Thanksgiving in America not in South Africa

1.Thanksgiving is most definatly only celebrated in america because it is totally an american holiday.
2. I have seen a rinocerous, but i was quite aways away from it and i don't have a clue about the fire thing
3.the wierdest thing i have eaten so far is probably ox tounge, but we did have sushi one p-day and o man that was disgusting!!
4.yeah the chapel is normally ful but it isn't as big here in the ridgway ward. But yesterday at stake conference it was way packed full.
5.I haven't noticed much difference in the singing, but there are some that really can't carry a tune worth a darn, but i give them credit for trying.
6. Well not everything is made of red brick, i was kind of exagerating, but there is quite a bit that is made of those bricks and everything else is made out of a cement stuff and everyone lives in houses with a big cement or brick wall around it with a big metal gate.
7.They do baptisims just like they do them back home. in a font at the church.
8. Well i haven't eaten dinner tonight, but last night i had some chicken w/rice and vegtables and cheesecake for desert
9. I've met alot more black people here then white people, because most of the white people here are rich and stuck up.
10. Yeah i was able to briefly meet elder steed when i came into the field. but scince then i haven't seen him because he is in Botswana (Elder Steed is from Piute County and his Mom works Alonzo).
11. Sharp Wennas (Shop, Way-nas) Means alot of stuff. Sharp, means every thing is cool. and Wenna is you. Wennas is like saying you guys. so sharp wennas is like saying. How are you guys or later guys. Hope that makes sense.

Well this week has been a really normal week. everything has just been fine and dandy. We have found alot of new investigators and we have been teaching some good lessons. There was one thing new that happend though. Elder Martin and i were trying to find someone to teach because we didn't have and apointment set so we went to see an unactive member to see if we could help find out why they weren't coming to church and that was kind of a change of pace. the member didn't want to tell us much at the begining but as we sat there more and more started to come out as to what the problem was. Elder Martin said that it was a good call to go and see her because they hadn't been able to meet with her any time before that so it was good. other than that not much else happend. we had Stake conference yesterday and there was also some kind of crazy charity toy drive going on on motercycles all day so that was cool to see.
There was some things that i needed to e-mail about that i dind't get a chance to last time but i was thinking of some things i might need in that christmas package if it's not already to late but i was thinking that i need some more perscription toothpaste and a new watch pin for one of the links in my watch. And i was wondering if it was possible that i could get some Josh groben music, but that's only if you can do that. If not don't worry about it.
And i was wondering if you would paste my mailing adress on face book so that if there are friends that want to mail to me and haven't been able to can. the adress is:

Elder Tyrell James Jones
Private Bag X4
Ansfrere 1711
South Africa

Anyway tha'ts it for today so i'll talk to you all later. I love every one and Encourage everyone to Read there scriptures, hold family home evening and always have family prayer.

Love
Elder Tyrell Jones

I am thankful that my ancestors were able to celebrate this holiday with the ancestors of my husband and that the indians kept my anscestors alive the year that this holiday was first celebrated because other wise I wouldnt have been here. There were more graves dug then houses built that year for the pilgrams when they arrived here in America.

