Ice Skating at Zone Conference

Monday -

We got to the mission home at 11 and then waited for everyone to get there.  At 12 we went Ice skating! It was pretty sweet! I’m not going to lie I’m pretty impressed with my "ice skating skills"!  So we ice skated for about  an hour then everyone came back to the Mission home which was pretty far away.  All the elders who were staying in Jakarta Tibet left the mission home then went to where we were going to stay.   It turned out that there were 12 elders staying there not only 8!  It was crazy!  We played games all night and ate nasi goring That was pretty fun!  While walking back Elder Hasibuan and I saw a Crocodile in the sewer!

Nasi goreng, literally meaning “fried rice” in Indonesia, can refer simply to fried pre-cooked rice, a meal including stir fried rice in small amount of cooking oil, typically spiced with sweet soy sauce, shallot, garlic, tamarind and chili and accompanied by other ingredients, particularly eggs, chicken and prawns. 



Tuesday -

PLD - President Interviews From 9am until 5pm we were at the Tibet church building where President had a personal interview with each of the Elders and Sisters.   It took a long time.  While we were waiting for our turn,  everyone was playing fut sol out back.   We ate lunch at the 7/11 which was nice .  I found out that I'm staying in Bogor for a few more months and will be getting a new companion on the 21st of May .  I really like my companion right now.   He  is a good dude!   If we both spoke English or Indonesian perfect we would be perfect! I'm sad that he goes home in 20 days.



Wednesday-

We had a meeting from 8am till 2pm which was all about the mission stats and goals and talks from other Elders and from President and a lot of inspirational stories.   Then we took a taxi back to Bogor! Went straight to the church and attended a baptism of a girl in the ward.  Then we went home and cleaned and prepared for the next day.

Thursday-

We had normal morning study's then at 1 we did weekly planning until 4 p.m.! We called every person in our Area book!   Hopefully we are busier next week! That evening we went to a members house who was sick and she asked if we could give her a blessing and so we did which was good! 

Friday and Saturday -

Went to a wedding and a birthday party at the church, then worked.

Sunday-

Last night we had a good lesson with a man named Ricky and it was going well then Elder Hasibuan turned to me and asked me if I could explain something to Ricky and almost instinctively answered and talked for about 15 minutes testifying and explaining the gospel of Jesus Christ and why I am here. What was amazing is usually I will struggle a little bit when I talk, but in this lesson it was like "My tongue was loosened "  and I spoke almost flawlessly In Indonesian !! So that was defiantly Gods hand in my day Sunday!  And after the lesson I went back to "the struggle" We had a lesson where a guy was just bashing on us the whole time and it was funny because everything he said that was bad, was filtered from me ! I couldn't understand!! ha-ha

When we proselyte, I always try to contact everyone and I think that’s why I’m getting better at the language! I love contacting the street venders.  I contacted a guy selling fish today which was cool! I’ll send you pics when I have wifi.

I would love to go turkey hunting dad! Man I miss "the country".  I always want to go out into the mountains and jungle but it’s so expensive to get to the jungle from Bogor.  I’m talking like the real jungle. 

Love you guys and I'll talk to you next week!

Love - Elder Jones

PS - Fun fact!  First P day  I had 27 emails, now on day 103 I have 4!  You guys wont forget about me right ?? ha-ha

tjones1995@myldsmail.net

Week 14 - Bogor

My day today was pretty good.  We are in Jakarta from Monday to Wednesday for PDL meeting.  Today we went ice skating and it was great!!  We're staying at the Jakarta house with the other missionaries.   There are 8 of us in the house and only 4 beds so I'm sleeping with clothes as a pillow and my towel as a blanket on the ground for the next 3 days. 

Happy Birthday to my buddy Logan! Have an awesome birthday! I’d send you some crazy and cool stuff if I could,  but I’ll just have to do that when I come home!   

 

I'm pretty sad to hear about grandma passing away, that's sad.  Be sure to tell me all about the funeral okay? I got your letter mom! Thank you for that, it was nice to get a letter in the mail!!

 

 

I got your package too, thank you so much!  The sunflower seeds are amazing  and I haven’t read any letters yet but I will when I get back to Bogor and everything in the package looks so good!! It made my week!  I thought it was fun that the Elders from Wickenburg wrote in the bottom of my box!  Tell Aunt Carrie thank you for the stuff she sent too.

