Hey mom and family! Thanks for the email mom. I love your emails. It sounds like a very good week for the family. A week under the Pebble Beach sun playing golf and going to spas sounds like a blast. Well at least the golf part. Dad you are so lucky. Which by the way thanks for the couple letters you have sent the last couple of weeks. What book did you finish mom? I think my mission has helped me find an appreciation for reading. I enjoy reading anything I can. Right now I am reading True to the Faith. It is a different kind of read because it is only definitions and stuff of certain gospel words and topics. I like it. It answers those questions that you aren’t really sure about the answers. Like the church’s view on certain topics. Its good. You should read it… So Pebble Beach was fun and you all got to enjoy sauteed onions for Sunday dinner. Lucky… I am glad Haley is enjoying high school. I have to be honest, I really enjoyed high school. Live it up Haley, it is the only time you can feel free and be dependent on mom and dad to help you out 100% of the time. Haha. High school life is easy. At least that is what I thought so enjoy it. I am glad you like it… That is too bad about Hillary’s salon. I liked that place. It was nice and comfortable and Hillary got to cut my hair. Actually, I have decided to branch out and not let my companion’s cut my hair anymore. I talked to a guy named Robert like three weeks ago who was disgusted that I just cut my hair by someone who is not a professional and with only a buzzer and not scissors. Robert is only a random guy that we met who has his own barber shop but lives in our area really close to the apartment. So, today, we are going over to his house so that he can give us a real haircut for free. He was a nice guy about 27 or 28 years old. I am planning on taking this opportunity to share more about the gospel with him. I am excited. Anyways, so Hillary I hope your happy about my decision to get my haircut by a professional rather than my companions…….. So, yes I got that surprise package of carnation, reeses puffs, goldfish, and oreos. Thanks so much. My roomates appreciate it as well. My face is ok, not fully recovered but it isn’t bad. I am just waiting for the day where it no longer contains any more blemishes:)

So, this past week I felt like we worked really hard and had lots of spirtual lessons. The only thing that was disappointing was that only one person came to church and that was Maria. We heard lots of bad news yesterday that we are going to have to work with. We had a lesson with Jesus and Elisa wondering why they didn’t come to church. We come to find out that they slipped and drank a little on Saturday night at a quincenera. They didn’t come to church because they felt guilty. Which lets us know that they know that it is bad and that God doesn’t like that either. So, they are still progressing but just slipped a little. I love teaching them too. I feel like I am really good friends with them and that they have tons of a respect for us. Another little bit of bad news is that San slipped this week. He is losing excitement about the church. That energy and excitement he had is now leaving. They are having some trials in the home and that is what is killing his excitement. He doesn’t see the importance of going to church anymore because of the problems that they are having. So, we are going over there to spiritually boost him. We want to help him recognize why he made the change to come back to church and quit smoking. I think he will be fine. We just need to focus on him a little more. We are also finding some key people in the ward that we think will give him lots of support. So, pray for San.

With Maria, we had a really successful week with her. We went to the visitor’s center with her and David and they both just loved it. There is this video about this family that has been filmed for a while. From when they had their first baby, all the way until she gets married in the temple. It is about 20 to 30 minutes long and the spirit is powerful. Everyone comes out crying. I have to admit, my eyes teared up but I did not cry. It really impacted Maria and David. I think they are really seeing the importance to get married in the temple and to raise their family in the gospel. They loved it and the temple. They also went to David’s parents who are active in the church and talked to them about getting married. So we are excited to hear the follow up with them in our lesson tomorrow. So, a really good week with them. They just need to get married or for him to move out so she can get baptized.

Other than that, the people that we thought were going to go to church didn’t. We taught lots of people who have potential this week but none of them showed at the church. Elder Gerratt and I talked, and we are going to fix some things that we are doing so that we can get people to church. We need to be a little bit more bold when we are committing someone to church. They won’t come if you don’t show how important it is. We are thinking about making a contract or something like that so people will come hahaha. No, we might do something like that but we are going to shoot for a ton of people to come to General Conference this week. I am so excited for General Conference this week. Its powerful for investigators to hear a living prophet speak. So we are making some conference invitations for them.

Anyways family, Elder Gerratt is still here. Looks like he will be staying for a while. Who knows what will happen at next transfer. I could be staying for 5 transfers in my first area. Thats a long time in one area especially considering that there are so many areas in the mission. I like Elder Gerratt. He is obedient and a hard working missionary and he isn’t weird. haha. Well family, I love you all and hope that you have another good week. I will be working hard. I know the church is true.

Love,
Elder Kevin Jones

ps. Oh and it is really hot here too lately. Today it has hit 101 already.