3-19-07

Dear everyone,

First things first: HAPPY 14TH BIRTHDAY MCKENZIE! I remembered about your birthday last week after we got back home on P-day, so I made you a card and sent it. Unfortunately I really have no idea when it will get to you. As always, the pouch/mail system is really irregular. So expect that in some weeks.

This week was really nice! We taught a lot more lessons than usual. 3 of our 4 investigators with baptismal dates came to church (Loveness Katongo, Alex Said, Donald Manjimela); much better than last week. Also this week we tracted into two new families and now they both have copies of the Book of Mormon. They're both involved in other churches which will be a stumblingblock for them, but they both seem to have interest in the message.

Elder Minch and I are doing really well together now. Week 6 of this transfer starts today and we will find out transfers on Wednesday at zone conference. We both expect that he will be leaving. He is almost 13 months old on mission and this is only his 2nd area! Ishi! Almost 6 months here. If he leaves, it will be a bit scary without him around, but I know that I'll be alright. It's so strange because the two of us are so different from each other, and apart from mission I probably would never have been friends with him, but the past 7 or 8 weeks we've just been having a lot of fun together. Even though we are different we've found out how to make missionary work fun.

Yesterday was a great day. District Pres Kapata spoke in sacrament meeting again. It's so great, Pres Kapata speaks with such power! He reminds me of a general authority speaking, ha ha. Yesterday was my first time playing our new keyboard at church. We just got it this week and it's nice! It can even play 57 different hymns by itself! It actually feels like a piano rather than a cheap electronic keyboard. Starting this Friday, I think I'll be teaching a weekly music/keyboard class at the church for people to learn how to play and lead simple hymns etc. It should be really nice. Any ideas, mom?

After church we took Brother Kabonso (who was baptized in Jan) to two lessons and he bore a great testimony about scripture study to Alex Said who will be baptized in April. He even said that after he received the Book of Mormon from the missionaries that he could hardly spend an hour without opening it up and reading from it. Wow, he is such a great man! He's so committed to his family and to the gospel.

We just got the March Ensign and New Era a few days ago. The New Era is really cool this month! A word of warning though: that "day in the life of a missionary" really wasn't too exciting. That's one thing that I've found out since I've been here in the field. You can't possible describe missionary life in just one day. Being a missionary is completely different from anything else you could ever experience. I had heard about mission life from people ever since I was small, but being a missionary is something you just can't describe even when you are actually in it. It's strange, but true. You give everything you have to the work, and you are constantly focusing your time and efforts on everyone around you. It's really something else.

Well, I love you all. As always, thank you so much for the prayers and support (and mail). I have a strong testimony that I have truly been called to build the kingdom of God here in Kitwe and that with His help I can in some small way prepare the world for when the Savior comes again!

Until next week,
Elder Moline

P.S. Mom, I haven't received the pictures yet, but I'm pretty sure I'll get them before I'm transferred, because I at least have another 6 weeks here in Kitwe.

P.P.S. Did you get that picture I emailed last week of me making dinner? Let me know if that worked or not. Twatotela (thanks).