1. So what is thanksgiving like in South Africa? Celebrated or not?
2. Have you seen a rinocerous and did you confirm if they really stamp out fires?
3. What is the werdest thing you have eaten so far?
4. Is the chapel full there like it is here in Utah?
5. Is the singing strange beautiful or hormonious?
6. Is it annoying to only see red bricks?
7. Do they baptize in fonts or in swimming pools?
8. What did you eat for dinner tonight?
9. Have you met more blacks or whites?
10. Have you met Elder Steed?
11. What is Sharp Wanas mean?
Well let me start with Monday making sure that some of your friends heard about your drum roll story and there are several cool comments about that from Melissa Henri and Serri Waters, Kelly Kunz and KaleeStewert. Do You want the primary song book too or are they in the hymn book that you have? Alex Starkie Is called to serve in Anchorage, Alaska teaching meximos! (speaking spanish) That is the same mission as Cortney Ware is going to. I pulled taffy with Sondra and Jamie at Aunt Pattys house it reminded me of Grandpa so I sent some to you hope its all in tact when it arrives. We tightly packeged it so it should be ok. I ended up at the ER. because the boys were wrestling and Dad was still at work and I walked into the tines of the Pitch fork that the boys left tines up. It stayed stuck into the top of my foot so I had to have a tetnis shot and antibiotics and my foot swolle up huge. Its better now but I still limp on it. The boys have a booming egg selling buisness. In one week they made 20 bucks and thats making them all excited. It seems that there has been tons of opposition in our house this week. I hope when you kids are older that you will all love coming to my home and hanging out. I had so much fun with my family on Thanksgiving day. After the dinner and laughing we went, all us girls, to see the New MOON movie. They also went shopping the next morning but I slept thought my alarm clock. We got to see Jathan and Julie for Thanksgiving and today was Dillions homecoming talk so we went over there to hang all day it was pretty fun. In Dec the 13th they will be doing it again for Devin. BYU won against the Utes this year in thieranual play off. Josh and Kathren are still dating. Right now Dad is listening to all the John Bythewaycds that you burned for me this summer. The cousins had a good time teaseing J. for her texting mania and that she already liked to many boys. She handled it well. C. goats had babies but they didnt live so that was a bummer. We sure are having a rash of the animal deaths on this farm. I hope that our package arrives in time for Christmas if not we are very sorry. It took some fanagling to get it to all fit so I am mailing it tomarrow and it will be coming in two packages one has a Christmas tree in it and the other has a candy cane in it hopefully you will be able to figure out what the kids mean by that.
I love you have a great week the kids or J. and C. need you to encourage them to read thier scriptures.
Elder Hamners challenge for the week. I definatly could use this, everyone can try this to work on making your self better.
My challenge for you all this week is to do a self-examination. Really ponder how you can purify your heart and motives. I do this as often as I can. Heavenly Father is bit-by-bit helping me do this. Be patient with yourself. One aspect of this challenge/commitment is to identify one person to forgive. In order to repent (improve or in this case purify your heart) we must forgive.
HELAMAN 5:12And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.
Love the Family.

A Singing South African Update!

1. What are the names of the elders you flew with from Utah?
2. What color is your house?
3. What did you eat for breakfast?
4. Do you sometimes ride bikes and sometimes ride in car?
5. What is the name of the nearest gorcery store?
6. What are the elders names that live in your flat with you?
7. Did you get a new companion at transfers or is everything staying the same for you at the moment?
8. How is all your supplies holding out and will you be able to find contact solution there?
9. Do you wish you had a diffrent coat or is that working good?
10. On a scale of 1 to 10 how much closer are you to the Lord then you were on the day you entered the MTC?

1.The names of the elders that flew with me from utah are... Elder Udy, Stodmiester, Jensen, Gustin, Randell, Norton, lechner, and a bucnh more that i can't remember right now
2.We live in a flat and it's made of red brick. everywhere hear is bascially made of brick even the sidewalks and roads.
3.I didn't eat breakfast because i'm out of food for this week and we are going shoping after this.
4.We Ride bikes every other day and have the car every other day because we share between the two elders that we live with.
5.The nearest grocery store to us is called Pick & Pay.
6.The elders living in our flat is Myself, Elder Martin(companion), Elder Mcombs, and Elder Walgamott.
7.I Did not get a new companion this transfer but Elder willson Went home and Elder Walgamott took his place.
8.My supplies are fine and everything is good, but i think i might need some tums in that christmas package.
9.The coat is fine and it keeps the rain of good so it's great.
10. I'd say i'm at 6

