August 4, 2008

Dear everyone,

Another week gone yet again! A lot of great things happened this week. Yesterday we had 13 investigators attend church! That's the most I've had my whole mission I believe. Actually now that I think about it Elder Musgrave and I tied that in Lusaka branch a few months ago. Anyway it is still great. The reason it was so high? We had a whole family come. They are the Phiri family from #6 Emmasdale Police Camp. I think I wrote about the family a couple of weeks ago. We actually met Bro Phiri on 11 July. A few weeks prior to that we had tracted into and met the firstborn son, Jimmy, and his friend so we taught them the Restoration, came a few days later and loaned them a copy of the Book of Mormon. We didn't find them at the next appointment so we sort of forgot about them for a week or two; then one night we just decided to go and check up on Jimmy and that is when we met his parents, Bro and Sis Phiri, and taught them. We taught them 3 or 4 times in that first week. They have 6 children. The parents and 5 children came to church on Sunday (everyone except the oldest one Jimmy). Two of the children are below the age of 8. The first two or three sundays they missed because of Bro Phiri's work. He is a detective for the Zambia Police and there were a couple of murder cases in Woodlands that were taking a lot of time to solve. Anyway the fast and testimony meeting yesterday was great and they said they very much enjoyed all the meetings. The branch was very good fellowshipping them as well. We have great hope for them. Bro Phiri hasn't been to any church in years, though the mother and children occasionally attended one of the thousands of pentecostal churches around. We hope to give them a baptismal date sometime this week.

Suy Jado, the man from Angola, has been missing for a couple of weeks now so his baptismal date has been cancelled for now.

Ben Mulenga still has his date for 23 August and is progressing towards it. His issue is just understanding completely and remembering the things we tell him. Sometimes he just forgets stuff, haha.

We extended the date of 13 September to Esnart Phiri, who came to church for the 3rd time yesterday. She is doing very well.

One of our investigators, Pinky Kabinga, bore her testimony of the Book of Mormon in sacrament meeting yesterday! She used to be very critical of the Church and its teachings but she's been humbled by the Spirit and now the YSAs in the branch are fellowshipping her like crazy. For some reason she hasn't accepted a baptismal date yet though. . .

Today is the beginning of week 6 and we just found out transfers! I'm staying with Elder Woldemichael and Elder Lawrance is staying with Elder McMullen. They are opening a new area for missionary work in Malawi! A city called Lilongwe. If I'm not mistaken it is a 2-4 hour drive north of Blantyre, which was the only city with missionaries before. Many years ago there was a branch in Lilongwe but it was closed for some reason. Last September the branch reopened without missionaries. Today we found out that Elder Tshani (DRC) and Elder Mrwetyana (SA) are going there, alone! How interesting that would be. Elder Sithole is going to Zim, so we have two new district leaders in Lusaka 2, Elder Spelman (SA) and Elder Kalume (DRC). Elder Spelman is training someone named Elder Brown who we can only assume is American so likely I won't be the only white guy anymore, haha.

Zone conference is on Thursday; exciting! Lusaka district conference will be this weekend (9-10 August) and Elder Young of the area presidency will be here for that. I'm excited to meet him.

This is the work of God; I know it and I love it.

Elder Mckay Moline