Muri bwanji?

This week was not real great lessons wise again.  We would have a full
day planned but when we would go to our first appointment they would
bounce us.  We would then go to our backup plan and kulibe (nothing).
A second back up, same result.  By the time we would do that it was
time to go to our next scheduled appointment.  The pattern would
continue all day everyday.  But even though things didn't work out
well that way, I don't feel that bad because we did all that we could.
 Brian was baptized on Sunday as planned.  I performed it because he
told me that I was going to do it when Sam was baptized.  I also
performed one for a sister named Sister Nyirenda.  She lives in the
other guys area and is the daughter of some members.  I always thought
she was a member until a few weeks ago because she was always at
church.  I guess they thought she was a member too.  But she and her
husband were not baptized yet.  They were both baptized yesterday and
she asked me to do it.  I don't know why.  In Lilongwe they didn't
really move it out of the city but just to a location that is more
central to the branch members.  It was where it was because when they
formed it there was only one branch and so that was the most central
place.  But when the branch split in February it was basically on the
outskirts of the boundaries far from anyone else.  So they moved it to
area 47 a much better spot for it.  I don't know how I got my
companion to ride the bike more.  He just told me one day that he
wanted to ride the bikes and so we have been doing it ever since.  We
get transfers this week so we shall see what happens.  We missed Felix
this week.  We never saw him, and he doesn't have a phone so we have
to try to track him down.

Kalimba Farm was sweet.  Some of those crocodiles are huge.  I got a
video of a smaller one that snapped at a stick that was poking it.
The stick was like as thick as a baseball bat and it broke the stick
and then you could still see the stick in its mouth after it.  That
thing was so fast.  If you blink you will miss it.  I put a python on
my neck.  Its skin felt cool.  They said that it is not big enough to
kill you if it is around your waist but that the other one they have
could.  They usually bring out the big one but it had just had eggs
and the keeper had taken them out so it wasn't happy with him right
now.  They had a bunch of cobras in this one exhibit that kept
fighting each other.  So the keeper would have to go and hit them with
a stick so that they would stop.  They were fighting because they had
just fed them some live chicks and sometimes they would steal them
from each other.  They also had a Black Mamba, the most poisonous
snake in Africa.  It isn't actually black but it's mouth is so that is
why they call it that.  We also played soccer there and had a braai.
It was a really good day.  I enjoyed it.  I also got some good
pictures.  Dad it is the same place that President went.  They
actually let him go inside the crocodile place I think.

I am excited about those gloves and baseballs.  That will be powerful.
 Elder Chikenge found out about my socks when he saw my pictures and
then asked about them.  He is excited for them.  I was told by our
Zone Leaders that they think I am no. 1 in the mission for mail.  And
I know I have more coming, not only from you guys.  Others have
emailed me telling me that they sent me letters.  I wish that I could
go sky diving, I have always wanted to.  I miss the World Series.  I
actually saw a little bit of one of the Brewers Cardinals series in
Manda Hill where we email last week but I only saw one at bat and I
couldn't tell who was hitting for the Brewers.  Any way I guess I will
talk toyou later.

