The weekly doings this week.

Wow that was quite the letter.... anyway

2. Caleb really wants to know after 6 hundred times asking what way do the toilets spin there? Is it the same way as here?
2.Well I think I answered that one a while ago, but I haven't recently checked so I will have to do that with the sink. Anyway the Toilets don't swirl they just drain in a monsoon like fashion. They make them different here?

3. Do you have any tips that you could share to a new missionary who is coming there on what to spiritually prepare to do before coming?
3. Read your scriptures everyday and study Preach my gospel every day. Apply the Christlike attributes from Chapter 6

4. Do You have any tips that you could share to a new missionary on things that you would bring different to there now that you got prepared and are there.
4. I wouldn't have brought as many p-day clothes. You don't really wear them on p-day much unless you are doing something that will mess up your clothes or if you do service throughout the week.

5. Please tell us what its like to attend a branch that is small when going to church.
5. It's very very small. and I'm really trying to wrap my mind around how I feel about it. it's kinda quite but at times small noises are really loud because you are in a tiny room. It's usually nice, but sometimes the sacrament meeting isn't fully prepared in time, so we the missionaries have had to give surprise talks all of the time. It's getting better now that some things have changed around in the presidency and what what.

6. I didn't get money in the bank are you ok still?
6. Yeah I'm fine. the only thing is I find myself paying for investigators transport to church, so I've had a little bit less then I normally have had. But it still works out.

7. Please tell one thing that your Dad does that has helped you to be a better missionary.
7. My dad works hard! I've found myself comparing my mission work to the work that Dad does everyday and I sometimes feel like I need to improve on that. I want to have that same kind of work ethic that Dad has by the time I get home.

8. Have you gotten to see elephants yet?
8.Why yes actually, I saw my first elephant's yesterday. and it was sweet!!! They were about 10 feet from the car. There is a place called Kruger National Park that we went through. You should look it up. And to comment on something you asked a while ago about picking me up from mission. You might want to save up alot of money if you want to do that because, you will want to see a few cool places like Kruger.


9. Please tell one thing that you would want to study now that you never would have wanted to know about but your mission has somehow influenced you.
9. That's a good question. I recently began reading Jesus the Christ. which I probably wouldn't have done so before. That book Blows your Mind!!!

10. Tell one normal day activity that you do.
10......Teach, study, plan, find...etc

Like I said that was a long e-mail. I hope I can reply to alot of that. I'm surprised J didn't say anything about Rosie having a baby. That's some really cool news. I can't believe it was already a year ago that that stuff hap pend with Mkalif. It's weird to hear about how life continues to happen even though I'm not around. The biggest thing that weirds me out is hearing about J and all that boy stuff. It's hard to belive that they are the age they are, because I feel like I was just barely that age. TIME FLYS!!!
Anyway. the most exciting thing that has happened this week is with one of our investigators Lennie. Before I got here he was not progressing and it was frustrating the missionaries because he had so much potential. Now he is one of the best finding tools we have. He is scheduled to be baptized on the 25th of this month and since he started coming to church he has introduced us to 3 of his friends and 2 of them came to church. He is reading his scriptures every day and always has tons of questions to ask us about the Book of Mormon. I can testify that reading the Book of Mormon will keep us on the straight and narrow more then anything. The investigators who always progress to baptism are the ones who read that amazing book. Anyway he is awesome and I strongly believe his friends will progress to baptism because they have the same kind of fire. We are seeing them today so I will update you on how things go. It was exciting to go to Kruger park yesterday and see some wildlife. Because of time I will send pics of it later (which reminds me on the side of money i might need help to get a new card reader if that's ok) I love the work and I'm out of time. I'm proud of you Aunt Bethany for taking the challenge and I know it will make your family strong. I've seen it! (Family Home Evening)

Love Elder Jones

Family side of the weekly doings.

I love this quote found on the mission newsletters.

