It's a Great Day - another 35 degrees - we could actually use some rain - which  would cool it down to about 30 degrees.  They say in another couple of weeks we'll get more of it than we want - they have been very busy digging these ditches and making sure the ones that were already there are cleaned out ready for the onslaught of water.  We are waiting to see.  We have had a couple of showers and when it rains it seems to be short but very very heavy.  There are a few places that we may not be willing to go once the rain starts - the potholes are deeper than the car.

Pretty well every Saturday we can count on their being baptisms at both of the Chapels they have here - the Lusaka chapel is the most centralized so they use it for most district meetings.  The other chapel, out by us, is called Woodlands, and it really struggles to ever have water.  They are on city water and that is most undependable.  Lots of Saturdays, there is no water to fill the baptismal font.  This Saturday we've been invited to a baptism at the Woodlands chapel at 1400 hours (they are hoping to find water) for 4 people.  We are unable to go which makes us sad - we are holding inservice meeting for S & I teachers at 12 noon and then hosting an Institute social from 3 - 6 p.m.  We have no idea how many may come but hopefully some so we don't have to meet with all of them one on one -

This weekend just past we went to the Copperbelt area to meet with some seminary and institute teachers, branch presidencies, and district presidency.  We were partially successful.  We did teach a seminary and institute class, attend a baptism for 4, meet 3 branch presidents, go to 2 churches, and drive quite a bit to 3 different cities to be able to do this.  It was a good weekend - we got some attendance records we've been chasing and some we didn't know existed - so more work to finish off this year.  The Kitwe district has had a good year for S & I - very good attendance.  Lusaka has been struggling.  A Challenge for us to improve in these areas for next year.

We'll try to attach some pictures of the Copperbelt area - what you see as you drive and the Lowden Lodge - which is a great little retreat we stay at when in that area.  It has rooms for 14 guests.  They are SOOO nice.

We need to go to the Copperbelt once a month to hold In service and get the attendance forms from them. They would like us to move up there and stay.   They are so nice - they just love the Gospel and try their hardest to live it fully.  Whenever we've been in a meeting with any of these groups the spirit of the Holy Ghost can be cut in the room - it is so heavy. They are truly emissaries of Jesus Christ.  They can teach us many things.  When we got back we notice that we have a different tubing coming out of our driveway.  They drilled for water while we were gone and found it so Yay, we will not need to worry about that.  Only the electricity it looks like.  That's a blessing.

We miss each one of you and hope that things are going good for you in your lives.  We love you all.  We miss hearing from our grandchildren - maybe they could write???  We pray for you each day and know that you are being blessed with the things you need as you strive to live worthy of his blessings.

 

Room at the Lodge

Love,  The Parents, Elder and Sister Shields