18th June 2012 in the Philippi and Delt area in the city of Cape Town

Happy Fathers Day!!!!

I love you dad! Thank you so much for all you have ever done to me! I often am able to look back and ponder about my life up until now that I am on mission and I often ponder on what it was that led me to be here serving the Lord and experiencing everything that I do! I am truly grateful for everything that you have done for me! Your example, your love, your generosity, your understanding, your faithfulness, your guidance, and your counsel! I just truly love you! I am so blessed in every way! I could not have a better life! I really appreciate your support of me as I am experiencing this adventure! You have been there for me at every turn and guiding me with the gospel every step of the way! You mean the world to me! I couldn't ask for a better father! I'm sorry for all of the times that I was so difficult with you... I have found that being stubborn is part of my personality, and I am working very hard to overcome that! I am learning a lot about myself on a mission, and I am going to come home a different person! But I will still be your son! I love you!

Thanks for updating me on everything that is happening at home! Sounds like this past weekend was a blast! I love you both so much! Also it looks like quadding was a blast! And that Rhino looks sweet! I bet that thing is a blast to drive! So Tristan gets the front seat and Anona gets the back seat? paha! I guess she'd have to... I wonder if the backseat is very fun... But that sounds like it was a blast! I love bogging through the mud! Why is it so muddy and wet? Is it that the snow all melted? Or did it rain alot?

How is the weather anyways? The weather here is beautiful!!! Amazing! And its dead middle of winter and it’s so nice out! Say hi to Aunt Theo for me! Unless she is gone already...

Don't worry... We don't live in the Browns Farm area, we live just on the edge of Pinelands in a apartment complex thingy called Anfield Village... I don't know the exact address where I live... sorry... just by the train station on the north side of Pinelands though... we commute half an hour to and from our area every day...

Alright... about the Photo I.D. thingy... so I need to go to the police station and have them photocopy my I.D. then have them sign it, then I sign it, then fax it to Barb? I will try my best to do it today! I'll have to find a police station here... If I don't get it done today, I’ll have to do it in my new area... but I will try my best to have it to you this week! I don't know when you'll know that I have done it though... but I’ll do it! Also I don't need to do this every 6 months... it is just that I didn't get my visa for Namibia within the 6 months that I did all of that before... so now we have to do it all again because its after 6 months... but once they get my visa passed for Namibia, we won’t have to do this again... probably won’t need to do this again ever... so ya... don't worry! :)

Thank you for sending a bit from Elder Palmer! I miss that kid! That’s sweet how he is the district leader and a trainer! Very very soon I am going to be in the very same position as him! Maybe even next transfer! Also! Thanks mom for sharing that story about your transfers from your mission! I've learnt more fine details about your mission since I’ve been here than before! Our transfers definitely aren't like yours! AHHHHHHH!!!!! I'm so stoked!!! I have transfer news!!!

First off I will tell you about my week... We hiked Table Mountain once again last Monday! It was sweet! It destroyed my legs though! They were so sore and stiff after! It took like 4 days to heal up!

And this week we had some powerful lessons, then Friday and Saturday we managed to be busy all day visiting people, but we didn't manage to share one lesson on those days... so... ya... that was poopy... but then on Saturday! Saturday was sweet because we had a big soccer tournament between Langa, Guguletu, Khayelitsha, and Mitchels Plain ward/branches! I was actually one of the last people to arrive at the game with a few members from our ward, and when I got there, Elder Thacker shouts at me saying, "There's 2 other Canadians here!" Rather confused I looked around the field to see who would possibly be there... Now the person I saw brings feelings of anger and hatred to all the soccer players of Raymond in my grade and the grade below! He was my nemesis for 3 years and then I happened to be an assistant coach for him for one season of indoor soccer along with Paul and Mike and Carter and them. I saw on the field, Weston Sabey! That was a shocker!

Out of all the places in Canada where a person could be from, this one was from Magrath!!! My mind was blown! Just out of sheer coincidence we happened to be at the very same soccer game in South Africa in Cape Town!!!! Sheeowsa! Small world eh? Turned out that he was staying with his Cousin, Booker, here in Cape Town because he is tutoring at a high school here. His cousin Booker served his mission here 6 years ago, and lives here. Booker was invited to the game by some people he knew from Langa while he was on mission, and Weston was with them so they came and played (plus Weston loves soccer so he went of course).

The games were intense and really fun! The missionary team smoked Guguletu branch! 1-0! I scored the only goal! Woot! On a penalty kick too! haha! Canada Power! Weston and I dominated the games by the way! African's have a new respect for Canadians now, especially when we were giving them a run for their money in their own sport! Woot! lol sorry... too much pride... but ya that was so awesome! My mind is still kinda blown...

But then Sunday, Weston and his Cousin came to Khayelitsha ward for church, then after church, Weston came fellowshipping with us all day! That was sweet! He got to experience the township, and I wasn't the only person within 4 million people who was only wearing a short sleeve shirt! I was with someone who actually understood what I was feeling temperature wise!!! Ya that was sweet! He was lucky too because we had 2 DA's (Dinner Appointments)on Sunday, so he got fed for lunch and supper! So that was sweet! I have some pictures for everyone when we were at the soccer game and when we were at sister Kofi's for a DA!

So now I get to tell ya all my transfer news!

First off, I am officially the only Elder in our entire Zone that had any changes happen to! I am finally leaving Khayelitsha, and I am going to serve in... DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!! Knysna!!!! Apparently it is the most beautiful area in the entire mission! I will be serving with Elder Andriamenantena! He is a Malagasy! In other words he is from Madagascar! He is sweet! I've served around him for a little bit and I am going to love it! He is awesome!!!

 I'm so excited!!!! So on Wednesday I will be flying to George, then I will be driving for like 1-2 hours to knysna! Also I heard that the area is on fire and that the work is going very well there! So I am super excited! Also I am literally in the middle of nowhere, like the nearest Elders to Knysna are like a 2 hour drive! So it'll be hectic! I probably won’t get post very often... maybe once every week or 2... That is alright with me!

I clicked 6 months old on mission 3 days ago! That’s hectic! Ya mission is sweet! Like seriously! Mission is the best thing ever!!! Sorry... I just love it here a lot! I have been so blessed! I am getting such good places to serve! I feel spoiled actually... but I'm not complaining! So next week I will be emailing from Knsyna! Look it up on google maps! I wonder how it looks!

Anywho... Ixesha Lixatshwe Yinja! I gotta humba! I love you all! Take luck! Till next time!

-Elder Jones