Much Love,

Elder Cecil

Well our baptism went great.  Sister Kalonga gave a really powerful
testimony in Sacrament Meeting yesterday.  I got to confirm her, and
her husband got to baptize her.  She was so happy when she came up out
of the water.  The rest of the week wasn't all that great though.
Well let me say this.  It was good considering all the things that
happened.  We had a Specialized Training on Tuesday from President
Padovich and the Assistants.  That was great I really enjoyed it.  The
theme was on working with our branch leaders.  It seems to be helping
because we have committed our Branch President to get us a branch
mission leader finally.  We set a deadline by the first week of
November.  They have been doing well with callings lately.  I think
that they have already called Sister Kalonga to be in the primary.
Then on Friday we spent half of the day waiting for the Assistants to
bring our district leader for the interviews so we didn't get much
done.  Saturday we had the baptism at 11:30  then we had to go to do
this survey thing online for missionaries but the email place in our
area wasn't working so then we had to wait for our Zone Leaders to
take us to town and we found that our normal internet shop had no
connection, so we had to go to another one.  After that we went to a
wedding for some members of the branches that our district leader and
the sisters work in because both of our Zone leaders were invited
because they both served in that branch.  Yesterday after church we
had PEC for 2 1/2 hours.  Yeah it took forever but we did get things
accomplished.  We do not know where JJ is but we learned that Lazarus
is in the middle of writing exams for school so that is why he has not
been around.  Felix is doing great he is scheduled for 5 November and
is so excited.  Elder Chikenge our district leader was with us when we
saw him on Friday and came out feeling excited about him after just
one lesson.  Brian is prepared and ready for his baptism on Sunday.
He is loving reading the Book of Mormon right now.  I think that soon
we are going to start teaching Sister Kalonga's young sister who also
stays with them.  We are uniting this family one person at a time.  It
is great.

Yeah we always ride our bikes now.  My companion has learned to love
them.  So it is nice and saves sooo much time.  Transfers are next
week so we shall see.  Well I do know that Rhett is working on his
papers now so he is beginning to make it a reality.  I am glad to hear
that he just stepped in like that.  That's terrible about Luke.  I
will definetly put him in my prayers.  I got a letter from Abby, and
the one from that Sunday School class, as well as one from the
Primary.  That was fun even though about half of the kids I didn't
even know.  They were all asking about monkeys so I will have to give
them my baboon story.  I really enjoyed that one.  We are going to a
place called Kalimba Farm today.  It is a reptile place, they say that
it is really nice.  We will also have a braai.  So I need to wrap up
now but I will give more next week.  Oh I saw a guy wearing a Utah
Styx t-shirt (I used to play them in travel ball) and another guy
wearing a Turkey Trot t-shirt.

Love,

Elder Cecil

We have had a decent week.  We got rained on on Tuesday night and
again on Wednesday.  On Wednesday it only rained for like an hour but
it rained ridiculously hard.  The water was up to the pedal on my
bike.  We took refuge on this guy's porch.  The guy didn't want to
here anything about us though.  He was nice though because he invited
us to come to his porch.  We had something really cool happen to us
though.  On Friday we had an appointment with a man that I contacted
on Wednesday.  So we met him and he took us to his brother's house who
happens to be a Muslim.  We taught the guy and his brother was just
kind of sitting there and we couldn't really tell if he was listening
or not.  So we just assumed that he didn't care because Muslims tend
to avoid contact with Christianity.  So after the lesson the Muslim
man whose name is Felix told us that he liked the message and wanted a
copy of the Book of Mormon.  We only had one so we promised to bring
him one on Saturday.  When we went to drop it off he told us that he
was going to come to church and that he would be there by 8.  Church
starts at 9:30.  Well he came to church and just like he said he was
there at 8.  After Church when we asked him how he liked it, he asked
when he could get baptized.  That was a big surprise.  So hopefully
things work out with that.  Sister Kalonga is still on schedule to be
baptized on Saturday.  Her brother Brian was able to come to church
because they got their cars.  He is planned for the 23 of October.
Another man who we are teaching is a referral from a recent convert.
His name is Ackson.  His brother Serge who is the rc wanted us to
teach him.  Serge was baptized in another area of Lusaka but moved
into our branch.  The missionaries in that area had been struggling
for a while on him.  Ackson was doing some very serious sins.  Word of
Wisdom and Law of Chastity problems.  But he has come to church for
two weeks and Serge says that he has gone through a complete
transformation.  It hasn't been anything that we have done though
because we have only taught him like three times.  But he is also
scheduled for the 23rd.  With Lazerus and Mary we don't know what is
up.  We just can't get them to come to church, we didn't even see
Lazerus this week.  Emmanuel is someone who is really searching for
the truth.  He missed Church so we went and talked to him later on.
He said that one of the pastors at his church was telling him how he
should not get baptized twice so he needs to make a decision as to
which church he should get baptized in and stick to it.  We went and
he told us that he is going to make a list of all the reasons he
attends the church he goes to now and then all of the reasons why he
wants to join us and then pray about them.  So I think that he we
receive an answer because of this.

