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

Well we had a really nice week.  We were able to get some good
referrals and also we were finally able to get some members to allow
us to serve them.  They seem to feel that we are not capable of
serving or that they wouldn't be good hosts or something.  But we
helped a less-active family with there washing of furniture covers.
Then we helped our branch president to move some things out of his
computer business.  JJ and Sam (Lameck's friend) are on track to be
baptized on the 17th, as well as the children of the sister who
married our branch clerk, Brother Phiri (the h is silent).  His wife
will get baptized but wants to give it a little more time.  We also
could possibly baptized the son of a recent convert name Brother
Kalonga.  His son is only 8 but he has been coming the last two weeks
then he told me that he wants us to come and teach him.  When I taught
JJ yesterday after church with a branch missionary we were teaching
about the word of wisdom and he told us that he had already quit
drinking and smoking because he wasn't ever happy and that he felt
like he was just wasting his money.  Again I say that he has been
prepared for the gospel.  But anyway we just had a really nice week.
Oh and we did find a few new people in Mandevu so we will see how that
works out.  My companion is great I really enjoy being around him.  He
has been more talkative this week which was strange but good.  The
reason he doesn't really like bikes is because he just learned how to
ride them on when he cam on mission so he is still really
uncomfortable on it.  Especially bacause of the road conditions.

I received the package you sent me on Saturday.  The ties are
powerful, thank you.  Also the oreos are still cookies so that is
great.  I really appreciate the support.  Collin emailed me telling me
that he got his letter.  He said that he found a family that drives
him to church that is 40 minutes away each week.  So he sounds happy.
I think that he is starting to get used to being away from home.  I
found it funny that everyone in their emails told me that Chris
actually won the last hand of cards.  Congratulations, Chris!  Now do
it again so that I know that is wasn't jsut a coincidence.  Mom
Zambeef is kind of like a butchery/grocery store but has limited
groceries.  We get our meat there.  I haven't heard about that guy
though.  Dad a mzungu is a white guy sorry I thought I had told you.
Well we don't really see that many mzungu's besides missionaries but
most of the time when we see them they are like shopping so they
aren't paying attention.  We are going to a game park today called
Mundawanga so hopefully that will be fun and then we will go back to
the Lusaka Chapel and have a braai and sports.  Well I will give you
more information next week we are kind of in a rush.  Much love.  Oh
and in case I forgot last week, Happy Birthday Padre!

Love,

Elder Cecil

How are things?  Well yesterday was good at church.  Lameck was
confirmed, I also performed that one.  We had his friend Sam at church
who also is progressing well, but we can only see him on Saturdays and
Sundays.  We saw JJ on Wednesday and had a really nice lesson.  He
couldn't come to church because he had to go out of town but he should
be back tomorrow.  I said that he had been prepared because even
though he had been taught only one lesson he told his family who were
giving him problems about us being Satanist that he would keep coming
because he knew this was the right church to join.  We never really
got a chance to go to Mandevu this week because my companion doesn't
really like bikes so we were walking but then he got a blister so
during the time we were going to go there we needed to get one of the
bikes fixed so we could use them.  Now it is good but we were waiting
for it to get fixed for a while.  So it just never really worked out.
We also attended the wedding of the branch clerk in our branch so that
took up our Saturday.  But instead of being at the reception my
companion and I went and witnessed a baptism for the Lusaka and Munali
Branches.  I actually have taught one of them when I was on exchanges
with Elder Hewlett.  President Taggart Gave the welcoming remarks and
he talked about his own baptism.  He was baptized in the Salt Lake
Tabernacle.  I didn't even know there was a font there.   Well we are
halfway through the transfer so we have 3 weeks until the new
missionaries come and then we will see some real shake ups.  We are
all excited to see what happens and which areas get opened or
reopened.  It will be interesting.  That is about all that has changed
and/or happened to us.  It has been pretty uneventful besides that.

That is crazy to hear about that Earthquake near Karl.  But I think
that you are right Dad, about the mission president's wife meaning
that they get to provide service and help in the cleanup.  Especially
since they are all safe.  Maybe her son is new on mission and she is
still in the mode where she is afraid of being away from her son.  I
was given an epipen on Tuesday, I feel much safer now.  I think that
they have another one at the mission office in case I have to use it.
I am happy to hear about Ryan Gurr working on his papers.  Even though
he may be dragging a bit it is still a start.  I was wondering do you
know when Austin leaves for his mission?  I am glad that the Temple
went well.  I can hear Dan saying that to that guy.  It sounds just
like him.  It seems like things have really been changing in the ward
since the new Bishopric was put in.  I sent a letter to the Woods a
long time ago but I have a feeling that it didn't get there.  So I am
planning on sending a new one.  I think that the mail is a lot faster
now than it was in Zim, even than when I was in Harare.  People have
been getting packages in just a few weeks so I think the ones you sent
should be here in the next week or two.  Well winter is now leaving,
not that it ever really felt like winter but now that it is turning
back into summer I can really tell the difference.  It is getting
really hot in the daytime.  But I hear that it is the worst in October
and November.  We still only wear our suits on Sundays at church and
at District Meeting on Tuesdays.  It was crazy, today while my
companion and I were shopping at the Zambeef there was this white guy
who is one of the Managers of the company there.  He saw our name tags
and asked where we were from.  So then he told us that he and his
family had been looking for a church to join and he wanted to know
where he could find the church.  That is the first time since I have
been here that I have talked to a mzungu who was interested in the
church.  It is too bad that he doesn't stay in our area.  But maybe he
will go to church in his area and will get taught and baptized.  Well
that is all I can think of now.  I hope you have a great week.

