Week 94 "Springtime in Blois"

April 25, 2016

Hey everyone!

This week was really hard, but hard in the best of ways because I can't and won't complain about how wonderful this area is.
We met quite a bit of opposition coming from people on the road.  I met more rude people this week than ever before.  I could go through and tell you the mean things they all said, or I could just drop the issue there.  I believe, though, that God shows us equally good blessings for all the trials we have to go through and He showed us so many kind people despite all the mean.

        One of these good people named E. stopped us on our way back to the apartment Tuesday night after 9pm.  He passed us on the road and then called us back, asked if we were the mormons.  Turns out he met with missionaries two years ago, but then moved and got really busy.
He invited us to come back and teach him, which we did two days later and he actually wants to be baptized, even though he's let go on a lot of the good habits he acquired; he wants to give the gospel another shot!

        Another time we met a woman at the very end of the night.  We were going to come in early to (do something that seemed important) but I felt like we needed so stay out for a little bit, and the first lady we talked to...wow! She had experienced some marvelous events; she recently felt a lot of love from learning about Jesus Christ, which was a completely new concept to her, and we felt so much spiritual
power while talking to her. She accepted our invitation to learn from our teachings, but unfortunately she hasn't called us back yet.  Let's all hope and pray that she calls back!

        The S. Family is close to being baptized!  Well not necessarily close, but getting there. We met them at a bus stop two weeks ago, then we learned in our first meeting with them that the husband had never been baptized and is really wanting to get baptized.  We hope his action will be as true as his word, but what an amazing thing it is to find people who want to be baptized but have not yet done so!  I was really really happy that we talked to them on the road, just goes to show that you've got to talk to a lot of people and have the spirit of the Lord with you, and you'll find people that need Christ's gospel.

Jamison and Elder Smith

        Well that's all for now.  I may not have any time to write more today, but just know that the Lord is doing miracles all around us. We need to man up, pray, and not worry way too much because the Lord can do it, we only have to decide to work on his side of the battle. Because it is a battle.  I feel it.  The Lord's going to win!
Love you!
Elder Jones

Funny Mirror

Week 93 "Storm in Blois"

Jamison and Elder Smith in Blois before the storm  Tour de Val de Loire: Bike Race April 18, 2016 I'm thinking I'll summarize how this week went with a couple big ideas. One: Don't forget your recent converts in other cities! Two: Fill your mind with good constantly, and God will show you a lot more miracles. The first idea circulates around the calls I made to converts who had been baptized while I served in that city. Many of those who were baptized a year ago are no longer active, and that's hard for me. Each one of these people felt something powerful when they were baptized, and to realize that they've slipped away from active church involvement kind of hurts. I realize this slip is more common than I previously thought, maybe it's a natural part of being a new church member; the realization that life after baptism is still hard, and maybe harder in certain ways after baptism.  Especially feeling involved in the social loop of the church. I believe strongly that even though some people go less active in the church shortly after baptism, if I keep encouraging them, and the ward keeps helping them, then they'll come back even stronger than before. Place de La Bastille - Paris New church membership can be much more difficult than people who have been in the church for a long time think.  I I don't think they realize how estranged these people feel, how new this whole process feels.  I understand why children who are baptized at eight years old stay involved, it's because they've got a cocoon of support from their family and friends.  The challenge is for the people who go to church regularly to act like a big family for those new converts.  So, all of you reading this, reach out to those people whoever they are, and the Lord will bless you.  I know I would be grateful to any members who reach out to those who were baptized when I served in their city. Fill your mind with good constantly and the Lord will show you miracles.  Um, well, it's true.  The scriptures, talks from General conference, and inspiring music will force the bad out of your head and plant some good.  I think we focus too much on forcing, ripping, tearing out the bad in our head, when all we have to do is think some higher thought; it works.  More than forcibly thinking good things, just to have good things going in the background of your daily grind (such as good, uplifting music, or an inspiring talk) helps to make an okay day really good.  It's like God took off your headphones, your shades, and your big black overcoat all at once and said, 'look, it's a beautiful day!' I listened to/read some very inspiring material this week, and I'll tell you that we experienced a lot of miracles.  We found four new people to teach.  We attained our numerical goals for the week. We gave out four Books of Mormon! Things won't go perfect when you fill your mind with good, but things will undoubtedly go better. So try it; when you've got a free moment, read a verse of scripture, or listen to an inspiring motivational speaker or conference talk, it works!         Train Travel.  I don't know how I snapped this but it's beautiful!!! Now to fill you all in on what actually went on this week, in terms of physical events. As we were talking to people on the road one night, I was joking around with Elder S, saying the clouds don't have feelings, I'm going to insult them and see what happens; "I wouldn't do that if I were you", he said. We approach the river and our sunny clear night had transformed, sure enough, into a monster storm.  We took some pictures of the massive cold front eating Blois like a tidal wave then we ran home just in time to not get soaked. Giant Storm in Blois on Monday Night April 11, 2016 We visited with some members who cook really well.  We invited our Ami F to a fun activity with lots of different people who come to church. He was a little timid at first but then all the men there started talking about cars and that broke the ice for him quickly and everyone had fun pulling up pictures of their favorite cars on the internet.  We ate some almost-American burgers and finished with french patisseries. I would like to end this week with telling you all how nice it is to be a missionary!  Most days are really difficult but I'm grateful for that.  I really like overcoming difficult circumstances. I feel thankful for my leaders and parents who helped me get to, and through the mission thus far.  And above all I love Heavenly Father for all he teaches me, and how lucky we are to be alive and experiencing the rigors and the pleasures that come with every day.   Bonne semaine! Je vous aime Elder Jones A Dish called Briani. It was kind of like South America, it looks like a lot of rice. It was very very good!

