July 24, 2008

Dear Family 
Greating from Northeast Philadelphia "where the Catholics and Muslims collide. Sunday night was transfer calls and I anxiously awaited to hear from my district leader. However, as the night progressed I realized that I would not be getting a call and I went to bed. Then at twelve o'clock on sunday I got a call from Elder Herbert my district leader informing me that my bags needed to be packed by nine o clock tommorow night. I asked where I was going and he said he had no clue. On Tuesday morning I arrived at transfers and was told by president Murray that I would be headed up to Northeast Philadelphia to open up a new area called Bensalem in the Pennypack ward and that my companion would be Elder Todd Covington.  
  Yes it is true your dear boy Romulus Jones the magnificent mormon has been transferred out of Wilmington and into the outskirts of Philadelphia. I will miss Wilmington. I saw that place change from the bad lands to the most sought after place in the entire mission. I saw a ward that once avoided missionaries at all costs turn into a ward that was willing and able to help. I saw Sister Eubanks rise from a lowly crack head to an individual who truly sought for the betterment of mankind. I saw Shakira and Nina martinez both gain a testimony. I saw the faith of Jason Williams to be baptized despite losing his home and his friends. I saw Brother Clement shift from a huge burden to one of the greatest helps in the ward. I will forever be indepted to the area that I served in. I will forever love those that I knew. And I will be forever greatful for the trials and lessons that God gave me while I served with my heart, might, mind, and strength in that City. 
The ride into my new area was tough. I missed Wilmington. As we pulled up to our apartment (which is currently on Frankfor street next to the Blue line elevated rail.) I saw what appeared to be a brigade of female Ninjas walking down Folkroc street. Now I knew that Philadelphia was famous for many things but I never had heard Female ninjas to be one of them. Being so very puzzled i asked Elder Covington "what are Ninjas doing in the streets of Philadelphia." He responded with a chuckle and then an "Elder Evans those aren't ninjas they are muslims. Since that day I have seen nothing but muslims on our streets. 
A great deal of these individuals have no idea why they are muslims. Because Islam is a very poplar religion to convert to in jail it has become a tiny bit of a trend. Sadly a great deal of individuals simply convert to islam for protection in jail not knowing any of the excellent teachings of their own religion. When I ask anyone on our block if they want to here about the message of the restoration they simply respond with a "naw man im Mussssssslim." Yesterday I asked a man "what are some of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammed." The man looked puzzled and the glared at me and replied "Muhammed? No we believe in Jesus!"  
While Islam is prevelent around the southern quadrent of our area, catholicism is quite popular around the northern section of my area. anyone who is catholic is very old. This area is awesome though I love it so much. We've found alot of investigators since I've been here and we are working with a ton of less actives. Its my desire to find a convert or less active who will one day be as strong as president murray (who is also a convert.) 
Thank you friends for your thoughts on my behalf. I hope that you all enjoyed Batman the dark knight and know that I was with you in spirit. I hope someone took a picture. Well I have to be going 
Love elder Evans.    

July 17, 2008

Dear Family, 
  Greetings from Wilmington, "Where the skies are blue, the trees are green, and the people smoke rocks." On saturday night we ate dinner over at the Raymond's (an eighty year old couple from the deep south whose still hold strong to their  racist conferederate views of society. We ate an excellent home cooked meal of pot roast and potatoes. We then shared a lesson with them about how they can invite others to come to christ. They then said that they once invited a black family to church and had told them not to worry because the mormon church wasn't racist and that there were many of their kind there. Surprisingly the family never showed up to church. I thought it was quite funny and told them to keep on proclaiming the gospel. 
  After the meal and a few more racist comments the Raymonds dropped us back off at our home. We noticed that all the lights in our apartment were on which was a surprise to us because we had made sure that we turned all of the lights off. When we opened the door we saw that our house had been turned upside down. We went into our room and our air conditioning unit had been stolen. After further investigation we noticed that our bikes were missing. Luckly our IPODS and cameras were still intact. its my hypothisis that the three nephites protected our important belongings. It appears that brother Gregg has gotten the last laugh after all. I guess I should have given him some water and a sandwich after all. 
The rest of my week was pretty uneventfull so thats all I have to share. Happy six month mark to me by the way. Thank you family for all your letters. That picture of Katlyn Nelson is awesome. Unfortunately I might have to throw it away because it gets me distracted. I cannot believe the change that has occured within me. Six months ago all I thought about was how was I going to be able to endure these next two years. I thought to myself how much I was going to miss out on. Now I think to myself I would have missed out on so much if I would have not gone on a mission. I probably would be doing the same exact thing that I had been doing all of my life. I am pretty distraught about missing Batman the Dark Knight though. Vincent and Garret you are going to have to do something in memory of me before you watch the movie.    
Dad I never got the note but I am glad to hear that all is going well. Keep trying to send me stuff from the black berry. I am going to have to get one when I get home. I would like to hear about the Palmers also. I am very interested. Mom I am praying for you and everyone that is in the ward. Brad invite your friends to YM activities. It will make it a little bit more enjoyable and you can be doing missionary work at the same time.