Love,

Elder Cecil

My companion is the second from the left and my former companion Elder
Munguri is two people from him in the blue tie next to the sisters.

So first off the baptism with Lameck went well.  He is a really
powerful guy.  He asked me to perform his baptism so my baptism
clothing got its second use outside of the temple.  Our week went
okay.  We are still trying to find new investigators but I feel that
we are going to be able to do it more effectively because we are going
to move to a different part of our area.  This idea came to us
yesterday and also is the reason for me putting a subject on my email.
 So we went to a member's house yesterday for a lesson in the Mandevu
compound and the lesson was great.  The guy is named JJ Phiri (the h
is silent so it is pronounced Piri) and I am sure that he has been
prepared to receive the Gospel.  But anyway afterward when we left we
decided to walk back a different way to see if there was a shortcut.
So as we were walking there was this big ravine in front of us and we
saw a guy in front of us go down it and a minute later he came up the
other side so we were like well there is a way to get there.  Then we
got down inside.  There was this drainage stream which is completely
filled with rubbish and looked like it was solid except about 1 1/2
feet of it.  It looked like our shoes would get a little muddy but
nothing else, as many of them are.  So my companion goes first and he
takes a few steps and things looked exactly as I have described.  Then
the next step came.  He stepped and his foot started to sink so he
quickly takes another step and now he is really starting to sink.  So
he tries to jump out and instead of going up he went down.  He falls
on his stomach and kind moves like a polar bear on ice.  Then he gets
to the edge of the stream at the other bank and the rubbish completely
breaks and he goes about waist deep and his feet are not touching the
bottom.  He is frantically trying to grab something to keep him from
sinking because the thickness of the mud is sucking him down.  He was
able to find one root that would hold but he was still continuing to
sink.  These two little kids who were with their friends nearby ran
over.  My companion is shouting for help and then they grab his hand.
Then the other kids ran over so there was maybe ten of them and they
are all really small like no bigger than Adam or smaller.  So my
companion is not a small person and they should not have been able to
pull him out of that mud which was sucking him down.  But they got him
up and out of the mud.  Then they all start looking for a better way
for me to cross because I was a good 15 feet from them.  They found a
spot that I could jump over so that was good.  But my companion was
absolutely amazed that they were able to pull him out and to be honest
so was I.  He said that he felt like he was made light and that he
couldn't feel his weight any more.  I don't know if the kids felt
anything but Elder Mangumta sure did.  This whole time I am standing
on the other side of this stream thinking, "My companion is sinking
and I can't do anything to help him."  Now as we look back at it, it
is absolutely hilarious.  But at the time it was really intense.  The
really interesting thing is that there was adults who just sat and
watched this whole thing while the children came to his rescue.  I
guess that is why the Savior said, "of such is the Kingdom of Heaven."
 I am planning on writing an article about it and then if my companion
approves of it then I will send it to the Church Magazines.  There are
so many things that you can learn from this.  So sometime this week I
am going to sit down and do some writing.  But anyway the member's
whose house we were at, the Kabeya's, are awesome.  They are really
searching for referrals for us.  We will be teaching a family from
them soon.  And I think that we can really find some good people there
in Mandevu.  Brother Kabeya is from the Democratic Republic of the
Congo and when he was baptized in 1993 one month later he was called
as Branch President because the current one was about to be chased out
of the area because of political unrest.  So he served for six months
without even holding the Melchizedick (or however you spell it)
Priesthood.

