Trials, Triumphs, and Testimonies

(Last Week’s Letter first, sorry.  Mom’s super busy.) 1/4/16

Happy new year to you all!

    I hope you all made it through 2015! It was a great growing year for me and my family. So much has happened. I ended my senior year, which I loved SO much, and graduated Rigby High in May of this year. It was the time of my life and I was very sad to see it go! Then we then endured the longest summer ever while waiting for my call. I filled the time with working at Mobley PT, which taught me so much. I finally received my call on August 14th to the England Birmingham Mission (coolest experience ever). I went through the temple on September 24th and went nearly every week until I left for the Preston England MTC on December 2nd. The MTC taught me much and helped me to meet some of the greatest people ever. We left for the field on December 16th and I was assigned to serve in Caerphilly Wales, with Sister Scherf as my trainer.

    I have now been out for a month and am serving alongside my beautiful sister who is currently 'killin it' in the Louisville Kentucky Mission. It is a great blessing to be serving at the same time as my big sister, for her advice and words mean more to me than anything…especially here in the field.
    I have been blessed beyond measure this year and cannot help but wonder how I got so lucky to have so many wonderful people fill my world! Thank you for helping me to laugh, to grow, and to fulfill my dreams. I am ever so grateful for each of you and the support you have given me and my family this past year. Thank you! :)

     On Wednesday, we went on an exchange to Cardiff. I spent the day with Sister Huh from New Zealand and Sister Larsen from Utah. They both taught me so much and helped me to see missionary work in a new light. We went Going in City Center, which is what we call asking people 'the golden question'. For example, "what makes you happy?", "do you believe you can be with your family forever?", "what would it mean to you to know that you have a Father in Heaven who loves you?", etc. It really is such a cool experience to watch people ponder on these questions, as if we just opened a door that they never knew was there..the door to heaven:). We were able to get quite a few people who wanted to hear more, which was great! We then stopped by a few less-actives and investigators. We met a woman named Cerys, who is a less-active. She has scitsophrenia(excuse my spelling), multiple personalities, and is trying to stop smoking. Needless to say, it was one of the craziest, scariest, most fun lessons I think I will ever have! Mercy. But we didn't leave without her committing to stop smoking. She has already gone from smoking 40 cigarettes a day, to only 10!! So that was wonderful. Crazy, crazy wonderful. (: 

     On Thursday we met with two of our recent converts, Nathan and Lisa. They are both beginning the process of receiving their patriarchal blessings! Woot! They are pretty excited about it! The next step is getting them through the temple doors…isn't it great?! We are excited to see them both progressing so much.
     That night, we met a woman named Angela. She's about 55 and has SO many trials filling her life right now. We were able to walk with her & her dog Riley and talk about families and prayer. Before we left her, I felt the prompting to say a prayer with her. She accepted and we taught her first how to pray, then Sister Scherf offered a prayer. When we looked up, we could tell that she felt something. Something wonderful! :) She was our miracle of the day. We hope to see her again soon and begin tech in her about this happiness!

     On New Year's Eve, we had to be in the flat by 6p.m., so we decided to order pizza from the Domino's up the road. First of all, they put corn on pizza here...what? We didn't participate in such things, but we did order a normal 3 topping pizza. The man came to the door and said £18.89 please. We paid it, then came inside to admire our pizza. As we ate it, I began to do the math. This was a $32.00 PIZZA! Mercy. I could've choked. Hah never ordering pizza again! We were going to stay up until 12, but our bodies and mission president wouldn't allow it (: so we slept through until 2016! It was great!

      We had a district meeting on Saturday which was a blast. We were able to unify our district and receive some information from the presidency. Our area consists of one ward and one set of missionaries. We were told that our goal of baptisms this year is 12. Twelve. No pressure (: they had 3 last year and 3 the year before, but we are determined to get 3 BEFORE March. Buddy buddy, we've got a lot of work to do, but we are so excited!! 

