How Could This Happen To Us.

Not one of us are going to get away from struggles within this lifetime. Some of us have to face ones that seem harder then another. But when we take the Lords hand and we hang on we can and will make it through the hard stuff even if we end up with scars in the end. We must help each other be accountable and heal to the end. Be saved, atoned, forgiven or pay a price whatever the outcome that is what learning and teaching and helping will get us. Do not shut a door and keep from communicating it will only hurt you in the end. Please go to these links and learn then teach others so that we can all be stronger in the end.
http://ldsmag.com/index.php?option=com_zine&view=article&Itemid=3&ac=1&id=7948

Motherhood can have many rewards but every once in awhile there can be a blind side that no one would want to face. With tools we can learn to be stronger and help our little ones so that they can be safer or willing to talk. Tools help us to react with love not fear, peaceful intent not anger. Bottomline we can know what we need to do to make a difference in this struggle if we get tools and that's what this article can give us. Please read and learn and then teach someone else.
http://ldsmag.com/family-connections/article/7960?ac=1
http://somesecretshurt.com/

Do you want to learn SeSotho an African Language?

Here is a link to be able to learn a little bit of one of the many languages spoken in the land of Africa.

Just hit the link and enjoy the trip to a new tongue.

http://friendsoflesotho.org/files/puo_ea_sechaba.pdf

To learn what the other  many tongues that  are spoken in this vast land  please go to this link to learn more here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_South_Africa

Missionary info back and forth.

1. So can you send us some chocolate in that gift box I assume you are creating? I have been learning about chocolate and found that the higher the what is called cacoa content of the dark kind the better it is for your blood pressure and cancer prevention and stuff like that but of course all in a balanced moderation. What is bad for you is the amount of sugar it takes to make it drinkable.

1.I'm actually struggling to get that package together. I just struggle to find time.

3.Did you get our birthday package yet????????
3.Nope

4. We prayed all week and hope that Brother Abouray has now opened up about his conncerns.
4.Well I think were making a little progress but not much

5. What kind of shoes are you running in?
5.Just Tennis shoes that I got from Elder Seastrand. The souls are falling off though

6. MOTHERS day call what is the plan please? Skype (I guess lots are now using this route) or is it using up our min with the number that we call though. Dont forget to give us all the routing numbers please.

6.Ok so mothers day call. Devon was trying to contact you concerning the phone call. But I have the Info worked out now. I will be expecting your phone call at 6:00pm my time, I've been struggling to figure out what that will be your time so if you could figure that out. I hope you still have the Phone card thing because we didn't find anyone with skype. 
TO ADD TO THIS FOR OTHERS MOMS READING THIS. Make a time booklet that you can send with your son that he can refure back to what time it is in the USA or other contry he came from because after awhile they can't remember how to convert from where they are at to where they need to be calling to. JUST SAYING.

7. They have again changed our addresses out here so write this down because as of May 20th it will take affect but for a year stuff will be delivered but you still better put it on whatever you come to need to have any follow up mail after the 20th.
Crazy Jo said could this be the reason that I never know my address, it always seems to be changing.
7.Not Again that's 4 times in my own life time!

8. Can you tell us the address of where you live now so that we can google earth it and see it?
8.I'm actually not sure of my current address, but it's only about 30 mins from my old place.

9. Z wants to know if you see mosquitoes where you are at?
9.Yes Lots of them sometimes, especially when I was in Tzaneen.

10. Tell us one scripture that impacted you this week.
10.Well i have one but i can't remember the verses

11. Is there anything that us that family should do to help you more on your mission? Like more letters to you by hand or, what about your songs on your little ipod is that still working for you.
11.I think I'm ok without songs and stuff

12.Maybe do you need hand held pictures is that important what please tell us.
12. the Pics by e-mail are great

13. John Bytheways do you still listen to them that we sent you?
13. I actually haven't carried those around much.

Ok my stuff from the Missionary

1. Mom could you sign me up for Private Violin classes at Snow? If there are any deadlines for the January semester at least.

2. And maybe a Choir class or something.

3. I would also like more details about school, if there are anythings I need to do before I get home that would be much appreciated.