Well as for my weight I have not gained or lost anything since I left
home.  I weigh my self occasionally and I am still the same.  And we
do have member dinners more often than in Malawi.  We maybe get one
per week or at the least e get one every two weeks.  Mom you should be
proud of me I have been cooking with tomatoes, onions (cut up
extremely small however), carrots, and green beans.  They have been
good meals too.  I had actually heard about Tyler Hughes getting
called to Ukraine from Rhett in a letter.  It really suits him if you
ask me since he loves languages.  I was surprised to hear about Austin
Caldwell though.  I didn't know that he was planning on going.  A few
of the guys in my MTC Group are in Durban.  That was really funny to
hear about the bat in the church.  I can see Bishop Pace trying to hit
the bat with his coat.  I was also shocked to hear about Scott
becoming a bishop.  That was a surprise, but I guess not really if you
think about it since he has been a high counselor there for a while.
That was too bad to hear about Brother McCulley.  I hope that the
others heal well and are handling it well.  I would take either the CD
or the DVD or both.  Nicole I hope you enjoy your weekend in the
Temple.  I wish I could be there.  In fact I wish that I could go to a
temple at all.  I will have new appreciation for the temple when I
come home have spent two years away from it.  I will be going as often
as possible.  Don't worry Mom I feel your pain about Dad's announcing
and I am on the other side of the world.  Well talk to you next week.

Love,

Elder Cecil

Well Zone Conference was great I really enjoyed it.  The Lusaka Zone
(my zone) and the Woodlands Zone (also in Lusaka so we see them all
the time) met together for the conference.  President Padovich talked
for a while on looking past diversity in ourselves as the missionaries
as well as though that we teach.  Then he talked about how we need to
LOOK like a disciple of Christ, ACT like a disciple of Christ, and BE
a disciple of Christ.  It was really good.  We had a presentation by
the Assistants on different ways to study and also the importance of
it.  Elder Wilson did an activity where he handed out a piece of paper
to a few people telling them to prepare a presentation on what
something is.  One was about black bears, one about basketball, and
one about rugby and he gave them to people who would have no idea how
to explain them.  Then he had them gve their presentations.  They had
no idea what to say about any of them.  The purpose was to show us
that our studies are preparing us to teach because if we don't know
what to teach how can we teach it?  Then we had some short
presentations by Sister Padovich and Taggart.  After that we had Elder
Taggart give a presentation on pondering.  He gave some examples of
things to ponder about.  Some were funny.  Why doesn't the the glue
stick to the inside of the bottle?  Different things ike that.  He
went on to talk about the imprtance of us pondering because that is
often how we receive revelation.  Sometimes when we pray we go through
laundry list of things that we want but forget to take the time to
listen.  He said that the things we put into our minds can either be
the weapons that destroy us or the tools that build us.  It was a
great presentation.  My interview with President was so powerful.  I
loved it.  He just asked some simple questions about me at first like
where I am from and how old I am.  Then he asked my opinion about some
things in the mission.  He then went on to tell me that he was going
to lean heavily on me in the future because he knows that I can handle
the weight.  My interview probably lasted about 10 minutes longer than
most of the other ones because we just got talking.  He talked about
how he has a lot of family in Southern Utah.  The only name I can
remember is Leavitt but there was a few more that are Parowan names
that I have forgotten.  He said that his mom still emails him every
week to tell him to keep praying and studying the scriptures and so I
said so does mine.  I really enjoyed that experience.  He said that he
wants to be able to do it every few months so I am glad about that.
We had an okay week, the only problem was that we were getting bounced
everywhere we looked for lessons.  No one would answer their phones
and no one was at home.  But one really good thing is that Lameck is
ready for baptism on Sunday which I am excited for.  Tamika will be in
a few weeks because she has to go to Kitwe for two weeks but then she
will be back for good, or at least until the end of the year.  But I
really like Elder Mangumta.  He is a man of few words but he is a
really good guy, and when he does speak in our casual conversations he
is funny.  He is one of the most humble people I have ever met.  I am
excited about this transfer.  I don't have much else to say about this
week because we didn't get to do much teaching.  We have been waking
up at 6:00 to read a chapter in the Book of Mormon as a companionship
before we get ready for the day.  I really enjoy that because it gets
our minds moving before we actually have our real studies.

School is the pits but hey a least you are back in Parowan.  I think
that that will make it nicer because you won't have to get home so
late.  It sounds like you are getting really close to getting kids
into the school, Dad.  I have been keeping you in my prayers.  I know
that things will work out for you.  That is good to hear that Nic is
getting endowed.  She had told me a long time ago that she was
planning to do it but then she never kept me updated even though I
asked about it.  Shame on you Nic.  Just kidding I am happy for you.
Oh hey I was wondering, do you remember when I was in that play
Through the Eyes of Mary?  Well I heard a few of the songs in that
play while in our Zone Leader's car the other day and thought about
that.  I don't know if this is possible but maybe you could talk to
the Leavitts about getting a copy of the DVD and sending it in your
next package.  I think that that would be a nice thing to have.  I am
still really looking forward to trying to play baseball after mission.
 I inherited a band from Elder Shabangu and I do my exercises almost
every day.  Elder Wilson says that it has been hard to be away from
the game for so long but hey at least we are doing something much more
important.  Anyway I guess that I will talk to you later.

Love,

Elder Cecil