South African Taxies are a bit crazy to drive near.

Questions and answers from last week:

1. What does a District Leader do for his duties different then a greenie or a broke in missionary. (well that's a good question, because I'm still trying to figure that out. You basically just communicate the Key indicators(numbers) for the district, to the zone leaders. I have 5 missionaries plus myself in the district, and I plan exchanges and evaluate how they are doing. I also do baptism interviews when they are needed.)
2. Did you have to move yet? (Nope, we got a 1 year extension on our contract)
3. The baptism photos didn't come through were they of only Lenny or also Beverly?(there was one photo with sister Beverly and Lenin)
4. Is the church that you attend in the school right in Mutupa or in Tazneen? (we attend to services each week, 1 in Tzaneen and one in Motupa. In Tzaneen we have a chapel)
5. Are you getting along with your companion?(Yeah pretty well, we have some struggles every once and a while, but we usually are able to work through it quickly)

Answers from this week:
1. Did I get Jared address to you?
1.Nope I didn't get it.

2. So tell your opinion on being a district leader hard, busy, going to grow in a new way easy what?
2. Well recently, meaning today it's been a bit difficult. And it's really hard when it seems like members of the district don't want to take your advice. It's taking alot of patience and alot of learning but I'm trying to measure up to what is expected.

3. Did you get our letter last week?
3.I got your e-mail, but if you mailed a letter I didn't get it.

4. Did you finish reading Jesus the Christ? I would love to read those books when you are back since that is one that I never got to read.
4.No I haven't finished yet it's a very large book and I don't get much time to read it.

Well this week has been an interesting one. I didn't e-mail last week because Monday was a holiday and everything was closed. And then this week, we were rear ended by a taxi. Man Taxis get on my nerves. The car is now in for repairs and it's making things a little bit hard to work. Luckily it did lead us to finding 2, yes 2 new Father led families and 1 shows alot of potential. We have been struggling now to reach our goal of baptisms for this month which is 4 and as of right now we might, and when I say might I mean it will take alot of prayer and fasting and effort,to get 2. Elwin and Noriah, they want to be baptized but the struggle is that it is hard to visit both of them at the same time because Elwin is working and we still need to teach them alot. We have worked out a plan that might work in teaching them but it depends also on if they have a chance to come to church or not. Noriah attends every Sunday but Elwin, because of his job, struggles with it. Please keep them in your prayers and we will do our best, but if anything it will be up to Heavenly Father. Wed. we had a special training session in a place called Polokwane on some new stuff they are incorporating into the MTC soon and we have been asked to apply it so that when the new missionaries come in we can accommodate them, I think Elder Devin Monroe was talking about it as well. Then on Friday we had our Mission tour where we met Elder Renlend one of the councilors in the Area Presidency him and President Poulsen taught us more of the principles that we learned on Wed., and that is going to continue on every Wed. of this month (not with Elder Renland though) Sunday I was audited for the first six months of the year, Jan-Jun, on all of the finances of the church and I didn't get here until the beginning of July. It went well though because I was lucky enough to have the Brach President with me to help out. Man I never thought I would ever be doing Finances on my mission.
One other person you can pray for is Clifford, he is struggling with overcoming addictions to Alcohol and Drugs so he needs your prayers.

Well I hope this all makes sense to everyone cause I was kinda scattered in thinking of all this stuff.

love Elder Jones.

