Hey there Mom,
I can't believe that the summer has already gone. The season is already starting to change here and my nose is a little itchy and the morning temperatures are more mild. It is pretty crazy how fast the year is going. I am super excited though with the changes and all is going well. We had a super busy transfer week and lots of crazy things happened, but I feel that all is now in control and after tomorrow, I think that things will be normal again. Elder Monson was in the group that just went home which is pretty crazy and his homecoming should be this Sunday so if you can find it, it will be somewhere in Draper. He didn't know where exactly, but if you would like to go, I am sure you can find it.
It is amazing that the girls are finishing up at Bear Lake this week and that Caitlin will be leaving for school soon. When does her semester start? And when will East High be starting. Less than a month before the school year will begin - wow! The time really is flying. Good luck in cleaning out the garage by the way. I hope the work isn't too difficult. I can't believe you had that many stoves and whatnot to clean, but that is good that you finished it up.
So I am still in the office after transfers. I found out on Tuesday, so I would not have been able to tell you until today, but I figured I was staying. Elder Kashiwagi and I will be going together for another week which is exciting. We have nine new Russian speakers and four Ukrainians which is also quite exciting and they seem to be awesome. The new missionaries are getting better and better. I can only imagine how awesome Jacob must be over there in Germany. That is awesome to hear that Luke will be taking off soon. I bet he has changed a lot and he is going to change a lot more if he lets the Lord work on him which is awesome. So exciting to hear that the work is continuing to go forward. Abby told me that she wanted to go on a mission a while ago and that is awesome to hear that she got her call as well. That is just so awesome! The Lord must be so happy with all of His children that are preparing themselves and living worthy to go serve!
This past week was super busy for us here in the offices so we didn't get a whole lot done out in the field, but we had a pretty incredible weekend. On Saturday, our bishop came to pick us up and took us to his little house where we dug up a bunch of grass and dirt to prep for a little walkway and patio that he wants to put in. It was fun, but now I am super sore from all the work. I also got a little sun for the first time all summer, but I am still super white. Last summer I was out in the sun a lot more that I have been this summer. Anyway, on Sunday, we saw tons of people and had some awesome people come to church including less actives. We also had a guy we contacted on Monday and then invited on Saturday come to sacrament meeting along with his entire family. Hopefully we will be able to go over to them some time soon and start teaching them about how their family can be an eternal family. This week we should have more time to go out and find some people and we are going to have a great one for sure. Things are really starting to turn around here which is awesome. The mission has been struggling a little this last month, but we are continuing to baptize and to bring back less active members and the work with members is going so well. They trust us and are starting to help out a little more and to try and take care of their brothers and sisters even more. Home and visiting teaching really are essential to helping the Lord's sheep stay with the fold. We as missionaries are not the people responsible for keeping them active, we are just here to help. The members are slowly recognizing that even more. It is obvious that the Church is still young here because there are certain things that the members still don't know how to do as well, but they are learning and so are we and it is awesome to see progress.
President Klebingat and his family have been wonderful and are teaching us all that we need to know to have success both here on the mission and for the rest of our lives. The whole mission is starting to recognize the direction that the Lord wants us to go in and the vision of what we will accomplish is becoming more clear. The new missionaries are so lucky that they have two years to be able to see the changes. The Parks are leaving the transfer before I do, but I probably won't be in the office by then. I am excited for them to be able to go home and see all of their grandchildren. I will definitely have to go visit them sometime in Washington. The weather here has been really mild too and I honestly think the season is starting to change already like I said. It has been hot, but it really isn't nearly as tough as last summer.
Well, I need to write to President, but I want you to know that I love you very much mom. Thanks for being so supportive and being such an awesome example for me. I am really happy that everything is going so well and that the family is so happy. This gospel is all about helping us to be happy and having the correct perspective is so key. Jesus Christ is the way and the light that we all must follow. This Church is true and is led by living apostles and prophets. They teach us the words of Christ and those words will help each and every one of us as we study and apply them in our lives. God lives and is our Father. Jesus is the Christ! We are all so blessed to be here and to have this knowledge that others do not. As the prophet Lehi taught, "how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth." That is our duty as members of God's true Church.
Love,
Elder Jones
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