Aunt Kim I have something to tell you that will make you happy.  Those
two years that I was a reading tutor are paying off.  I am teaching
little Sam Kalonga how to read the Book of Mormon.  The other day I
was able to help him read an entire verse including the word
"destoyed".  And Chris and Uncle Scott I also have something that will
make you happy.  I contacted a guy wearing a t-shirt that said,
"Wrigley Field" then below it was an "RF"  and below that is said "The
Bleachers".  So I told him that he had a powerful shirt on and that my
uncle would probably buy the shirt right off of his back.  Apparently
I have some mail but the Assistants have it so I don't know who it is
from.  On my birthday President called me to wish me a happy birthday
and told me that I should treat myself to some ice cream.  So I did.
Then the Taggarts called and sang to me.  Then Elder Santana bought me
ice cream too.  Other than that the day wasn't really that great.  I
have heard from Elder Roberts oh sorry Brother Roberts.  He seems to
be doing well.  He is going to school at SUU and just enjoying life.
Right now he has no real prospects for my mother.  Sorry Mom.  The
little Book of Mormon guys are sitting on top of our shelves and
everybody that comes to our house always asks where I get them.
Collin emailed me today wishing me a happy birthday.  So I wished him
a happy birthday too.  Which I had planned on doing before his email.
It seems as if you are doing a good job on your cheering because the
Yankees and the Phillies both lost.  Elder O'niell who was in my house
in Glenview is from Michigan so he is excited about the Tigers and the
Lions.  Oh and if you are able to send the gloves I think that I will
get them because none of the packages I have received since the
mission split have even been opened.  Oh and I would love it if you
could send me Karl's email address I've been wanting to send him a
short message but I don't know if he is using David or Karl in his
address.  Anyway I guess I will talk to you later.

Love,

Elder Cecil

First, thank you for the birthday wishes, and yes it does feel weird
to be turning 20.  I received that birthday package yesterday.  Thank
you, I will be reading that book in my spare time.  I can't use it for
studies but at night when we aren't doing much it will be nice.  We
had the baptism for Sister Phiri and Sam Kalonga.  I baptized Sam
because everyone in his family got called away and they told us that
we should just go ahead and do it.  The rest of our week was a
struggle though.  We just kept getting bounced and then bounced again.
 Oh and then we would get bounced again.  But we are really making
good progress with Sam's step-mother Sister Kalonga.  We were finally
able to teach her since the elections are over, and she now has time.
She is a policewoman.  Before when the missionaries would go to teach
her husband and his brothers that stay with them, she wouldn't
participate and would leave the room but a while back we had set an
appointment to teach Brother Kalonga and his brothers but then they
couldn't get home on time but she was there so we asked if we could
share something with her.  She kind of reluctantly agreed.  We taught
about temples and families.  She really seemed to be interested in
that.  So then she agreed to read the Book of Mormon and pray about
it.  Then we rarely saw her for the next couple of weeks because of
work.  But this week we have seen her 3 times and all 3 times she has
been really excited.  She has been coming to church for the last few
weeks with her husband.  She is scheduled to be baptized on 15
October.  I am really enjoying teaching her.  Her brother Brian, who
is also staying with them wants to be baptized as well the problem is
he has a heart condition (which is the reason he lives with them) that
makes him unable to walk to church.  But they are getting a new car
this week so they want to drive him to the church so that he can be
baptized as well.  He has been present in all of Sam's lessons and
Sister Kalonga's and because he has to sit at home all day so he has
been reading the pamphlets and the Book of Mormon.  Things in that
family are going really well.  JJ seems to have dropped off of the
map.  The Kabeya's can't find him and neither can we.  We talked to
Sam and he said that he was coming to church this week but he never
came.  Lameck said that it will get better when he moves into the
area.  Lameck is going to be the new Young Men's President.  I think
that it will be really good for him.  I just hope that the
Distribution Center will be open tomorrow so that we can get him a
King James version of the Bible.  We have been trying for like 6
weeks.  The sister who runs it has cancer now so it hasn't been open.
But apparently they found someone to take over for her.  We saw
Lazerus again but I don't know what is happening with him he just
isn't coming to church.    We did not get to watch conference so we
will have to wait for the DVD's to come so that we can watch them with
the branch.

