A Week In a Blur.. but slog through the telling!

This week seemed to race by… at least the last part of it. We got up early Monday morning to get the missionaries to the bus depot. Two of our excellent elders were leaving. We said a fond farewell in front of the EasyCoach. Monday we tried to do some visits. Monday we visited bro. John and two of the members in Nyalenda. They are wonderful people and so happy to see us. I hope that will translate into coming to church. On Monday I also got my sewing machine back and it seems to be working well.

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Tuesday we ran a bunch of errands, went to the PO, paid Leah for the machine repairs, and went visiting sister L. I love seeing the tender mercies of the Lord at work. Leah was not at her office, so we left to go to the next appointment. But we got lost. Elder Fox suggested I call Leah to let her know we missed her. About that time, we realized we were driving past her house, and she was standing outside. So we were able to pay her and be prompt in doing what we said we would do.

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When we went to visit sister L… we kind of knew where she lived, but not where she had her business. We made arrangements to call as we arrived, but there was no answer. Sigh. What to do? We thought about going to another sister’s but she was in town. So we decided to park the truck, walk through the market, and see what to do from there. We walked through the market and crossed the tracks. There before us was a rabbit warren of housing… and also sister L coming towards us waving! She led us into the bowels of the housing to her house. It was empty of furniture and we learned her sad story.

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She is a hard worker and a determined woman. She had built from 500 shillings (about $7) a savings of 7000 shillings. She’d gotten a small loan and was doing a good business with chips (French fries) and mandazis. She got sick and was in the hospital. The bill was over 7000/- and there went her savings. She had 4000/- saved in her house to pay on her loan. However, when she and her husband got into an argument, she had to go someplace else, and the money disappeared. While she was still ill, her husband’s grandmother died and he sent her home to the funeral. Then he arrived upcountry with her clothes and some of her household things, wanting her to stay there. But there was no way for her to make money there, so she had returned home on Monday. There she found the house cleaned out. Her potatoes and oil gone, so she could not sell. Her money gone, so she could not buy more. Her clothes were up country. Her husband gone. But her debt remained. She had slept hungry, but a neighbor gave her some breakfast. What to do?

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She went back up country to get her things and the relatives would not give them back to her. Part of the problem is that they think she goes to a devil church. I think: and what kind of a church do you go to that allows you to leave a woman destitute and without means? What kind of beliefs allow you to steal? We prayed for her, and called her as she waited for her husband to come back upcountry and tell the relatives to let her have her things. Each day he said he would come, and each day he did not. But the Lord does answer prayers. A friend called and offered her a job. She sold her phone so she could travel to the job. I continue to pray that she will be able to get back on her feet.

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Elder Fox had some things he really wanted to discuss with the BP—some course corrections. And he had an appointment scheduled for Tues afternoon. He ended up with lots of time to study his institute lesson as someone else came and took 3 hours of the BP’s time. I was steamed! I really felt Elder Fox was disrespected. And it’s frustrating to have things that could move the branch forward, and not be able to discuss or implement them.

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Wednesday we visited two other members. I wrote up an article on Girls’ Camp. Elder Fox had his meeting with the BP. When sister J was cleaning our house, she got a call that her daughter was being sent home, and she needed to come back the next day and bring her mother. It had to do with the Book of Mormon and the Young Women’s necklace she had. So Sister J asked if we would go with her to speak to the principal the next day.

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Thursday we left early to go visit the school, which was upcountry. Apparently some of the students felt the daughter was of the devil. They had bad dreams, and so she must have caused them. They had a bad feeling when they held the necklace. So they prayed for the necklace and it disappeared… then magically appeared on her bed. We were asked to wait outside while a parade of students went in to share their stories. We could hear some of the conversation. At first it seemed very negative. It felt like the Salem witch trials. We prayed. And Sister J. and her daughter were strong! And “at the end of the day” the principal felt that the other students were acting superstitiously and without cause. The daughter was allowed to keep her religious books there. And the principal asked to learn more about the Book of Mormon so he could educate his teachers and students about it. So we gave him a copy. Two and ½ hours sitting on a hard bench. Waiting, outside the principal's office.