 

 

The mountain in the background is Mount Salak.   This is where that Russian plane crashed into it in 2012.   It has had 8 planes crash into it from 2002 to 2012. 

We went to the little town of Puncak (pronounced "poonchuck") it was awesome it’s up in the mountains and they grow tea there all over the mountains and it was so cold and foggy I wanted a jacket!! It was beautiful no pollution and you could see for miles and the volcano in the distant with the sunset, it was just amazing!

 We ate Indo-mie on the top of the mountain which overlooked Puncak that was awesome!

I almost bought a monkey but resisted.   He was a cool little guy... I could see he was hungry so I bought him a deep fried banana which he ate faster than I could have!

 

 

This week at a members house I ate Pig fat chunks with hair in them and it was supposed to be hairy and fatty!  I had to pretend I liked it and smile while eating it, then I had to say It was yummy.... So remember not to complain about anything mom cooks, Amanda and Logan :) Because I'd pay $100 dollars for any one of the things she makes! Even split pea soup!! :) ha-ha 

I have learned a lot about different kinds of people and the importance of respecting all cultures. The reality is that we are all just people, we all get hungry, we've all been happy and sad, we all want what is best for our families and we all want to succeed in life. The only difference between other people is a language barrier.  Once I understood that and then brought the gospel into the picture it has been so much be easier for me to be Christ like and enjoy my mission more. 

Each day I realize more and more how serving a mission is so important and how not only will it effect me for the rest of my life, but it can effect everyone's life who I come in contact with.  The gospel of Jesus Christ is true.

I love you guys and hope you're all being safe!  Be sure to tell me everything going on back at home and how the funeral is (wish i could come) how the dealership is doing? How's Wickenburg and that kind of stuff!

Love- Elder Jones

Week - 13 Bogor

"Out of the Hospital"  Wahoo!

I was in the hospital last week with a parasite.  I'm feeling much better.  This is what happened the week before I went into the hospital.

Monday, P-day- So we spent  an hour at the church after the war-net trying to figure out what we were going to do. We decided to go to Jakarta  and see the museum there!  We rode the train which wasn't that crowed so that was nice.  It was so sunny and hot and not a cloud in the sky. (Until 4:00pm when it poured)!

I ate the Durian fruit!   It was so gross!  They are supposed to be the "Worst smelling fruit”! Won't be doing that again....

 I got asked to take pictures with so many people,  It was hard to leave.  We had more people wanting pics with Hobbs and me than the people dressed up in costumes! We probably take 150 pictures with people a week.

 I also held an anaconda and a crocodile which was cool!

 

Elder Hobbs and I with the anaconda.  We paid .20 to hold it.

Red hair and American is a rare sight!



All four of us Elders

Tuesday - We had 2 appointments and both of them went really well!  At one of my Janjis"  (appointments), it was the first time we had come to visit this family and Elder Hasibuan is so scared of dogs.  Well This family had a dog, which is not so common,  and this dog was the biggest thing I’ve ever seen!   It was like a dog mixed with a snow monster.  A yeti dog, with long white hair and incredibly  stinky and scary, it looks like the monster that tries to eat Luke Skywalker in Star Wars! So we sat down on the floor to start off the lesson and dog was let in the house to sit with us.  After about 40 mins the dog gets up and creeps to the door where it goes into stealth mode.   I’m the only one watching the dog and seconds later it jumps out the door and snarls and we hear all these noises and it just slaughters the neighbors chicken! Just rips the thing up.  Crazy!

Teaching on the streets

Wednesday - We got a referral from President and went to meet this new family today! That went awesome they seem really interested in everything! It’s great!  We had a few appointment's fall through that day after though.  For dinner I ate some sort of street food , tofu and boiled eggs with peanut sauce all cold. (it should be at least warm) but it was really good! 

Thursday -  Hasibuan and I proselyted then had an appt that night then the appointment fell through so we went and looked for service opportunities.

Overlooking the city of Bogor



  I'm happy to be out of the hospital.  It wasn't very fun. I had some type of parasite. I was in the hospital from Monday to Friday something kept going wrong with my IV so I had to get THREE different IVs, but  now I'm good and better sorry to everyone who I didn't get to email this past week.  Thank you for all your emails and get well wishes.

Love - Elder Jones

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 



Week 12 Bogor Hospital

Hey so I have dengue fever or a nasty parasite and will be in the rumah sakit  (hospital) for a little while... I'm  not gonna die dont worry ..love you!

-Elder Jones