Email Received October 27, 2009

I have found my immunization records. (I'm sorry I made you look for them. I had them on hand when I walked in here, and they were misplaced in the initial confusion.) The confused dates have been confirmed, and all is well... at least until they decide I need more shots. (swine flu might be publicly available before I leave...)

Hna. Perez is from an LDS family; she has three brothers and two sisters (on brother-sister is a pair of twins) and one of her brothers is also serving a mission stateside. She is from Lewiston (ID, of course) and has already spent two years studying political science at BYU. She has juvenile diabetes, which
would be insignificant except that it means we get to have a fridge in our room. she's a soccer girl, and loves being physically active. Her favorite thing to wear is athletic shorts and t-shirt with sandals.

Things are going well here. Spanish no longer eats me for breakfast too often, and I'm learning a lot about the gospel.

Today I get to escort Hna. Galnzer (a solo sister in our zone) out to the Outside World for a doctor appointment. if she passes her examination today, she will be able to finally leave the MTC. (She has been here 12 weeks, as opposed to the usual 8-9 for Spanish speaking.)

The thing I'm enjoying most right now is choir. Even though I can't realy read sheet music, I'm a decent soprano, and a pretty good 2nd soprano. In order to go, however, I need to split with Elders Nielson y & Condie. now they haven't left me behind yet, but it's not for lack of trying.

I have not been getting enough sleep. A good night averages 6-6.5 hours, and a bad one 1-2. While I can function on six, I knew that if I did not get more, I would wear out within a month. I went to the medical services, and they prescribed me something that should help... an anti-depressant discovered in the
'70s that has been repurposed in the last 10 years as a sleep aid. there’s a 5% chance it will do nothing for me, (although from the number of unusual drug reactions in the family, I bet my chances are a little higher) and unlike other sleep aids, there is no increased chance of sleepwalking or other weird side
effects, which is why the Dr. Brown recommended it. (the list is grogginess and dry mouth. Isn't dry mouth associated with every single pill on the face of the planet? I've never heard of one without that side affect.) for some reason he finds the notion of sleepwalking missionaries upsetting. (I totally agree.) I get
my prescription today, and will take my first dose tonight.

One more thing. evidently, when I went in for that psych evaluation, I was diagnosed with temporary anxiety, and I'm being watched and evaluated for that as well. (I think they have me come in once every month, or something.) aside from the sleep thing, they believe I'm doing  splendidly.

The food here is too rich and I've put on weight very fast (only 7 pounds... so relax!). I'm exercising harder to make up for it, with limited success (It's not the weight I'm worried about, but my clothes. I really don't want to buy new ones.) I'm actually enjoying it. without the rushing "do this many reps in 5 minutes!!
hurry!) I fell much more comfortable just sitting and doing 50 crunches or so. I guess I'm just not a fast person.

Tell Caedy I got her letter, and that I miss her very much. tell her that I think her friends are easily impressed, because I'm much better now. I'll try to send her a dragon to show them. 

Give Tsuki a hug, and tell Myr to put my lava lamp BACK.

Email On October 20, 2009 - Maren's Mad At Us

Please note I only get 30 minutes a week on the e-mail client, and this is the only day I get to use it. Any information that is needed to be gotten to me promptly (like my imunization records!I still need all the dates for both my MMR and my Hepatitis!) would be best sent via the dearelder.com service. It is free as long as I'm in the MTC, and anyone can use it.

I'm rather upset that you did not respond to my first e-mail. I sincerely hope it did not end up in the trash. I did not get a mail undeliverable, so I asume you received it.

I'm well enough, and I think I'm finaly progressing in spanish. I'm also sleeping much better now. The beds are quite comfortable (although I still use 3 pillows) and when I'm under my blue fuzzy I feel quite at home. We recently received a new fridge, however, (mi companera tiene diabetes) and it makes many strange noises.

For the first time in my life, I find myself realy enjoying gym, although I will never be able to play four square well. (it's all the rage, here... which makes me giggle.)

The food here is too rich, and I'm taking in extra calories @ breakfast, a meal I'm not acustomed to eating. I've put on a few pounds (not nearly as much as most of the elders,) and I'm gassy all the time.

Hna. glazer should be leaving next week, and she is thrilled. her companion already left, while she had to stay behind to resolve some health issues. if she has not relapsed, she wil be able to leave.

