A Week Of Family Vacation!

After four years of living on the edge of the desert in Botswana, Africa it was a HUGE change for our family last week to go to sleep each night hearing the roll of ocean waves outside our window instead of bugs and bar music.  We spent a week at a beautiful place in Panama City Beach, Florida with my (todd's) family and loved it!  I am not sure it's a place I would want to live, but the sandy beaches and clear, ocean water are tempting.  

Our kids have wanted to experience the beach for a while and needless to say, in case you've not looked at your African map lately, Botswana is NOT bordered by ocean.  The oldest two want to try surfing but we were not in a place that has huge waves, but they enjoyed boogie boarding on their bellies.  They actually got pretty good at it after a couple of days.  

Now back to reality.  We have now been stateside for 3 months with another five to go.  It sounds like a long time when I read it on this blog, but considering Lisa and the big boys will be in school starting next month I know time will really fly.  I (todd) get the opportunity to speak at a youth camp this week to almost 300 teens!  This group will have many leadership quality kids that could be future ministers.  I am praying that some of these young leaders will sense God's inspiration that they can be used of him in ministry as well.  

Big boys are in bed now.  Time to work on little Caden.  He is the tough one!  He hasn't gotten the idea of 'bedtime' just yet.  I guess that's another prayer concern, huh.

  

Busy Few Days!

Lisa, the boys and I have had the chance to speak to three different church groups in the past three days.  From an associational senior adult rally to VBS mission classes we have shared with a vast variety of God's people.  What a blessing to relate what He is doing amongst the Tswana people of Botswana, Africa!!!  It helps Lisa and I not miss Botswana so much when we can consistently share some of the ministry stories from the last four years. 

This weekend we will travel to a sister Baptist church just outside of Dallas, Texas.  This particular church sent a mission team to South Africa and Botswana just over a year ago and now another ministry team from their church is preparing to go to Botswana in August!  Lisa and I are so excited about seeing old friends and meeting new ones too.  Please pray for the August mission team because they will be going into several strategic areas of Botswana that have had little Christian witness.  We are sure God is going to use them to multiply the ministry among the Tswana.

Thanks for reading.  Talk to you again in a few days.

Todd

Wild and Crazy Stateside!

Unbelievable!!!  It has been over two months since we landed in the good ole USA (and since I last wrote on this blog).  Oh, how the time flies!  I would love to tell you all that has happened while we have been stateside, but this blog service doesn't offer enough lines for everything.  So, here are just a few highlights:

Stateside Training   This is something all returning IMB folks do in order to transition more smoothly back into US life.  We chose to do this training immediately upon returning (even before going home to see extended family).  We learned a lot and 'eased' back into the busyness of American life.  Still the pace of life here is so different than Botswana, Africa that I doubt we will ever truly get used to it.  

Readjusting to life in the States   While at our training time we were driving through the countryside looking at the beautiful rolling hills and nice acreages with large homes.  Our middle son, Kendall, asked, "Why do they waste so much space?".  He was used to seeing houses in the capital city of Botswana built side by side.  Our oldest son, Landon, asked us one morning why the air smelled so bad.  After a few follow-up questions we realized he didn't like what we called the 'fresh smell of morning dew'.  Landon missed the smell of raw sewage and garbage from some of our neighborhoods in Botswana!

Seeing Family and Friends   What a joy to see extended family members!  People can change so much over the course of a couple of years.  That's the toughest thing about living so far away from home.  We have definitely been spoiled with old comforts like fast food and cable TV.  God is blessing us so much with this family time.

Speaking Opportunities   We have been able to share with 10 different groups spread over several church families in these first couple of months.  We have not necessarily traveled long distances because most of the churches have been within a two hour drive of our mission home, but we have been travelled quite often.  It is such a joy to share what God is doing among the Tswana people of Botswana.  When we speak, we are able to give a real picture of what ministry overseas looks like and how each group can partner with us...whether it be through prayer support or actually sending a mission team.  Each time we speak our mission effort is multiplied greatly!

Things really begin to heat up on the speaking front starting this week.  We speak at a few local sites during the week, then we travel to Dublin, Texas to see a group of volunteers who will come to Botswana next month!  God is so good.  

As you can see, life is hectic but wonderful.  We are enjoying our time in the USA immensely but part of our heart is in Botswana as well.  Please join with us in continuing to pray for our friends in Botswana, Africa and the ministry going on in that amazing place.  We just know God is preparing our team to work alongside Him in a time of harvest!

Well, that is all for now.  For those of you that have checked the blog I am sorry to have taken so long.  My goal is to write once or twice a week from here on so please keep our blog site on your weekly 'to do' list.  Just to remind you:  www.botswanajones.blogspot.com

Lots of love from the Jones family to you.  God bless.

Todd  

10 Days and Counting!

Yes, just 10 more days until the Jones family flies back to the good ole U.S.A.! The next week and a half will be spent seeing Tswana friends and saying "bye for now" as well as doing some last minute packing. It is amazing how much stuff can accumulate over the course of 3 years.
During our time stateside, we look forward to speaking in many churches in order to share what God is doing among the Tswana people of Botswana! One goal of ours is to find at least 3 churches that will partner with us in ministry whether it be through ongoing prayer support or actually committing to bring volunteer teams to Botswana in the next three years. If you would like for us to visit your church please contact us at botswanajones@baptistmission.co.bw or botswanajones@gmail.com. We would love to come! Just hurry because our calendar is quickly filling up.

Exactly 3 1/2 years living in Africa!

Who would have thought! The time in Botswana, Africa has passed so quickly that it's hard to believe we will be returning to the USA in less than a month. We cannot wait to see family and friends (as well as eat authentic Mexican food), but we will miss our family and friends here as well. We will be in the States for around 8 months.
While we are in the US we will be speaking in many churches and to various mission groups. If you would like for Lisa or I to share with your group, PLEASE contact us quickly and let's try to arrange a date. Our calendar is already filling up fast! We want to tell all the great things God has been doing among the Tswana people of Botswana. You can email us at botswanajones@gmail.com or botswanajones@baptistmission.co.bw. Both will work but we will not be checking the latter as much once we arrive in the USA.
Thank you to so many who have been faithfully lifting our family and the Tswana people up to God in prayer. We really sense God is preparing this country for an amazing time of harvest!
We are so blessed to be able to mininster for Jesus in Botswana.

Todd and Lisa Jones