The good… the Bad

I think there’s an advantage to a failing mind. You don’t remember the difficult… but the glow of the good lingers somehow.

This week was spent doing some catch-up things. I inputted the Relief Society visiting teaching into the computer and I was delighted at how easy it was to use the MLS—the church membership program. I also wrote a short how to tutorial on how to visit teach. I explained that when we join the church we become the Lord’s family and need to look after each other. If a sister doesn’t come to church—find out why. Would you just wait and see what happened if your child didn’t come home? Of course not. You’d go looking for them. In the same way, we need to seek after our sisters, nourish them spiritually and strengthen them.

I also spend hours…. Hours I tell you… putting in seminary and institute students. With help from Nairobi, I think I got most of it done. There is deep satisfaction in finally getting those things organize. We still don’t have a teacher for the Manyatta class. So Saturday Elder Fox and I went over and showed a video about early church history.

Saturday was an interesting day. We had a baptism at 10 am. It was great. I love to see the happy smiles as the baptismal candidates come out of the water. Then we were to go to a funeral. However, we needed to wait a bit because someone was cleaning the church and either we or someone else with a key had to be there.

As the cleaning was going on we discovered—oh oh—no water in the upper tank. No water? Why not? There was city water. The lower tank was full. Ah. No pump. AKKK! No pump? Why not? Sigh. Elder Fox looked at the circuit breaker box. Some things were melted. That wasn’t a good sign. So he called our friend the electrician-- "Electric Isaiah" is how he's listed in our phone. The Isaiah was at a funeral up country but he agreed to come back into town. So we made a quick trip to our funeral and got back just a few minutes before the Isaiah arrived—at about 4pm.

He said the box was too small for the draw needed and needed to be replaced before he went on to the pump problem. Since parts were melted…. we had smelled something electrical a while back…. and it was impossible to turn power off if needed… and we needed water…. we decided to have him go ahead. He worked up until a little after 8pm on the problem. We lit candles. We ate by candle light. Finally lights came on. Hurray! Then he worked on the pump. For some reason, we weren’t getting power to the second floor. Anyhow, about 9pm we heard the joyful chugging of the pump. There was much joy and rejoicing as I had some fear that the pump had burned out. And, miracle of miracles—city water continued to come in during the night so that by morning, both the top and bottom tanks were filled.

Water, however, trickled into our kitchen and bathroom very slowly. Slooowwwwly. In the morning, there was not enough water pressure in the shower to power the hot water heater. So it was bucket bath time. We thought it might be air in the line. Whatever it was, by the time people arrived at church and started using the water, the pressure increased.

So the good news was we called Electric Isaiah and he was able to come quickly AND he fixed the problem in a professional way AND we got city water all night—when they typically shut it off. Great rejoicing!

And today was a good Sunday. During primary I took pictures of the children so the new primary leaders… and I… could get to know their names. This is just a sampling of some of the cute faces.

We moved forward with visiting teaching. We had a successful branch presidency training. We are learning and growing. The blessings of the Gospel continue to roll forth.

Monday we again walked to the Jubilee market to talk to the fundi making Tom's suit. The pants we had made first are an African cut-- a little higher at the waist, a little baggier. So he will revise the next ones. We shopped, we met with the Branch President, and worked on the church computer with finances.

We finally drove out to Pascal's to see his new house. While we were there, the fundi was mudding the walls inside-- taking globs of stuff and smacking it on the wall. It looked like dark cement, but I think it's a combination of mud and cow dung. Then he took a long pole and smoothed it, kind of like floating cement. Pascal has a large house now. This is Pascal. He's 16 or so, the only member in his family. If he can't get transport money, sometimes he walks the 10km or so to church. As he lives far out, he connects to the world-- or at least us-- but flashing us up to several times a day asking us to call him back. Mostly he just wants to greet us, to say "hi", or to ask when we are coming to visit. He can see the blessings of the gospel in his life-- including this larger house. We asked him, how has the gospel changed you? He said that now he has been able to find enough money for school fees-- at least he hasn't been sent home for the unpaid balance. He acts differently and feels different. And now students look up to him and he is a role model for them.

