Some random stuff

It's been a while! Sorry!
These are just some random things from the last while and I will do a couple more posts with more specific things.

This is a very common sight...trucks of all sizes loaded to the max with stuff and people. It's absolutely amazing (and frightening). This poor little truck... In fact it is so common that we bought a ceramic replica of just this sort of thing.

This is a typical toy in the village. This little boy found a Chibuku carton (Chibuku is a beer that comes in about 500ml cartons here and the containers are everywhere.) 4 bottle caps, a couple of pieces of stick or straw and several pieces of string and twine tied together. He made them into a little truck and then made another for his little sister. Hours of fun!

Sorry this picture loaded sideways. This is a sticker on the side of the projectors the branches have. If anyone can figure out what they are trying to say, please let us know because it may be a clue to how to make the dumb things work. Our sons are sure that the sticker is a product of "Google Translate" from Chinese to Latin to Portuguese to Russian to Malagasy to ..........................................English???????

Elder Stewart from Calgary couldn't find a pumpkin for Halloween but it is watermelon season.

One of the break in attempts at the Kauma Branch meetinghouse. On Saturday night was the 8th attempt there sisnce August. Only once were they successful in getting anything. This time the guards were able to catch one of them and he has spilled so hopefully that will be the end. Sounds like it is a bunch of young guys looking for anything they can sell for drug money. Not really smart thieves but certainly persistent!

Our mission president, President Padovich and our latest missionary to leave from Lilongwe, Yamikani Makande. He is headed for the South Africa Durban mission.

Some of our Thanksgiving pies. You have to be a bit creative to cook and bake here. Some things just aren't available and some just really act different. The pies turned out great though. The Backmans invited all the missionaries over for a feast on Sunday after US Thanksgiving and the pies were our contribution.

Some fungi or something or other at the base of a tree at the Shields' house in Blantyre. They were really quite pretty. Like I said, random stuff!

Before a baptism in the Lilongwe Branch. Aren't they beautiful?

This is at the Primary Presentation in Kauma branch in November. Aubrey Jumbe (9) led the singing for the whole thing.

This is during district meeting and I guess we really shouldn't be taking pictures during meetings. Elder Prete used his ipad so it didn't disrupt anything. We just had to smile at the progressive color of the sisters' legs. Sister Santinho on the right is wearing tights but the others are natural.