July 9, 2008

Dear Family, Greetings from Wilmington "where the fourth of July is just another day to get high." Wilmington cities residence are perhaps the most unpatriotic individuals I have ever seen. I don't think I saw anyone that morning dressed in red, white, or blue. Most of the people we saw were wearing their standard outfit of six year old shoes, torn up jeans, and a shirt from the Goodwill that says "Jesus fest 2002 Do you have the faith?" Throughout the whole day I reflected many times about what freedom really meant. I was on this mission which by all means and standards of the world took away ones freedom. I could not watch TV, talk to my family, or even take a break. Yet I felt the most free that I have ever been. I looked around at all of the people that I served and saw the vices of all those I saw. Their choice to use drugs or their decision to have a child out of wed lock all resulted in constraint. Their choices their agency had constrained them to a life time of poverty. While I was free to sore, free to excel, and free to live life the way that I want to all because of a simple choice to serve a mission. Later that day I attended a true soul BBQ at Ophelia Waters, a well educated convert of about a year and a half. her family was filled with a bunch of characters and I could not understand the jokes that they told. I really wished that i would have seen the nutty professor or Madies family reunion before my mission so I could understand black humor. However, Elder Witt and I did manage to get some very good referrals from the BBQ. I want you to know that I never "just chill" any dinner appointment that I am at. We always teach a lesson or ask for refferals. If you guys ever have the missionaries over make them teach you a lesson. Members have an obligation to striaghten out apostate missionaries. The next day we hopped out of bed and headed to ward correlation. There our ward mission leader Brother Horn asked us and brother clement (who is now a ward missionary) to go and teach a less active by the name of Lamonica Robinson. Sister Horn then warned us that she had four autistic children and to watch out especially for the one that was named Butchy. As we approached the house of Lamonica Robinson we heard some rucuss but did not think that it would be to bad of an experience. We Knocked on the door and Lamonica opened and graciously allowed us to enter. we entered the hall way and there was nothing too peculiar. The room looked a tad bit disheveled but it was endurable. Then suddenly three children entered the room and began to punch each other in the head. They smelt of burnt hair and body oder and soon their fight began to be more and more intense and boiled over. Soon enough we were in the midst of this battle in an attempt to break it up. However, it was done in vain. Eventually the fight was broken up by Lamonica and the three boys went there seperate ways. We continued through to the back room. As I went I thought to myself "didn't sister Horn say that there were four children." At the moment that I thought that surely sister Horn was mistaken we reached the stair well. at the corner pedestall of the stair well there was a child curled up like a gargoyle. as soon as we made eye contacted the gargoyle sprang from his pedestool. For a few moments time stopped. and then the next thing I know I was down on the ground getting destroyed by Butchy. Tune in next week for more stories from Wilmington and Elder Evans.

