17th Dec 2012 Mthatha South Africa

No pictures this week. Sorry.

Hi mom and dad,

I love you both so much! Thanks for the pictures! I really enjoyed them! Paha! Dad as Santa! Thought I’d never see the day! I bet you did an awesome job dad!

My companion is fine with his picture being on facebook. I told him about the missionary moms website thing and he'll tell his mom, thanks!

As for the phone number to call on, the office sent that number to every missionary, whether they were from the states or from Fiji or from England or wherever... so I think it's the same for everyone... I’ll ask though... But for the Skype, we are still not 100% sure yet, but we are at a 90% chance that we can Skype on Christmas. We are going to use a member’s laptop and he is arranging for us to get internet and everything we should know by today for sure what’s what, but definitely next Monday we will know for certain.
Paha! East London is here in South Africa. The English settled South Africa, so alot of names are similar here to there. East London is about 3 hours drive from Mthatha. We don't have to take any pills for malaria... There are no problems with Malaria here in our mission.

Now this week has been awesome! We went to East London on Tuesday (a city here in South Africa, about 3 hours drive from Mthatha... not in England!) In East London we had a multizone Christmas Conference! It was awesome! Queenstown Zone, East London Zone, and Mdansane Zone. We got some sweet training from the Assistants and also from President Wood and Sister Wood!

 It was really nice! I learned alot about Christ like attributes and about gratitude specifically! President Wood challenged us to go for a whole week only saying things that we are grateful for in our prayers! In every single prayer for a week not to ask for one single thing but only to give thanks! So I took the challenge and it is really awesome! I challenge anyone who is reading this to do the same thing! It's hard when it comes to blessing food because you can't ask for blessings, but you can say that you are grateful for the blessings you will receive from the food you are about to eat. I have only once slipped up and asked for something, but so far I've been doing well, and I have found that my whole perspective on praying has changed! I am really able to see the plenteous abundance of blessings that Heavenly Father has blessed me with! It's awesome! I'm really enjoying it! It's a little strange in appts though when I am asked to pray and I don't ask for anything but I just thank... anyways...

The conference was awesome! I got a plastic Sword for my Christmas gift! We did a white elephant gift exchange thing, and the limit was R20 ($2.25) and I got a sword! It's awesome! I wish I had pictures of it to send. I'll get some this week!

We also watched a movie! Each Christmas President shows a movie, and this time we watched a movie called "Courageous." I think everybody should watch that movie! It is really nice and has an awesome message! WATCH IT!!!

After the conference this week though, we drove back to Mthatha and started to work. It has been hard to work lately because of dropped appointments or people falling through, but we have been able to see some tender mercies of the Lord and some awesome miracles! We were shopping at a grocery store and a lady walked up to us and started talking with us and turned out that she was a member from Grahams town and she doesn't know where the church is and she hasn't been in 4 months and so we are going to get her a map and show her where and visit her! How awesome! It's all one work! Whether it's baptizing someone or finding the lost strays, it's all the same! We also had a lady walk up to us randomly and tell us that she used to be taught by missionaries in East London but hasn't for a while, so we arranged for missionaries to see her that side once she gets back! Cool stuff happening! I love mission! It's awesome!

 I'm just having a blast with my district! Especially my companion! He's a blast and the work is picking up! We just need to work a little harder and we will be having some baptism dates set and coming! Also in other news!

The 3 people in Knysna I was preparing for baptism for such a long time and having a bunch of problems with. They were all 3 baptized this Sunday! I wish I could have been there! I love them so much! I miss them too! I'm so happy for them though! And I'm so grateful for the opportunity I had to help them! I LOVE MISSION!!!

Thanks Aunt Terri for everything you do! And everyone else who continuously supports me and who writes me! Everyone who doesn't, I still love all of you! Whether you write or not, I still love you! I understand how hard it is to write people! For those who are still waiting for a reply, it's still coming I promise! I'm working my way through the pile! I haven't forgotten you! I love you all!

-Elder Jones