So as for the week, Monday was a normal p-day,

Tuesday Elder Hatch and I had to go to Kwaguqa to help resolve some District Dis-unity. Issues. We went and sat down with them to talk about what has been going on and Honestly it just seemed like no one was communicating their frustrations to one another so no one could make good enough goals to get over the problems. We sat them down and made it possible for everyone to communicate their feelings and set some good goals. The last we heard, things are going well now. We made it back a bit later than we expected so we had to re-schedule some of our appointments but we made it in time to see a new Family the Elis family for just a few minutes and then head off to see Bro Aubrey. It felt like there was a little bit of tension in the room and the lesson didn't really lead to much because of it.

Wed Elder Hatch and I had a pretty long day. We started out by going to another Business to share a scripture with them and we got there and stood there for a long time and no one let us in, eventually we went back to the flat to do our study and start the rest of the day. The first thing we did after study was to take some big banners and pamphlets and books and dvd's to a little shopping complex and just try to talk with everyone. Most people just ignored us and the people that we did talk to, don't even stay in our area. Sheesh! after an hour or so of that, we just decided to tract when our first appointment came around they weren't home and the rest of our appointments cancelled as well so we spent the whole day tr acting. Luckily in all of that tr acting we did find 2 new Father led families and we have appointments with them so I'm excited for that.

Thursday we did our planning, and we got to correlate our efforts with the new bishop, He's a great guy! and I think he's really going to help the work.

Friday we went to district meeting and then had some great appointments. We Took the Van Dyk Family to an appointment with us to help the Kapp family feel comfortable coming to church, as well as to help them overcome their addictions. It was a really positive lesson, but the Kapp family still didn't come to church.

Saturday I had the privilege of going on Exchange in Sunnyside with Elder Udy, the one who sat next to me on the plane ride over, We talked slot about how our missions have gone so far and about a few of our plans after mission. We also had a great day of finding and teaching. Unfortunately, when I got back to the area Elder Hatch had some bad news for me, He told me that the Nkwashu family, dropped us, The thing is that it wasn't even their family that did it, but it was Bro Nkwashu's Father, whom I guess is a pastor. He brought the Book of Mormon's out and said that they weren't going to leave his Church. It didn't really seem fair because it didn't come from The Nkwashu family themselves so we are going to let the steam blow over and then check back on them.

Sunday was a great day most of our appointments worked out and the ones that didn't, we had some good backup plans that did work out. We saw a new family that is going to come to church, and we taught Bro Aubrey again and this time it was a lot less tension. over all it's been a great week and I'm excited to hear from you all on Sunday. I hope things all work out. If there is anything you need to tell me concerning the phone call, Just get in touch with Devon.
All the best,

Elder T. Jones


Good morning Son or whatever time of day it is that you look at this.

One of the most important things stay focused and centered in Christ this is the most important time you will give your all to him and his cause with no interruptions from life's pulls and strains.

Newsy news

So I sent forwarded that email that Nana sent but I am not sure that you can listen to the music on the computers that you use so if it wont work just know that its a beautiful song about Christ.
Sunday morning at 6:00 am my time I got a facebook message from someone who is in Afria and I think the name is Devon??? but the message would not load so that I could read it correctly. I caught something about my missionary son doing well and a phone call on Mothers day but then could not read the rest on my phone. When I went to see on the big computer I had somehow deleted it off my phone and I am really not sure how I did it. If this is a person who you know please tell them I am sorry about not getting the message and so that brings us to the conversation part of Phone call. So could this person be someone who was trying to tell us their skype info to be able to speak with you someone that you arranged with? So also at about that same time I got an email from Elder Jake Seastrand and asked him if he would know who the person was with a last name as that part was not visible to do a search and resend a message back. After thinking about it for a min I got to wondering if it was the new convert that you mentioned with the name Devon so now I am just waiting to fix because I do not know his last name to even search if it was him. Technology maybe really great but sometimes it can frustrate the heck out of ya.
We have been supposedly supposed to get new phones for a switch since ATT bought out Alltell since Sept. and finally I had to ebay buy a new used phone to keep going. They still have not turned our phones on even though they are sitting here waiting to be used and last week my phone decided to stop working other then just allow call-es to come through. Now all of a sudden yesterday is starts to work again. So I was trying to clean all the past stuff that had loaded up with the messages and stuff that seemed to clog it all up when the message on facebook was coming through and that's how it got cleaned off along with the fact that I got the worst case of stomach flu all weekend so I was a bit on the foggy side of not having a clear thinking brain. So glad that the flu has passed on by now. I hate being sick it makes me even more grumpy then normally every day grind of things can in the grumpy category.

