May 12, 2008

Dear everyone!

Happy Mother's Day! It's a good thing I have a "mother who knows!"

Today starts week 6 of the transfer. Missionaries will have to start moving around this Friday and we have no idea who is going where or when. President Bester has been in South Africa for some time and so transfers haven't been finished yet, which is crazy. Normally we, the ZLs would know a week or two ago and we would announce them tomorrow, but we have no idea when we will get them.

The week was great though!

Monday we had our zone activity; we played football/soccer at this "indoor" place. It really wasn't indoors but it was a small pitch with a high chainlink fench around it. We all had a lot of fun and enjoyed ourselves. Tuesday the APs drove up from Zim to get food (yep, Zim still has no food, quite literally). They were supposed to bring my 17 month old suitcase from Harare, but for some reason they couldn't find it so I think they'll bring it up next time they come to Lusaka. Wednesday we did an exchange with Elder Zulu, one of the 3 district leaders here. I was with him in his area in Woodlands. He is from Durban, South Africa and is a great missionary. We had a great day together.

We're making a big change in our area next week. The sisters who are also in our branch have been struggling to find, teach, and get people to church, so we've decided to give them a part of our area and take a part of theirs so that they can teach more. We're giving them sort of a "compound" called Luangwa where quite a few solid members stay. So we hope they can do some more member work and help our investigators out. So because we have many investigators in that area and we want to prepare for the change, we've been searching for new people to teach outside of it. This week we found 18 new investigators! I feel that that is the Lord saying that what we're doing is right and it will be good for the area. It will be a big change for us but it will be worth it. So Thursday we took the sisters around and showed them some members and investigators' houses.

Church yesterday was good. We had 3 investigators there and the classes were nice. We are still teaching Brother Patrick Zulu and he is soaking everything up like a sponge! He especially loved the first part of the plan of salvation. In fact, I think my favorite lesson to teach people (members and investigators) is the first part of the plan of salvation, especially our life on earth. Every doctrine and scripture is so perfect! Anyway, we're struggling with getting his wife and two children involved. We might just have to give him a baptismal date and focus on the family later. He loves reading the Book of Mormon as well.

The Chembe family are falling further and further away. . . we fasted for them last week on fast Sunday but they don't seem to even want to progress. Sad.

BUT, the work will go on as it always does! The gospel will be a stumblingblock to all who interfere. The gospel is true. God is in complete control, and as we trust in Him He will guide us.

Nalikutemwa bonse ("love you all" in Bemba),

Elder Mckay Moline