P.s. Thanks for the E-mail Aunt Amber, it's much appreciated

The families County Fair week
Lets start with Mon. I was way tired by the end of the day and it isn't even Friday yet. I cleaned 6 cabins and it took all day but at least we made some money to pay on the mission fund bill. Tue two more cabins and big bathrooms to clean. The boys couldn't cut anymore wood because it had rained and rained the whole week before. Wed. hauled the sheep into the fair turned around and picked C up to register for high school and get J's stuff set up also. Then grabbed all the boys put the horses in for the third time and back to the fair grounds. J finally got her drivers license officially and only made two mistakes so now she gets to drive to the fair in the morning by herself.
Thur. she drove all alone, I took C to football and then we hauled the two horses into the fair grounds. She had already shown her sheep and got blue ribbons by the time we got there. That night J rode the entry drill team to start out the rodeo with the sponsor flags. They had a bit of a struggle but the next night they looked really good. I video taped now if I can figure out how to pull of my camera and load it to a DVD. A horse ended up having an accident and they had to carry it off on a panel. It was one of those bucking broncos and after the guy was off it just collapsed after one really hard buck. We went home smelling like camp fire and at our house we had to shut all the windows and coolers down because it was so very dang smoky from a huge controlled burn that is now out of control on the Beaver side moving over to Kimberly. They expect it will burn the rest of the summer and it stinks. There have been belly dump helicopters flying over our house for four days now attempting to keep the Kimberly mine historical site intact. Jer is seeming to take it in stride better then me. I got super crappy and finally had to take some med because whatever is burning I am allergic to big time. Mix that with fair dust and I couldn't' even get up and going on Fri till 12 in the afternoon. Z has been suffering too a bit.
The next day J rode the Rodeo again and sold one sheep to Burnadeen and one off the floor. Your pictures took one a blue the one with the bee and the violet took a red. I am not sure why the red but it was sitting by the judge choice and the grand prize so I wonder if that was what made it move down. Sat the 4-H show was at an unearthly 7am because they had to be out of the arena for some dang reason cause of the hog wrestle and then in the end it didn't even matter they did it on the race track area in front of the stands. J did the hog wrestle with three other kids, the goal was to get it's butt into the barrel while slipping in the gray clay mud that is super slippery. They did it but wasn't as fast as the team they were trying to beat. She had a blast doing it. It also is on video so now I just have to get them all on the video together. I finally made the little boys go home with me because it was more fun to them to slide in the sawdust piles then to do any of the fair activities. They were sound asleep at 6 pm and J who didn't want the fun to end came home at 10 and crashed she was super tired. Dad had gone with the young men up the mountain to their ride C didn't even go he went to Daltons family reunion. Dad after getting all the Young men off the mountain had to turn around and go back up to get Brother Clabes horse that had all of a sudden quit and would not move. They gave it butte and got it pulled back down with Brian M's horse, but didn't get back till 7pm so then me and Dad had to go back in to town and get the two horses that were at the fair grounds waiting a ride home. I must admit I am glad that it's over and next year I fear will be even more crazy as we already have the steers that they are going to show and J wants to do a hog anything to make me feel even more tired and spread in several ways. Also I bet C will do sheep and Mc and K will be old enough to also show. J will be going to state again with Hobbles so she is pretty excited and this year I will go up with them I think. Dad is finally today and tomorrow going to get the oats and hay cut. The swather had a major break down when it finally stoped raining. Dad went and gave Jordan the priesthood with Papa and Shane and some of the Carter family. Uncle Brock is in Alaska for the next 3 week working and he is going to try and ship some smoked Salmon to all of us. They bought a tiny shop and acreages in Annabella that they can build on someday. Justin is loving working for the Shakespeare festival and Cody is now down there working away and starting school. Rhett is about done with part of his second training and will go either to Hawaii or North Carolina. Well please tell us your adventures and I will try to get the photos up next week with mud on J's face. Smile have a super great day and I think your a great missionary.
Love Mom

My Missionary and Humanitarian Kits arriving in South Africa.

1. Please tell us about the photos that have all the boxes in them what are they and what were you doing.
1. Yeah I forgot to tell about that. The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day-Saints donated 300 New school kits for the kids attending the school we have church in. They included a bag some notebooks a few pencils and pens with sharpeners, and a ruler for that stuff. There also was some calculators, but I'm not sure or not. It was great!!! We always see kids around the village now that have those bags. We've noticed that some of them have been personalized as well.

2. Who were the dignitary men was one of them Brother Koelliker?
2. No one of them was the 2nd counselor to our Mission President.

3. Were these photos in Tazneen?
3.Most of those photos were from Motupa and Kruger National Park.

4.Which young man is your companion the one cooking the food by the stove or the one in Kruger park with the red shirt?
4.The one with the red shirt. The one cooking is Elder Chikonye a Lenyenye elder.