      Yesterday, we attended our 9 o'clock meeting and went right to work after church. We needed to contact 3 referrals and stop by a few less actives. We walked over EIGHT miles from 1pm to 530pm. And wouldn't ya know it, every referral we received had moved. And all the less actives we stopped by weren't home. Then we needed to walk up a mile long hill, which was nearly vertical, to contact a referral. Another NO. Goodness me. Being positive is key. And it is so hard sometimes…BUT, our tender mercy of the day was a woman named Alma. (I know!). I saw her walking on the other side of the street and she gave us a smile. As she kept walking I couldn't help but feel that we needed to talk to her. I acted on the prompting and told Sister Scherf that we needed to hurry! We talked to her for about ten minutes and found out that she has met the missionaries before and she has a Book of Mormon in her home but she hasn't read it, ahhhh! Miracles. We gave her our number and she said she would try to find time to read sometime soon. She was so wonderful and we hope to hear from her again!

      All in all, this week has been good and hard. Our companionship goal was to be more positive in all we do. And the Lord has given us plenty of opportunities to be positive this week. I know we are given these trials so that He can see how we respond to them; with positivity or anger. So we may grow. So we may be tested. So we can learn. It is not easy. Especially with all the rain that never seems to cease. But I know that I am in this difficult area for a reason. I know I am being given these trials for a reason. I am learning to be more positive. I am learning to lean on my Savior. I am learning so much about myself and how much I have to change. As we dive more into this work, I know I will begin to understand, more clearly, that these trials were for my good. I also know that the sweet experiences, like meeting Alma and Angela, make up for the mile long hills, the endless rain, and all the rejections. 

       Happiness comes when we are humble and submit to HIS will. I know we will soon see the fruits of our labours, through obedience. Positivity. Smiles. :) LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. I am blessed to be here. Blessed to know of the truth. Blessed to be challenged to grow and each day. 

      I hope this year will be filled with much change and HAPPINESS! I love you all and am thankful for your support. Stay strong and continue in faith! Even when it rains.. :) 

1/11/16

Good morning from Wales!

I hope you are all doing well and are continuing to see the good, everywhere you look! :) 

This week has been a good, memorable one! On Tuesday, we were able to pick up my bike and ride them home! Mind you, Sister Scherf lives in Holland where they have more bikes than you can even imagine, so she's a total pro. We turn a corner and here comes this round-a-bout and I, like a normal human being, stay on the sidewalk. But not my companion! She says "alright, let's go"! Seriously?! So, we get in the lane behind all the cars and get ready to enter this 4 lane round-a-about...I know. My heart is beating a 1000 miles an hour and then we just go! I literally screamed the whole time "I'm gonna die!! I'm gonna die!! I'm gonna get hit, then I'm gonna die!!" Sister Scherf thought it was hilarious, but man. Total adrenaline rush! She makes me do hard things, which is lovely :)

 

Me staring outside at the life I could be living if I didn't have this rash.

On Wednesday we had a zone meeting in Cardiff. The church building is in an actual office building which I thought was pretty interesting. We were trained on the importance of allowing the Holy Ghost to lead our every footstep. When we do this, it allows God the opportunity to change us into who HE needs us to be. Isn't that cool? Let Him change you!

A real bell for a door! (tracting is AWESOME!)

We were also trained on how our testimonies are like a sword. We need to sharpen it each day; scripture study and prayer. Then we need to practice with it as much as we can so it can become stronger; bearing simple, powerful testimony. And soon enough, you will be armed with the most powerful tool man could never buy! Don't let your testimony get dull, don't put it in it's away and only pull it out when times get tough. Use it. Strengthen it. Share it!

We were also able to find 12 potentials this week in the city center which was awesome! We set up two appointments on the street and we were SO stoked! The next day, as we went to both houses...wouldn't ya know it? Flogged. (definition: when you set up an appointment with an awesome person and they don't show.) Heart broken. It was my first experience being flogged, which was a total bummer. But that's the mission life isn't it? :) We have a lesson tonight with a man named Anthony that we met Going and he seems like a great guy, so faith up! 

A huge bag of potato chips.

Our recent convert Nathan is going to the temple this Saturday!! We are so excited for him! Our less active Lisa is preparing to go and to receive her patriarchal blessing! Our other less active Richard is progressing and we hope to see him improve more this week.  

On Thursday, while heading to a DA(dinner appointment), we decided to bike up a busy, hilly road. :D yay! Mercy. This is gonna end good isn't it? Sister Scherf was nearly to the top of the hill when the side of my tire hit the curb and I kinda fell off. HARD. I tried to peacefully get up when my skirt caught my seat and I fell again, scraping my knee pretty good. Lol. I can't help but laugh at how funny it is now! After I fell the second time, I look over to see a bus driver stopping the bus and asking if I was okay. I just smiled and said "Yes" and thanked him for his concern. Gosh, it's a struggle. But it makes for good stories later on, huh? We told the family why we were late for dinner and we all had a good laugh about it! 

