January 4th

We are preparing for Zone conference tomorrow.  Pres. & Sis. Padovich and Elder & Sis. Cook (from the Area Presidency) are coming.  They were to fly into Blantyre late this afternoon, however they called and Malawi Air has cancelled their flight.  I guess this shouldn't be a big surprise as we have had some frustrations with them in the past - to the extent that the Church was trying to avoid using them at all.    So now our visitors have decided to just drive here (about a 12 hour drive).  They should arrive about 6 or 7 p.m.   Tomorrow is our Zone conference and then a meeting with the District leaders.  Friday morning we all drive to Lilongwe - stopping in Liwonde to meet with the Group there briefly.   There will be zone conference in Lilongwe on Saturday and then on Sunday there will be Branch conferences in each branch.  

 

Mostly this trip was planned to try and solve the problems in Kauma Branch where there has been so much dissention among the members but since Pretes have been up there and devoting so much time to visiting members and letting everyone talk things out there is much improvement.  Sunday they had more than 80 to church and people were apologizing to each other.  We need to buy more chairs!!!!    It is wonderful!!   It just goes to show how valuable a full time couple is. 

 

Our older computer that we do our personal stuff on has died!  We will put it aside and take it home with us and hope we can retrieve what is on it.  :(    

 

Today I am finishing off the year end ledgers and getting them sent in to Clive in South Africa.   I decided to have someone come and help clean the house a bit ---  windows, floors etc.  Things get dirty fast here -- I will never complain again about the little bit of dust we get in our house in Canada.  It is nothing compared to here. 

 

We have a new (new to us) flat - actually a house, that we rented for missionaries.  We were to take possession on the 1st but it needs cleaning and they say that they will do it - so we are waiting.  The Zone leaders will move into it.  We are excited about it because of the great storage it gives us with 2 garages -- plus it is really quite a nice house, not too big.    

 

Better go get dressed and on with my day.  It will be a busy weekend.

 

Love,  Nancy