Dear family and friends,
It's good to hear from everyone!
I've already been in Kitwe for almost 4 weeks now! This past week was quite good. Last Monday, Elder Minch and I went to the District President's house and gave them a family home evening lesson. That went really well and afterward, we ate nshima with beans and sausage with them. It was my first time to eat at a member's house so far, haha. Nshima is that thick cream of wheat stuff that really isn't that great, but it's cheap and I think sort of healthy. You should see them make it. They use a big wooden spoon and a big pot on the stove. I am going to try to have Wesley, the branch mission leader, show me how to do it so I can make it at our house sometimes. The rest of the week we taught some really good lessons. We started teaching a pentecostal pastor who opened our lesson with the loudest prayer I have heard in a while, haha. He is actually really cool. We have two people who we are planning to have baptized on Feb 18. Sister Kabonso we are hoping to have baptized by her husband who will receive the Aaronic priesthood next Sunday. And Isaac Mulinga (20 yrs old) who is the nephew of the Branch Pres. They are both going to be interviewed tomorrow and I think they are both really ready. On Thursday night, we were at an appointment with Bro Panda, a recent convert, when all the sudden it just started pouring down rain outside. His house has a metal roof so it was reeaaaally loud. We had to stop the lesson and just read our scriptures for about 15 minutes until it wasn't so loud! Then when we started talking again, the power went out so we couldn't see the scripture we were reading! Luckily, I had Mosiah 3:19 memorized so I could say it for him, haha. When we finished it was still raining really hard, and the whole walk home was through ankle deep mud puddles, so my leather shoes got wet inside and out, but after my whole body was soaked I really didn't care that much, haha. It might sound like it was miserable, but it was actually quite fun! When we got home the power was out, but it turned on within 10 minutes so we still had a hot dinner. I hear that the missionaries in most of Zimbabwe only have power 4 or 5 days a week so I guess I am quite lucky the power hadn't gone out on us so far. Friday, Elder Minch and I were planning on helping out a less active member move some bricks from his house or something, but he called the branch pres and told us he thinks we just are trying to make him come to church so he doesn't want our help! Oh well. So we decided to slash our backyard instead. No one has lawn mowers here so they just use a machete with the end bent up a little bit (called a "slasher") and you stand up and slash at the grass until you think it's short enough. Kind of primitive, but it works, right? It took us a good 2 1/2 hours and we only got through 2/3 of the grass (it was chest high). I even got a couple blisters on my hands. ouch! So today will be my first zone activity. We're actually in Ndola (about 45 min drive away) right now and right after this, our zone, 8 elders, is going to play football(soccer) and then have a braai (a barbecue, pronounced "bry"). It should be a lot of fun. Well, I think I need to go now. Time for football!

Thank you for your prayers and love!

Elder Moline

P.S. Congratulations on your new calling, mom! In answer to your question, no, there isn't anything I really need right now. Inspirational quotes or pictures would be nice to have so I can put them on my walls. Other than that, I can't think of anything. I'll let you know in the future though. And yes, Grandpa can just email me directly if he wants.

P.P.S. Grandpa, thanks for the email!It's good to hear from you. That headache prayer thing is quite a genius idea, haha. Sorry I don't have time to email you personally right now, but I will have more time later.