Week 29 "V.'s Baptism"

Hey!

  V. our investigator got baptized this week!  He is one of those people who I meet and say, wow, this is a miracle that fell from the skies.  He is an middle aged man with two sons, one has been baptized already, and I am so happy Elder Sanchez and I got to teach him, the whole process was just a blessing.  He, since the beginning, had a sincere desire to change his life; he focused a lot on the concept of repentance, and he stayed very strong in staying diligent and committed throughout the teaching process. 

V.'s Baptism

 One of the poignant moments in our teaching occurred after we taught V. the word of wisdom, and a week and a couple days remained until the baptism. That night Elder Sanchez and I asked him if he would stop smoking one week before the baptism, at least.  When I asked if he thought that would be possible to quit smoking by then, he surprised me by speaking in english to me, saying, ''Jones, it's not a question, I have to.''  His response took me back, because he felt so strongly about baptism that he really pushed aside any other thoughts of failure, worry, or fear.  Vianney fulfilled his promise, and his baptism was a really powerful event.  I got to give a little talk on baptism, and elder Sanchez carried out the ordinance.   We felt so happy that he got baptized and got to be a part of this really important part of his life.  

V.'s Baptism

   Today, we followed our classic prep-day routine.  We wake up a little early, work out, eat breakfast (we shook things up with pancakes this morning), study, make a shopping list, go shopping, carry 80 pounds worth of groceries to the bus stop, get back home, put everything in the fridge, help the other elders finish cleaning, eat a bowl of Muesli cereal for lunch, go out and tackle the france-wide SOLDES (sales), then finally come in to send emails.  Pretty good day.  I took some funny pictures today, and I'm really enjoying myself here.  I feel like Heavenly Father is really trying to make me happy, and I am feeling happier in general. 

The mission is really good, I encourage anyone who can go and feels like they should to go. The whole experience is like trying to describe a cool travel location to someone who's never been.  You just gotta go, and see what happens - it'll be good! As simple as a mission seems, there's a lot of unexpected, for good or bad, and the good thing is all the learning you do and all the hard things you go through benefit other people and you.  Prepare yourself and I'll exhort all of you to go out of your way to be kinder to everyone.  The gospel is true!

Elder Jamison Jones.

 Elder Stucki, Taylor, Jones, and Sanchez

Week 28 "Moving Froward With New converts in Lille"

The week went well.  I started Tuesday with district meeting, then exchanges with elder Ruttan from BC Canada.  He's going home soon and I enjoyed feeling the good vibe of a missionary who is close to the very end, he just had a very calm, confident, organized spirit, and that was nice; I would really like to develop that inward attribute.  It's been really hard at the beginning of my mission, because I feel stressed, or confused, or sometimes inadequate, but I have faith that with time that will go away and I will be able to have a greater confidence and inward calmness doing the work.  Fun thing, at the end of the time with elder Ruttan, the local senior couple came and took us out to pizza after inspecting our apartment!  

Remy and I.  Remy has been a member for 5 years, and we go to his house to give him sacrament when work doesn't permit him to get to church. I had to take this photo since he was wearing his Utah Utes shirt. 

    This week we had the opportunity to visit a couple of our recent converts and less-active members.  I feel like missionary work for them is just as important as work for people preparing to get baptized, because missionary work includes helping people both before and after they're baptized.  A big pattern I've seen, the thing that recent converts and less-active members need is friendship and love, more than anything.  Some people find it hard to come to church because they don't have any friends there, so my commitment to all of you is to try to befriend everybody at church, because it's not a place to sport your social hierarchy, it's to help other people.  Oh, and repent.  

Me making salmon

 We've also had a good week teaching one investigator we have named V.  He is super, super ready to be baptized, and surprise, he is most likely getting baptized this Saturday.  He has been a great person to teach not only in the aspect that he understands the concepts we teach really well, but he also gives Elder Sanchez and I supportive advice that makes our day.  A mission can be really hard, and it's very nice to have someone to give a kind word.  I was really happy to get to teach him, and honestly, he's one of those miracles that fell right out of the sky.

   Now we'll take it back to today, our Pday.  Elder Sanchez and I woke up, worked out, ate breakfast and I multitasked, moving wash between studies to save time, then at ten we headed out to shop for groceries.  We came back, I wrote a letter, ate cereal, and finished the afternoon hunting for deals in downtown Lille.  Soldes is in full force, things are good here!  

