THE END TO 2012 AND WELCOME 2013

THINK FOR A MOMENT ABOUT BEING HOMELESS, THE ONLY CLOTHES YOU HAVE ARE WHAT YOU ARE WEARING AND YOU HAVE NO PARENTS AND WONDER WHEN YOU WILL EAT AGAIN.  AND THEY CONTINUE TO SMILE..........

FOR THOSE THAT GIVE MONEY TO THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME, HERE ARE YOUR DOLLARS AT WORK.

IT IS HARD NOT TO BRING THEM ALL HOME.

THESE HAVE ALL BEEN PICTURES FROM THE DZALEKA REFUGEE CAMP. THESE IS WHERE MOST OF THESE PEOPLE WILL LIVE FOREVER.

ELDER BOWERS WITH WATER CONTRACTOR, HIS WIFE AND HIS MOTHER.  HE SO WANTS TO GIVE WATER TO THE COMMUNITY WHERE HE WAS BORN.

PERSONAL FAVORITE.  JUST LOVE THOSE PIGS.



THIS IS WHERE THEY DRY THE TOBACCO. YOU WILL SEE MANY OF THESE DRYING AREAS AROUND EACH AND EVERY VILLAGE.  A GOOD CROP CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE IN LIVING AND NOT.

JUST THINK HOW MANY BUCKETS YOU WOULD NEED INSIDE YOUR HOME WHEN IT RAINS 5 INCHES IN 30 MINUTES?

EVERYONE WORKS.  IF YOU ARE NOT IN SCHOOL YOU ARE IN THE FIELD NO MATTER YOUR AGE.

WE HAD TO STOP AND LET THE HERD PASS.

YES, HOMES BEHIND THE WALLS.

THIS SCHOOL IS CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAYS. ALL AGES ARE IN THIS ONE BUILDING.



SOME WORK BY TENDING THE SMALL ONES

MUDDY AND ALL WE LOVE THIS TRUCK

MY BEST HELPER. WE MADE HUNDREDS OF PEANUT BUTTER CUPS THANKS TO ANNMARIE AND HER RECIPE.

WE ALSO MADE ABOUT 400 COOKIES TO TAKE TO THE MISSION HOME FOR CHRISTMAS EVE AND CHRISTMAS DAY.

CHRISTMAS DAY AT THE MISSION HOME

PRESIDENT AND SISTER PADOVICH MAKING SURE EVERYTHING IS JUST RIGHT.

SIS LOOKHART TEACHING A REALLY FUN GAME

I AM A BIG FAN OF THIS HANDSOME ELDER

THIS IS A QUILT SIS. PADOVICH MADE TO HAVE ALL ELDERS AND SISTER SIGN WHEN THEY ARRIVE AND LEAVE FROM THE MISSION.

WE HAVE THIS LITTLE FAMILY AROUND THE CORNER FROM US.  ON CHRISTMAS DAY WE TOOK THEM SOME COOKIES AND A NEW BALL.  THIS IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT.

CHRISTMAS DAY POTATO BAR

THE FOUR SENIOR SISTERS

IT IS SO HARD TO BELIEVE THAT WE ARE SAYING

 

GOOD BY TO 2012.  IT HAS BEEN A FULL YEAR.  WE

 

 HAVE SAID GOODBYE TO SENIOR COUPLES THAT WE

 

HAVE LOVED, FAREWELL TO OUR LUBUMBASHI DR

 

CONGO PRESIDENT, WELCOMED NEW MISSIONARY'S

 

TO CONGO AND ZAMBIA AND HAVE CULTIVATED

 

NEW FRIENDS ALL OVER ZAMBIA AND MALAWI.  WE

 

HAVE BEEN SO BLESSED WITH GOOD HEALTH, LOTS

 

OF SUPPORT FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS.  NOW THE

 

 TIME IS SWIFTLY PASSING AND WE HAVE OUR

 

RUNNING SHOES ON.  WE ARE TRYING TO FINISH

 

STRONG. WE ARE THINK ABOUT MY SISTER GIVING

 

HER HOMECOMING TALK TODAY UPON COMPLETING

 

 HER MISSION, 2ND COUSINS GETTING MARRIED AND

 

 GREAT NEPHEWS GETTING READY TO TURN IN

 

THEIR MISSION PAPERS.  OUR IMMEDIATE AND

 

EXTENDED FAMILY CAN COUNT 2012 AS A YEAR TO

 

REMEMBER ALL THE BLESSINGS AND CHALLENGES

 

 WE HAVE EXPERIENCED, ENDURED AND VALUED.

