13th Feb 2012 in the Philippi Delt area in Cape Town

 

South Africa Temple

My companion Elder Beck

Hi,

I have sent all the pictures to dad because your email won’t take how large they are. In answer to your question, we confirm our newly baptized investigators the following Sunday after they are baptized. We definitely focus on bringing strong members into the church, I love it! Hey mom could you send me that 4 generation pedigree chart through email or snail mail because I was thinking, if I ever serve in a white area, it would be cool to know my Dutch history and maybe share it with the Dutch  people I meet.  No I have not gotten any snail mail from anyone except Tori, Terri, and Riley’s parents. If you ever send me something put “Air Mail” on it and I will get it two weeks earlier.

No mom, I am staying in this area during this transfer. They have a 12 week training program I am in where I stay with the same companion and the same area for at least 12 weeks. I love you!

Anona and Riley got a Escalade!! That’s sweet!! I can’t wait to take a ride in it! I’m getting sick of the Chev Aveo that I am in pretty much all day…. It looks sweet too! Thanks for the pictures Sounds like the Talia’s blessing went well! And for Jennet sweet care! Same car as Tori’s except black actually! You’ll def like it! Sounds like things are going well at home! I appreciate all the support. It would be nice to hear from other family members email or snail mail.

The work is still moving forward. I will tell you guys a few things about out here…

 First off, where I am serving is in a township. That is where there are tons of shacks and huts everywhere. My area probably has 10’s of thousands of people in it and it isn’t that big of an area. If there are any people who own a house ( a small house at that) they use their backyards and build shacks in them and rent out the shacks in their yard. These shacks are the equivalent size of our little red shed in our backyard. Maybe a little bigger than that, but it’s pretty close.

Everyone is black! Elder Beck and I are the only white people within thousands of people once we are in the area. One day like 2 weeks into serving, we were driving from one appointment to the next and it struck me! I said to Elder Beck, “Holy Dina, I just realized something!” Elder Beck said, “What’s that?” and I replied, “I just realized we are the only white people here!” as I looked around the streets at all the black people! Haha! Seeing a white person in the township is rare! Sometimes we are the first white people that kids ever see! We always hear. “Malloongu!” (white man) from the little kids as we walk by them.

Secondly, there are about 3 days of the week that we can’t find people sober. Friday, Saturday, Sunday are party and get drunk days, and Monday is the recovering day. It is really frustration to work on these days because finding sober people is near impossible. People literally park their cars on the streets and party and get drunk.  This is an Experience to see, but we are fine.

Driving here is absolutely psycho (it’s ok mom) but for some reason I just absolutely love driving here. The traffic is crazy and traffic rules almost don’t apply, but for some reason I just feel so much more comfortable driving around! Also traffic circles are absolutely genius! Way better than stops signs! They should have traffic circles everywhere! It makes traffic flow so much smoother! There are traffic circles everywhere here! Life is good!

 I’m sorry today’s email was so short. I would have had more time but I resent all of those pictures to dad’s email. I will send a longer one next week… I love you all! I know you are all jealous that I am in Cape Town, and you should be, but it’s totally awesome! Sometimes days are long with no appointments work out, but sometimes the  work is just absolutely incredible! I only have two years of this? I wish my whole life could be like this! Just studying the scriptures and teaching all day every day! It’s so enlightening and uplifting! I love you all! I hope you can feel some warmth from the heat outside through this email!

-Elder Jones