June 30, 2008

Dear Family, Greetings from Wilmington "Where the summers a hot and humid and the people are naked and sweety." It is amazing to see how many naked people open their doors here in Wilmington. They usually realize that they are naked after the open the door and quickly jump behind the door for cover. Not alot of people have airconditioning here so I can't blame them for being in their birthday attire. This week was an interesting one to say the least. On Tuesday we had an amazing day. For the first time on my mission everything went according to schedule. We taught eight lessons. Everyone held their appointment. Once I got into the apartment we quickly planned, brush our teeth, got ready for bed and turned off the lights. For about an hour I marveled at how perfect my day was. I was so grateful for all that I had been blessed with. I slowly began to fall asleep. At the very moment that I fell asleep I was awoken to the sound of some shouting and wrestling. I heard a loud crash. I quickly ran and turned on the light. Once the light turned on I noticed something very different about the room. There was an ornament sticking out from the side of the window that we had never seen before. After I came to my senses a little bit more I realized that what I saw was a large arm that had punched through the side part of our airconditioner. It was swaying back and forth attempting to grasp unto elder witts feet. The arm retreated from the window back to the outside of the apartment. A few seconds later I heard a knock at the front door. I ran to the front door and looked into the peep hole. I looked outside to see a larger than average black fellow standing outside. I asked who it was. the strange fellow standing outside replied "brother Gregg" with a slurred and intoxicated voice. Quickly I asked "what do you want." The man replied, "I was wondering if you had any water or maybe some bread." Not knowing what to say I replied "what time is it?" He said "about ten o'clock." I looked at the nearest alarm clock and saw that it was now elveen thirty at night. I then stated "No we dont have anywater." the man then apologized for breaking the side of our airconditioner and then wandered off never to be heard from again. Well that is about all that hapened this week. I hope you all have a wonderfull week and I can't wait to recieve your emails next week. I am glad to hear that the trip to albaquere new mexico went well. I hope that brad will go with you next time. P day is changing from a Monday to a Thursday and as a result you will not hear from me until next Thursday. I am quite excited about the change. Bye the way hows my dog Lucky? I miss that well behave animal. I suppose that I took him for grantide. Everytime I walk into a house with an animal present there is urine stains on the couch and carpet and hair everywhere. Thankfully Lucky lacks those two unlikeable qualities. Reid the last email you sent me about KG looking like the missing link and Paul Pierce looking like a cracked out hobo made me laugh for a week straight. "Finding Faith in Jack Sparrow" was one of the funniest things I have ever heard in my life. Maybe Joe will come out with another movie five years from now called "Jack Sparrow, prophet of the Black Pearl." I am really getting sick of all of the church movies especially finding faith in christ and the testaments. My companion is in love with those movies so everytime he can he incorporates them into the lesson. They are really bad. I was thinking about that wager of a lifetime supply of chicken tacos and I have decided that I will take it once I get back from the mission. That my friend is financial stability for the rest of my life. I am glad to hear that the singles ward is doing the same. Vincent my friend. I really hope that you are enjoying life. I am so glad that you get to yell at the first year caddets. It seemed like just yesterday I got a letter from you saying how much you hated life. I am also glad that you enjoyed Spain. I wish you would have come home with a Spanish Chica, however. If only you spoke Spanish as well as I did. I have decided that my mission and your military experience are almost the same things. They are hard. They take alot of your time. They make you obey rules that honastly are arbitrary. But you learn so many important lessons. Mia Thank Jamison for the package he sent me. I'd like to know how he's doing each week. Mom if you could foreward his message to me each week I would be much abliged. Has Johnny left yet? You should get a chain email of all the missionary boys from Redlands together. -----

