Lusaka Projects

This week we returned to Lusaka to keep our

 humanitarian projects moving.  

We visited most of the projects and even two

new ones we hope to submit.  It was a very busy week

 but good to see how things are progressing.  

The Twikatane health post going up.
 This will serve 13 villages (16000 people) and deal with
 general health and emergency situations.

All contractors were required to stop work in Zambia for 3 weeks
 during the Christmas holidays so nothing happened during that time
 on some of our projects.  But now they are up and running again.

The community is building a staff house.  Hope it moves along a bit faster.  

Tiyende Padomzi school.  They are plastering the inside walls.  

After a year of seeking funding from their local government council,
 the Sosco school has nearly completed their building that
 will house a maize dehuller and grinder that the church is purchasing.
 The funds generated will support teachers salaries because these
 small community schools have to pay their own teachers.
 A good self-reliant project that will provide a better education for the students.

Visited a new school that is in need of teachers accommodations.
 They started a 2-teacher house but ran out of funds.
 The government will provide paid teachers if they have a place to live.

Started teachers house

Many dips in the road were filled pretty deep with water.
  It is rainy season here.  There were a few dips that we wondered
 if we were going to get through.  

We visited one of our new projects in Chipembi.
 The community had constructed a new 1x3 classroom block
 up to the roof level to support secondary students.  The church will
 complete the building.  We like these projects where the community
 has already shown great initiative to complete work they can do. 

While picking up the Chisamba building officer to take us to Chipembi,
 other district leaders asked us to walk next door to visit the
 Chisamba Primary and Secondary school.  We found that many students
 were sitting on the floor or standing against the wall because they had so few desks.
  They had just completed a new 1x3 classroom block but had no new desks.  

The same school showing 4 kids to a desk and some on the floor (7th graders).
 It is amazing they can learn anything in such a difficult environment.
  We decided to submit a project for 60 desks at the old school
 and 60 desks for the new classroom block.  

Zone Conf and Kasungu Church

This week we attended zone conference in Lilongwe with 

40 great missionaries.  We enjoyed instruction from

 President and Sister Whiting and Elder and Sister Lords.  

We then returned to Kasungu to continue to prepare the

people here for baptism.  Had a record 145 people at church today,

 only 3 members.  Missionaries are teaching well and we hope

 to have 30-40 people ready for baptism the first week of February.

  Many more who are waiting in line for the missionaries to teach them. 

Getting ready for Malawi Two Zone conference

Sister Fakalata sharing final testimony and admonishing the missionaries.
 We will miss the Fakalatas!

Great sister missionaries. 
Three of the Sisters have lived next to us in Lusaka so it was a fun reunion.

Two more we missed in the first picture.  

KFC for lunch!  The only KFC in Malawi.  

All the missionaries in Malawi - 2 Zones.  

Elder Ncha (Nigeria) and Tishumbundu (DRC) having pizza
 at our house while they were here teaching the Kasungu investigators.  

Installation of air conditioners.  This was the highlight of Grandpa's week!

Grandpa's new favorite place to be.  Right under the air conditioner.  

Visiting after church today.  We had 145 people at church.
  They are all very anxious to be baptized in February.

Grandma had 60 children in primary today.  They colored some things
 they were grateful for and talked about the steps of prayer. 
When Grandma asked them to tell her one thing they were grateful for.
  One said "Learning".  Another said "Nsima".  (favorite food)

Missionary Couples Retreat & Kasungu 1sts

Two highlights this week were a Senior Couples Retreat

 and church in Kasungu.  The two other couples and

the Whitings joined us and headed north about 8 hours to

 Nyika National Park in Northern Malawi.  

It was very remote, including 4 hours on dirt roads for 100kms.

  But boy was it beautiful.  At 7000 ft, it was cool and vivid green.  

Some scenes on the drive there

A lone rock.  Pretty cool looking. Grandma named it "Turtle Rock"

Stayed one night at a small lodge. Breakfast outside!

Entrance to the National Park.  50 klms, 2 hours to go to the camp.
(Sister Fakalata's finger got in the way!!!) 

It was all open meadows in rolling hills.
 We had no idea that places like this exist in Africa!  

Saw lots of bush bucks, roan bucks, elands (all from antelope family)

Many Zebras

Soon to be Momma Zebra

These guys roamed around our camp by the lake.

Bottom of pine trees where animals had eaten off the bark at the bottom.

Zebras and Elands hanging out together in the meadows.

Another Soon to Be Momma

These rolling meadow lands reminded us of pictures we've seen of Scotland

Flat trees seen on our drive

The road was rough along the way but beautiful

Who said missions were all work and no play?
 Trying my hand at dry fly fishing.
 Sure wish I  had my own rod and reel and Grandpa Pulsipher's flies. 

We went up to a high lookout point and about froze.
  But we sure could see forever.  We have a full 360 degree
 video from the top but can't get it off our phone.  

Us, Rowans, Whitings (including their son Ryan), Fakalatas

Trees imported from Europe in the 1950's.

Our little bungalow we shared with the Fakalatas.

Elder and Sister Fakalata putting on a show for us.
 They actually had a show in Vegas with their families way back when.
  Had a nice roaring fire all day and night. 

These three cooked all our meals and cleaned our cottages. 
We had to take the food up but they did all the work. 
No electricity, everything was cooked and warmed with wood.

Men biking in loads of wood from the forest.
We actually saw some riding their bikes with wood stacked that high. 

The next highlight was the visit of President and Sister Whiting,

 Elder and Sister Lords from South Africa, and all the 

other senior couples to our Kasungu pre-branch.  

We had 144 people in attendance!   That is more than most 

of the wards and branches in Malawi and Zambia

 and to think that 135 of them are not yet members of the church!

Our first "Priesthood" meeting with only 5 priesthood holders
 and 45 waiting for baptism.  We were able to hold separate Priesthood
 and Relief Society meetings today because we had our visitors teach.  

Grandma had 54 children in primary today.

The kids love to color.
Today's was Lehi's family studying the scriptures.

Kasungu 1st Relief Society Meeting.
 The men got out first so they were coming in for the picture.  

Elder Lords and President Whiting discussing this amazing congregation here.
  Elder Lords, who works for the missionary department, is going to contact
 the missionary department asap and tell them the highest priority is to get
 a missionary couple here to replace us when we go home at the end of April.
  Any of you perspective senior missionary couples willing?