Well we had another good week.  We actually for some reason were able
to get a lot of lessons with members present.  Usually in the past
here we are just never able to get the times worked out to work with
them.  But this week we were able to.  So that was nice.  I know you
are all wondering about transfers, well actually so am I.  President
has been in Malawi this week so no one knows what is happening.  There
won't be any major changes as only 3 new missionaries are coming but I
know for sure that what ever happens will affect me.  But we will see.
 I am almost guaranteed to stay in Matero but possibly in the other
area.  So we will see.  We didn't actually get to go to the museum, we
didn't have time so we just went to this place called Long Ridge or
something like that.  It too would be a much more powerful place if we
were not missionaries.  It is this small man made pond/lake thing.
That has some boats you can use and places to braai.  It doesn't
really have any places to play sport because it is not real flat.  But
we found a hosepipe that we tied between two trees and played
volleyball.  So we had a good time anyways.  As for the phone call we
don't know anything but I'm sure that we will be informed before next
week.  But I do know that we get 40 minutes now, not just 30 so that
will be nice.  Also I got the other glove. So that worry can now leave
you.  I don't really understand how Ali's got to me first especially
since they were both unopened.  Actually none of the packages I've
received have been opened since the mission split.  So that is a nice
feature.  I don't really know how big Christmas is in Zambia.  And no,
they don't have WARD Christmas Parties here.  They have Branch
Christmas parties.  We don't have any wards in the mission. There are
some things that will be happening both with us missionaries and with
the Branch but I think that it might be better to move the baptisms
back anyways just to give them more time.  Ackson is really doing well
though.  He hasn't had a drink since like the 22nd of October.  That
has been a great thing to see.  Adrine is also doing well she is
beginning to understand much better so that is nice.  We have also
been teaching Sister Zulu's nephew, John.  At first he absolutely did
not want to join us.  But he got interested because he looked at one
of the pamphlets we had left.  He has come to church the last two
weeks but we have to be patient to extend a baptismal date because
when someone pressures him to do something then he pulls away.  So we
are going to give him more time.  He has really enjoyed church though.
 Yesterday I basically taught both the Gospel Principles class and the
Elder's Quorum.  In both cases the person assigned to teach didn't
show up.  So I actually did teach Gospel Principles since we are
basically in charge of it.  Then in Elder's Quorum the Elder's Quorum
President, filled in but he had know idea what to talk about.  We were
discussing about the Judgement.  He mentioned that we will be judged
according to our works.  He then asked about the works so people began
naming off the normal Sunday School answers, "go to church" "read your
scriptures", so my companion helped them with the 5 principles of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Then I could see the teacher struggling to
come up with what to do next ( we still had about 35 minutes left at
this point) so I asked how all of these principles related to each
other and led us to the Celestial Kingdom.  That discussion took us
through the rest of the lesson.  It ended up being a really good
lesson and most of the people I think were able to understand that
faith is not just believing but that it requires action for it to be
real faith.

That is crazy that Pujols went to the Angels, and even more crazy is
that it was a 10 year deal.  I don't think that I have ever seen one
for that many years.  Well I am happy that Ryan Gurr finally put his
papers in.  That is also really good to hear about Taylor.  I'm sure
that that wouldn't have happened if he hadn't grown.  I too will
believe the Parowan 5th Ward when I see it.  That has been going on
forever.  Anyway have a good week.

Love,

Elder Cecil

We had a really nice week.  We again had many investigators at church,
so that is great.  We will probably have to wait for them to be
baptized because of the Holidays though.  But they are all doing very
well.  Some of them such as Ackson and Kennedy have made some big
changes in their lives.  I am excited for them.  Adrine is doing well
but she will have to be pushed back because she is going to their farm
this week.  They are going to go plant the maize since the rains are
now here for good.  Brother Mulilo made a really powerful comment in
our lesson on Friday.  He said that he loves the Book of Mormon
because it gives the "whys" of the Bible.  I love how he just teaches
himself by the questions that he asks.  The members are great because
they always go greet the investigators and make friends quickly.  I
wish there was a clean river for us to baptize in but we would be hard
pressed to find one of those in Lusaka.  As for the sickness of the
Elder, you know as much as I know.  They just told us he was sick and
had to go home.  We have been fed several times this week.  Sister
Zulu made us this amazing dinner that we took home with us.  It lasted
us for two meals.  Mostly we just have rice or noodles with some sort
of meat and vegetable.  We don't have time to really cook anything
else.  But at the member's houses it is usually nshima (sadza)  and
some meat and vegetable.

I got the package from ali with the baseballs in it.  But I am still
waiting on the other glove.  We are going to a museum today that just
opened up so we will see how that turns out then we will just go to
the chapel and Braai while probably playing soccer.  I wish it would
get cold here.  It has been so hot this week.  And with the rain as
well it has been super humid also.  Well it makes more sense that they
played the game on an aircraft carrier and not on an actual plane, but
that would be cool though.  That is interesting that it was the same
one as the one they buried Osama bin Laden.  Well the bowl games sound
lame.  Elder Roberts told me that he is reffing high school basketball
this year.  He said he did Parowan's Blue and Gold or white or
whatever it is these days.  Well I will give you more info next week.
See you.

Love,

Elder Cecil