Elder and Sister Stones with Elder Nathan Stones

Elder Robert C. Stones and Sister Francis Stones are our newest senior missionaries. They have served two prior missions to New Zealand and Zimbabwe. Serving with them on his third mission is Elder Nathan Stones. Nate is a faithful contributor to the mission and has a beautiful testimony. His speech is a little hard to understand at first but during our meetings last Sunday, he bore his testimony in english and his Chichewa translator picked up every word. A sweet and faith promoting experience. The stones serve in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Just wrapped up conferences for the Blantyre and Lilongwe Zones. Our theme was: "Our duty is to preach the gospel to all men" (President John Taylor), emphasizing the need to teach to the full spectrum of society.

The fabric of Africa is rich with people from all walks of life. However, we often think of Africa in terms of the very poorest villagers who are often in such desperate need. Africa is also filled with talented, educated and ambitious families making a better life for themselves. They too are looking for truth and the blessings of the gospel and deserve our faith and devotion.

 Blantyre Zone

Lilongwe Zone

Senior Missionary Conference Outing-Victoria Falls

After seven months in the mission we were able to pull all the senior mission couples together from around the mission for two days of training and presentations and then enjoyed a day offsite at Livingstone, Zambia. Just a few of the sites:

Senior Missionary Conference Outing-Livingstone, Zambia

 The mist of Vic Falls in the background

 We were on a tower with a pano camera

 Always baboons 

 Dung beetles at work

 Millepede 

Lusaka and Copperbelt Zone Conferences Jan/Feb 2014. Miscellaneous missionaries and members.

Lusaka zone conference....our first held at the mission office.

                                        Sisters George and Orr. Sister George is a quadruplet!

                                                                   Idaho elders!

                                         Beautiful Sisters! Beautiful Hair! Maznio and Makunye

 Some advice was given to us in the MTC that our missionaries should have more character and be less characters. Well...this group has and is both. They are terrific.

                                                 Elders Moya and Hinckely in Lilongwe

 Elder Ayubu demonstrating for all other missionaries what NOT TO DO! We promise...we do not condone or promote this behavior...but sometimes...Ugandans will be Ugandans:)

 Sister Kandioni and her family. Faithful members in Blantyre. She is an artist and craftswoman. She and her granddaughters make beautiful necklaces and give excellent talks in church.

Copperbelt zone conference

                             Elders Odunga and Doig...great companions...a Kenyan and a Canadian

                                                         

Elder Barnard and Moses

Life in the mission is a never ending steady stream of comings and goings.

  Our most recently arrived are 2 wonderful sisters who did not get their visas renewed from Botswana, Sisters Vea and Gehring. Sister Vea is from Hauula on the north shore of Oahu and talking to her reminds me of Sharon Beaver and her daughters (they are in the same home ward). Sister Gehring used to babysit the grandchildren of our public affairs couple, the Humpherys. Small world! Then we received Elder Walusimbi who we were expecting and with him came 2 elders who did not get into Botswana, Elder Barrett and Elder Njeri.

Sister Santinho and Sister Khumalo departed the mission in Jan and Feb. Sister Khumalo left us with a special gift that she made out of paper! INSPIRING!

And finally, we get to meet  Elder and Sister Stones and their son Nate who we have been corresponding with for months to get them here with us! They will serve in Lilongwe, Malawi. This is their 3rd mission and we are so blessed to have them here with us. They got here just in time for our senior couples conference.