REMEMBER: biking in a skirt, in Wales, is not for the weak! 

Hot dogs chillin' in a jar with hot dog juice surrounding them...barf.

Now, the funnest part of the week.. On Wednesday morning, I woke up with a rash on my face (I know, disgusting). It was red, bumpy, itchy, and covered most of my face. On Friday night, the rash spread to my ears and my neck. It was very uncomfortable and hard to resist scratching. At first, we thought it was an allergic reaction to the salmon that we had at the Wilkinson's the night before, but it was progressively getting worse, so we don't think it could have been a fish allergy (darn it:). So, we went to the hospital on Saturday and spent most of the day there, waiting and other things. It was extremely exhausting and I just wanted to figure out what the hem was wrong with me! 

So, moral of the story is, we still don't know what it is from. It is still not gone and has since spread to my hands. The medication has worked a little bit, but nothing substantial. We are waiting for a call from Sister Leppard today because she will be referring us to a GP (doctor) that can actually test me to see what the deal is. It is hard because all the doctors and nurses have asked me is 'what have you eaten/done that is new' and I just have to laugh because everything is new to me here! So, it'll be a fun process trying to figure out what is wrong. But hopefully it'll be resolved soon. The ward members have taken SUCH good care of us. So kind and helpful and willing to do anything to help us. I am so grateful. 

I was able to receive a blessing from President Jones on Saturday night that gave me great comfort. I am so grateful for these trials and the hard times that I have and are experiencing. I do not yet know why I am experiencing them, but I see the opportunity that they are for me to grow and I feel so privileged that my Father in Heaven wants me to grow and become more than I ever could without these trials. I know He loves me and is carrying me at this time.I know it. I am so grateful. I have felt so close to Him through these trials and I know that He is giving me the strength that I need.

It has a been a quick, great week! This work is beginning to speed up and I am SO excited! I am grateful. I am where I am meant to be. I am learning so much and am given opportunities each day to share my testimony, which is the coolest! I know this church is true and I feel so blessed to be trusted with such an important task. It is great. God is great! 

Thank you all for your support and love! It means more than you know. 

Fun facts:

Family history is one of the biggest hobbies in the UK right now. (interesting or what?)

They also put sweet corn on McDonald's hamburgers...why?

They have baked beans for breakfast here, I thought that couldn't be a thing but it most definitely is!  

Riding a bike in the skirt is a huge struggle. 

I love what I am doing!  

My current mailing address is:

Sister Sydney Jones

20 Castle Mews

North View Terrace

Caerphilly Wales

CF83 1PY

So much love, 

Sister Sydney Elise Jones

Happy Christmas Everyone!

Happy Christmas!

I don't have much time this week, but I hope you all had a bright Christmas filled with the love of our Savior! 

It was a special week here in Caerphilly. We had a zone meeting on Christmas Eve which was a total blast. It is so fun to be with so many young people, all striving for the same goal. It has been such a blessing to see Christmas through a new pair of eyes; missionary eyes. Christ's life is everywhere! He is indeed the light and life of the world. "If it is good, it is of God" and there is SO much good in the world! We might have to look for it a little harder these days, but it is there. 

I am so grateful to have had time to Skype my family this week. I was missing them terribly, so my void was filled! It was grand to see that they were moving, healthy, and still as fun as ever! :) It was also nice to see that I'm not missing out on a whole lot, it was a reminder to me that I am out here, on this adventure for a reason. That my purpose is being fulfilled HERE. I am no longer missing my sweet family, because I know that they are being watched over and protected. I am excited to hear that my sister is doing well in Lexington, KY. She is such a wonderful example to me.

On Christmas Day, we were absolutely SPOILED by ward members. The bishop fed us a traditional English Christmas dinner which was immaculate! We had 3 courses (3 spoons, 3 forks, and 2 knives) with nearly everything you can imagine. Even brussel sprouts. Which are definitely from Satan. Man. Rough, rough, rough. Other than those, we definitely did not go without! We each received a pair of socks from over 10 members. My feet are EXTRA warm this holiday season! :) And we also received over 36,000 calories in English chocolate! Mercy. We have since then, re-gifted over 3/4 of it which is great! All in all, it was a glorious Christmas Day here in Caerphilly!
On Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) we went to Cardiff to do some shopping at the 'mall' here. It was almost as crazy as black Friday in America. It was quite the experience to be in the midst of the world after being in a missionary mind set for the past few weeks. Bad music, immodesty, nasty language everywhere. It totally scared me at first, but we mad it out alive.

