Hello Everyone,

This week is my year mark!  Sometimes it seems like I have so much time left, but I know it will fly by!  Just like this past year!

 

Last Monday for P-Day Elder Wood and Elder Barlow and I hit up the golf range... it was pretty fun! 

 Elder Woods and I

Lime in the coconut and shook it all up :)

Throughout the week we had a few good lessons! Remember the guy I met on the bus? He wants to get baptized on the 1st of February with Alex so that’s awesome! (Our investigator has to ask permission from his parents to be baptized because if you live at home you have to ask parental permission even though he is 23).   

I'm doing well and it was a good week, we got 6 lessons this week but I don’t like telling about investigators unless I really think they will get baptized.  So please pray for them.

We take the bus an hour everyday to our area.  Its a very poor area but the people are very nice!

 

Saturday we went to lunch with my Indonesian mom and her daughter (Sister Ita and Sister Asa) they are awesome :) They make sure to take care of me here! 

Ford dealership in Jakarta

They were happy to talk to us and even offered to let us test drive a car but we didn't.

We met a few people that spoke English here.  It's weird to speak English now because I think in Indonesian!

On Sunday we had 3 investigators come to church it was great! :) 

Today we woke up at 4am to go running around the soccer stadium.  It was pretty fun.  We’re planning on resting the rest of the day today. 

Now that the mail people are back from vacation I got a whole bunch of letters all at once!  Thanks everyone :)

 I’m excited to go to USU! Pilot program and business :) and I won’t get sick!! I know time will fly by. Well, have a great week tell Logan, Amanda and Court I love them! 

-Elder Jones

 Here's a video of "hairy fruit".  They look weird but taste really good! 

Week 51 - Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!  It’s been a great week.  Had some success, some exciting things happen and some fun also.  Here is a quick recap:

Monday 

P-Day.  Felt good to have a few hours to play.  We went go kart racing! I haven’t had that much fun in a long time!!

 

 

Small siesta!

 

Tuesday 

 I went on a split with Elder Wood and we met a guy on the bus who turned out to be a great contact!  We have been teaching him since then.  I’d say that he is a golden contact.  He wants to be baptized and is progressing quickly.  Awesome guy!  While on the bus,  I noticed that he was wearing a cross on a chain so I asked him about it and was able to strike up a conversation.  We talked for a long time and the rest is history.

Elder Wood and I also found a deep fryer at the house and deep fried Oreos in pancake batter!  Good stuff....

Wednesday

Today was New Year’s Eve and it was just a normal day for us missionaries.   I was on a split with Elder Campbell and that was fun.   We worked hard and got lots of contacts! There was a Christmas/New Year program we went to as well.  Then ate some pizza from the import store.  It was a good day! 

Thursday 

Last night there were a billion fireworks you couldn’t even sleep!   But it was still a lot of fun.  We had another lesson with the guy we met on the bus too! He is great!

Friday 

We had District meeting and then it started raining so hard we couldn’t leave.   We had 3 appointments that day but they all fell thru :(  Then I taught English class and a whole lot of new people came because I posted all these posters I made saying free English class!

Saturday 

Normal day. We just worked and weekly planned and posted more posters! 

Sunday 

We had a great day at church. I taught Gospel Principles class and did great! Then we had a little fireside at the house for all new members and investigators and watched the movie “A Treasure in Heaven”.   It was awesome because our friend I met on the bus came. This week we have gotten a lot of investigators! It’s been great!

I’m really starting to enjoy living here at the mission home.  Besides the 1^st world comforts, I really enjoy being around the Elders here.  The AP’s are the top notch missionaries in the mission and it’s fun to be around those guys.  Being with those guys every day raises my game and makes me a better Elder.  It’s been fun.  I’ve learned a lot from them.

I love my comp, he is an awesome guy and so funny.  Today he used a toaster for the first time ... but he put a marshmallow with chocolate in it and it melted and ruined everything.  Oh well!

