The Wanderers- Monday Nov 30

We left the Missionary apartments about 8:30 and sought out the big Nakamat in Westport for the last shopping. We came across a Nakamat there. It didn’t look like the big one, but it was mostly in the right spot, so we got our food—Found Old El Paso salsa, chiles, and refried beans! SCORE! Then when we were driving out, we found the Nakamat Wesport we’d been seeking. Ah, well. We’ll be back. So we left Nairobi about 9:45. A 6.5 hour drive home and we should make it about 4pm. Sounded good. We stopped along the way to take pictures of baboons and of a herd of Zebras crossing the road. I stopped at a roadside stand and got the best alvacados I’ve eaten for “10 bob.” Bob? Ah, Shillings. 10 shillings or about 26 cents. Also some tomatoes and red onions. We gained the experience of stopping for a pit stop and using holes in the ground—some flush, some not. We passed beautiful tea plantations. I’m convinced the Windows screensaver of green and blue sky is taken from a tea plantation. The color is an exquisite emerald green. We had rain as we left Nairobi so our skyscapes were also stellar. Puffy white clouds, steamy fog rising from the great rift valley.

As we left Kericho, a little before 3, we were excited to be getting closer to Kisumu. Awase town would mean only ½ hour further. We passed more tea fields. Had there been tea fields on this road? We passed small towns, but they were not Awase. We kept driving. Surely the next town would be Awase. Finally we saw a sign: Kisii 22 Km. Ohh. Badness. Kisii is several hours south of Kisumu. There were some little yellow roads that might have been short cuts between where we were and Kisumu. But every road to the left we saw was a dirt road and we weren’t that adventurous. So we retraced our steps—about an hour’s worth back to Kericho. By now it was after 5pm. Last time we’d come this way it was 1.5 hours from Kericho to Kisumu. That means we’d be on the road after dark. It’s already stressful avoiding bikes, donkeys, pedestrians, motorcycles, speed bumps (we hit a triple one at 80 km because we didn’t see it. It was in the middle of nowhere!), cars coming down our side of the road, etc. in the daylight. After dark it moves to the totally-no-fun area. I prayed that the Lord would hold off the darkness until we got to Kisumu. We were blessed and did arrive about 6:15 while there was still a little daylight left.

Tom was really bushed from driving all that distance. However the Branch president was there to discuss things with him and the missionaries arrived to help unpack all the materials we’d brought up. Oh. Did I mention we’d only split a sandwich and munched on a few apples and some cookies all day? We were a wee bit hungry, too. We slept well that night!

Sunday was another grand day. Our meeting with the branch presidency started at 9 am. Church started at 10. Elder Fox and I were both speaking there. Our “chapel” is the 3rd floor of the building and is open air. We appreciated the breezes however there was some celebration going on close by so our voices competed with some fairly loud Indian music. During Sunday School we realized the teenagers didn’t have a teacher, so Tom and I taught that class. Then I had the Young Women. I spoke of the value Christ placed on Women—the first person he did a miracle for was his Mother. The first public announcement of his divinity was to the woman at the well, and the first person he appeared to after his resurrection was Mary. I talked about how the Lord loved and cherished women and they needed to respect and honor and value themselves as daughters of God. We also talked about the “For the Strength of Youth” pamphlet.

After church I spoke with the primary president and gave her material for the 2010 Sharing time. I spoke with the Relief society president about budgeting, calendaring and visiting teaching. I taught a music conducting class and attended choir practice. In the mean time, Fred said he was coming back to polish my floors for 3000 schillings. (Oh really? Did I know that?) Jacque asked about house cleaning (she is a single mom with no income) and I agreed to have her come on Friday. Morris will come and wash the truck on Monday. And Olga asked about house cleaning as well—and I had to say not now. We are doing our share to support the local economy. However, I think we are going to have to learn how to say no at times. People asked about our starting a keyboarding class. And I can’t remember all the things we did after that, but it was a long day.

We live in a fishbowl. When the curtains are open, everyone can see in and out. With the windows open, everyone can hear whatever is being said. So even if we are not out with the people—who by the way, love to hang around church and visit until 4 or 5 in the afternoon—we are really not in a place where we can relax. People knock on the door with questions, etc. But at last it is quiet. We have the option to find another place to live that is not so close to the church, but I think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Today (Monday) however, we awoke at 6 am to the sound of running water. There had been several leaks. First our faucet that had been replaced had a steady stream of water from it… but it wasn’t that. Second, we had water dripping down our walls, but it wasn’t that. No, the main water line coming in to fill the water tanks from the city… the one that had a little leak on Saturday, had now broken completely and we had water pouring out of the pipe and running off the patio and disappearing under the door to the back yard. Tom, like a good Dutch boy, stuck his finger into the pipe and got it to stop. However he was not willing to do that for 2 hours until the plumber could arrive. He found the shut-off from the water main, but couldn't turn it off.

We called the plumber/contractor for the repairs on the building. Couldn’t get through. I actually texted him, although it probably took me 5 minutes to write it: “Water main broken at church. Water everywhere. Come quick.” In the mean time, Tom found a stick that reduced the flow to a severe spray. We called the facilities man. The plumber called back a little after 7. He’d come right away. About 8:15 he showed up and did a good job of fixing that and the leak in the kitchen faucet is vastly reduced to an occasional drip. We were so excited.

We’d returned home to find the washer and dryer hooked up. We’d planned to finally do laundry… but now with the water main broken? But it was fixed in time and we DID get to do laundry. And we picked up the last of our curtains and hung them. AND we paid for our phone service and that got installed. And they promise us internet tomorrow! I believe in Miracles and they are coming!

We did had a parade of people here—Fred and his two workers, Morris the carwash man, the electrician who was fixing the pump autofloat valve, Nataniel the plumber/contractor, the phone people (two), the branch president, four missionaries, the exterior painters. I guess that’s all. Seemed like more. The electrician thought he was promised “A little something” (100 shillings) for a good job done. Morris wanted to come back and buff the truck for another 250 schillings. Fred wanted help with his business for 10,000 shillings. As foreigners, we are, of course, infinitely wealthy and eager to share it with each one of them. And I do believe that paying for work is an honorable thing to do—unlike a hand-out which encourages dependency. I just can’t employ all of Kisumu.

Now it is quiet. Elder Fox is off helping the missionaries get some furniture for their apartments—dining room tables, chairs, sofas and chairs. Heretofor they have only had beds and a desk-table. However, they live on opposite sides of the town now and I have no idea how he will fit all that into the small bed of the pickup truck. I, however, finished the last of a delicious avocado and will cut up a tasty pineapple for dinner. I will learn to make tortillas and we will have some Mexican food one of these days. In Nairobi I found a how-to watercolor art book and we found white-out and scotch tape. Truly we are living well!