   I am trying to slim-down, specify, and accomplish realistic goals this week. That's my goal! Love you all!  Hope your week is full of cool little miracles!

Elder Jamison Jones 

Week 27 "Lille"

Hello!

This one's gonna be shorter folks.  My time got eaten up this afternoon at SOLDES, the French store discount time.  All the stores go on discount at once, and it's a great time to get discounted clothes, also known as the time missionaries try to buy all their clothes.  Let's say I bought quite a bit of stuff today.  Big coat, sweaters, a scarf, it'll be good!  

Me and Elder Sanchez with V.

   Well I want to thank all those from whom I received letters, that was super kind of all of you, thank you so much! I am happy to say that, with taking a step back, everything is going very well here.  I am loving Lille, and this week went really well.  I am happy to report that someone we talked to a while back came to church!  That was such a cool thing.  Also, our investigator V.  is continuing to progress really, really well.  Unfortunately he is moving just in time for his baptism but I'm glad Elder Sanchez and I had the opportunity to teach him!   

  You're all dying to know about Charlie, or in other words the terrorist attacks, I'm sure.  Well, here in Lille we heard about the attacks and everything was okay for us, although we were shocked a little bit.  We took a couple precautions, but in general we as missionaries weren't in any grave danger.  I thought the manifestations with everyone holding JE SUIS CHARLIE signs in the air was really cool, we got to see the real French revolutionary-sort-of spirit! 

   Once again, we had a really good week, and the highlight was seeing two of the individuals we are teaching, the only two, come to church, as well as some of the recent converts as well.  I had a cool thought in one of the church classes too, and I thought I would share it with you all.  The mission, well our entire Lives are like a marathon, we are all running this huge race, and sometimes we, I, feel so tired, or confused, a 'why am I even running this race anyway?' sort of feeling.  Well, I feel like Reading Scriptures, Going to Church, and Praying Daily are three things we do daily that are the vital things we do, that relate to the running we do in the race.  If we keep those basic things up, we will surely run at a constant pace, and obtain the ultimate goal at the end. 

Love you all!

Elder Jamison Jones

Week 26 "Happy Nouvelle Année!"

Bonjour tout le monde.  

Good week, good week.  Tired but good, emailing is kind of like that water stand every little bit in the marathon, haha.  But don't worry too much about me, I like running. 

Elder Sanchez and I walking around the center of Lille

I love embarrassing Elder Sanchez

   Elder Sanchez and I received a referral from the bishop last sunday night.  We have been teaching V. each day of the week, and he is mentally, spiritually, emotionally prepared to be baptized!  He has a son who got baptized a year ago, but because of his work situation he couldn't make the lessons, but, oh, we got him during the holidays, that's for sure.  V. is a really nice guy, like super warm and welcoming, and he is someone who when we read and teach from the little pamphlets he really internalizes and thinks about the concepts.  He is especially fascinated with repentance, and the steps involved.  He is also a really motivational man who tells us almost every time we come over, that 'you have such a great blessing to know all that you do (concerning the gospel) at your age, you're so young!'  V's complements and the opportunity to visit him has really been an emotional boost. 

good view of my new haircut

   Did anything fun happen this week, of course.  I got to enjoy P day and New years day as breaks from the normal missionary routine - we watched How To Train Your Dragon 2.  We spent dinner with members, becoming-more-active people, and investigators.  Elder Sanchez did a great job cooking up some turkey with lemon rice and veggies last night.  Even if I don't have people to cook for me like some South American missionaries, at least I have my companion Elder Sanchez...I've really got to start writing all these recipes down. 

a sandwich I made a couple days ago, It was pretty good

Me eating french Toast on New years Day

my serious study face

   Each day has it's little miracles.  We were able to see a couple of Recent converts and other potential amis this week that we haven't seen for a while! Overall and honestly I'm glad the Lord sees fit to put up with my imperfection in a work that's so massive and requires so much on-top-of-things ability.  Every day I have a bunch of imperfections but I'm happy that Heavenly Father loves me and helps me see the happy things every day.  I'm just happy to be here in France doing good things.

Love you all!

Elder Jamison Jones

The clock tower and opera house with Elder Stucki in foreground

the moon

the moon at night