I think that teaching lessons is something can always be improved on.
But I will say that it is something that I have improved dramatically
on since the beginning of my mission.  Before I was not good at
teaching things.  I knew the stuff but I couldn't have taught someone
though.  But now it is so much easier to get people to think.  I
taught a lesson on home teaching yesterday in priesthood.  I think
that one of the reasons why they struggle at doing it so much here is
that most of them just didn't know how to do it.  So I had them do a
role-play.  I picked two guys to be the teachers and made a family of
some others.  Of the two guys one was an RM and the other is a former
BP so they knew what to do.  The family was perfect they had some
problems and the Home teachers had to help them.  Then I had the rest
of them evaluate them and I really think that it helped them.  I heard
a lot of brothers after church saying how much they enjoyed that
lesson.  We had really good discussions and I didn't have to say
anything.  It was great.

Well you can cheer for Detroit, Texas, and St. Louis for me.  I was
told about Francona resigning by one of the members and I was shocked
but then I thought about how you said they were playing terrible and
so I wasn't as shocked.  I am assuming since you haven't mentioned
Oregon that they are not scoring like they were last year.  Well I
realized that on friday was 6 weeks exactly until my one year.  It
feels really weird.  It is going really fast.  My computer won't let
me send pictures today.  I know it is the pits.  Anyway talk to you
later.  You are in my prayers.

Love,

Elder Cecil

Well we had an interesting week.  They held presidential elections
this week so on Tuesday I think that things were the quietest I have
seen on mission.  Most people stayed at home except when they were
going to go vote.  So it was nice because there was no cars or noise.
So Tuesday went well.  Even Wednesday was good too.  Then some small
riots broke out around the country.  So we had to stay in our house
all day on Thursday.  There was a few in our area but they were on the
far end of the area and at our house there was no sound.  We were
completely safe.  Then they finally announced who was the winner on
Thursday at like midnight.  The opposition party won by a landslide
which made people really happy.  If the governing party would have won
we probably would still be in our solitary confinement.  I think that
Thursday was like the longest day of my life.  We couldn't go out, we
had nothing to do, it was soooooooooooooo boring.  That made me so
tired on Friday, because we didn't even think we were going to go out
on Friday but we got a call telling us that we could go out at about
11:00 in the morning.  So for that reason the baptisms were put on
hold until this Saturday.  We haven't been able to get a hold of JJ or
Sam.  Lameck said that he and Sam might start living together so that
Sam is closer to his workplace so that will be good if that works out.
 Brother Kabeya hasn't been able to contact him either.  He seems to
have dropped off of the map.  We contacted this guy on Saturday night
who came to church on Sunday so that could be a promising thing.  We
are supposed to see him on Tuesday.  He seems like a good guy who
wants to know the truth.  I think he has a smoking problem though
because he kind smelled like it at church.  We also got a new referral
from this guy who is a recent convert from another area but moved into
the branch.  It is his older brother who stays with him and he was at
church as well.  So I am hoping that we can keep things going well
here.  You asked about Brother Zulu and how often he makes it.  He
comes every week and is usually the first person there.  With Lazerus
we didn't get to see him because when we went there he was still at
school and then because of the elections it just didn't work out.  We
saw Rachel once and she said that she really enjoyed church, somehow
marriage came up and she talked about how she didn't want to get
married because her father used to beat her mother and she thinks that
that will happen to her.  But I think that it is more because she is
afraid because of her leg no one will want her.  When whe comes back
we will have to try to sort things out.  I don't know if we are going
to get to see conference or not.  No one has heard anything.  So I
guess we will see.  We have started this new program that is
technically a new training program for the first 12 weeks of someone's
mission but President is having everyone do it.  It outlines our
companionship study for 12 weeks.  Every companionship has a portable
DVD player for these Preach My Gospel DVD's that help with teaching
skills.  It is a cool program I really like it so far.  I don't think
that anybody really had that much of an idea about what was going to
happen with transfers.  Mostly because we have never had transfers
from President Padovich and there was a lot of new ones coming.

