Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

This week has really shown me again how much I love the members in the
Ward that I am serving in. They all know Christmas can be hard for
missionaries and so what do they do? Try to help us feel EXTRA at
home, and it works! We were invited to 3 family's homes on Christmas
and Christmas Eve and I think my favorite part about being a
missionary is being welcomed into people's families. It's the only
time in my life that I feel like I fit seamlessly into a family that
isn't my own, and it is the happiest feeling! I have so many
families!:)

But, of course, my own family is my favorite! And getting to Skype on
Christmas was so amazing! Everything was the same (although somehow my
siblings aged a good couple of years, and managed to do it in only 6
months...) and it feels good knowing home is waiting for me! I love
being a missionary, I don't want this year and a half to end... Like
ever! But I'm so grateful for my family and the support they give me,
it makes this experience so much more amazing!

A couple cool, things from this week! We were in a part of our area
that we don't go too often and we were trying to contact a less active
member and when they didn't answer the door we were kind of
discouraged, but a thought came to me of another person that lived in
the area- so we decided to go. And we got there and we had an amazing
experience! A southern lady answered the door and invited us in,
introduced us to her whole family, asked us if we wanted to sit down,
allowed us to share a message, and told us they were home on weekends
if we ever wanted to stop by again and share another message... We
left with our jaws on the floor. That's kind of a rare occurrence but
I am so grateful for that experience, I'm learning better everyday to
act on the little thoughts that I have, because that is how the Spirit
speaks to us! Another miracle we got to see had nothin to do on our
part! We have an investigator who has been hard to get ahold of lately
and it has been kind of discouraging because she has a baptismal date
set! But she called us the other night and we talked and she said that
her phone has been having troubles, and that she has been going
through a hard time so she has been unable to come to church but that
she has been reading the Book of Mormon and praying everyday! The
display of faith we get to see from people is one of my favorite
things about missionary work! So, this week was a week of mini
miracles! Or so they looked to me! But, I was reading in Ether this
morning and came across Ether 3:5 and it reminded me that these
experiences I have out here are no small miracles! God is showing His
power and I am so lucky that I get to experience it!

And with the new year coming up (what!?) we have been sharing a New
Years message with everyone and their dog! And I love it! The day
after Christmas was the most amazing day! I wrote in my journal that
it was kind of like a detox! I love, love, love Christmas! I love
celebrating the birth of our Savior and everything that that means!
And I have recently discovered that I LOVE the placement of New Years
right after Christmas! New Years is a time of renewal, it is a time to
become better than we were, and what better time to have it than right
after the celebration of the One who makes it possible? I'm so
grateful for my Savior and His sacrifice, I know I can change and
become better because of everything He has done for me! And I see how
everyone else has the same opportunity, and I've seen people who have
taken that opportunity and ran with it! Change is real, the Atonement
is real, and He is there!

I love you all:) Have the best week! And the BEST New Years!

Love, Sister Jones🤓

Christmas Eve! :)

New NY jammie

Merry Christmas! :)

Only 31 more hours till Christmas!!!! 🎄🎉☃

I've been thinking a lot about this song lately! I'm a sap and I love
songs I can relate to;) But, I love the song because it says, "I'll be
home for Christmas, if only in my dreams". I can't actually be there
in person, and it does make me sad! But I know that Christmas is still
going to be Christmas,  and I know I will be home as long as I rely on
the Savior. Like the Why we need a Savior video that the church came
out with! Sister Hancock and I were watching it and we thought of
something really cool, it says that the Savior will be able to bring
us home. I don't take it as the Savior is going to pick me up and plop
me down on my doorstep in Sandy, Utah, what it means to me is that my
Savior is going to take a little piece of my home and bring it to me
here. I am going to be home for Christmas because a part of it will be
here with me while I am so far away!
I love you all so much and I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!!
Love,
Sister Jones🤓

Me & Sister Hancock

Santa! :)

Gingerbread temple! :)

New Cycle!

Holy cow, the first week of a cycle is crazy! Sister Hancock is so fun
and I love her to death!

A few exciting things... 🙃

The past few weeks all of our efforts have gone into sharing the
Savior is Born video and it is going great! I seriously love this time
of year because everyone is so much more willing to listen and talk to
us! Christmas just brings people together, I have been able to see how
everyone is influenced by Christ no matter their beliefs. So I have a
favor:) Because really, this video is amazing! Just watch the video
and think if who comes to mind, and share it with them! Post it on
Facebook, email it, text it to someone, we just need to get it out
there:) God helps us know who we need to share it with, I have seen
it!

I spoke in church this Sunday! I was asked to speak 2 times before but
both times it didn't work out, but this time it actually happened! But
I'm not kidding about all of our work being focused in the Savior is
Born video! That was a lot about what my talk is focused on! But I was
so nervous, I have always been terrified of speaking in church! So
Sunday comes around and I am super nervous about so many different
things that could go wrong, it won't be long enough, I won't be able
to turn my thoughts into words, I won't say the things I need to help
the people I'm speaking to! And then all of a sudden it was over, it
was long enough, I didn't trip over my words. I just love my Heavenly
Father! He knows what we are nervous about, He knows what we need help
with, and He WILL help us with it!

