Elder John Ford: Change

Fords (and anyone else interested...),

So before I get into the week, a little bit of news. Got a call from the Assistants on Tuesday night, the day before Zone Conference. There had been an emergency transfer in Malawi for a few missionaries, and as a result Elder Barrett and I have been effected. I have been transferred to the Copperbelt Zone, to the companions with Elder Mohlakoana as the Zone Leader that side. Elder Barrett has received a new compaqnion from Matero, Elder Hiltbrand, who will replace me here in Munali, and i'll be serving in Luanshya.

All change here, finally I get a chance to leave the cheeseboy life of the capital city and test my metal in the 'bush' of Zambia. Maybe i'll even get to see some wild animals now...

I am really disappointed that I have to leave Munali at it's highest point, two months isn't nearly long enough, and there was a ton of potential success here, but Elder Barrett and Elder Hiltbrand will be able to do even greater things and finish all of the people Elder Sagers and I started. Three companions in two months is going to be odd, the future Prophet for 6 weeks and the future President of the United States for 3- but I know the Lord's in it, and I hope that I will be able to do all that He needs me to achieve in the next assignment. Elder Mohlakoana is a good missionary, we'll be able to work hard and see change.

So receiving that news pretty much screwed up our week, except that I was meant to leave on Saturday but was able to wangle it until Monday, meaning I could see the baptisms of John and Reuben! Really wonderful Sunday and now I can leave Ng'ombe knowing that I did all I could.

Copperbelt then- i'll try and attach some pictures next week, but apparently it's much more wild than Lusaka, a lot more poverty and a lot less density. It covers three towns/cities, Kitwe, Ndola, and Luanshya. We will be leading a Zone of 22 Missionaries, a vast majoirty of them are on both sides of the missionary 'age spectrum.' A lot of the compaionships will be training, and the rest will be going home in the next couple of months. It's going to be a different challenge, the Coperbelt has been the least effective Zone in the mission for the past 6-8 months, and the missionaries know it. Hopefuly we will be able to inject some character into the new missionaries, whilst 'restricting' the influence of the older missionaries to an attitude of hard work and a focused goal of change, building a culture of accountability and responsibility. That's the aim anyway, we'll soon see how much influence the new kid can have...

Al exciting stuff, i'm just raring to get that side now, my bus leaves in a couple of hours and then i'll be there, taskes 5 hours, but because of traffic could take over 6, we'll see, but it's October, the height of summer, in a crowded bus with no Air Conditioning. Fun.

Ford out.

John, Jack, Reuben- Lusaka Stake Centre.