tuesday. It went pretty well. We also did this tack where we had to "pick-up" our "investigator" and take them on a "bus" to church. It was 15 min long and all in German...well it was supposed to be!! I'm really struggling with the language so I did the best I could. She was from Germany and I couldn't understand a word she said in German. It went pretty well...I just can't compare myself to the other people in my class or to my comp.
I got to go to the RC again on Wed (actually we get to go every Wed) and it was so great. That is probably my favorite thing to do here!! I talked to this one lady and I was in the middle of bearing my testimony when she hung up on me!! I laughed...it was pretty funny!! I also got to teach this one lady about the restoration of the Gospel. I love being able to teach about that and bear my testimony!! It makes me feel so good.I got a blessing on Wednesday night from a member of my branch pres. and it was the best blessing I have ever gotten. He told me so many wonderful things!! I was feeling so defeated and down about my ability to speak (or should I say not speak) so I asked him for a blessing and I'm so glad that I did!! I wish I could share what he said but it is just so personal!! My heavenly father truly knows me and loves me!!Even though this is the hardest thing I have ever done I know that I am supposed to be here!! It is so wonderful to be learning about the true Gospel of Jesus Christ everyday!!I
love you all,
Sister Jones
I got to go to the RC again on Wed (actually we get to go every Wed) and it was so great. That is probably my favorite thing to do here!! I talked to this one lady and I was in the middle of bearing my testimony when she hung up on me!! I laughed...it was pretty funny!! I also got to teach this one lady about the restoration of the Gospel. I love being able to teach about that and bear my testimony!! It makes me feel so good.I got a blessing on Wednesday night from a member of my branch pres. and it was the best blessing I have ever gotten. He told me so many wonderful things!! I was feeling so defeated and down about my ability to speak (or should I say not speak) so I asked him for a blessing and I'm so glad that I did!! I wish I could share what he said but it is just so personal!! My heavenly father truly knows me and loves me!!Even though this is the hardest thing I have ever done I know that I am supposed to be here!! It is so wonderful to be learning about the true Gospel of Jesus Christ everyday!!I
love you all,
Sister Jones
MTC life (letter from Christi April 10, 2008)
Hello Mom, Mandy, Vicki, and Teri,
I thought that I would write to all of you since I don't have much time to write and I would tell you all the same things anyways!! Things are going really good here. The German is still slow, but the lessons are coming. I just taught again on Tuesday with my companion to a fake investigator and the spirit was so strong she started to cry. I thought it was so great to realize that the Spirit really does continue to testify of the truthfulness of the Gospel. He never stops!! I love it. Every time I teach the Spirit bears witness to me that this is true!! Everything is true...Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and Jesus Christ!! This is exactly where I want to be. The days aren't exactly chocolate and roses, but they are so much filled with the Spirit that some how I get through!!
My companions name is Sister Pelo. She is very sweet. She is the oldest in her family, so just like my sisters that I love, she sometimes bosses me around...and we all know how much I LOVE that!! lol!! We make sure to talk about everything so that we don't hold any secret grudges!! It seems to be working really well. We are really learning how to work together and also teach together. My district is so great. They can sometimes be so fun that it turns into a distraction from studying so sometimes sister pelo and I have to study elsewhere. They are really cool though and we are having fun!! I have 2 teachers Brother Stewart and Sister Zabriskie. They both served in Berlin. They have very different teaching styles, but in their own way that are very good!! I love both of them and look up to them a lot.
As you probably noticed, there was no missionary choir for conference, but I did get to watch all of the sessions. It was SO great huh?? I loved it!! I am in the missionary choir that performs at all the devotionals though...although that wasn't hard to get into because they ask all sisters to join. I knew that there would be a lot of elders, but I didn't realize HOW out numbered I would be!! :o)
I ran into a couple people I know...I've seen Nicole Friszell and actually said goodbye to her before she left on Tuesday. I've seen Justin MicKell and Devin Gleason. I've also seen a few girls that I knew at BYU-I!! That was pretty awesome!!
I get up around 6:00-6:15am. They say that you should get up at 6:30am, but that only gives me about 20min to get ready before I have to be in class. I'm gone in class all day long...well either class, studying, eating, or gyming (lol) and then I go back to my room at 9:30pm and lights out at 10:30pm. You would think that I would fall asleep fast, but I can't get to sleep at night...it's a little frustrating, but I hope to adapt soon!!
