Mothers Day Phone call from the African Mish!

The Phone Call!

We heard his voice but there was so much paper crumpling sounds on the line it was tough to know what he said. I am so glad we get letters as quickly as we do because otherwise I still might think he was transferred somewhere but not know where.

The funniest part was that his sister was just laying around waiting and almost ignored her/his old phone when someone sent a text that morning. She came screaming down the staircase yelling he is texting me, he is texting me. All the boys thought that she had lost it since she never is very verbal about who texts her (The Dad hates texting and could just throw it away), so after figuring out the who we asked if she had asked for a number to call him with. Of course she hadn't even responded to him. Finally we got a number only to call a fax machine somewhere over there in Africa. She sent back saying that it wasn't working so we tried a new number even if that voice was barley audible I did catch that it was the Mission home and to ask for what Elder. Finally a voice with a slight accent that was my son spoke. Heavenly it was way to short, hard to think of questions and the line hung up twice but at least I could hear him say I love you. So here is the weekly questions that we got answered the next day.

1. Please explain what you said about your calling card that was a part that was crackly and I do not know what was said about it.

1. Well the calling card I have was the one we bought at Walmart and it is an AT&T Card which doesn't work here because they don't have AT&T they have other stuff and they couldn't help me so yeah. And I didn't plan very well for the phone call because I couldn't find any members who have a land line so I just said I would call you guys after I figured it out. During the week I found out we could sms you guys and so when we were getting ready for the call I sms the info and had you call me.

2. Tell us is their a new name to the area you are in?

2.I'm still in my second area. It's called Dobsonville. It is in the county like thing called Soweto. So I haven't changed since I left Ridgeway. (As you can see we could not tell what he was saying about if he was in a new area.)

3. Did it mean that you had to move to a new apt when you changed areas?

3.When I left Ridgeway I changed flats

4.What are the names of the other companions in the flat with you. Are they the same Elders as before?

4.They are currently Elder Ramos and Elder Bullard. Elder Bakker should be coming sometime. Their all the same except Elder Bakker

( The one thing we did hear was that his new companion is stuck in Botswana with Visa problems and can not come out to be his companion so PRAY that the Lord will help to resolve that situation and then Tyrell can get a companion.)

5. Are you a Senior Companion now Dad is wondering or when you end up with a companion?

5.Nope, Elder Bakker is actually supposed to be our District Leader

6. Some of those kids have clothing on that look like sweaters is it cool there and are you wishing you had a sweater to go under your suit coat?

6.Yeah it actually gets pretty Chilly around here in Jo'burg. and I would love to have a sweater vest or something.

7.What do you do on Pday give as a schedule the kids say.

7.Well the Average P-day Consists of Waking up and 5:30 To go play Soccer as our physical Activity time. Then we Return to the flat at 6:45 and we prepare for the day until 8:00 When we begin our personal study and at 9:00 start companionship study. Then at 10:00 we clean the flat for however long it takes and then we go to do E-mail. After e-mail we decide(if we haven't previously) what we want to do. Usually it's sports or going to some cool attraction or something. then we shop and go back to the flat to get ready to go to appointments by 6:00. It kinda changes from week to week but that's the usual.

8. They must not celebrate Mothers day there, right?

8.Yeah they do

9.So Elder Forman is now in Botswana, Do you think you will ever get to go there?

9.Yes he is in Bots, Myself I have know idea

10. Who was answering the phone when we would call. Is that the Pres. wife?

10.That was Sister Henrichsen

11. Did you go to long over your time for the call sorry it kept hanging us up and was so hard to hear.

11.No I didn't go over my time and I was kind of upset because they made me get off and I had hardly been able to talk to anybody. I should probably stop having that attitude because some Elders couldn't even get a hold of their families.

12.Tell us what you said in your improptune talk yesterday.

12.Well I ended up talking about the Importance of having the spirit with us to protect us both physically and Spiritually. I actually used your car story mom. It worked out really well. I was kinda surprised with myself.

3.Do you spend lots of time at the Mission home?

13.Nope I hardly ever go to the mission home, but we do go to the mission office a lot on p-day's and when we need stuff. It's kinda weird because the Mission Office and the Mtc are the same building. so every time you go there you see the Mtc Elders.

14. Do you use the Salvation flip cards that we sent you at Christmas time?

14.Yeah I've used them a couple of times but I haven't used them too much recently.

15. Do you have a pan to cook a cake in?

15 I'm not actually sure about that, but I think we have a pan.

16. Do you save the Mission newsletters that you get or would you like me to print them out for you?

16.I'm not sure what you mean by mission newsletter Maybe you could explain more.

Well it was nice to hear from everybody in the short time that I did and I'm sorry that I kinda seemed like I cut it short and didn't really say goodbye properly.
I think the most that has happened this week all happened from wed on. From then I haven't really had a companion so I've been in a threesome for now and working with members of the ward when we go to the areas. It's been kinda fun planning by myself...NOT but I've definitely been learning a lot about myself and what I need to improve, from this experience. Sunday was exciting because I was the only one in the ward with a Name Tag so I was the only one people could come to for referrals and appointments and other things so it was kinda crazy but I'm enjoying my mission and I'm glad I'm here in South Africa so I can't really think of much else to say so maybe next week I'll have more.

Love Elder T Jones

P.s. HAPPY MOTHERS DAY MOM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LmrhUEaQpE&feature=fvw Click to hear some music from South Africa!