5. Was the young man in the photo with the funny hat in Kruger store Lenni?
5.No that was one of our brach missionaries named Chris, and the other was Jomo

6. Did Lenni get baptized you never confirmed that.
6.Yes he did, he got baptized the same Sunday as Sister Beverly. There should have been a picture of it. They were both confirmed yesterday

7. Were you there when Elder Watson and Elder Koelliker spoke I think you said that but can't place time like I am thinking you were in Soweto at the time.
7.I'm actually not sure what your talking about with this. I've seen Elder Koelliker once and Elder Watson several times at zone conferences and what what.

8.Should I write smaller letters so you have more time to write back?
8.No I like hearing whats going on. The thing that makes me slow is when I get letters from President Poulsen that I have to read.

9.Has it cost you every Internet cafe that you have used?
9.Yup and it's gotten more expensive each one I have used.

10.What does it usually cost to send email?
10.They charge us per how long we are on the computer which is an hour. My first area it was R5 my second area was R10 and this area is R30 but they actually give us a discount here because we come in every Monday so it's only R15.


11.Did you have to have any other shots once you got to the MTC after all the ones we had at home?
11.Yeah I had to get a couple but I can't remember what they were.

12. Are you wishing you had updated photos that were tangible to look at of your family or is the one family photo good enough?
12. it's always nice to see the photos of the going's on at home. Just keep e-mailing them that is nice.

13. Do you think you have found all the encouragement notes that were hidden in your stuff a year later now?
13.I'm pretty sure I found most of them in the mtc and then I found a few in my first area as I started reading some of the books that I have.

14. So having been wearing garments for a year now are the drylux still your favorite over there in the hot of Africa?
14.Well that's a good question, they defiantly absorb the moisture much better then the silk ones.

15.What packaged foods are you missing and want us to send. Beans? taco shells? Chicken in a can? Energy bars? What tell me.
15.Well I can get all that here, but I actually have struggled to find the chicken in a can, but that's because you can find chicken in almost any other form imaginable here. People love chicken. I'm not sure if I would like that in a package. Stuff that I do miss....... it's so hard for me to think of right now..... Whoppers! yes I would love some whoppers. I would love some Captain crunch Cereal to much!... Root beer.....I would say some more sunflower seeds, but I think there bad for my teeth and it might be what was causing my gumline to recede....Jerky.... and yes a Symphony Bar
If there is anything else I'll let you know. I usually don't think about that kind of stuff so I'll see.

16. Do they grow tomatoes over there?
16. Yes they do

17.Does Elder Makoso speak Sestheo?
17.He is from Zimbabwe, he speaks Shona. but he does understand it more then I do.

Well this week feels like it has flown by, but it also seems like it has been forever. It's interesting now to be District Leader cause I'm still trying to figure out all of my duties for that. And being the ward clerk has slowly started becoming easier because I sat down with the Branch President and asked him to show me some of the stuff that was important. We also went to transfers on Wed to pick up the new elder and it was a long 5 hour drive down and a long 5 hour drive back. We now have Elder Lechner with us in the flat. He's a missionary who was in the MTC with me. it's nice to see a familiar face.

And for some reason I really can't think of anything to say right now..... so you might not like it but this may just be the end of my e-mail... yep nothings coming to me...

I'll e-mail dad and maybe he'll let your read his.

Love Elder Jones.

PHOTO'S OF THE END OF JOURNEY TO WHERE HUMANITARIAN SCHOOL KITS ARRIVE THAT ARE MADE BY RELIEF SOCIETY MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY-SAINTS IN THE UNITED STATES AND THEN SHIPPED AROUND THE WORLD.

Dear son
Never forget this:
How old was the young man that the Lord trusted with his ancient gold book to translate called that wonderful book
THE BOOK OF MORMON?

This should be posted in everyone room.

Our Deepest Fear
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.

