Counting down the weeks now.

1.Well we are curious about what having a new Pres is like of if your so far away it has not really affected you.
1.It's not to strange to have a new Mission President, I got to meet him on Friday. He's actually a very cool guy. He's going to bring a strong sense of spirituality to the mission. We had interviews with him on Friday so that's why we met.

2.Also we are wondering if you got your coat now that your in the Winter of Botswana from the mission home?

2.Yup I've worn it almost every day at some point in time. Question about that, Do I have to bring that home cause it' kinda bulky?

 

3.Do they have such things as gloves there?

3.Yes mom I'm not living in the middle of the jungle.

 

4.Who are you teaching now in Botswana.

4.Well we are teching quite a bit of people. The people we are focousing on is a Sister named Bontle and her Sone Laone, lydia and Maatla, A sister named Tebogo, and the others we are teaching aren't really progressing. We are still hopeing to find more father led families that are prepared, because right now the fathers we are teaching ethier don't understand or are not keeping apointments.

 

5.Tell us one new tradition that you have learned or it all just life as normal now that you have been there so many months?

5. Well I haven't seen to many traditions apart from South Africa so I couldn't say there is anything new yet.

 

6.So do you think Nissans are the best car out there now that you have driven them alot in the field?

6. Well I've only really driven 1 Nissan car on mission (nissan tida), because the rest are all Chevy Aveos'. But the nissan is much nicer then the chevys we drive.

Well this week has been quite good, but I think I'm going to kill this computer because it tries to skip out on typing things that i tell it to, and it is making the typng a very slow process bcuse if i type fast it misses whole sentances. i'm goingto se if i ca get anew computer...... Ok so now I have a new computer hopefully this one will work alot better.

As for the week, starting with Monday. We had a good p-day as usually and by 6:00 we had FHE with our recent converts. After that we briefly saw a member named Sister Lenong and we just shared a thought because no one else was home with her. By 8:00 we were supposed to see a guy named Justice, but he cancelled so we went to check on some other investigators and didn't find any of them awake. So we went to the first house we saw with lights still on and met a man and his sister. His name was Nico and he was very welcoming and wanted to know everything he could about who we are and our history, we left him with a Book of Mormon and a Pamphlet about the Restoration. That finished our night. Tuesday was a very full day as well, but 4 of our appointments dropped one right after another. It was starting to make me frustrated, that's when we started to have some great success in teaching our most promising investigators. I felt a bit of guilt that night because I was frustrated about the appointments that dropped and then we had so much success. I think the Lord was trying to teach me a lesson. Wed morning we met with Bro Nico again and it didn't go as well as we were expecting at all. He was very preachy when we were there and we hardly got a word in. He wanted to tell us how he is rooted in Christ, and he doesn't think we should follow Joseph Smith. Every time we tried to explain that we don't worship Joseph Smith he wouldn't listen and he just kept interrupting us. So we called it quits and he said he would call if he wants us to come back. At around 5:00 we had our Book Of Mormon class and we invited everyone to bring a friend. I sure hope they do because we need some good Member Referrals to get some progressing investigators. Thursday we had a great planning session again and we made some good plans to get our investigators to baptism. It will just take a little more effort on their side now. Friday, we didn't get to do much finding and teaching because we had to Drive down to Gaborone for President interviews. President Omer is a great Mission President, He made me feel like I could just serve for another two years with him around. Saturday we did everything in our power to get our investigators to be at church on Sunday. We visited all of our most promising investigators and a few others. As Sunday came around we ended up having only 3 investigators at church and were not even teaching some of them because they have been investigating the church for years and just don't want to get baptized. The reasons that some of our investigators didn't come was do to one of the families had a daughter go into labor, one of the them had an emergency meeting to discuss Labola :( and i don't know why alot of the others didn't come. I've got to say it's pretty frustrating sometimes, but we have to remember that God works by faith otherwise we would probably just give up. We are facing challenges and we are having good experiences all at the same time. I tell you mission is the best of times and the worst of times sometimes. Love you all very much, keep smiling and keep me informed on what's happening.

Love Elder T. Jones

 P.s. Mom I was wondering if that courtship and marriage class also starts in august, if it does I would rather be enrolled in that then the October section and have to catch up.

 

 

To our Elder

The kids have been keeping the animals walking and feeding and really working the steers lots and lots. Then C and Jo went to youth conference and had a blast. The temple pres. Elder Pinager came and spoke to them they had a blast listening to him. He was very funny and Jo said he would be a great grandpa to have. They did square dancing and workshops and swimming. They were also camping on the lawns of the old state building in Fillmore. They really had lots of fun and came home wiped out and having to almost start over with their steers on getting them to walk nicely. They are not so easy to get going. Jo at the first of the week had dragged hers with the truck so she was frustrated to have to seem to be starting all over again just cause they hadn't walked them for three days. We also had to shear the sheep to keep them cool so that they will keep gaining weight and not lose because they get hot all over. Hopefully they will really gain some cool blue ribbons with this work after all that they have put in.

Derek Forbush spoke in church today. Its really amazing to see the change and growth after a mission, that kid always seemed so so so shy and there he was speaking very very strongly about the atonement's and the Holy Ghost. I am going to admit right now that I can hardly wait till these two little lap sitting boys like to sit in their own chairs. My legs are so numb from the wiggle wiggle of their little butts on my legs. Jo also had to speak about her experience of girls camp and she really did a great job. I wish she would take some speech classes though so that she had confidence more about.

I still have to take the CDL test I have taken it 3 times and this will be the 4th and I better pass it this time. The last time they gave me the wrong test and so i missed it by 15 where the the first I only missed one and the second time I only missed 3. They couldn't change the test they gave me the 3 time because the guy who gave it to me left to do drive test and so the girls did not know how to fix that issue and just told me i had to come back later and they would make it no charge to me. Of course though that left me feeling really defeated and I want to make sure I get it done this time for sure. They would like to put me on a bus but cant until I drive with a trainer which of course can not happen until the test is all passed.

 

Ps. Going to buy your books this week so that they get here in time for you to study with them.

Love you lots have the very most amazing week and remember the Lord loves you and so do we.

Love you lots

Your Family