Church is great, but it is mostly spoken in German. They do most of the announcements in English, but the rest is in German. It's a little overwhelming, but I hope to get used to it!! And yes...I miss all of you, but I love the Lord to much to let me dwell on that!! It would be to hard if I just thought about how much I'm missing at home!! No laughing is aloud by the way with out me!! lol Most of that last paragraph was to answer Mandy's millions of questions!! lol I hope it helped you get a better picture of MTC life!!Well I only have a minute left to type so I better go!! I love you all and love getting your letters please continue to write!!
Sister Jones
I thought that I would write to all of you since I don't have much time to write and I would tell you all the same things anyways!! Things are going really good here. The German is still slow, but the lessons are coming. I just taught again on Tuesday with my companion to a fake investigator and the spirit was so strong she started to cry. I thought it was so great to realize that the Spirit really does continue to testify of the truthfulness of the Gospel. He never stops!! I love it. Every time I teach the Spirit bears witness to me that this is true!! Everything is true...Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and Jesus Christ!! This is exactly where I want to be. The days aren't exactly chocolate and roses, but they are so much filled with the Spirit that some how I get through!!
My companions name is Sister Pelo. She is very sweet. She is the oldest in her family, so just like my sisters that I love, she sometimes bosses me around...and we all know how much I LOVE that!! lol!! We make sure to talk about everything so that we don't hold any secret grudges!! It seems to be working really well. We are really learning how to work together and also teach together. My district is so great. They can sometimes be so fun that it turns into a distraction from studying so sometimes sister pelo and I have to study elsewhere. They are really cool though and we are having fun!! I have 2 teachers Brother Stewart and Sister Zabriskie. They both served in Berlin. They have very different teaching styles, but in their own way that are very good!! I love both of them and look up to them a lot.
As you probably noticed, there was no missionary choir for conference, but I did get to watch all of the sessions. It was SO great huh?? I loved it!! I am in the missionary choir that performs at all the devotionals though...although that wasn't hard to get into because they ask all sisters to join. I knew that there would be a lot of elders, but I didn't realize HOW out numbered I would be!! :o)
I ran into a couple people I know...I've seen Nicole Friszell and actually said goodbye to her before she left on Tuesday. I've seen Justin MicKell and Devin Gleason. I've also seen a few girls that I knew at BYU-I!! That was pretty awesome!!
I get up around 6:00-6:15am. They say that you should get up at 6:30am, but that only gives me about 20min to get ready before I have to be in class. I'm gone in class all day long...well either class, studying, eating, or gyming (lol) and then I go back to my room at 9:30pm and lights out at 10:30pm. You would think that I would fall asleep fast, but I can't get to sleep at night...it's a little frustrating, but I hope to adapt soon!!
Church is great, but it is mostly spoken in German. They do most of the announcements in English, but the rest is in German. It's a little overwhelming, but I hope to get used to it!! And yes...I miss all of you, but I love the Lord to much to let me dwell on that!! It would be to hard if I just thought about how much I'm missing at home!! No laughing is aloud by the way with out me!! lol Most of that last paragraph was to answer Mandy's millions of questions!! lol I hope it helped you get a better picture of MTC life!!Well I only have a minute left to type so I better go!! I love you all and love getting your letters please continue to write!!
Sister Jones
The MTC is so Rockin' (letter from Christi April 3, 2008)
Hi family...mom...whoever reads this email!!
The MTC is so rockin!! I love it here!! The spirit is so strong and the people are so amazing. I have so much to say, but only a few minutes to write. I've been so grateful to the Lord that I haven't really been that home sick...it's probably because I have been so busy!! The first day of class...Thursday the 27th...I learned how to pray and bear my testimony in German!! It was very overwhelming. I actually had a mini breakdown on Friday night because of all the stress and overwhelming feelings that I was letting myself have!! I am doing ton better....I try not to stress myself out anymore. Plus everyone said.."if you make it till Sunday, everything is better!!" I didn't really believe it, but it is SO true!!