On Sunday, we got to church early and were bummed to see that none of our recent converts or less-active members were there. BUT as soon as the sacrament was over, all three of our less-actives and our recent convert WALKED IN! The joy that overcame us was incredible! It was amazing to see the fruits of our labors! I couldn't stop smiling all day long!

I know through dilligence and strict obedience that great things will come to pass! I am so thankful to be here in Wales, serving the Lord. I am being broken down more and more each day, which is hard, but I know that I am being made into the woman/missionary that God wants me to be. His plan is far greater than mine could ever be. I am so grateful that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I can be strengthened when I feel that I can no longer hold on. He is my guide, my older brother, and my strength. It is such a blessing to be led and guided by the spirit in all we do. I am amazed at the opportunity I have to witness such miracles and have such spiritual experiences. We, as missionaries, are truly spoiled!  

I am so grateful to be here and to be growing more and more each day. This adventure is teaching me so much about myself, this gospel, and the missionary I want to become.
I hope you all continue to follow the example of Jesus Christ and allow Him to guide you on your journey. I challenge you to come closer to your Savior this next year. In your words and your deeds.
Happy New Year!
Peace and Love.
Sister Sydney Jones
  -Have courage and be kind.

*Note to reader*

This was the letter I received from Sydney on Boxing Day, the day after Christmas and before the above email.  I got called up to talk in Sacrament this Sunday, and impromptu I pulled this letter out and read it to the audience.  They loved it as much as I did, I think.  Enjoy!

Hello beautiful mother of mine! 

It was so wonderful to see and talk to

you yesterday! I was so grateful for that opportunity. It was exactly
what I needed. I'm so happy that grandma and grandpa were there as
well. Thank you for inviting them. I sure miss my gram. Make sure to
keep her busy ma! Go to lunch and invite her to do fun things. Keep
her youthful while I'm away! :) I hope grandpa is doing well too..
Jaden looked so much older already! Mercy. Funny that Jordan got him
slippers for Christmas.. Did he get her anything? Keep me updated on
his relationship status! ;)
I'm kinda bummed that I couldn't talk to Katelyn yesterday. I feel
like it's been years since I've actually talked to her. It's hard to
find time to email her cause we're both so busy, which is fine. But I
need my big sister strength! Hopefully after the holidays, we'll be
able to talk a little more. I sure miss her. Glad to know that she's
doing well though!
What did you Jaden and daddy get for Christmas? I must know! We got
hooked up again from the members last night and today. Socks socks
socks. I'll be sending a few of my presents home hopefully on Mondaycause there's just so much.
Hopefully we'll have my bike situation figured out soon.. I'll be sure
to let you know. I wrote a list of the things that I need/want. And
the deodorant, just get me whatever kind. And don't worry about too
much ramen. I thought about it last night and it was a spur of the
moment thing, I don't really like it that much anyway. Please don't
send my any sweets.. We have FAR MORE than we need. But Ritz crackers
would be cool. The ones here are a little funky. And just send it to
our flat address.
Thank you so much mom!!!!!  I love you forever! Thank you for blessing
my life with all you do. I a, forever thankful! I'll send a big family
email on Monday.  Love you!

Lovely, Just Lovely!

Hello beautiful people!

I hope you all are well! I have had a wonderful two weeks. We went to the Preston Temple for the second time on Tuesday night, which was wonderful. Sitting in a celestial room filled with missionaries is POWERFUL. I was overwhelmed with how blessed I felt to be there in that moment, how extraordinary this opportunity is, and how much we are loved by out Father in Heaven to be trusted with such an important task! There was nothing like it. 

Standing on the famous Cornerstone
Check out embcalltoserve.weebly.com

We left the MTC on Wednesday morning to come to the mission home in Birmingham. I was absolutely terrified on the way there. It is scary to be uprooted after two weeks of being with people that you love so much! 