June 23, 2008

Dear Family Greetings from WIlmington "where the sweet smell of marijauna and garbage permeit through every crack and crevass in the city." Garabage day is always a day to look foreward to here in Wilmington. the smell during that time is thousands of times worse than any other day. all of the juice that has built up in the garbage can for the past six days is spilled out on the side walk, bringing forth a potent aroma that singes the nostrills and renders an individual paralized. Well I had two more baptisms yesterday. Was was for a nine year old by the name of Michael emmanual samuel anthony campbell leigh. Luckily I was not the one performing the baptism, but it was a very hard choir for Elder Witt. Michaels mother, Emrica, is an immigrant from seirra leon. Her family no longer speaks to her because she has joined the church.The other baptism was Jason Williams an 18 year old boy who we've been working with for the past two months. He was acually a member refferal from one of the members of the Wilmington first ward. He is awesome and I love him to death. His father died of AIDS several years ago. He has had a tough life. His uncle also just kicked him out of the house for being baptized into our church. As a result he is moving to alabama this week. I love him.Well thats about all that I have to tell you. I really don't feel like writing well today. I am really disappointed in all of you. the letter you wrote to me had three paragraphs. Did it take you guys like two minutes for you to write it? Catherine your excussed because you write to me almost every weekend and send me a package every month. I don't think you know how much it means to me. Brad you haven't wrote to me in two months. Dad whats going on in your life? Mom I haven't heard anything about yours. And what the hecks up with Austin? Reid thank you for writing me.I also sent a picture of me out in front of Rodney square I hope you enjoy it.

June 16, 2008

Dear Family, Greetings from Wilmington, "where fathers day is the most painful and depressing day of the year." It is on this day throughout the city that the cries of children and the sorrows of women can be heard and seen whever one is located. I cannot imagine what it is like to not know my father. In some homes fathers day is the only time that children ever get to see their dads. It is the only day of the year where the Jails are filled with children all of which are there visiting the patriachs of the family, speaking to them through a phone and viewing them through a three inch slate of plexi glass. While mothers day was one of the most sought after days throughout all of my mission, fathers day was one of great depression. The joy that I experienced talking to my family has been matched with the sorrow I felt being away from my dad on fathers day. The sorrow of the day for me reached its pinicle in sacrament meeting when all of the children of the primary got up and stood on the stage. Some gazed over the crowd in amazement, others ran around, and a selective few sang. It was at that point that I realized that this was my first year away from my father. I was alone. Others all around me experienced the that is a given during fathers day. Families were united and yet there was a continent that was dividing me from my father. Oh how I missed the joys that were inherently related with fathers day. Oh how missed my dear old dad. I knew that he was missing me and I had missed him. There was nothing I could do. I needed to be on this mission. It was the thing that I was suppossed to be doing. As I sat depressed watching the primary fathers day presentation a feeling came over me that I will never forget. My mind hearkened back to the story of christs last hours on earth. It was there during the Garden of Gethsamne that his fathers spirit departed from him. He had been aquantainted with grief and sorrow for the majority of his life. He was mocked by pharisses and saduccees throughout his ministry. He lived in meager circumstances from the time he was a child. Born in a stable to a impovirished family. The lowest of the lows hated him. Yet throughout his life and up until his last few hours on earth he always had the comfort of his father in heaven. He was indeed the closest human being ever to his father in heaven. He had never departed from his father. Regardless of this fact, however, he was forced to leave his dads prescence. It was neccessary. He was forced to endure the trials and hardships of everyone. He was forced to experience the sorrows of me missing my father. He was forced to experience the depression of children who lacked fathers. It was neccessary for him to experience all things. His fathers spirit had to leave him. God surely missied his son and his son surely missed him. More than a continent divided him from his son. The sins of all mankind divided he and his father. It was after this moment I was once again grateful to be on a mission. I was once again grateful to see the hand of god in all things. I love this mission. it has changed me and I know it can change all who allow it to.