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We had an appointment for Elder Fox to go home teaching. It came and went. Fortunately the companion was okay with the delay. On the way home sister J asked if we could please stop at the Ministry of Labor. It had been reported that her daughter was not in school and she needed to let them know she was back in school. They were very welcoming to us. We showed them a For the Strength of Youth pamphlet and they liked the values that we espouse. Then they started talking about how they were so pleased that we were going to partnership with them in helping avoid child labor and helping children go to school…. Er… we are??? This too, was a bit frustrating. What had we been committed to do? Many churches donate money for school fees, etc. We do not. So I guess we’ll have to communicate again that we offer spiritual strengths that when followed lead to blessings from the Lord that manifest themselves in both spiritual and temporal things.

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So we arrived later for the Home Teaching visits. I stayed home, intending to catch up on some things. But as Elder Fox was leaving, two sisters arrived to collect some blankets left by the LDS Charities couple for them…. And also, I think, to see if there were other ways (financially) the church or the senior missionary couple could assist them. I’ve gotten much better at saying No, but it’s still draining. As they left, and I sat down to type the constitution of a group our church members belong to, another brother arrived with a request to type a letter to help his poor school to not have to pay taxes. (We’d been commiserating with him on Monday over this.) So I had him write it out first (an hour’s worth of his time) while I typed other things. Then it took about 10 minutes for me to type up.

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Friday we went to Sondu to visit the 9 members who have joined the church there. We had a more intimate meeting and took them to the scriptures to answer many questions. Our goal was to help them to “liken the scriptures unto themselves.” That is—to find how the Lord’s words to one set of people have relevance to each of us today. We are learning that many people join churches for what the church will do for them—pay for funerals, help children go to school, and other benefits. So often we get—will the church help us do this… or this… or this…? And we got the opportunity to say, “We focus on spiritual things and the Lord blesses in all ways.… This is the Church of Jesus Christ and we do things His way… We need to trust the Lord that he will bless us as he promises. In other words: no… no… no. No. The church does not give people money for things. The church build self- reliance so you can do things for yourself. Elder Fox loves to visit with the children in the compound.

We learned where a young couple in the church lives. Dennis is very dependable, and Bethseda always helps to fix a meal when we come.

They spoke of the need for rain. We prayed for rain. And as we left—it poured. We were blessed. We came home and were able to use donated money to purchase a microscope for Bro. G. who is a doctor. He was SO pleased. It will bless many people. It was dark by the time we ended our day.

Saturday we drove to Busia and trained the leaders. Then we had our Seminary/Institute training. Since it was on teaching, everyone stayed to listen to that as well. We toured the new building and it is nicely improved. We spent the night at the Farmview and only lost power about 3 times. Sunday at Busia was nice. We visited. We taught some more. We listened to good progress and to struggles. At then end of the day, here was a little girl and her brother coming to collect water. He had been carrying a smaller container as well as hanging on to the large one. And the little guy can barely walk!

On the way home we passed this train and then actually had to stop at a railroad crossing for it to cross. This train is on the same track the British build 1900-1905. We arrived home about 5pm and had some delicious hamburgers to break our fast.

Saturday as we left town, we bought a top-up card for the internet. We tried to install it on our trip and kept getting “password error” even though the password was printed on the card. This is a "top up" card.GRR. So we didn’t even try to listen to General Conference Sunday night. Monday we went to Telkom. “Oh they changed the system so you don’t use the first 2 letters, but they didn’t tell the customers.” Oh. Okay then. Sure, why bother to tell the customers? It’s so beneficial to the competitors. Actually we were blessed. Last month when Elder Fox went to top up, they wouldn’t take the credit card so he paid cash, and the customer service lady did it another way—thus saving us about 2 weeks without internet as they had not bothered to tell the local Telkom office either!

We enjoy visiting the members; they are so appreciative that we come to see them. We have so many positive experiences with them that it makes it all worthwhile!