 

Questions

What did you think of it snowing in Wickenburg?  The snow pictures you sent me were awesome!  I really wish I could have been there!

What is your Ward like? Our ward is like a branch there is about 35 people each week who are totally active.

Do you think you will see Kitty as a source of food instead of a pet when you come home?  Both :) make sure she is safe!

Did you hear about the plane crash out of Surabaya?          Yeah, that’s sad L

What else has been going on?  Not a whole lot.  Being in the city of Jakarta, things are pretty normal. Other than freak massive rain storms.

How was your week? Everything this week has been great and I’m learning more each day and trying to get better in all things .  

Why haven’t you gotten Christmas cards?  Haven’t gotten mail since before Christmas, everyone is on a holiday until today! 

How was this week’s other toe surgery?  This toe surgery was the worst one.  It hurt so bad you have no idea.  The lidocaine barely works for me and I could feel a lot of it.  But now I’m all better.  Got a checkup tomorrow!

I have to go!  Love you bye!

Elder Jones

 

 

 

Week 50 - Merry Christmas/ Selamat Natal!

 

Hello Everyone,

 

Hope you all had a great Christmas!  I have lots of pictures this week so I'll let them tell the story.  I've also added a few videos of what life in Indonesia is like!

Sometimes American food just "hits the spot"!

 

Christmas Eve hot chocolate and toffee.  Thanks mom!

  

Missionaries waiting to Skype their families

In my stocking was chips, peanut butter, peanuts, chocolate cinnamon bears!  It was great!

All the missionaries got to relax at the Mission Home.  It was nice!

Playing games



Indonesia is full of these blood sucking creatures!

taking a break :)

Yes, we are in the rainy season!



feet? heads? innards? or a mixed bucket of original recipe?

It was fun skyping with the family for Christmas.  Hope you all have a great week!  Happy New Year!

Love,  Elder Jones

Week 49 - Things missionaries have to deal with...

Hello Everyone,

YES!  This is a real sign on the wall of the bathroom

Who wants to hear about my toe surgery?  ha ha 

I have an awesome video of them taking my toenail off...but will spare you.  So, because of all the walking we do as missionaries, I got an ingrown toenail that got really infected so they had to take the whole nail off.  Elder Wills took the video for me.  I got to work in Flip Flops for a few days because I couldn't put shoes on.  That was kind of fun until it rained and my foot got soaking wet.  Stuff missionaries have to deal with!

 

Nice to see my MTC companion Elder Davies and a few other Elders and Sisters.  Christmas is coming this week and I'm excited to Skype home!

 

 

Ok Dad, here is a funny story for you.  Yesterday while we were at church and the power went off.  There are only 2 windows at the church and it was getting hot!  Since there was no power, no AC, and it was kind of dark in the church everyone started leaving and going home.  That didn't make the Bishop very happy.  The power never came back on so church was kind of shot yesterday.

 

How is Tithing Settlement going Dad?  I'm really impressed by all the members here who just don't have anything but faithfully pay their tithing.  There are lots of really good people in this world.

 

Thank you so much to everyone who has sent me Christmas cards, letters and packages this week!  They really mean a lot to me especially being so far from home during the holiday season.  Grandpa, all that dehydrated food was awesome, thanks!  Cool idea! 

 

Love,  Elder Jones

Week 48 - Mudslide

Hello Everyone,

So I guess you heard on the news there was a mudslide in Indonesia this week.  There weren't any missionaries in the area but that mud slide is right out side of Semarang in Banjarnegara.   It's really sad.  I have a few friends and people I know who live out there.

This week was really busy so I'm just sending a bunch of pictures of what downtown Jakarta looks like and a few of me and the other Elders.

Have a great week!  I can't wait to talk with you on Christmas Day!

Love,  Elder Jones

 

Week 47 - Be Thankful

Hi Everyone,

So for P-day this week it was... SHOTS SHOTS SHOTS EVERYBODY! (the song) (lagu-nya)

 We all got shots for the flu, took it like a champ and didn’t even get watery eyed!  Then we went ice skating again, it was fun! I’m pro, but we discussed that last week ha-ha!  