By the way that makes it way easier for me to answer questions based on the time i have.
So this week as been pretty good. On monday we had a kind of lame p-day because Elder willson was sick so we couldn't really go anywhere. But by tuesday he was feeling a little bit better. That day we were all able to get to our morning apointments and teach, but after that all four of us had to drive to jo'burg to the airport to pick up Elder willson's parents who were picking him up from mission. after we picked them up they rented a car and elder willson and his companion went with them to show them the way back to the flat. Elder martin and myself got lost in the airport while trying to find where we parked because we weren't paying attention when we got there because we didn't drive. Eventually after some critical thinking and asking some people, we found the car and we got on the road home. On Wednsday morning before transfers, Elder willson's parents took us to breakfast and then we were on our way to transfer meeting. Transfer meeting was awesome. it was like a recharge for the next six weeks. We got to hear the departing testimonies of the departing missionaries and we got to meet the new elders coming into the mission. Elder Walgamott was one of them. I'm Not the Youngest on mission anymore!!!! But anyway after transfers we had some apointments and they went well. Thursday was a normal day of mission work and all that good stuff. Friday we had a Very Good District Meeting about the concept of having light and truth in our lives. I had a cool thought during that DM it was that we are out here teaching peopl truths wich is a form of light. Our investigators can choose to use that light to see more truth. I really liked that thought. After district meeting we had lunch and the went to our apointments, which that was ok... but alot of the investigators bailed on us... and we were in the freezing rain... on bicycles. But every day here is a good day as long as you learn somthing. Saturday we had a bit of a sturggle talking to people because we didnt' have many apointments set and the ones we did didn't show. But At least the sun had come out and it was warm agin finally. Sunday WAS AWESOME!!! I enjoyed sunday alot. We confirmed the 5 people that we baptized last sunday and we had an awesome day. It seemed like the whole week that the subject of opposition in all things kept comeing up and it even came up in church. and now i think i know why. One of the people we taught yesterday was Kabelo. He had backed out on baptisim last week because of his brother talking him out of it. Well kabelo told us that he felt super bad for doing that and that he didn't want to listen to his brother anymore. And through that the subject came up again. We talked to him about how the devil was going to try and do everything that he could to stop Kabelo and we reasured him that this was the right thing to do. He is now on date for baptsim again and he is ready. we are going to keep meeting with him and helping him until that day. But he is an awesome kid he has always been so excited about the gospel. Please pray for him.

But now for the story of the week!!!!!! Drumroll Please:
Also on sunday before everything with Kabelo happend, we were looking for someone to teach because we had some time. So we went to a house that we had previously visited for a brief time, but we didn't really know the people because we had never been able to sit with any of them. Well we walked up to the house and they must have seen us coming because i watched someone reach out and close the window. well we knocked on the door, and know one answered. So we knocked again, and nothing happend. Elder Martin said that they didn't want us to teach them so we were going to leave but i really didn't want to be turned down like that so i told him that we were going to sing until they opend the door and elder martin really did not want to do that and then i suggested some christmas songs and we started singing Angels we have heard on High. Soon after that we heard a click on the door and someone peeked out. Turns out that the person who had closed the window was alone and was just scared that we were some people that had been harrassing her. We endend up teaching her about the restoration and she seemes very interested. IT WAS SO COOL! We sang to get someone to answer the door.

any way that was the week and it really rocked so i hope i have filled you all in very well and i hope you have a good rest of the week.I love hearing from everone but, again i am out of time.

I love you family
Scincerly Elder Jones

P.S. J. and C. can keep e-mailing me if they want

J.SHINES in musical!

Many hats, many hours, several expressions for the spot light manager!
Sound of Music South Sevier's 2009 Musical


She did an amazing job keeping the lights on for the play!

Elder Jones posting from South Africa, Mon, November 16, 2009

Well there is a major time difference between you and i so that could possibly be the reason for the delay. Right now it is 10:00am here but it is probably like 2:00am-ish there. so that could be the problem. yeah J. e-maild me about all that stuff. But that's cool because i probably wouldn't have turned him in i would have just ignored him so that's good. that she has the courage to stand up for herself.
that's good that you have all been reading scriptures, and to answer your question i am in 3rd nephi right now in the book of mormon, but we are supposed to study preach my gospel more so i have been doing that the most. but definatly keep reading the scriptures. especialy J and C.
About the bible and stuff, Did they give you a new member package? is the newtestament miniture? well just send the new testament and the book of mormon and D&C. i don't need the gospel principles book. once i get it, i'll see what i can do to make it work.