Well you remember the year Jer was born and how we watched the river come up the field in the plow line that Dad had made? Thank-goodness he has not made one this year because we are pretty sure that that lower field is going to be really buried in water and we really hope that the fences stays standing when it all gets done. The rivers are flooding over everywhere the gravel pits out towards Jotown hill are already under and filled to the top. The bottom of the Gays fields have already been covered and they have been cleaning the canals out really deep to be able to hold the over capacity that is needed. Some of the ski resorts think they will be open until July there is so much snow pack up there. Every weekend we are plagued with snow and cold. It is really not feeling like spring here at all. This weekend has been no different and Dad had to fix the heaters because one was leaking all week so it had been turned off. Its cold enough that he had to turn them all back on again.

C played his last soccer game they did not win but he had fun and being with cousins made it nice to. Mc will have games for a bit longer because they just got going with there season. Jo is getting antsy and she has been working with the new little filly she already has her leading and can put her leg on the back of it. C needs to work with Pharaoh more because he is just way to antsy having to much of Junes scared blood in her. We are going to hopefully get a foal out of Christy I sure hope it will make a fast runner that can be broke to barrel race someday. The boys all went and got a horse today to ride as they were boared of being in the house. At least it is warmer today then it was yesterday. Yes you can tell that we all slept in because the Mom did not get the people moving to go to church having been sick in bed. Everyone on my side fo the family went to Idaho to help Grandma and Grandpa clean house and clean yards. They are not doing every well physically and so they needed some extra care. Along with the fact that Jathan wanted to have pictures taken with his little twins. They of course saw both sides of grandparents. We have not a car big enough to fit us all anymore so we did not go. Brock and Jamie did not go because Bry was sick like me and their dog got kicked by Cristy and broke its hip so they are nursing it back together. Amber also did not go because of the cost and stuff like that.

The Jones side are all at a supposed warm spot that we were maybe going to drive down to but not now that I got sick so we are missing out on all the fun family things going on. You will not believe how big these boys are all getting. All three of them share their shorts around and shirts. They also just changed the wrestling weights so that C will wrestle 106 next year. He was a bit miffed because now it will make so that the line up stays the same is how he put it. You will be shocked at Jers gift for gab and oh ya i think I said this but he whistles all the time now. Loudly too and it makes him mad that he can't do it in school. Z told me last night that he wants to be a doctor when he grows up or maybe an artist. He had to get glasses as he can't see the chalk board. He picked out with the help of Jo and C some really fine lime green framed ones. At least they are black on the rims until the ear side and then they turn green. I was not there because I was on the bus at the time. When I load pic again I will send them to you.

I need to tell you a few thoughts that Amber and I talked about. We started talking about the art of acting and the learning ways. I am not sure if I ever told you this but one of the reasons that we wanted you to go not to Ceder City was the influence in the theater dept. Let me preface's this with saying that yes you can find evil or shades of it if that is what you are looking for. But a person had told me that Snow verses Ceders departments was worlds apart in that one was small and not as exposed and Ceders was way more worldly and not one that should be attended if you were not secure yet in your strength of the gospel. By the time a person was a return missionary they would have decided what side they were going to stand on when attending the Ceder departments theater school. Yes this person is very educated in the two different schools and their take on looking out towards the worlds views and choices. So that's one of the reasons Dad and I would say to go to Snow. Anyway Amber and I got talking on very worldly ways in order to work the craft of theater. As she said it, lots of political writings with always a sexual innuendo to get it over to the viewers. Lots of the people are there because they didn't make it on Broadway and its then next closest thing they can get to. Anyway that's just one more reason for me to push the fact that looking towards Provo, UVU or BYU and doing Hales theater might be a good thing to be open to along with being a good influence support to C when the time comes. Aunt Rozanne still wants people to come live with her remember when she said that to you?
Anyway that's about all for the news I am going to try getting Dad to write to you so I better not take up to much room gabbing about stuff that's not really important.

Love you have a great week.

