We just can't believe we have been here almost 2 months!

L-R President Padovich, our mission president, Sis Cook, Elder Carl B Cook of the 1st Quorum of the Seventy (also a counselor in Africa South Area Presidency) President Ngwelete branch pres of the Kauma Branch, Oscar Mchira second counselor in the BP, Serviano Levi 1st counselor in BP, Pres Jim Bullock from Airdrie counselor in the mission presidency. A powerful group of leaders! The gospel is so amazing. It takes ordinary men and women and magnifies them into what the Lord needs them to be. It is a miracle to see what is happening here in these branches. Only months ago most of them were just going about their lives as they always had. Today they have made many huge changes and they are becoming Relief Society presidents, primary teachers, Elders Quorum counselors, dedicated servants of our Heavenly Father! We love them all so much already!

The baptism of Brother and Sister Fly on Jan 21st. What a sweet little couple. Sister Fly asked Elder Prete to baptize her and Elder Fly (from Virginia) baptized Brother Fly. No, that is not a mistake. Elder Fly and Elder Mpanza found and taught them. What are the chances??? Sister Fly has been called to be a counselor in the new Relief Society presidency already.

Isn't this a great picture? The three little ones on the right are all the children of Mike and Milka Duma (he is the man in the center of the men in white). The 2 middle kids are 9 year old twins (one boy and one girl) and the one on the right is their little 8 year old daughter. The little guy on the left is the 8 year old son of the Relief Society president, Sister Jumbe. These 8 year olds were the first children the Branch President has interviewed for baptism. He was very excited to do another new thing. (Age 9 and up are considered convert baptisms and are interviewed by the missionaries. ) The brother by Elder Prete and also the one second from the left were also baptized that day. We have no children's sized baptismal clothing so we had to call Elder and Sister Bullock in Blantyre to send us some of theirs double quick and now hopefully we have some coming from Zambia that we can keep here. Isn't that a great problem to have?

Another picture of some of the people at the baptism on Saturday. It's kind of strange here because we could be baptizing a lot more people than we are, but the branches are still so new that we are trying to lay a sure foundation to bring these new ones to build on. In the next couple of weeks both branches are going to be starting Home Teaching. Visiting Teaching will begin soon also. When these programs are functioning properly then there will be a network of strength to help and teach and strengthen. The missionaries are trying to be very careful not to overwhelm the branches with new members but to bring them along slowly so they can become solid contributing members. It has been so amazing to watch the branch leaders catch the vision of different aspects and programs of the gospel and begin to see how they are supposed to work and why we have them.

Isn't this awesome??? We should have beans about Wednesday (Feb 8th) and cucumbers not long after that. There are already squash forming and blossoms on the tomatoes, pumpkins, melons etc. We are excited!

This is the Kapopo's dinner cooking in the their kitchen. The kitchens are usually a little separate building. The bucket is maize flour and the pot is sitting on top of the little charcoal stove. Good chance they are having nsema. It is the staple here and everyone eats it usually once or twice a day. I will try to find a recipe and post it. We still have not had the chance to try it. Especially in the morning and at night you can smell the charcoal fires as everyone cooks their meal.