Floods, Projects, and Baptisms

This posting is for two weeks. 

 We have enjoyed more baptisms at Kasungu and in

 between Sundays we went to Lusaka to work on our projects.  

Sorry we haven't been able to get videos to download,

so just pictures each week.

Grandpa was able to perform his first two baptisms.
 There were 8 baptisms on Feb 16th in Kasungu.
 In an interview with one sister, I was amazed at how much faith
 and effort she made to repent of a serious sin.
 She fasted 3 days while praying to God for forgiveness.
 She said she felt a wonderful feeling of peace come to her heart.
She is a great example and a very faithful sister.  

We went to Lusaka to check on projects.  At Sosco school,
 they finished their building and electrical that will house the
 maize milling machines.  The are very excited to have this project
 nearly complete so they can be more self-reliant as a school
and provide teachers salaries to maintain consistent quality teachers. 

The Pre-school class at Sosco school.  

Next project, Tiyende Pamodzi School.  Roof on, plastering done with windows
 and door frames going in.  Almost ready for painting and the desks.  

At Bauleni School, they are up to the roof level.
  Had to stop work for a couple weeks because of the heavy rains,
 making it too dangerous to be installing a slippery roof. 

Inspecting the Twikatane Staff house that the community is building.
 Not a lot of progress yet.  

Next door the Health Post is up the roof level but on hold because of heavy rains.  

Flooding after a night of heavy rains.  

The bus drivers take advantage of the flooding waters by washing their vans.  

At Shampule, these girls visited with Grandma about their game.
 This school only has 3 classrooms and about 450 kids so desperately
 need more classrooms.  

Here is a 3 classroom block started at Shampule school, the foundation is in and
  they are getting ready to pour the slab.  The community is helping a lot with labor.  

Grandma loved the hats these boys made out of paper.

At Chipembi Secondary School the 3 classroom block has been roofed
 and they are plastering inside. 

Some of the children at the Chipembi Primary School.  

Some of the grade 8 & 9 students that meet at the primary school
while waiting for their classrooms to get finished.

Back to Kasungu for church and 18 more baptisms on the 23rd. 
The Elders have been very busy teaching and preparing these new members.

 

A Busy Time

Seems like we are never idle.  Another good week in Kasungu. 

Got our full time missionaries, a great Sunday, and fun outing.  

The Primary with their new CTR (choose the right) rings.  They were very excited!

Mellisa proudly displaying her ring.  

Picked up missionaries at Lilongwe airport. 
We now have full-time missionaries living in Kasungu. 

Sunday we had 5 more baptisms.
 Elder Jones and Muetsi teaching the new members
 and Brother Saka how to perform the baptisms. 

5 great new members who were baptized with the missionaries and Bro. Saka

Elder and Sister Rowan visited and introduced the
 seminary program to the Banda family.  They were excited to start it.  

One of our member families was roasting goat heads and
 scrapping hair off the legs so they could be cut up for stew. 

While Rowans were here we went on a little outing to the Kasungu National Park.
  Enjoyed lunch at a little lodge by the lake. 
 If you could zoom in, you could see 3 hippos in the water near the other side.

On our way to see Black Rock in the National park,
 we got high centered and stuck. 
We worked on it a while and finally got out of the rut.  

On the way saw lots of tobacco fields.  

Some of the tobacco was already hung for drying. 

They were showing us the process.
 One man had his own homemade cigarette so we told him it was going to kill him. 
They had a good laugh about that one. 

Saw several of these buildings with fires in the bottom.
  Not sure if they were drying tobacco or what!?!  

History Made in Kasungu

We were so excited to organize and participate in

 the baptisms of 52 new Saints here in Kasungu! 

 This was a very busy but wonderful time for all of us.

  Six Elders came on Friday to finish teaching and do all the interviews.

  We had a few logistical challenges but everything went very smoothly.

  The people here were so happy to finally be able to get baptized,

 some after years of investigating and waiting.  

Friday afternoon, cleaning the "font".  

Those ready for baptism. 
We didn't have enough white clothing for everyone so some
 had to wait to get into whites until others were baptized.  

This is our only member, Brother Moyo, who baptized his wife first.  

Used a large cement trough for baptisms behind the school where we meet.
This is Sister Bertha who helps grandma with the primary. 

Explaining the process and trying to keep it all organized.  

The men had to wait for the women to be baptized, which was very hard for them.

A few of the newly baptized members on Sunday.

We made dressing rooms on each side of the stage and called people up
 to select clothing then get dressed.  Because we didn't have enough clothes
 for everyone, some came to us and said "I didn't get a uniform".
 We assured them they would be able to dress after others were baptized.  

With 52 baptisms and confirmations, there was lots of paperwork.  

Newly ordained Priesthood holders.  On Sunday, 19 men and 2 boys
 were ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood.  It was great to watch them get trained
 on how to confer the Priesthood and ordain to an office in the Priesthood.
  Several were able to ordain others or their sons.  

Grace Banda (10) was our youngest to be baptized.  

The Kapasule family, the first investigators of the church in 2013.
 He was baptized on Saturday, confirmed and ordained a Priest on Sunday,
 then was able to baptize his wife and son.  It was a great day for them.  

Singing before the baptisms started.  

Some pretty tired missionaries at the end of the weekend.