The email shop we now email at was one that we knew about but we have
to spend more money to get there and when I was with Elder Muguri he
didn't want to spend it.  But Elder Mangumta and I think that it is
worth it.  I have tried to put pictures on today but for some reason
the computers are being really slow today.  But usually it is a nice
place I will try again next week.  Sounds like the Braves are limping
down the final stretch.  I hope they pull it out.  Anyway I guess I
will talk to you later.

Love,

Elder Cecil

Muri Shani,

I have been transferred to the Central Province.  I am now training,
and opening a new area in Kabwe.  No I'm just kidding, I am actually
staying here in Matero with Elder Mangumta.  President told me that I
am continuing to train him.  I forgot to tell you that when I had my
interview with President, he told me that I was basically training him
because he was still really unsure of himself as a missionary.  That
was definitely true when he got to me.  He was very unsure when he
said things in lessons.  But I have seen great growth in him these
past 6 weeks.  I think that we are beginning to really get good unity
when we are teaching.  Our companionship studies are really helping
with that in my opinion.  The other day when we were teaching a lesson
on following the prophet he used a scripture that I had just read in 2
Nephi last week, and to make it even better I was just about to turn
to it also.  I am excited to see what happens this transfer.  Our zone
had very few changes.  We only have one person going.  But everywhere
else in the mission has changed like crazy.  Lilongwe is now a zone.
And Elder Bucholtz who was born there is going back as a zone leader
so I do have a chance.  I hope so.  We had a pretty good week.  Tika
and Tandi were baptized and confirmed.  Sam just got a new job so he
wasn't able to make it for the interview, and right now his phone is
doing weird things.  So it is hard to get ahold of him.  It is also
hard because he doesn't technically stay in our area, but there are no
missionaries in Lusaka West so he comes to us.  But Lameck was given
the Priesthood yesterday so when we are able to get Sam ready Lameck
will be able to do it.  We don't really know what is going on with JJ
because he also doesn't have a phone.  We saw him on Tuesday and he
was ready but then he never showed up for the interview or church
which just isn't like him so we think he had to go out of town again.
Sam Kalonga should be baptized on Sunday as well as Sister Phiri.  We
found this sister named Rachel last week who came to church this week
and she seems to really enjoy the lessons and the Book of Mormon.  She
has a deformity with one of her legs so when she walks it looks like
it would really hurt.  I don't think that it does though because she
doesn't show it.  She probably won't be baptized for a while because
she is leaving Lusaka until like 17 October, but hopefully things will
work out when she comes back.  We also are teaching this kid who is
the son of one of our other investigators.  I don't know if the mother
will go anywhere but the son, Lazerus, came to our baptism on Saturday
and enjoyed it.  He is SDA though so hopefully when we teach him about
the sabbath day this week that he won't have a change of heart.  The
village in the bush is very bush like.  I will try to send pictures
next week.  We now email a much nicer email shop.  It is quite modern.
 We have to spend a little more to get there but it is worth it.

Well hopefully the Braves will hold on and at least to get in the
playoffs.  I am assuming that Utah is in its new conference since you
called it the Pac 12 not 10 and that they played BYU so early in the
year.  I haven't received the letter yet but I did get both the
Doubeks' and Grandma's packages.  Thank you for the ties they are all
powerful.  I need to give a few of my other ones away.  Also thank you
for the treats, my companion and I are really enjoying them.  Anyway
talk to you next week.

