Hello Everyone,

 

I had a great week!  Remember Nicky?  I met him 2 months ago on the bus. He was the last contact of my day. I found, taught and then BAPTISED him! (With the help of God!)  It’s just an awesome feeling!!! Even President came!!!

Elder Troff, Nicky and me.

 

The Sister Missionaries, Yohanna, Vitria (who were baptized last week) with me and Nicky

With President Donald

With the AP's

 

We’re leading the zone right now. I don’t know about the mission yet. We’re having a great week but we just need to find new people to teach.  We taught about 23 lessons the whole week which is a lot for our mission.

I’m in second Nephi now! 3 chapters a day in 80 days it’s awesome! I’m really learning a lot from the scriptures! I'm also reading the Bible.  The coolest thing from the scriptures I read this week was a story about an ax that floats out of the water after sinking. Pretty sick! It’s in Kings.

In other random news...Indonesia is crazy. They lit a guy on fire last week and he ran thru the streets. Also, I saw this demon lizard jump out of a coconut tree from the top onto the ground! It was huge and a long drop!!! 

 I’ll tell you what, I LOVE coconuts and bananas and mangos so much and all these exotic fruits.

I know this church is true and I’m able to testify with even more conviction about it. Seeing the change in Nicky’s life is just astounding! My companions and I have been able to watch him, since day one, learn and grow and build a testimony of his own. I’ve had the chance to read from the Book of Mormon and do an 80 day challenge even though I’m only 7 days in I can see how much it has been a blessing in my life and it’s just awesome! Leaving my family and friends last year was hard. But for me to think of giving up all these experiences is even harder!! I’m just so grateful for all these blessing I’ve had in my life!  A mission is totally worth it!

gtg Love you guys have a great week tell everyone hello!

 

Love,  Elder Jones   

 

 

If you are reading this blog on your phone you will not be able to watch this video of me playing the harmonica and crocheting a tie at the same time....so get to your computer!

 

This is a video of a Zombie lizard.  He got stuck on the door as we were closing it...

 

Week 58 - Hard Work is Paying Off!

Hi Everyone,

We had a great week I’ll just put in some highlights. 

We had a Baptism this week for Vitria and Johanna!  I was able to baptize Sister Vitria.  They have been learning for 2 months and it’s been great! They are just awesome!  The Sister missionaries have been teaching them along with us.

 

Nicky got interviewed for next week and I’m baptizing him! I’m just so happy for him! Christian is getting baptized too!!

Our week was full of lessons, and as a missionary that makes you really happy to be busy! All of our investigators are doing great!

So Thursday was Chinese New Year and we went with Sister Ina, Asa, Denny and Ezra to go eat. We ate at this way nice place and I got Mexican fajitas! It was really good :) and then we got ice cream! I’m so spoiled :) We had so much fun! 

My Camera... it’s on its death bed.

 It hasn’t rained here for 5 days so things are way hot but that means it’ll pour soon...

I’ve been able to see the Lord’s hand in our lives so much this week it’s just been awesome! And 100% obedience is paying off!   We’re reading the Book of Mormon in 80 days as a mission 3 chapters a day! And in personal study I’m in St. John now, I’ve learned so much!

Today for our P-day we're just going to take it slow.  Sister Ina is taking us to Chilies to eat and they have chips and salsa!!!! Jakarta is like America… almost ha-ha :) Then were going to come home to catch up on sleep. We’re so tired lately because of the amount of teaching!

Elder Zollinger is my pal from Idaho

typical street

Elder Troff is beating this guy at chess who we met on the street

 

Okay love you guys have a great week. Don’t forget to pray for me! And I’ll talk to you again in another 7 days bye! 

Love – Elder Jones

Week 57 - Valentine's Video!

This may look like a picture if you are reading this blog on your phone, but if you get on a computer or laptop it will be a video message from Elder Jones and Elder Troff. FYI the toilet paper reference is because it's a scarce commodity in Indonesia!

Hello everyone,

Last Monday we woke up to hardcore rain, so we had to stay home all day.  But on Tuesday we taught a guy at the mall and it was great! Then we had another appt and he never showed up. Grrr we proselyted until 5 then came home and had a weekly game night. Where we go running as a district and lift weights at this park. It was good.

On Thursday we got 4 great lessons.   We're having a great week with teaching even though I usually don’t mention them all. 