Well as for what's going on here, we had kind of a slow week and we didn't meet many new people and alot of our apointments cancelled on us. but we did have 5 baptisim's this sunday wich was good but unfortunatly we were supposed to have 6 but one of them bailed at the last minute. It was frustrating. We were waiting to see him in sacrament and the people who bring him to chruch showed up but he didn't so we thought they had forgotten him. So we left sacrament and went to his house. we found him cleaning the house and we were kind of suprised. he told us that his sister and brother told him he wasn't grown up enough to be baptized and he is now going to go back to the methodist church. IT WAS SO FRUSTRATING!!! He was our golden investigator and he loved everything we were teaching him and he kept all of the commandments. it was so sad but we have moved on now, and we are going to go talk to him on wednsday so we'll see what happens. but yeah things are good here and transfers are wednsday morning. i'm still staying in ridgeway but we are getting two new greenies in our district.
It's awesome to hear from all of you, M. and K. and Z.. and i love each of you very much. keep up the good reading and learn lots from the scriptures. THey ARE AWESOME!!!!
well Talk to you later, i'm running out of e-mail time
Tyrell

P.S. Love you Dad

Letter to Tyrell Nov.15 2009
We are very busy now with wrestling and J. is assingned the spotlight for the show. Everyone is trying to read thier scriptures so to make a challenge for them they want to know where you are in your Book of Mormon. Well M. mostly wants to know and C. wants to beat him reading, you know how he makes everything into a competition. I got a bible but it is only the new
testiment the Bishop has know idea how to get a Old testiment it is the millatary edition and it came with a book of Mormon and a D&C and a gospel principals booklet do you want any of they to come or just the New testiment. Well we are getting a package ready for Christmas and hope that it will arrive in time for that holiday of the Lords birth. I hope your baptizum was wonderful and you can tell people about our blog even if you can't look at it. Smile and have an amazing week filled with the spirit of the Lord. Sorry about the missspelled words I tried to spell check and you computer must need defraged because it would not change anything. Love Mom
This is M. letter: I am growing mold for a science project on the 20th and I get to have a rootbeer party and who ever wins gets to have a 50$price 20$ for second and and third. On the nineteenth is my manners dinner and I have to do a presentation on demo of making romen noodles in the microwave that same day. And at the manners dinner my Moms is going to be thier and bringing the toppings for the ice cream. I am reading my scriptures and I am on page 20. I love you very much.
K. letter: Dear Tyrell I am working hard to learn to read. I am working on reading my scriptures also. It snowed and I want to know what is happening to sister Eunice and her daughter. I pray for them every day and for Bryler. We made snow towers out of the snow M. and I and Z.. We went sleding down a little hill. I am so glad you are being a missionary keep doing a good job. I miss you and love you be good. Love K..
Z. saying Hi. I love you I like you so much. Is it fun their? We are sending something to you for Christmas. I bet it sucks with out snow so we are sending you some. I am happy that you are serving a mission. How many people did you baptize besides K.? I love you Tyrell Love Z.
Dad: Happy Birthday Christmas may yankee doodle eat Mary had a little lamb for breakfast. I hope you are having a very narlybodasious time. Please baptize a lot of converts and more importantly convert your self and may your testimony grow and expand. I love you very much Dad

Truly THANKFUL

No feeding tube just the oxygen left Sept 2007.Jan. 2007 to Junes Cowboy still watching his sats with the Monitor even while in the car.


Faith and Gratitude We are where they said we would never be.
So maybe I am going back in time a few years but today as I put Jer. on the bus and we had no tubing attached to his little neck, I had a moment of WOW. My memory shot back in time to 3&half years ago sitting in a New Born Intensive Care Unit around this time of year pinning to just go home and be a complete family and be free from the struggle we were facing and remembering that they told me that he would never go to school with out a ventilator and the trach. It was an incredible WOW. So FAITH and GRATITUDE just over took me as he waved goodbye and I went home to write this. I am so blessed by the Lord and realize that. These scripture are so true 3 Ne. 17: 8 , D&C 42: 48, D&C 29: 6 , Heb. 11: 1. I received the most profound promise in a blessing before he was born but I still had to go the whole challenge to see it come to a realization. My Dad had stated in that blessing that everything would be all right after the challenges were over. They are not all over but we don’t have to drag that machine to school that’s for sure. So check out some of the photo progress that we made through the last three years. Notice how we gain kinds of tubing and then slowly lose those kinds of tubing. It took us from Aug 2006 to June 2007 to get rid of all those different kinds of tubing’s and we still to this day at night have the nasal tubing when he sleeps