The picture of us 4 on the bus is the 'Day 1 Crew'. We're all day 1 homies. Elder Ofasi is from South Africa/England and Elder Turnbow is from Preston Idaho. We all sang on the coach whilst heading to the mission home and it was just lovely. They are all in my mission and we hope to see each other often! 

There were 22 of us missionaries who came to the England Birmingham Mission, the biggest group in quite a while, which was cool. It will be nice to see familiar faces once in a while.

It was great to have so many familiar faces around, all feeling the same rumblie-tumblies. 

We met President and Sister Leppard (pronounced Leppawd) and they are just so wonderful. So kind and loving! We got everything settled in and headed to the chapel for the transfer meeting. This moment.. It's like a scary Christmas morning feeling. Like, you're so excited but scared to find out what will happen. We had a devotional and then the 'calls' came. *I sat there with Sister Belnap and was just so grateful for the friendship we built in just two short weeks. I have never laughed harder, nor had so many spiritual moments with someone. We have the perfect balance and just get each other.. which is cool. (: I am so thankful for her and the sweet example that she is to me. I hope and pray that we will see each other oft and be companions if it be His will. Best friends for eternity!!*

Anyway, the AP started calling out names and mine was soon called. "Sister Jones, your trainer is Sister Scherf. And you will be serving in Caerphilly, WALES! What?!?!?! I was SO excited and relieved. Let me start off by saying that Sister Scherf is incredible! She has been out for a year. Her name is pronounced scarf, but you have to say it like you have something caught in your throat to get it just right. She is from Holland and speaks Dutch! And totally looks like Liona Lewis.. It's crazy! She is glorious! Gosh, I don't know how I got so blessed! She is so obedient, mellow, fun, and filled with the spirit. She is so easy to get along with and is genuinely concerned about me and my feelings, which helped me to feel comfortable with her quickly. 

We then took a coach to Wales, then got on a train into Caerphilly. It is a small village, with small streets, small cars, and a HUGE castle out our front window! 

Oh my gosh, are you dying or what?! I don't quite know how old it is, but it is made of dark stone, has an actual draw bridge and mote surrounding it, and is covered in moss. SO cool! The tours are only £2, so we will definitely be participating in that! 

The first day jitters were hard to get over, but it was nice to get started on everything. On my first day, we had our very first lesson with a man called Richard, who is a less-active. I had the opportunity to bare my testimony on the Atonement and how it has worked in mine and my families lives. The spirit filled the room. It was a wonderful experience! I am still in awe that I get to do this for a year and a half! How blessed am I to have this opportunity to have the spirit with me constantly and to be bringing this gospel to my brothers and sisters! It is absolutely incredible it is! 

We had a Zone Conference/ Christmas party on Friday which was a great time! I got to see Sister Belnap (Gangsta' B) and a few others from my MTC group which was fun! We have since then taught a lesson to a less-active named Lisa and it went SO well! The spirit, again, filled the room as we watched a Christmas video and afterwards tears were falling from her eyes. She felt it. We were guided by the Holy Ghost to take the lesson to a certain point and then to just bare testimony. I was marvelous. And guess what?? She accepted our invitation to come to church on Sunday and she came! Man, that was a cool feeling! We were so happy to have here there.

The members here are angels. More than half of their adult congregation are return missionaries! And many of them are converts as well. So, they are more than willing to feed and help us at any time of the day. They are so kind and loving. They make this place feel like home. 

As we were walking in the front door of the church building yesterday, the bishop asked me if I would take a couple minutes because a speaker just dropped out....Gosh. I have never been hit so hard in the stomach! Haha, man. I was nervous up until I began walking to the pulpit and everything melted away. God works wonders doesn't he? :) It went wonderfully and it was a great opportunity to introduce myself to the ward. Many of the members have told me that I look and act like I've been out for quite a while. And when I say I've only been out for 4-5 days, they are floored. So, I'm glad that I'm not an awkward greenie! #1 goal achieved! :)

Fun Facts:

-This town is FILLED with Christmas lights and SO much spirit! Everyone is wearing their Christmas jumpers (sweaters) around town. It's so fun!

-Everyone here sounds like Adele to me! Their accents are absolutely fascinating! 

-The people are also fascinated with my 'accent' as well! Which is so funny to me. The children in primary yesterday just wanted to hear me talk and they would be all-attentive just listening; it was pretty funny.