English class was fun.   We talked about being polite and what’s not polite. Elder Troff said bad words were bad ... then the whole class started saying the worst American words they knew.  I was laughing so hard but we finally got them under control!  ha-ha 

Chicken trash cans.  Some things in Indonesia are so funny...

 

Had a great Valentine’s day! We had 3 appointments  and have been teaching Nicky! At the very end of the day Nicky, Troff and I went with the sisters and their investigators to this cake place and we ate together.  It was fun! 

Elder Troff and I have been testing our faith. We have this one random German book of Mormon and we have been praying to give it out since Monday.  On Saturday we met this German girl (20)and she is new here and has no friends but speaks English! 

On Sunday Nicky came to church and so did the German girl that we met on the road.  We gave her the book! It's so amazing how the Lord will answer your prayers!

I hope you all have a great week!

Love - Elder Jones

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 56 - New Companion!

Hi Mom, Dad, family and everyone! 

We had an awesome week.  We’ve been working our tails off and had tons of success.  I got a new companion this week.  Awesome guy.  Elder Troff.

Here are my notes from last week:

Monday – P Day

We went ice skating like normal. But it was really fun and always will be :) I can do some cool tricks now. Elder Wood and I went to this nice pizza place! It was awesome! 

Tuesday- TRANSFERS 

 

Today my new companion came to Jakarta.  Elder Troff is from West Jordan, Utah.  This week has been great! Elder Troff and I have made a pact to be completely obedient and work till we want to drop!  This week we lead the mission in stats and got 22 lessons! UNBELIEVABLE!  We have 3 baptismal dates!  Is that crazy or what?  We’re really working on faith, because without FAITH you can’t have a strong testimony and faith is actually the anchor of our whole lives! 

 We went to the church today and all 3 of our appts cancelled :( But I saw Elder McCleary! I missed him he’s my pal. Ate chicken and rice for dinner. 

Wednesday 

Today we had a contest who could get the most contacts, and I won with 5.   The day was full of miracles!  Because of where all these people were and timing. Taught Pak Herman a great lesson all in English too! Then taught Henri and he wants to be baptized the 1st of March.

For lunch Elder Troff and I had corn on the cob grilled on our stove. 

Thursday 

 Today was good we woke up and posted posters at 9 am all over town for English class! Then came back and got our haircuts :)

Poster for English Class

 

Haircuts Indonesian style!

 

We met a guy named Christian who is just awesome! He came to church and wants to be baptized! We have taught him 3 lessons this week so far! So that was great! He said he didn’t have any friends before us and has just been so sad in his life ... UNTIL we met him and the lessons we taught him gave him a new hope! 

Friday 

 

Had another lesson with Herman the lesson was great! Then met with Christian again! We are just on a roll this week doing awesome! We really can see the work of the Lord progressing! We are working our butts off!

Saturday 
8am President invited us in to his house to watch a devotional for CES.   That was a great talk to start the day. We got to eat breakfast at his house ! This is always good because Sister Donald is so awesome! President then came to one of our morning lessons and we had such a great time! :)

After that we went to proselyte.  We went to the soccer stadium and I went and talked to this group of army men ... and first I blew their minds with some of my magic tricks and then with the gospel! It was so fun!  Seriously like I proselyte with card tricks and coin tricks now then apply it to the gospel and everyone wants to learn!! Ha-ha I love it! President said we need to be more creative! So I did it! He thinks it’s funny but he said don’t do the one where I pull their card out of my book of Mormon.

Sunday 
We had 3 of our investigators come to church and 3 of them were inactive! Our side of the room was full of people! Made me happy!

I sent so many pictures this week :( but I'm having camera problems. The humidity is just destroying it L  My toe nails are not growing back. But I don’t really need them.  I don’t care after seeing some feet here!

 Later when I get off I’ll try and send more pictures because we just got Wi-Fi here ... man it’s pouring so hard this week. Broke another umbrella hah!  I’m doing awesome this week but physically dying of tiredness 

I love you guys and I have to go now ... good bye! :)

Love - Elder Jones

Do you still see kitties all the time around Indonesia? Yes!! I almost stepped on a new one yesterday!  How was your first week with your new companion? Awesome! We led the mission in stats this week!  Does your mission president speak Indonesian? Yes 
Does Sister Donald speak Indonesian? No :)
is Nicky still on track for baptism on the 15th? I think
Any news on Alek? He’s working hard! And loves the blog :)
What have you and Elder Troff been doing this week to get new investigators? Working hard!
Does the fast food in Indonesia taste the same as it does in America? Kind of. I forgot what it tastes like in America
What are your plans for Pday today? Work! We filled it with appts BUT its currently pouring
Do you still talk to Audrey and Taylor? Or Troy? Yes.  I need Troy’s email 

 

 

 

 

Week 55 - Amazing Week!