Love the Mom

Weighing the show steers in with SNOW!

We awoke to lots of spring snow and coldness. Draw back, the two untrained show steers had to be loaded and taken to be weighed to know what the gains will become over the next few feed out months before the show. They were pleasantly surprised at how good they were weighing in by this date in the game.

That was way easier then we all expected.

The cutes pinky girl ever.

We were happy to see our cute cousin niece there girlying the gates to the shoots.

T watching the steers move below him in the  pass to the scales.

C boy thinking come on already the wall is not going to eat you steers move it.!

Pushing the steers through the gates into the shoot weighing scales. Yep that's one cute girl of mine with C boy standing  n front of her and the one holding the yellow prod making  them move forward is our niece. Of course lets not count out the handsome side wall prod man getting the steers to move on down the path, he is mine and no one else's.

Pretty girl Jo,T, and Z an K boys sticking their lovely tongues out at me. C boy is watching them be goofy.

What a big bunch of farm kids not even caring of all the muck around them.

Now be nice an load up again to head back home.

Yippy three more months to grass feed and pack on the pounds and then make some big money to put away for college. Jo and C look like it just might  be lucrative in the end.

Botswana trip, & the wearing of the pass around suit.

For the Questions,
1. Do u drink chocolate or eat it or have it powdered since its grown in that country or is it a product that seems to be only for the very wealthy?
1. There is a ton of chocolate here and it's not expensive.

2.Last week his question was he wanted to know if a brown suit was his cousins that he left in Africa when he finished his mission and the answer is.
2.Yes the brown suit was worn by Elder Mark Owens from your own home town and he is your cousin. He is amazed that it is still around so take a day wear it to a meeting and then pass it on with your name signed inside he says its tradition.

3.Tell us what it was like to see Botswana the land inside of South Africa, along with your adventure to drive cars there??????
We hope there are some pictures to go with that trip that you took to Botswanna.
3.Well the Botswana trip was cool, I'll tell you a little about it in the meat of my e-mail

4. Brother Aubery what has happened we have prayed all week for him.
4.Well this week, we haven't seen him since last Sunday, but we will be seeing him on Tuesday night. He still seems to have some hidden concerns that he doesn't fully want to talk about so it's hard for us to address them.

5. What do you think of the info about driving busses as a side job.
5.I really don't know. Um.... I never though of myself as ever driving bus for kids but you never know.

The Elders letter
I can't tell you how excited I am to hear that they are doing Beauty and the Beast at Snow. It's actually making it hard to think right now. (in highschool Tyrell was Lafou and he loved being that crazy guy.)

Anyway lets start with Monday. Not much happened then but we had a good p-day and got some general stuff done like cleaning and shopping and stuff.

Tuesday We started of by going to The Paul Nicol's home for handicap people and we organized a massive service project, for our whole zone to come and paint a part of the place it should be pretty easy with 20 missionaries so it's going to be great. and as the day progressed, we went to our appointments. it seems like we've been struggling a bit lately because alot of people have dropped us and alot of people aren't committing. So Elder Hatch and I have been filling up our time with trying to find new people to teach. Tuesday was full, but everyone except for Benee and Maria and The Baldwin Family (both member families). So we did some finding around and actually found a good family, The Groenewald (pronounced with a dutch accent) family.
Wednesday I was on exchanges with Elder Ramahefarivo (from Madagascar) We got to go to an employee meeting for a store called Clicks, and share a message from the scriptures about unity. After that the rest of the day was a bit drab. We set up some posters produced by the Church in an effort to stop people as they walked by and talk about coming to visit them, and unfortunately all of the people we found were not really in our area. after about and hour of that, the Elders In Kwaguqa (Kwa-goo-[click with your toung] and say wa) Telling us that there was one of our investigators in my area that needed to be interviewed for baptism that was to be this last Sunday. So after finding where he was we went to go and interview him. We had made a plan to meet him at a toll gate on the N4 freeway which was about 30mins from our area. we got to the toll gate and called the investigator who said he was on his way. After waiting another 30mins we called again and he said he was having trouble to find a taxi and that it might me another hour wait. I realized that we weren't going to be able to to that so we made plans to see him on Saturday. After getting back to the area our 4:30 appointment didn't show up and our 6:00 appointment cancelled as well. so then Elder Rama and i drove to Sunnyside to switch back with his comp and my comp so that Elder Hatch and I could pack our things and drive to Jo'burg for the night.(because of the trip to Botswana the next morning). Finally we got to Jo'burg and we packed our things into the medical flat for the night.