The size he grew while we lived in the hospital was much bigger then a 10 dollar bill! But he went from having to have a tracheotomy, ventilator, and feeding tubes to freedom.
June 2006, 1lbs 14oz Breathing on his own! He was as big as a 10 dollar bill. Jer.'s starting Story was that he didn't need any help breathing for 24 hours and then assistance with blow by air for a month. Then what they call the NICU rollercoster ride hit and we just hung on tight!

Family letter X2

OUR family really had sent him a letter, two to be exact they just somehow didn't email transmit and so he got a huge update this week when I reposted the past ones with the new week worth of news. We all had the swine flu the week before and were just recovering.
Mon, November 9, 2009
WoW!! sounds like alot has been going on back at home with all of the sickness and crazy school stuff. I would love to look at the blog mom but i can't go on anything else except for myldsmail so you should send me some of those pics in an e-mail. I am not allowed to e-mail anyone that's not in my direct family but they can e-mail me. SO mom you will have to forward my e-mails to them. it's great to hear all of the cool things that have been going on with everyone. THat made me laugh to hear the story about the snake in jami's house. that's also crazy to hear that dad is getting all technilogical it's pretty sweet. i love hearing from all of the kids and family members. Sorry that J. got kicked of the play but that's awesome that she is loving tech. it's som cool stuff to learn and maybe when i get back home we can do a play together or somthing. That's awesome that C. had fun doing the lipsinc. i remember that, It was so fun. he should get a vidio of it so i can watch it when i get home in two years. if you can remember it that long. sorry that everyone has been sick at home. I have been just fine here. things are going great. we have 6 baptisims coming up this sunday and we have a total of 18 investigators on date for baptisim. our district is basically carrying the zone in effectiveness. i't pretty cool. I'm getting more used to teaching and just jumping out there to talk with people. It's been a good week and i just have to tell you it rains alot here this time of year. And i thought that thunder and lightning was crazy back home. You should see it here. Well that's all that i can really say for now so i will talk later but i love everyone and just remember to pray lots for everything.

Tyrell

Hello!, A Pitaful letter from the Missionary. Nov. 2, 2009

It would be nice to get an actual e-mail from my family rather than forwards of someone elses's e-mails. Just sayin!
Any way happy Birthday M;!!!! I hope you enjoyed your birthday and halloween. Not many people around here even know what halloweeen is but that's ok i hope you had fun.
Well this week has been fairly normal. we have taught some good lessons and had some rejection. we have been foucusing this week mostly on the ones who are going to be baptised soon so that they are ready. we have been teaching them the things that we haven't been able to teach them yet and setting up interview's with them so that they are ready.
So how have things been going at home anything new happen? anything crazy? How has the play been going for J.? Is she still enjoying it? how's school for caleb and the rest of the kids? WHAT'S GOING ON OVER THERE???? i haven't really gotten an e-mail from you guys for two weeks. And you know J. and C. can e-mail me from there e-mail's you know. it would really be cool to here how they are doing from their own words. anyway. things have been going good here so far we have been teaching lots of people so that's good.
Last time i think you asked me what i would wan't in a christmas package and i have thought about it. the things i have thought of so far are:
-Maybe a couple of ties.
-And i would deffinatly appreciate it if you could get me a miniture bible from the bishop.
-And anything else you would like to send me. I might think of some other things this week but that's it for now.
Well Talk to you later
Tyrell

Time I got me some free Jeans!!!

So anybody else want to try, I am being nice and inviting you to enter with me, but I really want to be the winner and I deserve to win today!!!
http://rodswestern.blogspot.com

Family Photo Shoot

Picture taken on Tyrells last weekend with our family before leaving to South Africa and serving the Lord on a Mission.