Trip to Busia-- Sunday Dec 6

There is a new branch that was just organized in late August in Busia about 111km away from Kisumu. We drove there on Sunday to meet the branch. The scenery in Western Kenya changes with each curve. Some of the mountains were quite rocky. Then it changed and we came across a lovely river. Mostly it is a more rural area and we saw many more mud and thatched homes long the way and many cultivated farms.We also loved seeing the people along the road.The road was interesting. Part of it was very good. Part of it encouraged slalom like driving to avoid pot holes, ruts, and disintegrated roads. Note the oncoming buses. I was taking the pictures from the passenger side of the truck. Fortunately the shoulders were sometimes better than the road and there was room for three.

In a way it is liberating to feel free to use whatever side of the road seems best to you. You only have to choose your side when you have oncoming traffic. The Matatus are especially good about knowing which part of the road to drive on at any particular moment.The purpose was to meet the branch and help them understand the doctrines of the church and the organization of the church. How does the church strengthen and care for it's members? (Visiting Teaching, Home Teaching, giving them callings to help them grow.) How do we handle finances (discretely, honestly, filling out tithing forms, filling out weekly financial sheets, working by twos to reduce temptations.) How do we strengthen young men and women to be honest, morally clean, and modest (lessons, For the Strength of Youth, young women's program.) There is SO MUCH to learn. And these people are so humble and willing and trying to do it right. It is a blessing to be here!

This is part of the Young Women's class. The woman in the back is a "Mama" who only understands Luoo, but she walks miles to church every Sunday. She will hum along on the songs. She feels the spirit, and wants to be there. We are hoping to start an English class so she can learn and fully participate.

Here is Sister Fox with Pres Odera and his first Counselor, Bro. John Kwoba.

They meet in a rented house that comfortably seats about 50-60 people and they filled it entirely up. It's a small compound and we barely fit the two trucks inside the brick fencing. Elder and Sister Watt from Kitale drove down from the north about 2.5 hours, showed us how to find the church and introduced us to the members.