Hello Everyone,

This past week on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we had PLD, Zone Meeting.

President came and trained us all on how to be better Elders :) and its working!!!

I’ll save you from the weekly update and just tell you a few things ... so Thursday I went on a split with Elder Barrus.   Before I left I prayed with him that we could give out 4 Books of Mormon and that we could find somebody to teach that would want to get baptized.  So we ended up at the bus station and the bus hadn’t come for almost 2 hours. It was packed and everyone was grumpy, then this guy just starts cussing the bus system, but using English except he was Indonesian.   So I talked to him,  and he said he has been to the States before and has been searching for the right church.  We ended up teaching him almost 2 lessons on the bus and gave him a Book of Mormon and he wants to keep learning! 

 

The second cool story. On the way to Pulit we were walking and I saw an exotic cars dealership and couldn’t help but go in! The guy who owns it is Christian and wants to keep learning with us! Awesome right? Plus I sat in a Lamborghini! 

My new ride...

 

 

Then that same day on the way home I pull out my Book of Mormon out of my back pack and literally within 3 seconds the guy next to me pulls out his ear phones and says,” hey can I read that?” (Yes please!) And he wants to learn too!

This all happened the same day! It’s awesome to see how God answers prayers and how his hand is in our lives! 

However, on a sad note, Sunday Alek didn’t get baptized. His parents came at the very second he was going to and stopped it. President and Elder Funk had a good talk with his parents, but we’re all sad it didn’t happen :(   I don’t know what will happen now?  Alek is 18 and could have done it but out of respect to his parents he didn't go thru with it that day.  He is still planning on being baptized.

Getting ready for the baptism

Nicky is on track to be baptized on February 15^th.  Please continue to pray for him and Alek.  We do baptisms on Sunday here.  This Sunday it flooded so badly that half the church didn’t come ... :(

It is transfers today and I get a new companion.  He is Elder Troff and is from Utah.  I feel that I was put with Troff to do some really good miracles (mukjizat).   I can feel it, we’re going to have some success! And yes,  Elder Prayitno was one of my best comps he’s great!

I love you guys have an awesome week! Thanks for everything and be safe this week! Keep praying for me! Bye!

Love -Elder Jones

P.S. I didn’t even know it was the Super Bowl! 

Questions:

Did transfers already happen? Today! Do you have a new companion? Yes Elder Troff,  from Utah.
Will you be staying at the Mission home? Yeah I think we will live here a while longer.  I’m in Jakarta till May ... hopefully one day we get a house,  the economy is really weak here and its almost 1300rp to the dollar .... the govt is still new. Elder Prayitno goes to Bandung today. 
Do you ever read back in your journal, now that you've been out one year to see what you were doing a year ago? I did that once Did you buy a new journal or are you still writing in the one I bought you? Still writing
What was the best part about this week? The miracles of that one day
What did you teach them in English class this week? I didn’t teach this week 
Do you need anything? Yes, I'd like more letters :)  Seriously, you can't imagine how awesome it is to get letters in the mail :) I love to hear what's happening at home.

Elder Tyler Jones
Jalan Senopati No. 115
Kebayoran Baru
Jakarta 12190, Indonesia

$1.15 in postage (doesn't matter if it's an international stamp or not)

Week 54 - Elder Jones has SWAG

Dear everybody who reads my blog feel free to send me letters I love getting them :-)  I am so happy that I am able to serve my mission in Indonesia. The people are great the food is great the gospel is great and it's so awesome living out here in this country.

 

Here's a picture of the parrot who bit me last week.  I gave him a "pass along card"!

 

 This week was good but we didn't do anything out of the ordinary on Monday we just stayed at the house and we rested so that we could have a good week, this week. I made sure to do my laundry, comb my hair, make my bed, clean my desk, brush my teeth, shine my shoes, tie my tie, iron my shirt, eat breakfast, read the scriptures, that's pretty much it :)

 

                                     

This is a little video that I took of my English class, if you can't tell what they are saying it's "Elder Jones has swag.  He is a good teacher :)" (I always teach swag just as a little joke.  I also teach the word groovy!)

