9-1-08

Dear everyone,
Hello yet again from Zambia. This week was pretty interesting. We extended two more baptismal dates this week: one to a man named Charles Chibamba and another to a lady named Mary Banda. Charles has come to church 5 times now. He is about 50 and loves the church. He was first introduced to us by another investigator who has a baptismal date, Ben Mulenga. Both of them should be baptized on 27 September along with Jackson Mvula.

This Friday Esnart Phiri (23) will be interviewed for baptism. She is very ready and very excited for it. We just need her to become better friends with some of the branch members so she can be "bound to the church."
Saturday Elder Woldemichael and myself went to the body viewing of President Levy P. Mwanawasa, the late president of Zambia. The government says he died about two weeks ago, but most people believe he died a few weeks before that when the country had that scare. They probably kept it under wraps so there wouldn't be riots or a military uprising or something. Anyway they have had a huge public viewing so we decided to go on Saturday. We had to wait in line for a couple of hours but it was good anyway. There were soldiers all around telling us to hurry up. We only could see the body for a few moments because they were rushing us. The woman standing in front of me began wailing and crying the moment she saw the body. Then she fell onto the ground writhing. A bunch of Red Cross people ran over, tossed her onto a stretcher and took her away. There were television cameras recording that and it was on the national news live, so Elder Woldemichael and I were on national television on Saturday!
Yesterday we had a young family of 4 show up to church who we had contacted on the street the week before. After church we went to their one-room house and taught them the Restoration. It was a wonderful lesson and they were touched by the spirit. We should see them again on Thursday.
Saturday is zone conference. We will be having an area seventy visiting named Elder Colin H. Bricknell from South Africa. I met him on my last day in the Johannesburg MTC. He used to be mission president in Pocatello, Idaho. We are all very excited to meet him.
That is all for this week. Love you all very much!
Elder Mckay Moline

a note from elder lawrance:
Elder Moline is enjoying our tickle sessions, and his taste in ties is improving. Love Elder Lawrance