Thursday was the day we drove to Botswana. We woke up at about 5:00am to get ready and we were at the Mission office by 6:30 to receive instructions and to load up to go. The purpose of the trip was to pick up 12 mission cars and drive them back down to south Africa before we had to pay a fine, because the cars are registered in south Africa. So what they did is they loaded us up into two vans for the trip up and then we had to drive the cars back. It was a long drive up, but a longer drive back. To give you some details let me tell you some numbers. There were a total of 12 cars waiting for us in Botswana and a total of 6 companionship's and one senior couple making 14 of us in total. So to get back to south Africa we had to drive back the 12 cars plus the two vans.......so do the math. OK each of us had to drive our own car WITHOUT A COMPANION!! I'm going to tell you that was one bazaar experience. We were put into groups of four to be sure and stick together. It was me Elder Hatch (my comp) and two others behind us. I was the only one in my group that hasn't served in Botswana so I was right in the middle. The drive was honestly one of the weirdest things because I had no music and no companion to talk to.So I realized how weird it was to talk to myself after having not been alone for the past year and a half. After a long drive we got home and the deed was done. Unfortunately i didn't get to see much of Botswana because we just went in and came out, but I can say I have now touched ground in three separate countries.

Friday we had a Zone meeting and it was great, we talked about our upcoming goals for this trimester, and I got to say a few things that I enjoyed in General Conference, about Being and Doing.

Saturday was hectic because we had to drive all the way to Kwaguqa which is about an hour drive and do that interview. After that we came back and started our own day which was mostly finding again. At 4:00 we went to Sunnyside to do another interview and then got back to our area. to finish of the day

Sunday was average, we had about 2 investigators at church, Benee and Maria's Neighbors Finally gave in and came to Church and then the day went on from there. Please just keep praying for us that we can find lots of good families to teach and Mom keep up the good work on setting me up for school. Sorry I haven't had the chance to reply to you yet Dad sometimes I just don't have time to say all that I want to say.
Love Elder Jones

The families newesy news.
I am to tell you that our bus driver says you really should start the CDL training when you get home and be on the sub Bus list with her hubby training you because then where ever you go you could be a sub driver especially if you go to Ceder City because there is a huge turn around that happens there with young drivers graduating and leaving to do real life jobs. You have to be 21 so in a few weeks you will be just the right age to start training and have a side job that is not to expensive to get into either.

Working on getting you set up for school when the time comes. After talking to Will live in person( info to follow about what that means keep reading) he said the same kinds of things you were saying that acting could be sorta of a dead end job type thing and so he was looking more towards the angle of teaching drama in schools so that he could actually make money in life, and he did say a mission sure changes your views of life and what you might want out of it all in the end. I am going to add to the fact that with much prayer you will be guided if the Lord as a set path that he needs to you be following just make sure you listen after you talk to him about that path.

So (brakets info meaning read on) lets get to some crazy news notes. First I ran into Will Casper at Snow when I went up to see how I could make school work for you at the point you come home in. He said he had just gotten a letter from you. Also to tell you that he would be trying out for Gaston and hoped that you would try out for Lafou in the January production to be put on at Snow. So I went in to talk to Dr K  who was standing near Brad Olsen when I found them and they said to both write them an email note that I can send to them to make them aware that you desire to please have scholarship's within both possible departments. I am thinking based on Brads statement that he may be hoping to pull you over to his dept. possibly. Brad also said to make sure and tell you hello and that it would be really great to have you back again and to have some more crazy fun like running you into the wall in a wheel chair.

