I got my hair cut professionally for the first time. The woman did a good job and was very nice. Here, they even include a head and neck massage with the wash and cut.
We raced to the Mission Office to meet President and Sister Broadbent. They are wonderful people as I knew they would be. We also visited together with President Kogo (counselor to Mission President) about one of our errant members who has only loose loyalty to truth and a strong obligation to self-interest. We hope and pray he will make good choices.
As always at the mission office we visit with the membership person, the distribution center, the building and the finance people, and this time, with the truck man. He took our truck on Tuesday and had it serviced. Tuesday we went back to the mission office and spend most of the day there. We got our Kenyan drivers licenses. So now we have our alien residence card and driver's license and we are set to go.
We stayed with the PEF missionaries who are so kind and hospitable and fun to be with. On Monday the couples gathered for Family Home Evening and we got better acquainted with Elder and Sister B. who are serving an Employment Mission and learned of their temple mission. They plan to come to Kisumu to teach a class. We also visited with Public Affairs about them coming and training and about the All-Africa Helping Hands project that will take place August 21. We spoke with the LDS Charities about the orphan project in our area. And we had fun talking with the couples from Mombasa, Kitale, and other places about how the work is going with them.
Wednesday we left early to go to Amboseli National Park. We had good roads until the washboard the last 40 km. Ugh. Amboseli is at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro and the waters from the snow seep down and create some swamps that always have water and greenery. Where it wasn't green, it was pretty dusty! We saw literally TONS of elephants. One of the most fun experiences was sitting in the car with elephants all around us-- mamas, babies, males, eating, playing, chasing one another, stripping a dead tree of bark, and munching on the thorny acacia trees. Oh it was fun to be so up close and personal! We also saw wildebeests for the first time as well as buffalo, antelope, zebras, giraffes, one lonely distant lioness, hippos, and a gazillion birds. The Serena Lodge was lovely with personable staff and good food. One always feels so pampered.
One of the cooks asked if we would have a religious service for the staff. So we did. Originally they wanted it from 10-11pm. We said, ah... we sleep then. So we held the revival... changed the name to devotional... from 3-4 on Thursday. We taught about God's Plan of Happiness and explained where we came from, why we are here, and where we go after we leave this life. We had about 25 people there, including 2 pastors. I love the people here. They really love things spiritual.
We returned to Nairobi on Friday, probably more tired than when we left. You see, you need to be on the road by about 6-6:30am in order to see the predators. Breakfast is from 6:30 to 9am so you either go before or after breakfast. Then we'd do an afternoon game drive and get back by about 7pm. Dinner was served from 7:30-9pm and even though we went to dinner at 7:30, we'd stay and chat until after 9. Then to bed, and back up early for the next day.
Friday evening we had dinner with Peter Odingo, the former ambassador from Kenya to the United States. He has the orphan project in Asembo the the Church has agreed to assist with food. We met to discuss what kind of food they wanted and where it might be purchased and how it might be brought to the center that feeds the children. In addition we had a delightful time visiting with the Ambassador, his wife and their children. We learned of his efforts to build a good government in Kenya. He seems like a fine man.
Today we were up by 6:30 and on the road by 8:30. We've learned where the better bathrooms are and where to buy fruits and vegetables, and a good place for samosas (meat tarts.) And we didn't get run off the road or fall into a pothole, so the trip home was great. We got home in time to unpack, start laundry and for me to teach my 4pm music class.
So fun to think of you in Nairobi with all the other Kenyan couples of whom we grew so fond. And even more fun to think of my childhood friend, Sister Broadbent there among you. Wish we were there. It's sounds like a fabulous trip. PS. Last night we ate the last of our soda crackers from our visit to Nakumatt. What a great place!
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