The goal was to go and carol at the park and then cook the chickens. We also went to visit Fred in the hospital. And the missionaries bought a large box of cookies.. called biscuits here. We bagged them into about 40 bags of 7 cookies... er biscuits each. Here we are singing in Kenyatta Park. There were tons of people making merry at Christmas there. And the missionaries abandoned us to mobs of children when we handed out the biscuits.
We handed out invitations to come to church along with a map of how to get there. People know places, but not necessarily street names. So we are in Milimani area. You go past Kilimani shopping center... you know where that is? Yes. Then past the Xavarian School-- you know that? Yes. Then turn at the Robinson Security place and then we are at the first culdesac. See the X? That is where we are. Will you come to church this Sunday? 
I scheduled dinner at 5pm, but we didn't get home until closer to 4. In went the chickens. The missionaries relaxed and watched "Passage from Zarahemla" and then a storm blew in and the power went off... and back on... and off... and on. And so the chickens took three hours to roast. But the missionaries from the USA didn't mind. They were ecstatic to be on the phone to their families. The power went out completely about 7pm and we ate by candlelight. Tom and I were sad. No power. No Internet. No calling families. But we had visited with Mom, Rebecca, and Adam on Christmas eve.
It rained all night and into the next day. We had 4 baptisms scheduled. Three arrived, and we used the new baptismal font out behind the church. Then after the services were all over, the 4th candidate and his wife arrived. Rain had gotten into their house and cleaning up had slowed them. And his grandmother had died at their tribal home, but they told the family they could not come until after he had been baptized. So the missionaries and Morris and Tom and I gathered and had another baptismal service. And another baptism.Power came back on about 1 pm. That's the longest it's ever been off.
Saturday early evening as we were shopping, I began to feel poorly. An attack of "traveler's complaint." I felt some better on Sunday after a blessing, but Tom is feeling under the weather now.
Sunday started with a 9am branch correlation meeting. The Sacrament at 10. I played some of the songs. One of the elders played the opening song. For some reason the Relief Society President wasn't there and her counselors didn't know what she had planned. I was unsure if I would be asked to speak (I'd said I couldn't speak last Sunday, but this Sunday would be okay.) so I had prepared a talk on preparing for the Temple. So I said I'd be happy to give the lesson and gave that one.
We had a newly baptized sister who was baptized in Minnesota, but who was returning to the Kisumu area. We'd been corresponding with her and her bishop by email and phone. Now she was in the country and we got to see her Sunday. She's such a special lady! I asked her how she joined the church-- thinking maybe her son who she'd been staying with was a member. But he's not. She'd had a dream that she would join a big church. Then a few days later she was out walking her grandchildren and met the missionaries. They invited her to church and she went, then started learning about the Gospel. As she prayed, she just felt God was guiding her. She is so delighted with the church and what it teaches. It will be hard for her because she lives about 200 shillings away-- maybe 45 minutes away by Matatu. I know if she has faith, God will provide a way for her to get to church.
Today I was domestic. Stripped the bed. Did the laundry and hung it on the line for the sun to dry and whiten it. Completed correspondence and other odds and ends of preparation day. Yesterday the water inlet pipe to the church broke. Tom worked at fixing it by wrapping a piece of plastic around it. Then Morris bound it with strips of plastic grocery bags and it actually slowed down to a drip! Today it got fixed right.
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