Update from Robert

Hey everyone!!

I just sent an update to my old youth group back in the states, so I thought I would post some of it to update everyone else. Now, this isnt very grammatically correct or anything since I wrote this for the students, so dont judge me too much (Pastor Rob - haha)! It's long - sorry! I tried to condense some of it and add a couple pictures.

Here is basically what I said:

First of all, I have to say we miss you all so much, like really miss yall. We think of yall every day...except Laurence...and Henry....and ummmm....Christy.....and Anna.....and, yeah, that's it. We dont think of them, but we think of the rest of yall every day!  haha! We just are dying to know all the stupid details that is happening in your lives - who's growing taller, who's got a new crush, besides Crawford, how's school, how's sports teams - and theatre (your welcome, Amelia!), and all that fun stuff. 

But of course we are dying to know how your walk with the Lord is going - how is He challenging you and growing you and what awesome things is He teaching you and what hard things is taking you through. Oh how I pray for your relationship with Jesus and your joy in Him! 

Ok, as for us in London. Wow, it's crazy, isnt it - I'm in London. Who'd of thunk it! The main thing to say is that we are 100% sure this is where we are suppose to be. Every day, God confirms that we are doing what He has called us to do. We feel His tangible presence with us literally every step of the way. Even last night, He woke me up at 4am and I just had a sweet time with Him for a couple hours praying and in His Word as He was affirming me and preparing me for ministry. Now before that sounds super holy or anything, I hadnt spent really good time with Him for a couple weeks!! Now I've been reading and reading and reading all this great Christian literature from Piper to Jonathan Edwards to John Calvin to Tim Keller, all this great stuff, but I was neglecting my PERSONAL time with the Lord, so last night was much needed. 

But yeah, I feel so blessed to get the opportunity every day to spend time studying the Bible, being lectured by current and former pastors on how to know God, how to lead a church, how to be a pastor, how to understand the Bible, etc. It is awesome - every so often I get so worked up in class, I say "Amen!"

So I'm loving class. However the Languages are hard! I'm learning both Greek and Hebrew at the same time - crazy cray!! It truly is opening up a whole new world of understanding the bible, it's just that i'm at the very beginning of it, and it's hard, very hard! Right now, i'm just having to memorize a bunch of stuff, so there isnt a ton of actual work with passages of scripture - we dont know enough yet to really get into that. But that is our goal, that is what is motivating us to keep up with our studies now. That's what I'm doing right now, I'm in the library writing out all my greek vocabulary to memorize b/c I have a test in less than a week - that's a right a test!! Crazy!

Ok, enough about school!

Kim and the girls are doing great. We have this little flat (apartment) on campus that we love. Everybody here thinks, that since we are american and use to big houses, that we wouldnt like the flat, but we love it. It is such a blessing to have, and to be on campus. Kim is getting to know some of the wives of the other seminary students. She has organized a weekly prayer time with them, which is cool. Three or so other women usually come to it - all from different countries. This is one thing Kim (and me) is loving about LTS and about London, it is SOOO diverse, so international. All of our friends are from literally all over the world. England of course, and then China, India, Butan, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Germany, Canada, France, Italy, Wales, South Korea, etc. What a blessing it is to befriend these people! They can tell of course that we are from America, and know we are from the south, especially when Ellie and Meg talk (thanks to Diane, Ruthie, Lisa, and Ashley - the "southern belles" of First Pres!)

The girls are still at home with Kim everyday and they have stuff they go to each week -  play group, Bible Study Fellowship (Kim has her class and the girls have their own class as well), the prayer time, a kid's club at a local church on Friday nights, and church on Sundays. The girls are slowly making friends. Sunday at church they were running around with 2 kids while we were eating lunch, so that was fun to see. Meg smashed her finger and came up to me and said, "I hurt my finger, I'm not going to run anymore." And then of course she took off running again! 

But mainly, the girls really are each other's best friends! It is so fun to see them playing and running around the flat, making tents, coloring, singing, doing school for their animals and barbies, and of course yelling, screaming, fighting, crying, weeping, and all that comes with being sisters!! Overall, they have really transitioned well. And no, they do not have the slightest bit of a British accent yet - not even close.

Ooh - I forgot to mention this - as for my receding hairline, it's still about the same... no, I promise, still the same. Stop laughing....BUT, new development! On the left side of the receding hairline, I have a patch of hair that is turning grey! - it's SO DISTINGUISHED looking in my opinion, so ha! you cant make fun of me for that anymore b/c it's cool now!! I'm sure Elizabeth still will though. Oh, pit stains are still in full force. I did buy a breathable underarmor white under-shirt to help wick away sweat!! Hope it works!! I'll send you picture updates on it!

Ok, we miss yall! We would LOVE to hear from you - it's great when some of you email/facebook us and update us on stuff! Duncan, you havent written yet, come on man! I have an iphone now and I think Kim is getting one too, and that's a God thing - we've gotten them for basically free!! So if anyone else has an iphone, you can imessage us or facetime us for free! Just remember that we are 6 hours ahead of yall, so when it is 6pm your time, it's midnight my time! If you want our numbers, just contact me on facebook or email me. If you dont have an iphone, you can google chat with me if you have a gmail email address or use the google hangouts app. My email address is robertmjones13@gmail.com. And of course you can always facebook me!

Ok, gotta go - studying to do!!

Here is my prayer for you - Philippians 1:3-11 - every time I see this, I think of yall:

"3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God."

Love yall, miss yall. My prayers and my heart is with yall,

Robert