And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give
other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.
by Marianne Williamson

You are in the business of doing this in your new position as a District Leader and a Missionary. You will be amazing son lean on the Lord.
This week has been somewhat quite the boys went up to Hoovers and cut split wrapped and sold firewood and made a bit of money. They can't wait until they can do it again, they want to make some more mola. I think that C will start doing it even to the Flying U if he can figure out a safe storage area so no one would steal it until it gets sold. He got to go to Lagoon with the money with D. Then J the next day got to go for a date with TT for his first big official 16 date even though his whole family went also. She stayed over at the oldest boys girlfriends house and I sure hope she becomes better friends. It has rained and rained this week, flooded my window actually and C and I had to jerk the air-conditioner out. I got shocked what a lovely feeling. Dad has been going like crazy and so we have hardly seen him. The house has stayed clean and they are taking me seriously with the pick up of things which has been nice. The starting school count down is getting near. K is still asking everyday when. Even Jer has started to say little things about doing school. Pictures will go into fair Mon. Well it's Friday and the whole house went to pot. I am not sure what I am going to do with C. He thinks money grows on trees and that he really isn't to having to work hard at keeping stuff nice now that he got what he wanted with going to Lagoon. He did the run away thing again but this time it was because I told him he could walk home after he was done doing the wood today for being so dang rude. Well he talked Mc into getting out when Dad stoped to to pick up the twin to tie with. So K and Z made 60 bucks with Dad helping them. C is still being all balky and teen rude tonight. J is thrilled because she walked into a Local restaurant and landed a table busing job that could have started that night but she had said she would babysit so she couldn't start till Sat night. I hope it gets her a little advance cash and then can move to another better job since it might end in Sept. She riped the clutch out of the car going from 5th to 1st at 30 or so miles an hour. So another 340.00 out of her pocket in less then a months time from fixing the tie rods that you wheeled out when it was yours. I even landed a job cleaning the cabins so I was in a bit of shock. They blessed the twin babies this weekend but we are not going up because of J's new job and the car that has no air conditioner and will cook you to death. Sorry for all the questions but I am trying to figure out what those photos are. Love you and have a great week.
Love Mom

Dad note
Hi Bud.
Mom chats enough that she most likely said everything that I know. The Lord will not expect more then you can do so do not get over whelmed and keep trying as hard as you can and pray often. Those are the secrets to being a successful missionary. I love you and I think you are doing a good job and do not try to be perfect there was only one person on this earth who was and you are not him. Even the flesh and blood brothers and sisters of Jesus rejected his teachings. Everyone gets the freedom to choose.
Love Dad

Dear Dad
I think I've realized some things this week and they've helped alot on the side of being frustrated. I realized that one thing I've done is get frustrated over things that haven't happened yet but I'm afraid might happen and so during church I was thinking about that and I wrote a little list of things in my planner that I need to do, and i call it the "take your own advice page" I realized that it's not worth getting upset and fretting about things that you can't control. You are going to make mistakes but all you can do is get back up and do better next time. If that doesn't work then try something else. Being on mission definitely makes you think about alot of things at all times of the day. I just need to relax my mind sometimes and realize I'm not the only one out here, I have my Companion and The savior to help take the burden away. Thanks for the encouraging advice dad and I love getting e-mails and letters from you. How is things on the farm? Does J have her license yet or what I keep hearing about her driving but I'm not sure if that is with you and mom or by herself. Is there anything that I can help you with or encourage you about.

Anyway, I love you lots Dad
your son
Tyrell

Missionary made a district leader for Tazneen

1. Have you had to use your converter very often?
1. I only use the converter when I send pics. I just got a new one with the money you sent so it should work. I just sent some pics with it. I hope it lasts though because it is cheap.
2. What kind of exercising are you doing is it only soccer?
2.I actually haven't played soccer since I got here to Tzaneen. I usually just do some push ups and jumping jacks or what what when I wake up in the morning.
3. When will you be going to another zone conference.
3. That is an absolutely good question, because I'm not sure. The mission just sent around an e-mail saying that the missions all over are changing, and we will only have ZC 4 times a year now. We will be going through some new teaching skills training that they are implementing into the MTC's. so I will have to wait for transfer news to come out, so I can know that.
4.How is Beverly progressing?
4. Beverly has been baptized!!!!
5.What is one new tradition that you have learned about while in Tazaneen?
5. One new tradition.
6.Please tell us a small story that your companion has told you about his country that borders the area you are now in.
6. Well alot of people here, actually almost all people here speak Sesotho and I have really been trying to learn as much of that as I can. Tumela-hello, Leeki-How are you, Rona, I'm fine...
7.Do people sing on the street like they did in Soweto?
7. Just me and my companion.
8.Mc wants to know if you have eaten grub worms like in the pictures we saw before you left?
8.I have eaten only one, but it was dried and tasted like Cardboard. I have yet to eat them prepared as a juicy meal. But I fear I will regret that day.
9.What are the houses like in the village?
9.You will see a picture of one in the pics that I sent.
10.Are there flowers there and what do they look like can you take pictures?
10.Well that's a good question. There are some unique flowers here but not many many. I haven't taken any pics of them. By the way, did somebody enter my photos in the fair?
11.Did you get Emily's letter yet?
11. Nope I haven't gotten any letters in a very long time.

