Christmas with Elder Jones (Kevin)

This picture was taken in July, the day before he told us that he would be serving a mission in the Czech Republic.

We spent just about an hour talking on the phone with Kevin early Christmas morning. Heather, Jeff, Janae, Kiera, Kim, Chris and Hannah were there with us. It was good to hear his voice.

He told us about his experience in the Mission Home and his walk around Prague. You can see the pictures he took on his mission blog.

He told us about his first week in Ostrava and the baptism of a man named, Jaroslav Spunda, that was performed at the end of that week.

He said that the meals they are served consist of meat, a sauce or gravy and bread or dumplings. The first few meals he ate he found that if you finish the meat first, they give you more meat or if you finish the bread first, they give you more bread. Their custom is that if a guest finishes one thing on their plate before the rest you fill up their plate again, it's like asking for more. So, he was getting plenty to eat! He said it is not as easy as you think it would be to finish everything on your plate at the same time.

He celebrated Christmas Eve with his companion and a couple of families in the ward. In the Czech Republic Christmas Eve is traditionally the night when they have the bigger celebration and Christmas Day is more quiet and laid back. Tradition also says that Baby Jesus brings the gifts on Christmas morning, not Santa Clause. Two Elders from another area spent the night at their apartment and they spent Christmas Day by sleeping in and watching Kevin open his Christmas gifts (I guess they had already opened theirs).

He is working hard and continuing to learn the language and is loving every minute of his time there. We are so grateful for the time we had visiting with him.

This is a picture of the Ostrava Town Square at night.

This is a picture of a church across the street from his apartment in Ostrava.