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

BACK TO CONGO WE GO

THIS IS ELDER AND SISTER LOUTHAN FROM MOAB, UTAH. THEY ARE
THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS COUPLE AND THEY LIVE NEXT TO US. THEY ARE
WONDERFUL AND DOING SO MUCH GOOD.



THIS IS ELDER AND SISTER PRETE.  HE IS THE FIRST COUNCILOR
IN THE MISSION PRESIDENCY.  THEY ARE FROM CANADA.
YES, THEY ARE YOUNG.... THEY ARE SERVING IN MALAWI

THIS IS ELDER AND SISTER SHIELDS ALSO
FROM CANADA.  THEY HAVE BEEN DOING
SEMINARY AND INSTITUTE UNTIL LAST
MONTH WHEN THEY WERE CHANGED TO
MEMBER LEADERSHIP SUPPORT AND WERE
TRANSFERRED FROM LUSAKA TO MALAWI.
THEY ALSO TAUGHT ENGLISH IN CHINA FOR
18 MONTHS.
 

ELDER AND SISTER HARVEY AGAIN FROM
CANADA. THEY ARE THE NEWEST TO THE MISSION
THEY ARRIVED I THINK IN JULY. THEY ARE DOING MEMBER LEADERSHIP SUPPORT IN THE COPPER BELT AREA. VERY KIND PEOPLE.

WHAT CAN I SAY ABOUT THE WORKER BEES IN THIS MISSION.  ELDER AND SISTER LOOKHART FROM
BOISE, IDAHO. THEY ARE THE OFFICE COUPLE THAT MAKES EVERYTHING WORK. HE WAS JUST MADE THE SECOND COUNCILOR IN THE MISSION PRESIDENCY. THEY CAN DO ANYTHING.

THE LEADERS OF THIS PACK. PRESIDENT AND SISTER PADOVICH FROM ????  THEY SOLD THEIR HOME AND HAVE NOT DECIDED WHERE THEY WILL GO WHEN THEIR 3 YEARS ARE UP.  THEY ARE ENERGIZER BUNNIES.  THEY NEVER STOP AND ARE THE HEART OF THIS MISSION.

THE COUPLE NEXT TO US ARE THE BULLOCKS AND THEY WENT HOME THE END OF SEPTEMBER. THEY WERE ALSO FROM CANADA.
YOU HAVE MEET THE TEAM FROM THE ZAMBIA LUSAKA MISSION.

WELL, ON THE 8TH OF OCTOBER, WE LEFT ZAMBIA TO RETURN TO THE CONGO.  IN THE 3 WEEKS WE WERE THERE WE WERE ABLE TO TRAIN FOR 7 DAYS, 164 PHYSICIANS, NURSES AND MIDWIVES.  SECURING THE TRAINING MATERIALS TOOK SOME DOING BUT TENDER MERCIES WERE ABOUND. IT TOOK 7 DAYS BUT WE GOT THEM AND WERE ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE ALL MATERIALS BEFORE WE CLOSED THE BUILDING ON THE FINAL DAY.  MANY BABIES WILL BE SAVED BECAUSE OF THE GENEROUS DONATIONS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.  TIME, KNOWLEDGE AND MONEY MADE THIS ALL HAPPEN.

THIS IS DR. ERICK FROM UTAH SHOWING HOW TO HELP THIS BABY BREATH IN THAT FIRST GOLDEN MOMENT OF LIFE

THIS IS DR. NGOY FROM KINSHASA THAT DONATED HIS TIME TO COME TO LUBUMBASHI TO HELP WITH TRAINING.

WATCH, LOOK AND LISTEN

DR. KONGOLO IS PASSING OUT THE CERTIFICATES. HE IS A PHYSICIAN AND THE LUBUMBASHI STAKE PRESIDENT.

A CERTIFICATE IS VERY IMPORTANT.

LOOK AT THE SMILE. SO PROUD.

GRADUATING CLASS

THIS IS SISTER DOUCETTE FROM ARIZONA, SHE AND HER HUSBAND DR. DOUCETTE ARE THE SHORT TERM SPECIALISTS THAT COME AND CONDUCT THE TRAINING.  NEXT TO HER IS EMERY.  HE WAS A GREAT HELP WITH LANGUAGE AND ALL OTHER NEEDS.

THE TEAM AT WORK

 

WE ARE SO VERY EXCITED TO BEGIN THE CLEAN WATER PROJECT AT SENDWE HOSPITAL.  JUST TRY AND IMAGINE NO CLEAN WATER IN AN 1100 BED HOSPITAL.  THE FAMILY MEMBERS BRING BEDDING, MEDICATION, FOOD AND WATER TO IN PATIENTS. THIS WILL BE A HUGE BENEFIT TO THE POOREST OF THE POOR.

YES, I AM READY TO GET THIS DRILL WORKING.

LOVED THE COLOR

THEY ARE HAND PULLING UP DIRTY WATER TO WASH WITH.

WELL, CAN YOU BELIEVE ANOTHER MONTH HAS PASSED.  YOU JUST HAD HALLOWEEN AND THANKSGIVING IS AROUND THE CORNER.  I THINK CHRISTMAS IS JUST 8 WEEKS AWAY.  WE DO NOT CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN OR THANKSGIVING IN THIS COUNTRY.  HERE IN ZAMBIA THEY ARE GETTING READY FOR CHRISTMAS. NOT ANYTHING LIKE IN THE US, BUT STILL THEY ARE DOING A LITTLE.
WE HAVE BEEN SO VERY BLESSED TO HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THESE WONDERFUL LIFE CHANGING PROJECTS.  WILL KEEP YOU UP TO DATE ON THE WATER PROJECT.  WE WILL BE GOING BACK TO CONGO IN ABOUT 3 WEEKS TO CHECK ON PROGRESS.

HUGS TO ALL
BOB AND WENDY