I got asked to take a picture with these high school kids and one of the girls says, " boleh paluk nggak ?" (can I hug you?) and I forgot what paluk means,  and I said,  "Boleh". "Yeah you can", and then she hugged me?!?!? and I was like... what the heck are you doing ?!?  It was an awkward missionary moment! :/

Merry Christmas in Indonesian

Thanks mom for the tree, decorations and presents :) I'm the missionary ornament at the top, see?

 One day this week we went to Ancol.  We spent 9 whole hours proselyting. It was intense!  Only got one contact that is interested.  I can't even tell you how hard the work is here.  Then we went out to the ocean and that’s always refreshing to get the ocean breeze. From the real thing other than my Old Spice ocean breeze body wash #swagger... (I have to make these jokes to keep the spirits up!)

Wait? How did I get on these?!

Then we went into a little kampung (village) next to the rail road station.  It is so poor out here. We need to ALL be thankful for what we have! :( The little kids out there are so cute and funny though! I bought 5 little kids ice-cream for only .60 cents American money! Crazy huh? Then 6 mangos for $1!

 

On Wednesday we woke up to a call at 7.... Yes we slept in ... my fault. (Good thing we have the Atonement). Anyways, woke up to a call from an investigator who wanted to meet with us that second!  So we jumped up and got ready in less than 5 minutes which was cool, then ran outside to the bus and meet up with our pal so he could tell us he didn’t want to learn again. So that made us sad. We also had 2 appointments later that night at the church.

On Sunday it was Stake Conference. It was great! I learned a lot and it’s nice to be fluent in the language now. I can actually understand all that is being said! Elder Randy D. Funk gave a great talk too! It was awesome to hear from a 70... After that we had lunch with Sister Ita from Bogor! I love them they are just great.  I miss serving in Bogor! It was so nice to see some old faces today! I also met with Elder Hasibuan, my trainer.  He gave a good talk in the meeting! 

I've included some pictures from our Thanksgiving dinner last week. 

Best food I've eaten in the last 11 months!

If you want to send me a Christmas card that would be awesome!  We love to get mail!

My address is:  Elder Tyler Glenn Jones, Jalan Senopati 115, Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta 12190, Indonesia

Have a great week!

Elder Jones

Week 46 - Thanksgiving In Jakarta

Ice skating on p-day

Jakarta traffic at night

Hello everyone,

Monday (p-day)

Today we went ice skating and it was awesome!  Im a pro ;) and I'm not even from Utah!  It must mean I took too many girls on ice skating dates ;)  Then after that we went to CARLS JR! It was so good and tasted like America :)
Later that night I lost Elder Prayitno by the bus! We were split up for 2 hours in Jakarta in the pouring rain.  It was funny but also scary.  Then after that we went and looked for people to teach

Tuesday

Today was alright.  We had an appointment with an investigator and that went well! Then later we went and proslyted again!

Wednesday

Today I went on a split with Elder Barrus! It was pretty good ... We went way far out in north Jakarta and met with an investigator who wants to get baptized.  Then we met with a guy in his news office. The office was great! It looked like something outta the Anchorman movie, all 70's and red carpet.  Everyone there smoking and it was just funny!!

Thursday

Happy Thanks giving :) ! Today was pretty good!  Sister Donald and Sister Lukerenie made thanksgiving dinner for us all.  It was the best food I've eaten in 11 months !!!! They are so wonderful! and I'm sure you'd be happy to know mom, me and Elder Wood and Elder Campbell were the only ones who stayed and did all the dishes :) Then later we had a solid appt fall through which was crumby .. but oh well got a few new contacts!

Friday

We had district meeting and then we had a little thanksgiving with our district which was very nice :) Then went to work ! We had english class later that day and that was fun.

Thank you Gretta and mom for the packages!   Life is good here and the work is progressing.

Love -Elder Jones