Well I'm going to make this e-mail short even though I have alot to say. With Sister Beverly we managed to set an interview for her this week and she passed with flying colors. I baptized her and I almost fell. She is a big woman, but she is defiantly converted. I would say you have to be to have gone so long and finally realize that you can't make excuses anymore. It was a fantastic baptism and we had 83 people at church, that is a record number here. It was a fantastic Sunday. Now for earlier in the week, Saturday morning to be exact, We received transfer news because transfers are coming up on Wednesday. Well this phone call was from President Poulsen and he was calling to assign me as the new District Leader here in Tzaneen since our District leader is leaving. I sure hope I can cope with it. I am grateful for that e-mail Dad it has really helped me alot I have realized a little through out this week that things are going to get really stressful but I can't let it get me down. I am only just one man...Young man and I can only do my best, and if I'm doing my best that's what the Lord wants. Thanks Dad so much and although I'm meshing all of my writing into one letter because of time I really appreciate you alot and if makes me feel like a load of pressure is gone whenever I hear from you.

Sincerely,

Elder T. Jones

The Dads letter this time.

Hi Bud
It's your Dad. It sounds like you have alot going on in your new area with being the ward clerk and teaching new branch members how to organize the congregation. At the same time you still have to keep up with the missionary work. It appears to be a daunting task to perform. But, I know you can do it. The lord has great things planned for you. He will not ask anything of you that you can't do. The more you learn, the easier it gets. Learning is not always in books or the scriptures. Although they are important. Sometimes the best way to learn is by doing. This can be stressful with so much responsibility, and you can do it. I know what you are capable of. Listen to the holy ghost and follow the promptings he gives you. Pray always, and follow his guidance. You will not go wrong.
Some times your companions can be a little challenging. If they come from areas or cultures that are different it makes it even more difficult. Learn from them. Everybody has something to teach and to learn. Don't get discouraged, it only slows a person down. Be positive at all times and take on a good attitude. It is amazing how much your attitude can effect your success.
On my mission I converted three people, one of them was me. It isn't import how many people you baptize, it's important how many people you convert. Stay in tune and the spirit will lead you to the people prepared to hear the Gospel.
Things are speeding along on this side of the world. summer is half over and thing's are so busy we haven't taken much time to enjoy it. Between the hospital and the farm we don' t stop moving. I'm sure mom keeps you up to date on what's happening but life is always crazy in such a big household. Tomorrow your mother is going to run in a three mile race on the 24th of July milk run. She has been training for about a month now. Since she has lost so much weight she thinks it's time to get into shape and start doing things. J found that Hobbles can run and now is barrel around the area. She is also doing the tecky thing at the high school again with the plays. I didn't know they did plays during the summer. But what do I know I'm just the father. J is broadening her circle of friends which is nice.
I'm trying to learn to e-mail so my letters will be more frequent. Its a challenge I plan to master. I have to go now but I will try to be better at writing more often.
Love Dad.

