Elder Ronald and Sister Shauna Peterson Lubumbashi Mission: March 6 - 12, 2017 - Davis MLS Couple arrive; Katuba Stake Conference

March 6, 2017 - Our planned walk was cancelled because of a downpour. We ate a wonderful omelette prepared by Elder Peterson before it was time to take Sean to the airport. It was great to visit with him.

It rained very hard during the night and much of the day. We went out to inspect 2 missionary apartments. The rain was flowing very fast in the ditches alongside the road.

Hard to see the swift current in the ditch

March 7 - Morning walk cancelled due to rain. Busy situation in the office. Blatant disobedience is so hard to watch. Some people have such shallow testimonies. Elder Peterson went with President for a while and they came back with Magnum Ice Cream bars for all of us. Amazing how much stress can be reduced while eating a magnum bar. This was a new variety - Crème Brulée KISS. Delicious!!

March 8 - Nice morning walk to the small hyper psaro area to walk the stairs.

Beautiful bird of paradise flower

Took a muddy road home.

Small sparrow in the middle of the photograph

Such beauty among the mud

Elder Robert and Sister Teri Davis arrived today.

Sister Shumard, Sister and Elder Davis, President Shumard

They are from Idaho Falls. They are Mission Leader Support (MLS) Missionaries. They are here for 23 months. On Friday they will travel to Likasi to learn from Elder and Sister Bennett. This will be the last 3 weeks of Bennett's mission. Davis's will be able to observe first-hand what Elder and Sister Bennett have done in Likasi to support the leaders there. When they arrived in Likasi in December 2015, there was a district. In June 2016 the district grew to a stake. Growth has continued since that time. They have taught English classes, piano lessons, and supported all the wards and branches in the area. They will be very busy in the next three weeks saying goodbye to all the people they have become so close to. Elder and Sister Bennett will come to the mission compound on March 31, and leave for Canada on April 5.

Elder and Sister Davis will leave Likasi and go directly to Kolwezi, which is about a 5 hour drive from Lubumbashi. Kolwezi right now is a district. The goal is to help grow the area to become a stake.

I have been exercising my shoulder, elbow, and hand. Movement doesn't seem to come very fast. There is still some bruising around the incision area. I thought I should take a photo of it so I can measure the progress as it gets better.

March 9 - We had Elder and Sister Davis come to our home for a spaghetti dinner. They leave tomorrow morning for Likasi.

March 10 - President and Sister Shumard drove to Likasi with the Davis' following in another truck. Eastmond's, the other Peterson's went to dinner at Latte Lounge with us tonight.

March 11 walk -

Interesting tree

rock looks like quartz

Water pollution - Fluid from a car??

Purple fluid dumped into ditch outside a walled compound

We went with the Eastmond's to the Peterson's medical tonight to see pictures of their daughter's wedding in New Zealand and to watch the movie "Lincoln".

March 12 - Katuba Stake Conference. Elder Stanley G. Ellis counselor in the Southeast Area Presidency, was the visiting authority. Justin in our office is the Stake President. We attended the conference. It was great to hear one talk in English. Elder Ellis had an interpreter.

A transport pulled up and all these people piled out--about 25 or so.

This family all arrived in the blue car in the photo below.

The next two photos were taken just at the end of the meeting. We later found out there were 1,021 people in attendance. Justin said that is 49% of his stake in attendance. The cost of transportation prohibits some families from coming.