June 9, 2008

Dear Family, Greetings from Wilmington "where the summer days make you feel like you are taking a bath in hot molases." It really is very hot in every place of the mission and it is especially hot in our area of the mission. We have only one airconditioner in our apartment and we have placed that in our room. However, our study room lacks such cooling. Every we open up our bedroom door and walk into an oven and sit there and frivolously attempt to study the scriptures in such a extreme temperature. Elder Witt informs me that it will only get worse. It was about 95 degrees with 80% humidty all last week and I wanted to die. This week has been one of service as well as success. On Saturday we hiked two miles to visit a less active woman by the name of Janice Jolly. By the time we reached the house our clothing was dripping with swet. Immediately sister Jolly saw us and let us in. We sat down and began our study, but immediatey sister Jolly told us to get up and move one of her toilets out to the dumpster. We happily accepted and I began to carry her old and rusted porcelen thrown down the stairs and to the garbage. We I reached about half way down the stairs her water started leeking through the toilet and ont my pants. I was not to excited. The rest of the day we went tracting and at nearly every door people said that I smelled like dog crap. At one door I said "correction I smell like human crap." we had a very interesting lesson about the Ten Commandments with Jamal. When we got to the 6th or seventh commandment (whichever one thou shalt not steal is) we stopped and looked at Jamal. Unfortunately our hopes to have Jamal confess to stealing celluar phones, Ipods, and chalk were dashed when he said nothing. We then proceeded onward with the rest of our lessons. This week we have been working with two investigators from the same apartment complex. Last saturday we decided that we would go visit tasha. When she opened her door we noticed that she had a bruised eye and scratches all over her face. We asked what happened and we found out that our other investigator Tereasa had beaten the crap out of her because she didn't like how she was talking to one of her baby daddy. O the wonderful Babymama drama of Wilmington. Well thats about all that has occured in my life throughout the past week.

June 2, 2008

Dear Family, Greetings from wilmington "home of the Howard high school Stealers (its really spelt Steelers, but that is not a fitting name for the individuals who attend that high school)." I apologize ahead of time but I am experiencing something that I have not experienced in a long time. I am right now in the midst of a writers block and I cannot seem to write my words the way that I want them. Last Tuesday morning I walked out of my apartment and immediately I was hit with a very horrible and uncomfortable feeling. It felt as though I had just walked into a cross between a sauna and a cheap Las Vegas hotel room with a broken down air conditioner. I turned to my companion Elder Witt and asked him what this strange sinsation was and he stated "welcome to a Philly summer." Humidity is the devil, especially when you are outside all day. This week we have been working extensively with a less active teenager by the name of Jamal Lyons. Jamal is an individual who is underprivledged to say the least. He lives in the heart of one of Wilmington's worst borrows. His mother Quintana works two jobs. Therefore the young boy is left to fend for himself. He is forced to take upon him the role of a mother and watch after his two sisters. the fact is, however, that he remains a thirteen year old and he is free to run his life the way that he wants it to be run. As you can imagine he takes full advantage of the fact that there is never any parental supervision. Throughout the week we had been making increadible progress with the young boy. He had really uponed up to us. He was also very interested in comming to church. As the week went by we began to teach both he and his friends. We enjoyed it and I came up with the bright idea to invite all of them to come to church. Sunday arrived and we got Jamal and his three friends up to go to church. We arranged a ride with one of the ward members. To say the least we were quite excited. The trip up to church went great. We had a wonderful time with Jamal and the driver. The car then was parked by our driver and we got out and walked up to the door. When Jamal and his friends reached the doors of the church all Hell broke loose. Jamal immediately ran up to the piano and began banging on the keys. HIs friends started taking a bath in the sink of the restroom. We managed to round all of them up before the sacrmament processions took place. For a few moments they all sat quitely together. Occasionally making a joke. During the opening prayer I opened my eyes to see Jamal standing up on his chair and doing the YMCA. For about five minutes after that they once again sat quitely. Then Jamal decided that he needed to use the bathroom. After a few more minutes one of his friends decided that he needed to go look for Jamal because he was concerned for his welbeing. The next friend followed suit. Then the next friend. I went out and looked in the restroom and low and behold there was no Jamal nor any of his friends. I proceeded to make my circles around the church trying to find the children of the damned. My serach was in vain. The other Elder began to join me in my search. We then looked in the library and found that it had been ransaked and destroyed. Rows of books were knocked down, chairs were broken and markers were every where. Eventually we found them. But low and behold they once again escaped our grasp. A few minutes later the bishop announced in Elders quorom that cars had been broken into and many peoples valuables such as Ipods and Cell phones had been stolen. We then found Jamal and the destroyers in the parking lot. There pockets were bulging with valuables which they swore that they had brought from home. Jamal then decided that he was offended and he and his three buddies agreed to walk home. I just didn't have it in me to follow him. Afterwards the bishops first counsellor went up to us and told us that he has done this everytime he has been here. So thats what happened to me this week. I am still trying to recover.