Love,

Elder Cecil

Hello from Africa,

Well our week went well.  We have been seeing the fruits of our
efforts these last two weeks.  Right now we are on schedule to have
Sam and the two Phiri children, Tika and Thonde (the h is silent)
baptized.  JJ will be ready if we are able to see him during the week.
 This last week we never got to see him, but Brother Kabeya talked to
him and he said that his brother in-law sent him out of Lusaka for a
few days.  But he doesn't have a phone so he is hard to get a hold of.
 He is ready other than the fact that we haven't been able to teach
him about tithing and the prophet yet.  Hopefully things will work
out.  We went to see Brother Zulu this week.  He is the guy that stays
3 hours away.  2 of those hours are walking.  That man has a really
strong testimony. I found out from him that he used to be a pastor.
He also is a convert of Elder Sefatsa.  I don't think I told you this
but this was the area he worked in before he went to Glenview.
Apparently Brother Zulu had received some Church materials in like
2009 and had just forgotten about them then saw them on his shelf last
year and decided to read them.  He showed up at the church one week
and they taught him after church each week.  His family also wants to
join the Church but they can't afford the transport.  He also said
that many of the people in his village of Chikumbi (chick-oom-bee)
have wanted to follow him, again he used to be their pastor, but they
can't afford it either.  In the bush where they are, there is not a
lot of money exchanging.  My shoes which started out black turned
white and later turned red because of the dirt road we were walking
on.  I took pictures of the progression of the color changing.  Also
my black trousers were not black anymore either.  But it was a good
trip and we really enjoyed it.  We are teaching a recent convert's 8
year old son, Sam Kalonga.  He will be baptized next week with Sister
Phiri.  We are also going to start working on Brother Kalonga's wife
once the elections are over.  She is a policewoman so she doesn't have
time now.  But we shared a message about the temple with her one day
and she really wants to be able to be sealed to her family forever.
She came to church yesterday.

As of yet I have not experienced any political issues.  When I was in
Malawi I only experienced the fuel crisis for diesel.  But it is
possible since the elections are next week.  But I'm sure that we will
be safe.  The animal park was really not that good.  And I didn't get
pictures because I didn't realize that my batteries were low on my
camera.  Not that I missed much, the lions at the lion and cheetah
park were better anyway.  But the sports and Braai afterward was
great.  There is really not that much to do here in Lusaka.  The good
game parks in Zambia are in Livingston where Vic Falls is.  That is a
loooong ways away.  We don't know anything about the transfers yet.
We don't even know if we will get them tomorrow or later in the week.
If things continue going the way they have in my previous areas then I
am leaving.  Because in my other areas as soon as we got a powerful
teaching pool I have been transferred so that the incoming
missionaries get to reap the harvest.  But it is okay I know that I am
doing my part.  Some are called to reap and others to sow.  I have
another package but I'm not sure whose it is.  My Zone Leaders just
told me that they have one for me.  Also something that I have found
out.  The address is not 14048 but it is 14038.  Not 48 but 38.  I
think that the packages are still getting to me because I don't think
there is a 48.  But anyway I am really enjoying where I am and what I
am doing.  I realized the other day that it has been 10 years since
9/11.  It doesn't seem that long ago.  The memory of it is still fresh
on my mind.  I still remember sitting on your bed watching the news
and then seeing the second plane hit.  Then at school all that we did
was watch the news.  Anyway on more cheerful note, yesterday was my 10
month.  It seems weird that I have been out this long.  It doesn't
feel like it.  I also think that part of that is because I haven't
seen many new missionaries come in.  As of right now, my MTC group is
the second youngest in the mission.  Only ahead of my companion's
group.  So even though we are no longer the young guys, it still feels
a little bit like it.  That will change soon when we get the new
missionaries in the next few transfers.  That concert sounds like it
was a good time.  Well that is all that I can think of.  You are in my
prayers.

Love,

Elder Cecil