“How can you expect to have eternal life if you can’t

manage 30 minutes wisely?” –Elder Hawker

This is turning into a what a week again. I am feeling ready to have vacation from school over because the boys are so bored and Dad isn't home enough to keep them farm busy. To make sure you know Emily put a note on our blog and said she had just wrote to you that was the week you went up to Tzaneen so hopefully you got a note since last week if not maybe she emailed and it went to the wrong address can you still check that email? C started football by going to football camp with a new football coach. He has a lot to do to get into shape again. That was Mon. that camp started along with going to watch some fireworks in Richfield that night. There was spread celebrating depending on which town you lived in around here. Tue. early up to go to camp again so I ran on the track its kinda nice to have a smooth run spot once in a while. The young women went swimming and then the football camp went swimming later. J was bummed because she had hoped they could all be there at the same time but the Mom was glad it didn't workout that way. Wed. Scouts and Mc got his first aid merit badge started. Thur I ran out of gas on the way to take C to camp. We were able to coast into the station but he was late and since I was there I ran the track again for 3 miles. By the way thanks for your encouragements it helped me get through this week and I look like I lost 40 pounds not different but whatever you think. I arrived home to find Rosie having a live baby filly and it lived yeah that's nice compared to last summers misshapes. Fri. Today I am not going anywhere except for the laundry room because its overflowing with wet shorts from boys who are changing more then a girl would from water playing. Mc is learning how to bale and haul hay. He loves it and has begged to have Dad get home from work early everyday. It's been fun to watch him be that way. I saw Braden Harrison he said to say Hi! Jer is doing super we have noticed that there has only been one throw up time this week because he was eating steak and didn't chew it up enough. But it wasn't like the past where it wouldn't go down and he would fight hard to keep from having a problem and then lose all that was in his tummy. His voice is a bit higher also not so man sounding in a little boy body. The steri strip is about to come off and it looks like a line on his neck and that's all instead of a hole but we can't see the main pinpoint spot yet with the tape on there.
I am actually glad to hear that you are having a hard time writing e-mail it means that time and space is starting to blend because it means that you are really losing yourself in your mission and the experience that you are having right now. Dad says this is the most important time to write your journal because the days begin to blend together and you can't keep separated and you will want to go back and read at times in your life and when your own children serve missions. Besides I might just spank you if you do not use that amazing journal that I made for you and fill it with all kinds of happy and sad and adventure and discouragement for your posterity to come which you can only remember if you write every single night as a review of your day.
J told me that it's T,T's values that make her really like him. Once when she got sick he lectured her about needing to still go to church even if she was sick. He is already an Eagle scout and plans on going on a mission. C is teased by him continuously so the tables are turned, they did football camp together.
Well I hope you got lost in this week and that is was amazingly full filling to you in every way. Tell me if you are needing anything please. I can't not believe that last year at this time you were working your head off to make enough for the mission clothing and now you wear them everyday. I do hope they are all lasting. And of course I better bring you up to date on the fact that they found the snake or they think they have and its up in the front porch rafters in the birds nest there. C says it's it because it is such a hissy mean blow snake. They are this Sat. trying to get it down and and move it out to the field they have been at it for about an hour or maybe more. Papa came to help fix the closet that the clothing shelves came down twice now once because C thought he could use them to power lift himself up. Ya you get the pic. It is starting to get to where we might just put the swamp cooler in, crazy that it is the middle of July and we are barley in to thinking we might need it. Dad and C watched a bit about the land take back that was going on in Johannesburg where that tower stood back in the year 2007. They saw the tower unless there are alot more of them around that area. It was pretty interesting Dad said about how the white wanted to keep their land and kick blacks off that had been born and always lived there. They called them scwaters (sp?) but how can you say that when they were born there and the guy was like 103 years old. I am sure those are things that you can not really express in your letters that you hear about.

Today I felt lifted up as I heard again the talk by Brother Eyring this part (Many bishops in the Church are inspired to call the strongest people in the ward to serve individual children in the Primary. They realize that if the children are strengthened with faith and testimony, they will be less likely to need rescued as teenagers. They realize that a strong spiritual foundation can make the difference for a lifetime.) I sure hope that I am teaching them right, someways little ears do not sit very still and listen when all they seem to want are fishy crackers and drinks. Jer stayed home today with Mc today supposedly Mc didn't feel good and class was a bit quieter then usual, mostly because I am the Mom and he knows my buttons to push. Shelby was on one though and it was kinda of hard to get her to sit and listen. They are finally starting to sit a bit stiller and answer questions as long as I be a really animated teacher then I can hold their attentions.
On the home front I am not going to lie it is hard to get all these boys to be on the same quiet plan and do any kind of sit down lesson. (Family Home Evening) We are spending lots of time together doing busy activities but there has been a precedent set that sitting and doing a lesson isn't important. There has been lots of arguing on the teens parts that Mom is dumb and really bossy and stupid even sometimes, over well almost anything that isn't going the way they want it to go. I am not trying to complain I just want you to realize that everyone has their free agency to be a willing participant or to not cooperate and it sure can make life rough. There is always lots to learn on everyone parts on how to make the whole family life work together a bit better. Well I better get this sent off since its super late having been trying to get kids to go to bed and not much cooperation on some of their parts. I love you and I hope that you have had a great week.
Love Mom