 

FROM OUR FLAT IN LUSAKA ZAMBIA TO YOUR

 

HOMES ALL OVER THE WORLD WE WISH YOU A VERY

 

                                    HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

                                         BOB AND WENDY

 

WITH HEAVY HEARTS

UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN.  ONLY FOUR WORDS, BUT THEY HOLD SUCH MEANING WHEN A FRIEND OR LOVED ONE PASSES FROM US INTO THE LOVING ARMS  OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHER AND LOVED ONES WHO HAVE ALREADY PASSED.  IT IS HARD FOR US TO GRASP THAT OUR LOVING MISSION PRESIDENT, GARY L. PACKER, PRESIDENT OF THE LUBUMBASHI DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO HAS LEFT THIS MORTAL EXISTENCE.

HE WAS RELEASED ON JULY 1, 2012, TO RETURN HOME WITH HIS WONDERFUL WIFE PAULA. I IMAGINE THAT THE PAST FOUR MONTHS HAVE BEEN FILLED WITH FAMILY FUNCTIONS, GREETING OLD FRIENDS AND ENJOYING POWER AND WATER 24/7.

YESTERDAY, I AM SURE HE CONTINUED TO GREET FAMILY AND FRIENDS BEYOND THIS LIFE.

BOB AND I SPENT OUR FIRST NINE MONTHS UNDER HIS INSPIRED DIRECTION.  HE AND PAULA WERE GREATLY ADMIRED, LOVED AND RESPECTED FOR THEIR UNSELFISH SERVICE AND GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR.  WE ARE SHOCKED, SADDENED AND YET WE ARE SO GRATEFUL TO HAVE KNOWN SUCH A WONDERFUL MAN.  WE WILL MISS YOU PRESIDENT PACKER.

                         HUGS UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN.
                              ELDER ROBERT BOWERS
                              SISTER WENDY BOWERS                

WE ARE THANKFUL FOR ALL OF YOU!!!!!!

THE FIRST OF NOVEMBER WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO SOUTH IN ZAMBIA. WE WERE DOING A DEVELOPMENT TRIP TO SEE IF WE CAN GET CLEAN WATER TO 7 SCHOOLS AND VILLAGES.

THIS IS ONE OF THE HEADMEN. HE IS EXPLAINING ABOUT THE VILLAGE AND THEIR NEEDS.

THIS IS INSIDE A CLASSROOM

THIS IS A COMPUTER ROOM THAT IS INSIDE A CARGO CONTAINER.  THEY ARE BUILDING A CLASSROOM TO HAVE THEIR CLASSES. THIS IS THE FIRST AND ONLY VILLAGE WHERE WE SAW A COMPUTER.

THIS IS A YOUNG GIRL OF 10. SHE AND HER MOTHER PROVIDED US WITH SOME DRINKING WATER. WE HAD TRAVELED 4.5 HOURS ON A VERY ROUGH ROAD TO VISIT THEM.

SCHOOL CHILDREN SINGING TO US.

THIS IS THE CHALKBOARD. IT IS CEMENT ON BRICKS. THEY SAID THEY NEED TO SPREAD A NEW LAYER OF CEMENT TO IMPROVE THE BOARD.

THIS WAS OUR MOTEL. IT WAS $30 PER NT. AND YES, IT WAS ROUGH. 

THIS ENTIRE TRIP WAS ROUGH.

I WISH THESE TWO WERE AROUND WHEN I NEEDED TO PUSH THE TRUCK.  THEY WERE JUST TAKING A WALK DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.



THIS SCHOOL LOST ITS ROOF TO A WIND STORM

WAITING FOR CLASS TO START

OH, YOU ARE  SO STRONG PLEASE CAN YOU PUMP WATER FOR US....

NO AAA ON THIS BACK ROAD

PLOWING HIS FARM AND WEARING FLIP FLOPS

AN EXTRA CLASSROOM.

THESE HUTS HOLD GRAIN SO THEY ARE KEPT ABOVE GROUND LEVEL.

THIS WAS A HAPPY YOUNG MAN AT OUR MOTEL

SOME OF THESE WOMAN WALK 10 KILOMETERS TO FETCH CLEAN WATER.



WE WERE SO EXCITED TO SEE OUR FIRST TRAIN

LATRINE.

THIS IS THE WATER THAT MOST PEOPLE DEAL WITH ON A DAILY BASIS.  IT IS SO BAD.

UNIFORMS WITH NO SHOES

THIS IS ONE PTA GROUP

WE MADE IT TO LIVINGSTONE AT 8PM AND UP AT 630AM SO WE COULD SEE VICTORIA FALLS FOR 5 MINUTES THEN OFF TO ANOTHER VILLAGE

OUR 10 POUND TURKEY

BEAUTIFUL ROLLS

SISTER PADOVICH MADE BANANA CREAM AND PUMPKIN PIES

WE ARE SO THANKFULL FOR OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHO HAVE SUPPORTED US THE PAST 14 MONTHS.  TIME HAS MOVED FORWARD AND DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON WE REFLECT UPON ALL OUR MANY BLESSINGS. WE WISH EVERYONE A MOST PEACEFUL AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL AGAIN IN 2013.

HUGS
BOB AND WENDY