-The Welsh accent is BEYOND ME! The very first morning, we got a call from Richard who has no teeth and has a very thick Welsh accent. Sister Scherf handed me the phone and I literally understood NOTHING. I couldn't help but laugh afterwards because I felt so dumb, but it was rough! I'm not sure I'll be able to understand it any time soon.

-The castle is the coolest.

-The Welsh people put mint flavoring in their peas....Mercy. 

-I have had more mince meat pie in one week than any normal person should! 

-The humidity is out of this world. 100% humidity every single day. Which means, if you use a towel on Sunday morning, the odds of it being dry by Tuesday evening are extremely thin! It is just one of those things..

-I have to help Sister Scherf with her English once in a while. I had to explain the word "turkey" to her and she didn't understand for about 5 minutes. And when she did, she couldn't stop laughing.. haha she's a good time.

-There are always rainbows here. It is just beautiful! 

Long story short, this week has been great! I am already falling in love with this work and these people. I feel so blessed to be here and to be diving into this work. I know it won't be easy, but I'm going to let this 'greenie fire' take me as far as I possibly can! I love this gospel and the opportunity I have to study the doctrine each day. It might sound silly to day that I can already feel myself growing, but I can already feel myself growing! :) It is a cool feeling. 

This gospel is true. Jesus Christ was born. He died for us. And he lives again! I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas filled with love and remembrance of the life that Christ lived and does now live. Pray to him! He wants to hear from you!

Happy Christmas to you all! It's a beautiful time of year it is!

I'll see you on Christmas fam!

*Best daughter sister missionary ever! :)

My sweet family and friends, 

     At this moment I am indulging in Cadbury dark chocolate while watching the sun go down here in England! It is only 3:00p.m. here, but it is nearly dark! And the sun barely rises at 10:30a.m. It is the weirdest thing! 

I am so excited to finally be emailing home and to tell you about the beginning of my adventures here in the motherland! It is going beautifully here in the Preston England MTC. 

Leaving Idaho Falls, ID

This place is lovely. It is SO green here. Driving on the left side of the road is just freaky. It just feels super uncomfortable to be honest! I hope to not be driving for a bit! 

The first day was hard and it didn't help that I was literally awake for 47 hours! I was sick to my stomach and dizzy and all sorts of struggle. I was filled with worry and thoughts of "Man, I just want to go home and snuggle with my mom and puppy!" 

But, we soon got into the work and I was remembered of why I left all that to begin with. The spirit here is constant. It is REAL. 

The Elders and Sisters here are all here for the same purpose. It is wonderful to be able to turn to anyone in the MTC and share a spiritual experience with them; it builds a bond so quickly and we automatically become friends. I am so blessed to be here. 

My companions are Sister Belnap from Gilbert Arizona (coming to Birmingham with me) and Sister Atkins (waiting for a visa to go to the Omaha, Nebraska mission.) from here in Chorley, England. Elder Garrett Broulim is actually in Sister B's home ward and her dad is the ward mission leader! Small world! Sister Belnap ran D1 track for NAU and she is SO MUCH FUN! We have a blast together and our words just flow so easily. I pray that we will be companions in the field, because we are already becoming best friends which is sweeettt! 

Sister Atkins is absolutely hilarious and we often find ourselves speaking with an English accent because of her! She is a convert (baptized at 13) and her mother lives in Sydney, Australia and went to BYUI until July of this year. Small world yet again! We all have such a strong bond growing and our teaching has reflected that. 

      It has been so cool to find a new love in the Book of Mormon, through missionary eyes. Every scripture holds new meaning and my focus is different as well. The teachers here are so genuine and conscience of how we are learning, which is just brilliant. I am so thankful to be in this smaller MTC where I can have that intimate learning experience, I feel like I would've gotten lost in the Provo MTC because of all the missionaries there. They teach Greek, German, and English here. Greek is a beautiful language by the way! All of our teachers have different accents (LOVE IT) and it seriously makes me pay attention more than usual. Foreign people are just so fascinating to me! 

The food here is GLORIOUS. The bacon here is real, thick, and scrumptious. So different than American bacon. I tried fish and chips for the first time here and actually like it! I was super proud of myself! I also tried sweet potato fries! Why didn't anyone tell me they were so delicious?! I didn't know what I was missing out on! The cookies here are thick and so yummy! They feed us well here. Too well! :)

       My district is great! We are in the Jacob district and have so much personality here. Elder Decker is from the Netherlands and Elder Mkhoulise is from South Africa. All the others are from America. 