They are paranoid about swine flu here, and as contagious as it's reputed to be, I'm not too suprised. (I could see the whole MTC laid up in a week or two with the flu... bleach.) Because of this, there is not to be any hand shaking or hugging. You can tell that the older generations here are familiar with the notion of epidemic flu (they are qute adamant) but the sisters can't stop hugging, especialy whenever someone leaves. there are purell dispensers everywhere, which is amusing. (Oh my... I am easily amused, aren't I?)

We go to the temple today. I am happy.

Please let me know how you all are doing. perhaps writing letters to Maren would be a good FHE activity?

Sincerely yours:

Hermana Maren Michelle Jones.

Email Received October 13, 2009

This is Maren, just in case it wasn't obvious. I only have 25 min left, so I must be breif.

No, I can't remember my adress. you'll have to wait for the snail-mail to get to you.

My first week was spent in on-and off confusion, which is better than  the constant confusion I expected. My companion is my perfect foil, being serious and self driven in comparison to my not-so-serious and not-so-self-driven attitude. (She's almost the Kyouya to my Tamaki. ^_^)

Right now I am surviving by simply moving forward and not looking back. It seems to work well enough, as long as I can forget that I've been doing this same thing for hours on end.

I am not yet homesick, although a certain ninja would be nice to have on my lap right now. All we have here are sparrows, and while they are nice enough, they are too shy, and I have no time to watch them anyway, especialy as we can't take meals outside unless we grab a sack luch, the line for which is much too long. If it were warmer, I'd leave breadcrumbs on my windowsil or something, but...

Oh, I was ill thursday and friday. (Seems so long ago...) simple stomach flu, they gave me some great pills for the nausea, and tylenol took care of everything else.

I have discovered that I am a big fan of the MoTab orchestra... if not the Motab themselves. Does the orchestra ever do anything by themselves, though? If they did, I'd love a CD of it.

The bookstore here is very well equiped. Missionaries get 20% off esentials, and 40% of general needs. whatever that means.

Laundry is baffling. I have darks and colors and whites, but not realy enough for a full load of any one of them. Hmmm...

 I wish you all the best. May you have more cheese than me. (1 little cube in my salad!!!)

Sincerely,

Hna. Maren Michelle Jones

Maren's Service Begins

This was received the evening of October 7th, same night as Maren entered the MTC. Her father read it on the way home from dropping her off that after noon.

Dear family of Maren Michelle Jones,

We are pleased to inform you that your missionary has been safely checked in at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. We thank you for supporting your missionary and know that your family will be blessed as a result.

Your missionary's mailing address while at the MTC is:
Maren Michelle Jones
MTC Mailbox # 177
IL-CHIN 1208
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793

Please note the following items:

1. Your missionary's service began today. Please do not arrange or request visits with your missionary, including meetings at the temple or in proximity to the MTC.

2. All missionary mail must come through the US Mail or commercial delivery services. Hand delivered items will NOT be accepted. Do not send pizzas, fast foods, ice-cream, or any items that will spoil if they are not refrigerated within 24 hours. Missionaries are not called out of class to receive packages, nor do they have access to a refrigerator.

3. Communicate with your missionary weekly through letters sent to the above address or through the email account that the missionary will set up within the first two weeks. This account is to be used by immediate family only. Telephone calls for missionaries cannot be accepted. Your missionary will correspond with you on his/her first preparation day.

4. Families and friends should not plan to visit missionaries departing to their field of labor at the airport or MTC.

Should you need to communicate with the MTC call 801-422-2602. Do not reply to this email.

Sincerely,

Provo MTC Presidency

Sister Maren Jones's Blog

This is the blog for Sister Maren Jones, who is serving a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. As of the moment she is currently in the Missionary Training Center learning Spanish. In two months she will go on to her assigned mission of Illinois Chicago North Mission.

We will be posting her letters, emails, pictures and her current address. We encourage you to send encouraging letters and small packages. All should be sent via U.S. Mail and not be large in size or contain food items that might spoil or make a mess if opened improperly.

If you must send emails, you can send them to hermanamarenjones@gmail.com. However, be aware that she will not receive these emails directly. They will be printed out and mailed to her by her family. This means it will take extra time in getting to her, so her replies may be delayed. Further, she will not be able to email you back, as her mission rules ask her to only use email for immediate family.

We appreciate you interest, love and concern for Sister Jones.

The Jones Family