BRANTYRE

Muli Bwanji everyone! 

I absolutely loved this week, and being a missionary is pretty much the happiest thing one could do. I was really bad at my journal this week because we spent half of it in Blantyre, but i'll try to give you the highlights. 

1. Exchanges with Sister Brown!!! The last time I went on an exchange with her she was still training, and it was soooo great to see how much she has grown and become more converted. It was so fun to be with her and we had  GREAT DAY in the area. 

2. One of our recent converts Rose got married... out of no where!!! But we're teaching her husband because she said she won't stay married to him unless he joins the church hahaha 

3. Paul Mbewe passed his baptismal interview and will be baptized this Sunday!! he is so prepared and so ready! 

4. Mpatso brought a brand new suit for church... he told us, "I love this church, it makes me want to dress nice!" hahaha love it, he was rocking his priesthood attire. He even came teaching with us on Sunday and kept re-polishing his shoes to make sure they look nice, and he bore his testimony in many lessons even though we had a lot of fall throughs he kept up the good spirit. 

5. branch conference.... wooo one for the books!!! The zone leaders were even recognized and asked to sit on the stand haha

6. The whole Mapaya family came to church together!!! Brother Mapaya has been a member for a long time, and we started teaching his wfie!!! Hopefully she'll be able to be baptized on Christmas Eve!! 

7. George is progressing really well and even gave up alcohol!!

8. His cousin John on the other hand dropped us... he was progressing soo well and had even stopped drinking alcohol for a whole month, and then we found him drunk on sunday and he told us he doesn't want to come to church anymore... so sad please pray for him:( 

Okay onto Blantyre!!! a beautiful road trip with so many mountains and greenery. and good weather, Heavenly Father answered my prayers that there wouldn't be pouring rain! About a little less than 5 hour drive! Got there and man it felt good to be HOME! i was just so excited driving around in my old stomping ground. Sometimes i would just bust up laughing over a memory that would flash in my mind and remind me of Sister Solomone. The first thing I did was go see Frasier, and he just couldn't believe his eyes... the first thing he said was, "I don't even recognize you... you have lost weight!!" uhhhh weird. And then of course when i ask him how he is doing, "I'm still kicking and breathing without difficulites" hahaha and then gave me a big hug!! the sisters were dying they were laughing so hard. Then he goes on to show me the picture of us that he has hanging up in his house... haha i only gave him a 4x6 but he blew it up. oh boy... but he is planning on going to the temple next april!!!!! One reason I was sent to labor in Blantyre was for him! 

Next.. Christmas party! SO MUCH FUN. relay races of stuffing our face with flour and watermelon, skits (the ZLM is sooooo drama) and great talents! (OH COME ALL YE FAITHFUL) sorry that will just have to be explained in person. Also a roasted pig!!!!!!! 

Next zone conference... I learned so much!! We talked about being a "mission on fire" and focused on teach repentance, baptize converts, obedience, quality teaching, the book of mormon and working with church leaders. It made me kinda jealous for all the new missionaries, because I feel like this mission is just thriving right now, and we know so many new skills that i didn't know a year ago!! Seriously we're just doing really good right now with such a small amount of missionaries!! I love the GREAT ZAMBIA LUSAKA MISSION. We also got to celebrate sister kupus birthday!!! 

Had to bear my final testimony in front of everyone.... Call in the waterworks. My companion told me if I cried she would request for an emergency transfer... well that didn't work haha. It was so surreall... i remember long time ago all these missionaries bearing their last testimony and it felt like forever away for me, but then here it came in a blink of an eye. as Pres. Utchdorf says, "My testimony is my most prized possession"

Next.. MLC. It was really chill, and we just had an open discussion about the concerns we had for the mission. I love President and Sister Kupu. I definitely sustain them and know that they were called here for a reason. They are so loving and so extremely humble and I've definitely learned a lot from them. 

All in all, I love this work!! I'm so happy and this week I am going to work the hardest I've worked.. talk to everyone and testify to everyone that I see. I know that my release date was inspired, and there is a reason why I need to be out here 2 more weeks, there are more people to find, teach, and prepare for baptism:) 

Ndimakukondani kwam biri,

Sister Thueson