Family news: The river is getting higher and higher because of the vast amounts of snow and how cold it has been staying. The kids set the tent up in the bottoms and then slept there one night but the next night Uncle Ray said that he had raised the river level again so we would not let them stay down there. Its amazing that they did not freeze out because it was really not that warm of a weekend. Nana had an Easter party that she planed that we held at Bethany house. They had to find eggs and they had been hidden really good so they had a hard time finding them. They played pin the tail on the bunny and it was so funny when C did it they fliped the bunny drawing upside down so that there was no way that he could get near the spot that the tail should go. They fliped it again on its side when Jord did it but he somehow got it smack on the right spot even with the eyes covered and hands tied behind his back. We were all laughing pretty hard over that game. Well there will again be a son of the hospital staff going to Johannesburg. The Bastians,the lady who once cut your hair and are in Jadies and Chads ward son just got his mission call there to Johannesbug but he will not leave until the week you are arriving here.
Love me all the family too.

Zane Jones
i love you Have you ate or seen misquitoes? How many people have you baptized now?

Are you doing good on your mission? Do you remmeber how old I am? I lost my front tooth a few days ago.Bryce is also loosing a tooth too on the same side as me.

Have a great day did u gitr preznts yet?

Love You lots jones zane

BPD affects Chew and show from Jer! Now he will drink Shakeolegy too.

            

BPD creates eating struggles in kids sometimes.
They have to manage secretions and know how to swallow with the food and the mucus that naturally comes to help make it all slide through the throat area. So when Jer feels really great and has no congestion he is a somewhat willing eater within certain limits. Chocolate is his stand by and and he likes it on pretty much anything. He can identify a cocoa container out of all the ones sitting on a shelf and he likes chocolate milk or pretty much anything that has that protein structure.
He will even eat dark dark chocolate the kind that most people have to acquired a taste for.
Its salve to a mothers soul when nutritionists and psychologists at NICU follow up clinics tell you to go for it, let him eat whatever, as long as he is willing to try, get crazy, because with kids that have issues about eating there is no limit of tricks that some days must be tried.
Believe me I try alot of them that are crazy.

Nutella chocolate put on celery, he would not touch it. Next I tried it on the yellow cheese. Score, he did consume and ate all of the five little chunks with the nutella on it that I cut for him. Well that was on 2/25/11 and here we are today posting and the little stink wont try it again so he hasn't eaten any cheese for awhile but he has had a spoonful of chocolate about three different days. Viewable is the chicken nuggets, he only ate one that day without chocolate on it.

See I really am eating it he says. I couldn't believe it when I walked into the room a bit later to find him also licking the chocolate off the celery stick and then eating a part of that stick.

 Finally the Little Guy has branched out and tried something green at least for one day. It may take us another 3 or 4 months but at least he is trying to like a few new tastes, as long as its got a crunch to it that's the key. Eating puddings, or jelly, or runny looking stuff for him that's a big no no rule, it looks to much like a booger with food coloring to disguise it.

Eating is such a chore for him, we say things like do you want to grow big?

"NO I never want to be big like the other boys so I am not hungry"

If you eat then we won't have to give you hungry medicine!

" I already ate at school" The Mom knows this means he only ate the bread or the cracker and not another thing on the plate.

In about 15 min after the above conversation he will ask for a bottle of pedisure because drinking is lots easier then chewing and faster too.

I am going to put a plug in right here for a new shake drink that I have found that helps him get some hidden veggies and he actually likes it alot. If you ever want to try it I can get you some and if you ever want to order it please hit this hate veggies link and get some for yourself. It truly is a life saver at our house now because Jer has no idea he is getting spinach and other good stuff.

Eat your veggies, it is so important.

Newsletter for the week I can post now that his secret is done.

1.You said in your letter you wanted to not jump in in a mid semester and to spend time doing lots of good things, will you let me in on what that looks like to you pretty please the good things part maybe?


1.It's hard to explain what good things i want to do, but it's things that have to do with finding a career and earning money. I'm glad you've signed me up for school and what not. I don't want to say that i definitely can't jump in on the October to December thing because it sounds nice, i would like to know more details before you sign me right in. Could you send me more information, or tell me where i can find information because i can check it out on the net with my mission presidents permission.


2. Everyone asks me if they will make it so that you can have a turn in Botswanna. I can't imagine that is possible for all that serve there so tell me what your opinion is on that please. Have several been able to serve part of their time there in that part of your mission?


2.Well about Botswana, i have no control over that at all. It's just an area that i could be transferred to. if i do i do if i don't i don't. But just to tell you a secret, i get to go there on Thursday to help drive some cars down to south Africa. I may not serve there, but I'll get to go there :)

4. Who are the missionaries that share the same house with you?

4.It's Elder Mabashora and Elder Johnson and My comp Elder Hatch

5. Is your new companion willing to run with you? IF so are you still keeping up with that?

5.Yep our whole flat runs every morning.

