Small Girl In A Big City: Shot to the Top

Well, transfers came calling! And after 9 wonderful months- it is time for me to leave the Bronx:( There were definitely a few hard goodbyes. But I know that they are in good hands- the Sisters in Olmstead get to enjoy the fruits of missionary work as 3 of my FAVORITE people in the world enter the waters of baptism this weekend:) Words can't describe how much I will miss them, but also how excited I am for them to make such an important covenant with their Father in Heaven (whether or not I am there doesn't make it any less exciting!) This work is true, and the Bronx is most definitely a white field. How lucky and grateful I am to have had the opportunity to be part of the harvest!

New area: KINGSTON! Back upstate! In fact, it is the top of the mission- our area borders another mission to the north. My companion is Sister Lin, she is from China and we are already having lots of fun:) And I am driving again! I don't need to tell you how interesting of an experience it was to be behind the wheel again after 9 months! I almost forgot how to drive!

It has been such a wonderful, stressful, amazing week! And what about General Conference!? Wasn't it amazing? One of my favorite talks (because they are all my favorite) was President Nelson's talk about JOY. I loved this quote from it: "Joy is a gift for the faithful. It is the gift that comes from intentionally trying to live a righteous life, as taught by Jesus Christ." Sometimes breaking the commandments does make us feel good, we can have good feelings when we listen to Satan- but those feelings are fleeting and will eventually lead only to sadness and misery, in the state that Satan wants us to be in. But the joy that comes from keeping the commandments is ETERNAL. They are real and they are not fleeting. I'm so grateful to Heavenly Father for loving us enough to give us His commandments, for giving us a way to find JOY. And I know that is the ONLY way to finding true joy, living as our Savior lives and loving as our Savior loves.

I'm grateful to be a missionary and I am grateful to be serving in Kingston at this time! Wonderful things are in store for this work, as they always are! I love you all and I have a bit of good news! Only 179 days until General Conference!;) But until then, I'm grateful we have 6 months to study these wonderful talks given to us by inspiration from our Father in Heaven. May we study them again and again, to get all that Heavenly Father intended us to get out of them!

Have a superfundiferous week (stole that word from Cat in the Hat.)

Love, Sister Jones