                                                    (This video is of  snake fruit or known as "salak")

Ecco shoes are the greatest! They are solid! So for any missionaries planning to go out buy that brand.  I always try and snag a free shirt from Elders going home! So no worries. I’m living thrifty.

Tuesday we had a normal day proselyting and later that night we talked to Nicky .  He is doing really good.  We taught him about the law of chastity and the Word of Wisdom.  It was an awesome lesson and we could really feel the spirit and you could tell that he did as well.

Wednesday 

I was on a split with Elder Campbell.  That day we did lots of working but we got blown out by rain!I'm telling you Indonesia has the craziest rainstorms that I have ever seen in my entire life!  If even half of the power of one of these rain storms hit Wickenburg it would pretty much destroy the place.  That night we found refried beans at an import store and tortillas and then we made bean and cheese burritos, it's basically like heaven when all you usually eat his rice and eggs.

 Thursday 

We went to Ancol which is North Jakarta, pretty far north too.   We came back that evening and we went to go eat at this noodle place which was pretty good.   It's really been pouring here a lot this week all of our area has been flooded so it has been hard to go to the families and teach.   It's pretty crazy, we will ride in the ankots which are the little buses and they will go through the flooded streets and sometimes the water will come into the car.

Friday

We got a phone call from the Sister Training Leaders and they wanted us to go and give a blessing to a lady in our ward.   The AP's and the President are all in Surabaya because of zone training meeting but here they call it PL, anyway we went to her house and gave her a blessing and that was a cool experience. She also gave us some food which was nice of her.  It was really confusing trying to find her house and we had to ride three different buses to get there and one of the bus drivers lied to us and told us that that was the wrong bus just so we would get off but still give him money!

Then we went to the church and taught Nicky again.   We watched a movie, the movie was good and you could tell he felt the spirit.

Saturday 

Today we went to a family history meeting which was held at the Jakarta South building. It's fun to learn about that stuff. After that we went out to eat with Sister Ina and Sister Asa, my Indonesian family.   We went out to eat and it was awesome they made sure that I got some good food I always love hanging out with them :-)

Sunday

 We just went to church.  I feel like my posts are the same every week yes church was normal nothing happened there was three hours of goodness our investigators came to church we ate food after. Then we went home and we planned for the upcoming week. :)

 

Yeah! Well hey I have to go! Pray we feel the spirit this week and Nicky and Alek do well! :)

 I hope you all have a great week bye!

Love Elder Jones

 

 

Week 53 - Bitten by a Parrot

Greetings from the land of Indonesia, 

Another week of missionary life has come and gone.  Tuesday we had District Meeting.   Those are always a bit stressful but it’s okay.   After the meeting there was a huge rain storm while we were on the bus to a place called Sunter.  It took us 4 hours to get there when usually it's only 30 min!  Then we got to the members house and he said he was busy and didn’t want to meet so that was frustrating.   Then later that night I had to teach Elder Prayitno how to use a vending machine.  That was pretty funny!   He’s a good guy!

On Wednesday two new Indonesian missionary’s came in.  So we taught them the ropes.  It was an Elder and Sister.  We took them bag shopping and helped them learn to contact and stuff like that.   I had rice and eggs for dinner just in case you were wondering :)

Thursday I hit my YEAR mark crazy right?!?!   It turned out to be a normal day even though our appts got cancelled.  We still had a good day and stopped at the Bank of Indonesia, that was cool. 

 

 

new cell phone?

 

Friday, every person we contacted today didn’t want to learn.  It was a hard day.   We taught Nicky at 8:30 at the church till 9 and it started raining so hard we couldn’t leave.  We ended up getting home at 12pm by the bus! Alex is golden!  Nicky got permission from his parents to be baptized but is having a problem because his friend died.  Pray for them to feel the Holy Ghost.

My camera is having problems, I think from all the humidity.  My normal week days are traffic and a billion people.  I also got bit by a parrot this week...ha ha!

This is how we get around sometimes!

Always lots of fruit to eat

Hey, well I have to go, sorry!   I love you guys.  I hope you have a great week and I’ll talk to you next week :) bye! 

Love Elder Jones