I'm a Facebook missionary! I escaped it for 6 months, it had to happen
at some point! Haha I'm excited though:) It's amazing how many things
God has given us to further His gospel. I mean, who thinks of Facebook
as something inspired by God? Not me! But it really is, God is in
every aspect of our lives, He is so in charge!

I love you all and I hope you have a Merry Christmas!!

Love, Sister Jones🤓

Goodbye Sister Thompson :(

Hello Sister Hancock! :)

"Santa was cruisin' the streets of Peekskill! :) "

My Brain is too Full !

Hello family & friends,

Hanna has become a Facebook missionary.  Not exactly sure everything that entails?  She did tell me that she has to hide everything from before & I can't post on her Facebook anymore.  So, I will be posting her weekly update on my Facebook & her Instagram.  So, if you see posts from her Facebook, they should now be from her.  It is just happening this week, so we will see how this goes.

She didn't send any photos this week.  So I am attaching one that she sent a little while ago.  There is a cute app where you can create your own Peanuts character.  So, I made one for Hanna & sent it to her.  The day she got it, she took a picture of herself & sent this split screen back to me.  She said "That is scary how close you got Mom! " :)  I thought it was pretty cute!

Melissa

From: Hanna Jones <hanna.jones@myldsmail.net


Ah ok so the past couple of days have been crazy! The big news is that
Sister Thompson is being transferred to Poughkeepsie for her last 3
weeks on a mission! And I am going to be companions with Sister
Hancock! This has been a really quick cycle and I'm wracking my brain
trying to figure out how 6 weeks fits in to that minute we were
companions! Anyway, so we found that out on Sunday morning so the past
few days have been crazy trying to get in some goodbyes and getting
the packing done! It feels like my brain is full and overflowing!

But, quick story time!

Once upon a time, there were 2 sister missionaries named Sister
Thompson and Sister Jones.

Aaaand, I'm already sick of that format!

So anyway, a couple of days ago we had a really amazing lesson with
Nyasia(I think I've written about her before, but she is a senior in
high school and she has been thinking about baptism for awhile now)!
But we met her at Baskin Robbins and 2 other people came with us,
Mikelle and Marie and they are both preparing for missions soon so
this was perfect! So we go in and order our ice cream and there is
Christmas music playing and people are talking and we try to have our
lesson, but it just wasn't happening... So we all decide that it would
be better to have the lesson in the car. So 5 of us are packed into
our little Subaru, it was quite the unconventional lesson. But oh boy
was the Spirit strong! We went over the baptismal interview questions
and both Marie and Mikelle bore really beautiful testimonies! And it
was one of my favorite experiences out here so far! There was such a
big difference between the store and our car, the car wasn't as
comfortable and it was kind of a funny place to have a lesson, but it
was amazing! I just want to tell you guys that the Spirit can't dwell
just anywhere, we have to make a place for Him:)

So, I love you guys with all my heart!

Love, Sister Jones 🤓

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night 😉

This week was rather uneventful (hey, it happens sometimes;))! But I
just want to tell you guys how GRATEFUL I am for this time of year!
Now that Thanksgiving is over I've thrown myself into Christmas with
all that I've got haha! ️Christmas has always been one of my
favorite things, and this year it is a little bit different. As a
missionary we don't do what the rest of the world does at Christmas,
we don't watch cheesy Hallmark movies (I'm the first to admit that
that is one of my favorite pastimes around Christmas!), we don't
listen to the fun little Christmas songs about Santa and snow and all
that fun stuff, and we don't really get to roast chestnuts on an open
fire! Christmastime as a missionary is different, all of the things
that people think of when they think about Christmas has been weeded
out and what are we left with?

The birth of our Savior.

Let me just say, I LOVE watching cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies, I
love listening to the fun Christmas songs, and I love roasting
chestnuts on an open fire (uh... Ok well I've never actually done that
one...) but I am so blessed that I have this opportunity to forget
about all that and really focus in on the first half of the word
Christmas.

The church just came out with the new Christmas initiative for this
year- A Savior is Born- and it is amazing! In the video we don't see
any Christmas trees, or presents, no Santa Claus or tinsel, not even
snow! It's all focused on the Savior and how important His birth was
and is! All y'all should watch it because even though Christmas is a
fun time of year, we could all use that reminder of why in the world
we celebrate it in the first place!

"It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without
packages, boxes, or bags!" -The Grinch

"No ear may hear his coming; but in this world of sin, where meek
souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in." -O Little
Town of Bethlehem

I love you all and I hope you have a wonderful December! And a
wonderful time remembering what this time of year is about, I know I
needed the reminder! 

Got to see The Lady this p-day!

Ellis Island!