We are learning, everyday how to become better missionaries. It is hard process to learn and to grow. But to learn and grow, we must be okay with being uncomfortable. And that has taken some time to get used to. I'm not quite sure I'll ever be quite used to it but it is so worth it. I am learning so much about myself and about Christ. I am learning to adjust to the investigators and to adapt in various situations. This Gospel is work and it is hard, but so wonderful. If it was easy, I don't know if I would so invested! 

So I am grateful for the difficult moments, because it means that I am growing. I am so blessed to be here and to be studying and teaching for 12 hours a day. It isn't easy and it is SO exhausting at times. But this is my life now, this is the adventure of a life time and I am learning to love every single second of it!

       We had the opportunity to attend the temple this morning and it was just incredible to sit in the celestial room as a missionary. I felt the spirit more strongly than I ever have before. It was wonderful! And to see so many missionaries there beside me was such a sight to see! I was so grateful that we were able to attend. 

The trees here are flat!

Fast Sunday was also great! Hearing so many testimonies from other Sisters and Elders was powerful! A lot of the testimonies were in German and Greek, but you couldn't question the spirit that was there. It was incredible. These experiences are building up my testimony more and more!!

      Some other fun facts for you:

-They play Christmas music to wake us up in the morning which is so peaceful and lovely! It reminds me of home.

-The wind gusts here and insane! Almost worse than Idaho.

-I have fallen asleep 5 nights out of 6, on my journal! We work hard here. As soon as my head hits the pillow, nothing else matters!

-Sister Atkins puts 1000 island dressing and cucumbers on everything. It is WEIRD. I almost gag every time I see her eating it.

-They do have Ketchup here, holla! (Dad, there is hope.) They have an alternative called 'brown sauce' which tastes like horseradish and brown sugar. DISGUSTING. 

-Hell is not a swear word here. Not even a little bit. Our teacher said "What the hell?" to an elder the other day and I about died! So that is interesting.

-This Sunday, it was bright and sunny nearly all day! It didn't rain a lick. It was beautiful.

-They call the bathroom 'toilet' here.

-Sister Atkins literally has a bladder the size of a pea and both of us have to go with her  literally every single hour. And when she needs to go, she politely says"I need to wee". Gosh, hahahah she's a good time.

-There are two swans who flew in from the east on the day that we arrived. They just chill in the front pond and just look so pure and beautiful, but apparently they are super mean! They are actually protected by the queen!

-I accidentally put my hand on an elders leg while laughing last night (without realizing it) and while I was pulling away I got quietly reprimanded by a teacher. Not my proudest moment.. Totally forgot that it wasn't appropriate to do such things! :) We laughed even more after that. 

I love this work and am so grateful to be here. I hope you are all well and you are continuing to strive in goodness and to be closer to the Lord. He loves you. He wants to hear from you. Give him that time and you will reap the blessings. 

Have a splendid week. 

Cheerio mates!

Sister Jones

I Made It (to Harry Potter land)

Hello mom and dad!

I made it safely to the England MTC! The plane ride was very long and we are all extremely exhausted, but the spirit here is SO strong. Most of us are running on 2-3 hours of sleep, so it's kind of hard answering questions form the MTC president, but the Lord will provide. 

It is so beautiful here! It's very rainy and it looks like Harry Potter everywhere! The cars are so cool and the driving on the opposite side of the road is trippy. I am so excited to finally be here and am ready to get started! We find out who our companions are tonight at 6, which will be great. My P days are Wednesday here in the MTC, so I won't be able to talk to you until next Wednesday. I just found out that I get to attend the temple twice while in the MTC, which is great because we are told that the Birmingham missionaries will not have the opportunity to go while in the field. 

The other missionaries here are wonderful! Most have been here for many weeks; learning German. But the ones that arrived with me are all from America, other than one sister who is from the Philippines going to my mission! She's so tiny and fun! One of my roommates is from London, waiting for her visa to go through so she can continue serving in Nebraska. The other one is Sister Belnap from Arizona, who hasn't arrived yet but I know she will be so much fun!

I cannot wait to get started on this work! It is such a weird feeling being away from home, not with my family, but all good things! 

Sorry this email isn't longer, but I can barely keep my eyes open! Time to get a move on!

Love love love <3

Sister Sydney Jones