K's letter to you.
How is it going and how have you been? I can't wait till school starts and I got new cool shoes to wear but Mom won't let me wear them yet.
I have been going to church lately and it has been a great time. Krista was here from Texas and substitutes taught my class today.
I love you very much Love K


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Moms letter now.
One of the Moms of a missionary leaving to go there on Mon. said that they have read and reread all our questions trying to learn what they can about being a missionary there. So thanks for being such a good writer son
I am just writing about the family going ons I promise that letter was your Dads but I had to let him go through my email. I am going to slowly teach him to do it through his. It was pretty funny watching him, it took him forever to type out I thought that it was going to be like the longest letter on earth until he had me do the spell check and realized it wasn't but he put lots of thought into what he wanted you to hear. Stay happy and at peace even if that area is tough you were sent there for a reason one I know because you are such a bright light of happiness to those who do not know truth just make sure you let it shine and not your frustration. Sat. night J ran the barrels in Scipio. She didn't win even Big K didn't win. But they had fun. Aunt Celia told us that she had just been talking with Brother Kolicker who is home for 4 weeks to meet with the brethren and you came up and how you had spoken with him a few times. He said now isn't he in Tazneen right now? She was unsure what the place was called but said yes he isn't in the city now. Brother Kolicker said that is a very tough place to be and he will do a very good job with his attitude for that place. So he still remembers you and your light and that your will have an affect just because you let it shine there even if know one yet comes to the waters of baptism. Just serve your fellow man humbly and happily and you will somehow touch them. Chas Hathaway was in the township Seshego and he also says he is so jealous. They would go over to Tazneen because it was in the same district is what I think he called it. He misses Africa. Dad's first comment about you and hiking in the jungle was "don't, especially if your companion doesn't want to. He would know first hand and it most likely would not be safe and safety is the most important for you whether that is spiritual, physical or mental. He didn't write that in his note because he wrote several days after we got your letter and most likely forgot that he had said that. Also maybe feeding the monkeys isn't a very good idea as what if one of them bites you. So he doesn't want you to do that either unless Elder Makoso says its an ok thing". Sorry I am sounding bossy Mommy, it's just that I love you lots and it's what I do. This week was a wild one. I had had enough of the boys not cleaning a thing up and making it slowly worse. You couldn't even get in C and Mc room plus there was a tube of toothpaste from a camp bag that got stepped on over and over into the carpet but it was under so many layers who would have known. Also tent was laid across the laundry room to to long. All privileges to go and do were suspended until a huge list of put back together got fixed. They didn't believe me the first day and dragged every job out till J ended up missing Tec and that she was supposed to do plus losing her phone C also lost his phone but didn't bring it to me and they ran away. C and her walked to do the dog kennels. They then walked to young mens,womens and it was Bishop interviews. C insisted that he wasn't going to be going to the temple outing because of football starting so he started for home and J went with them to do the interviews. She came back way humbled. C walked all the way home so he had gone all the way around the valley. He had to get up at 6am and do his jobs to make it so I was willing to take him to wrestling came the next morning. But he did it and the room can finally be walked into and the toothpaste is cleaned up. The white truck took up time again and kept me in town and not finishing the cleaning up that was needed but Mc and Z really went to town cleaning. J even did and said "Mom I vacuumed like you do" which it's about time. I have managed to still run about every other day so I am ready for my race goal. I have always wanted to run in the Milk Run I think because Twila did and I thought well if she can I should be able to also. That was a lot of years ago. So I have finally done it. Aunt Carol at 61 years of age ran with me and came in one sec behind me. I had my phone out and was looking at the time that I had crossed and she was right behind me and said what time is it and my clock had changed just before that. She kept right up with me she slowed and then would catch up and slow and catch up. I just had to keep the steady pace I never really stoped except to gulp a drink at the mid point. I had a hard time catching my breath at the bottom of my lungs which really bugged me finally at the half way point I was able to breath deeply the whole last part. I took 3rd place for my age group I was not the last by a long shot and I ran it in 33.53 min which is faster then I had ever timed myself. I felt pretty good and I got a bronze medal out of it. Then I had to turn around and walk the whole main street route with the cub scouts. Its a good thing that I have been sometimes walking up to 6 miles with running. I must admit my legs were tired, pavement is harder to go on all around. Well today both Russell and Kathrine did their farewells and leave on Wed. for the MTC one going to the Kathrine to the Ukraine Russian speaking and Russell to California. Well I can't really think more what to say mostly because I want to hear what you have to say I personally love to hear from you and all that you are doing right now. I am going on a walk with your Dad now and we sent swimming for family home evening and it was Dads idea the kids loved it.
Love ya son