This group needed and little rest and relaxation so Elder Rainbolt played frisbee, Elders Borden and Walker built a sand castle, Elders Hobbs, Wilhelm and Hansen caught a big crab, and Elders Sande and Bene took a walk to look at the unbelievably beautiful scenery.

The whole Luanda zone includes Elders Kelsy, Borden, Tolman, Hobbs, Wilson, McAllister, Wilhelm in the back, Elders Walker, Kearney, Tilley, Chandler, Arrington, Richter, Perry in the middle row, and Elders Eckman, Bene, Rainbolt, Sande, Hansen and President and Sister Walton.  Pretty good group, don't you think?

  One of the best things about the island of Mussulo, was the amount of good shells on it.  Amid all the trash that washed up on the beaches, we were able to find some beautiful shells.  Elders Hansen, Tolman and Wilson became beach combers looking for some good shells to take home with them.  One of the things that Elder Richter and Arrington found was a stuffed horse that quickly became the mascot for the castle that Elder Borden and some of the others were building near the water.  Although he looks quite red, Elder McAllister assured us that he didn't need any suncreen and would be fine, and you know what?  He looked just fine that evening.

One of the best things I get to see as mission "Mom" is how well the kids are getting along.  Elders Kearney and Chandler had a good conversation going and genuinely enjoyed each others company.  Another group that had some fun together included Elders Sande, Richter, and Bene, who took the time to explore this old fishing boat.  The whole group got involved with burying Elder Eckman in the sand.  Elders Arrington, Chandler, Rainbolt, Kelsy, Wilson, Kearney, and Hobbs added to the pile of sand that Elder Eckman asked to be thrown on him.  You should have seen him when they dug him out!  With only a few camp chairs available, Elder Tolman made use of one of the coolers.  I think Elder Tolman's face says it all.  The missionaries were having a very enjoyable day!

Our whole group of missionaries once more including Elders Tolman, Walker, Eckman, Sande, McAllister, Kelsey, Arrington, Perry, Hansen, Borden, Tilley, WIlhelm, Rainbolt, Richter, Kearney, and Chandler in the back row and Elders Hobbs, Wilson and Bene in the front row with President and Sister Walton.

At the end of a perfect, relaxing day, Elders Chandler and Kelsey walked the deserted beach with the city of Luanda as a backdrop.  Elder Kelsey took the time to spell out "ELDER" in the sand for all to see that we are here in force!  Then President Walton gathered the missionaries and had them look at the coast of Luanda, Angola, as he talked with them about the growth of the church here and their role as missionaries in setting the right foundation and creating a solid mission culture for the future of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for this special country.  This will always be a memorable day for these missionaries!

Preparation Day Soccer and Zone Conference in Lubango

It is always tradition to have a soccer game on preparation day morning in Lubango.  Members and nonmembers join the missionaries for a spirited game of futebol.  Elder Violin always sets the pace and takes this game very seriously, but they all know to have fun too.  Once Elders Harper and Guente arrived from Huambo (they traveled by bus for 9 hours to get to Lubango), we started the first session of zone conference.  We finished the first day with our traditional dinner at Freitas.  It was cool enough for Elder Guente to wear a sweater.  These missionaries are so lucky to be serving in cities that are high in elevation so they don't often get the humid heat so common in Luanda.  Then on Tuesday morning we ended with the last session of zone conference in the living room of Casal Violins home.  We will miss Lubango, Huambo and our wonderful, dedicated missionaries serving so far from home.