I have been having so much fun. On Tuesday I had a "task" where my comp (sister Pelo) and I had to meet someone (a volunteer) and bear our testimony to them and ask if we could meet with them....all done in GERMAN!!! AHHH!! I was so scared and we definitely were not perfect, but it was fun. We also had to teach the first lesson to an "investigator" (a volunteer as well). We had practiced a lot and prepared...so we went in with out any notes and did really well. We only used a 3x5 card with some scripture references on it!! After that I wanted to leave on my mission right then. I was so "high" om the spirit, it was amazing!! Then yesterday we went to the RC...you know those LDS commercials that say you can call and get a free book of Mormon or video?? Well, they have the missionaries at the MTC answer those calls!! So, I was very nervous...I don't really like talking on the phone in the first place, but I sucked it up and after orientation I had time to talk to one lady. I actually called her to find out if she had received her BofM and I got to bear my testimony to her about how it is true and that I know that if she reads it it will bring her closer to Jesus Christ!! It was so amazing...I love it!! I thought it was going to be horribly scary, but I just kind of knew what to say!!
Thank you for EVERYTHING!! I love you all!! Remember that God loves you and that Jesus Christ lived and died for you. He is always there for you and knows everything that you are going through!!
Love, Sister Jones
P.S. Please continue to pray for me...I really am having a hard time with the language!!
The MTC is so rockin!! I love it here!! The spirit is so strong and the people are so amazing. I have so much to say, but only a few minutes to write. I've been so grateful to the Lord that I haven't really been that home sick...it's probably because I have been so busy!! The first day of class...Thursday the 27th...I learned how to pray and bear my testimony in German!! It was very overwhelming. I actually had a mini breakdown on Friday night because of all the stress and overwhelming feelings that I was letting myself have!! I am doing ton better....I try not to stress myself out anymore. Plus everyone said.."if you make it till Sunday, everything is better!!" I didn't really believe it, but it is SO true!!
I have been having so much fun. On Tuesday I had a "task" where my comp (sister Pelo) and I had to meet someone (a volunteer) and bear our testimony to them and ask if we could meet with them....all done in GERMAN!!! AHHH!! I was so scared and we definitely were not perfect, but it was fun. We also had to teach the first lesson to an "investigator" (a volunteer as well). We had practiced a lot and prepared...so we went in with out any notes and did really well. We only used a 3x5 card with some scripture references on it!! After that I wanted to leave on my mission right then. I was so "high" om the spirit, it was amazing!! Then yesterday we went to the RC...you know those LDS commercials that say you can call and get a free book of Mormon or video?? Well, they have the missionaries at the MTC answer those calls!! So, I was very nervous...I don't really like talking on the phone in the first place, but I sucked it up and after orientation I had time to talk to one lady. I actually called her to find out if she had received her BofM and I got to bear my testimony to her about how it is true and that I know that if she reads it it will bring her closer to Jesus Christ!! It was so amazing...I love it!! I thought it was going to be horribly scary, but I just kind of knew what to say!!
Thank you for EVERYTHING!! I love you all!! Remember that God loves you and that Jesus Christ lived and died for you. He is always there for you and knows everything that you are going through!!
Love, Sister Jones
P.S. Please continue to pray for me...I really am having a hard time with the language!!
The drop-off (March 26, 2008)
We dropped Christi off at the MTC on March 26, 2008. She sure was ready to go! They told us that there were over 200 sisters entering the MTC that day...there was only one other girl that stood up when they asked all the missionaries to stand. It was a fun morning..Vicki, Teri, mom and Grandma Jones were all there to see her off. Not too many tears were shed...except when they made us watch that terrible movie "Called to Serve". Have you realized when you watch that movie you feel like you know those missionaries...I really think it is time to update it.
But back to Christi, I mean Sister Jones...she was left safe and sound in the capable hands of the MTC workers to start her new journey. She would love to hear from anyone...so please write.
Sister Constance Christine Jones
MTC mailbox #128
Ger-Ham o527
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604
Or you can go to dearelder.com and write her a letter that they will send that day for free!
To blog...
Taking the lead and idea from my Aunt Kim (who is doing this for her son, Alex)...we have decided to put together a blog to keep everyone updated on where and how Christi is doing. We will do our best to keep this updated with her location and goings on in Germany.
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