Week 92 "Blois is Beautiful!"

Blois is Beautiful!!

Hey!  Blois is really fun, Elder Smith and I are doing really well! Monday night we met some guy who gave us strong opposition, but we gave him a Book of Mormon, so it went well in the end. Tuesday we taught a lesson in a café, then taught some people in the afternoon. Wednesday we taught more Amis. Thursday we had a cereal party at district meeting, then taught piano at night. Weekly planned Friday and taught some really nice people.  I was having a hard day but things work out in the end.  More on that later. For the weekend, we talked to people in a beautiful area of town. And I met the branch this Sunday, and taught more people!

Went to Orleans this week and snapped a pic in front of the main Cathedral.  We missed our first train back, so we had time to see the cathedral!

As we can see, most of our week involved meeting people who were sometimes not so nice, and sometimes very very nice, but overall, I'm loving Blois and the people we're teaching. One thing that's really getting to me is fatigue.  I just had some really tiring days this week.  Elder Smith and I are working well, and I feel surprised when I feel so tired, well I shouldn't be that surprised.  Some people talk about how a missionary can get 'old' and stop working as hard as he/she did at the beginning. I refuse to go down that path, I'm going to work hard till the last day! Even though it's difficult. That's the thing; you can feel tired, It's perfectly normal.  But it's what you do about those feelings of tiredness that's important. I had a lot of times when I felt tired and wanted to go back home and nap, but I know that Heavenly Father shows us good things when we keep working till the last minute, even if we're tired.  I'm not perfect at this but I know it's true.

St. Louis Cathedral.  Center Piece stained-glass of the Last Supper.

A couple of times this week, I saw this happen. Last night Elder Smith and I passed by some people we met on the road during the week, who said to come visit.  Not one of them was home.  Hah, well one lady was home but she wouldn't come to the door even after we knocked three different times; she also lived on the twelfth floor of the apartment complex, and we had taken the stairs... ouch my legs were sore.  Then as we got to the bottom of the complex and went to wait for our bus, a family taking a walk crossed our path. We talked to them, and they spoke almost no French but they were excited to hear we taught about Jesus Christ, and they gave us their address.

Elder Smith Eating Gnocchi

BTW he can play the  entire Bergameuse suite on the piano.  He's really good actually!! He can play "Fix You" by Cold Play.