Well this week has been pretty nice. On Monday we got the zone together to play soccer and lift every one's moral. Tuesday we went to set up a little service opportunity at a Hospital for the mental and physically challenged we also did a little tracting, and even taught some good lessons. We taught a lady and her Boyfriend (member). She's been coming to church awhile now but we just realized she's not a member. We had a great lesson and she asked a whole tone of questions. I hope she accepts a baptismal date in our next visit. Her name is Amanda and the member is Bro Saayman.

Wed we went to a school in a place called Silverton. We have been visiting schools to try and get involved in the church Youth programs in order to find more people to teach. The schools here allow religion to be taught so it's kind of nice. We actually got a place for wed the 4th to come and talk about For the strength of Youth. We're planning on handing out tons of the little pamphlets with our phone Numbers on them and offering to bring the big booklet to anyone who calls. I really hop it goes well.

Thursday We did our weekly planning and then most of our appointments cancelled through out the day. We've been doing alot of member work lately with the hope that in the not to distant future, all of our investigators will come from the members. It makes things so much easier to do when members introduce their friends. YOU HAVE NO IDEA. I defiantly think you should all keep up the missionary work and don't slow down.

Friday started with interviews with our mission president, and then rolled out from there. I went on exchanges that day with a New Elder named Elder Richesen. he's been out about three months and he's great. I love being around missionaries that have a load of greeny fire. It helps me measure up a little more and try even harder.

Saturday we watched conference most of the day and the same with Sunday. I thought it was fantastic and i would suggest that you re-read those talks again. I especially liked when Elder Holland Mentioned FHE In his talk (just for you mom)

Sunday was the same as Saturday except we had a few more appointments. We taught The Nkwashu family that is still struggling to get to church, and Bro Aubrey. With Bro Aubrey we were very bold and we realized that that will be the only way to find his concerns. He's been investigating the church for 8 years now and his family is just waiting for him to join. Please pray for him he needs it.

Anyway, that's all i have time for but i love you all

Elder Jones
P.S. Mom, can you ask Mark Owens if he ever had the Brown suit on his mission? I read the name Owens inside of it so that would be really cool.

Family notes:
Well on to some cool news and lots of questions. Dad and i were listening to some celtic music and I had the thought that you were sent to the one place where the music would not distract you because you did not like rap stuff. I told Dad and he agreed with me. If you were in Ireland you would have forever wanted your violin. Levie Jones arrived home this week and reported for sacrament meeting.He sure is a quiet young man.  Yesterday we helped Brock and Papa put up a big green hoop house to start plants in and they are going to help us get one made for at our house. It was so hot inside we were sweltering. But to have lots of tomatoes fresh even after it freezes is going to be so fun. Ours will be smaller but thats ok we do not need to big a one. We are laying black plastic to keep the weeds down wich worked really great last year too. We just need it to be thicker plastic this time so it will last better. I wished we could have gone to see Elders Seastrands report in today but the driving is really limited because of the small cars we have now.Well i am going to send a lot of pic and tell you some newsy news. You have been granted money towards school costs should you decide to do that route. Class starts Oct. 17 and ends Dec. 12 they are what is called half class GE credits. That gives you only three weeks but its about the amount of time Will spent before he got here to jump in. It will be a tight stretch and the cost of living will have to be taken into consideration. But could be covered out of the savings that you have and if work study is allowed or you got a job. Will is right now doing some of those kinds of classes and helping on the tech crew his Mom wrote to me since he never gets on his facebook now that he is fully into school and not floating out there trying to be a normal instead of a return lost missionary as Courtney kind of put it. If the going in even in the half point that I just described to you wont work we can withdraw and it wont even be a problem. The monies can be held over to January along with the fact that I am getting on the ball and doing scholarships forms for 2012. Along with Like I said Heather is already wanting you to get to work whenever you can or need to with the fact that you can look at other job possibilities once you are here. Just telling you what I found out before getting your letter so you can think we will change it if needs be when you arrive home because we have plenty of time to do that. So that brings me to saying hava a great week.
Love the family