We went with the Bishop, his wife and Sister Zulu to visit a sick sister, Sister Juliet Kalale, at UTH (University Teaching Hospital). I told Alan if I got sick to let me die before bringing me to this place. I guess they are helping people get well, but it was pretty disheartening to see all the ill staying in the conditions they were. I guess, for them, it's better than nothing. But for me, I'm not so sure.
One day after church these members caught a ride home with another member who had a small truck and was willing to take them. They had to push-start the truck before leaving. They were pretty happy to not have to walk home in the hot sun.
These are two of our sweet Nursery kids--Hope and Purity. They absolutely love Alan as he is the one who is in there with them the most. They are very happy and do very well when Fides, or someone who speaks Bemba, is there with them. It's a little hard when it's just Alan, but they can tell he really loves and cares about them.
We have been in the Primary since we arrived and have had a generally great experience with the kids..Almost every Sunday as we unload from the truck, there are children who come running to help us carry in all our bags. Today it was Tabeta and Deborah Musanga. They are usually there early as their father, Kennedy, is a very faithful greeter and is always there before most everyone else The bags are usually pretty heavy and almost as big as the girls, but they are always waiting and cheerfully asking to help .
On the right is Fides and the nursery. They sure love her and she is so good with them. She is teaching them how to be reverent in church and how to share and love each other.
p.I don't know what the Primary will do when she goes on her mission. She is just starting to fill out her papers, so we have her for a few more months anyway.
"Living Water Skit" for the missionary fireside. Alan was offering living water to missionaries who came to receive it. One had a colander where the water just went right through and he was always asking for more but not retaining any that was given him. One just sort of wandered around with his glass half full as if he was wondering what he was even doing there, One had a tiny cup and was very happy to get just a little bit. One had a large pitcher and was continually asking for more and retaining what he had received. This was compared to what people will take away from the fireside. Some will wonder why they even came, others will take away a little bit, some will hear and then forget what they heard and a few will take what they learn and continue to ask for more.
I gave a talk at the fireside about finding joy in the gospel and "are we having fun yet?" It was a good fireside/
Us with Elder Ssengooba and Elder Brewerton. On the right is Elder Brewerton shredding his Mission Support Card just before leaving for home. When he served as the finance secretary before we got here, this was his favorite thing to do for the other missionaries. He was excited when it came time to shred his own.
The mission purchase a new 12-passenger van. Elder Salmon was instrumental in getting the deal done and getting the vehicle licensed. Jackson, our guard at the Mission Office, was one of the first to sit in it. He was excited about that.
They were hungry (no surprise there) so we took them to KFC for chicken. They were pretty happy. Elder Chawaguta, Sis. G., Sister Brown, Sister Asemnyinah.
We picked up these missionaries from the Copperbelt so they could go to Immigration for their visas. They were excited to learn that they were some of the first ones to ride in the new van and wanted a picture with it. Sis. G., Elder Chawaguta, Elder Nemakonde, Sister Asemnyinah and Sister Brown.
This is Peter. He is the groundskeeper at the Mission Office and he does a nice job of maintaining the lawns and plants around the building. They are finishing up some work on the pool. With this hot weather it looks inviting, we may try it it out.
The member who we went to visit at the hospital died and we attended her funeral. I played the piano for the music and the missionaries helped sing with the choir. This trailer was pulled behind a van and is where the body was placed.
The cemetery was sort of a dry and desolate place, but was pretty well organized. Many of the graves were just mounds with no markers, but were the newest ones, I think and so were waiting to receive their markers.
This is the burial place of the sister who died, Juliet Kalale. She was 56 years old and they are not sure what she died of. The casket was lowered into the ground and then people shoveled dirt in to fill the hole while we watched. Then people come and put flowers in the dirt. First comes the immediate family, then extended family, then friends and lastly church members. There was much wailing prior to the church serve for the viewing. Most of those in attendance were not members of the church. There is so much comfort that comes in know God's plan of salvation for his people. She was an endowed member of the church and had a son, Joseph, who is going to school at BYU-I, who flew in for the funeral. Interesting fact: he and his family were taught and baptized by a missionary from Mapleton named Joshua Wilson.
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