I really enjoy working with Elder Smith as well.  Just to give you a quick bio. He’s from Portland, Oregon, has a really chill  personality while still being obedient, and plays the piano like a champ.  We have a lot of fun working together, or playing the Casio piano in our apartment.  Sometimes we have too much fun... meaning we're laughing way too much. We have set a goal to calm down and be a little more serious about missionary work. One example of excessive laughter included the time I told Elder Smith to try and walk up the stairs (the big 40 foot incline) in downtown Blois without bending his knees.  Just try it and then you'll see.

Main Street, Rue Denis Papin.

Springtime in Blois (Magnolia Blossoms)
This Pic is for Mom and the girls; I saw this out walking!

Well I have just been loving General Conference. I loved Elder Kearon's talk about refugees, because we teach a lot of refugees in France, and I enjoyed getting Kearon's support in that domain.  I loved D. Todd Christofferson's talk as well.  I loved the thought that came into my head today, in regards to finding a job: the career I choose will be important, but even more important is the way in which I carry out my responsibilities as a father.  I think this is a great lesson to remember, the career path we take is important, but our responsibilities as future parents are even more important!  I love the mission. I learn important life skills; and things each day that will help me for the future. The mission is a training ground for life!   I love you all and don't hesitate to send me an email if you have questions.  PS. As you'll see in the pictures, Blois is very beautiful!

Love

Elder Jones

"K" our investigator from Torcy got Baptized last weekend! 

Elder Jones eating a Chocolate Eclair

Week 91 "BLOIS" and Abby's Mission Call to Lyon France!!

April 4, 2016
Jamison's new address in Blois: 
Les Missionnaires

Elder Jamison Jones

60 Rue Denis Papin

41000, Blois

France

Goodbye!  Last pic on the RER.  This guy was playing some of Chopin's music! It was great!

Hi everyone!
I am so happy to be serving in Blois.  Here's how things went at the end of Torcy;

Saying Goodbye to "K"

 I said goodbye to quite a few members and Amis, like K, J,
and Y, then took the RER to Paris, where I met my new companion, Elder Smith.  We took a train for two hours into the center of France. Blois changes a lot from a cookie-cutter Parisian suburb, such as Torcy.
Rolling hills with ancient houses and tiny alleys and massive
cathedrals and castles dominate the landscape here.  I saw, while driving to the apartment, a giant castle.  'Uh..(with a growing smile of disbelief) is that a castle, Elder Smith?' "Yeah, it's right down the street from our place." Then we pull into our apartment only a few minutes away.  So that's my first impression of Blois.

Chateau in Blois

   Guess. What? We teach piano to the church members here! I got to teach piano and it was so much fun....and we have a casio piano in our apartment.  So I play it pretty often and that's great because I've missed playing the piano.  Elder Smith is really good at playing the piano, and so far, I really enjoy serving with him.  We are going to have lots of fun together and I hope we will baptize people too.
Either way it'll be fun.

I Love our Casio Piano!!

Our kitchen

Our Apartment in Blois

Outside our Apartment in Blois

      Who watched general conference? I did!  I really loved the talk by David A. Bednar, who said that being born again is manifest by ordinances such as baptism.  I really hope that everyone can be baptized of their own free will to feel how much God loves them, in deciding to follow God and Jesus Christ.  I'm honestly in a state of disbelief right now, because I have a great companion, working in a beautiful city, and I get to play the piano.  It's so wonderful the mercy that Heavenly Father is pouring out on me.  I really feel like
the mission has been hard. But hard is good! Hard means we're progressing.  I'm happy that I get to progress up until the very last day of the mission, and well after.
God loves all of you!  Thank you!
Love Elder Jamison Jones.

Eating Crepes with Elder Smith in Paris

PS. Saturday I went to Paris and ate a crepe for all of you.  Well mostly it was for me, but still, it was good.  Also the members here are very considerate of us, I don't know them well yet, but I'll get around to it.  Bisous!

PSS. 
Abby abby abby, what an amazing thing! I am so surprised and happy, I cant believe it. I sent  you a letter in the mail.  I was coming up the escalator stairs in Chatlet les Halles when I got wifi, and I watched the video right away of Abby opening her call and I was so happy I cried, haha.  How great!  I am SO excited for her to meet the French people.