Busia is Growing Missionaries

We have a two siblings in Busia who have been preparing to go on a mission. They are already acting as missionaries in Busia. When Helping Hands day came in August, they invited their friends from the YMCA drama group—and 25 of them showed up to help.

Robinson has been serving as branch mission leader and Young Men’s President. Glory has been Young Women’s President. When they went to the temple, their calls were far enough along, that they could take out their own endowments.

Now they know where they are going! There was much excitement. Robinson will serve in the Ghana Accra Mission. Glory will serve in the New York, New York USA mission. They opened their mission letters at about 8:30 last night. I think the whole world knows by now.

Glory will leave for the Provo MTC in June. Robinson will go to the Ghana MTC in April.

When they went to the temple, they met with Elder and Sister Watson, counselor in the Area authority. These pictures were taken in the Area garden and offices.

They are great people and will be fantastic missionaries. We are excited to see the work growing in Busia and the world.

The beat (or the beatings) goes on

It seems like we’ve been coming and going a lot. We drove home from Nairobi on the 8^th of January. One of the missionary couples wanted to drive to the Mara, and we were not exactly sure of the place where the road to Narok and thence to the Mara took off the Nairobi road. But we had our map handy and it looked like we could return home that way. We’d been on all that road except for a 30km stretch or so…. As long as THAT was paved, we were okay.

Fortunately it was. We were able to give good directions and solidify in our minds how we will drive it in a few weeks. The roads were good. They were a little longer, but took about the same time as the Nairobi road. It was much dryer—yellow grass… sometimes no grass—herds of cattle and goats. Rusty dirt, gray-green trees. Then suddenly we went over a hill and we were back in the green banana trees, sugar cane and tea fields, and soft brown cultivated dirt of the upper rift valley we are familiar with.

Sunday we reconnected with people. Our Sacrament attendance has been down. We thought it was because of the holidays, but they are over now. Of course home teaching and visiting teaching has also been minimal. And we’ve been trying for several months to have a Branch Presidency training meeting with all members present. The up side is there’s lots of room for improvement.

I wanted to get some stories written up for the Liahona and Public Affairs. I got two done, but both need some fact checking or permissions. I have two more that need doing.

Thursday we left early to go to Mbale. This is where the neonatal training will be held in May. We needed to resolve some concerns about cost vs. need. We looked at a place I thought would work, but the Medical Manager felt it would not give a good impression for those coming, that a more costly place would be better. So we compromised and recommended the place the manager wanted, but moved some of the food costs to a less expensive (but very tasty) venue.

Then we went on to visit Erika in Sabatia. We had thought it would be a short visit, but they insisted on killing the fatted chicken for us. I learned how to cook ugali and fried bananas. I learned that the green bananas that will turn yellow can be used for cooking them. And they really do taste a lot like mashed potatoes. We took her some banana bread and now we need to take her the recipe. In Nairobi and South Africa I learned—at least intellectually—how to bake cakes and bread over direct heat. Now I need to try it and then teach the sisters.

After Erikas, we went to Eldoret, out to dinner with the missionary couples and the Mission President, and then on Friday we had zone conference. They just keep getting better and better. Some points:

* The spirit can’t remind you of something you haven’t learned—so we need to be studying the scriptures.

*The power of our calling depends on our personal worthiness. Our worthiness affects other’s salvation because “their understanding will be influenced by our personal worthiness.” (from Preach My Gospel pg.176)

* When a person receives revelation peace and joy come into the room. Our hearts soften, and there’s no place on earth we’d rather be.

There was such a special spirit that we wanted to stay there and feast on it. But we needed to return to Kisumu for a Leadership Training meeting on Saturday.

On the way back home, the Branch President called to say he could not come—he was going to a wedding—and oh, by the way, please don’t train on that subject when I’m not there. So we got to stay up late and plan another training. However we’d had such a good training on receiving revelation at Zone Conference that we used part of that for our training and it was very effective. We had many of our leaders at the training as well, so it felt successful.

Sunday we drove to Busia to deliver their curriculum materials, some pictures of the temple for those who went, and a wheelchair for Sister O. The temple glow still floated around those who had gone. They were so happy and grateful! Their desire to be loving and righteous has increased. Robinson and Glory are eagerly anticipating their mission call. I think it will come this week. We discussed future training and had a good meeting with some of the members. We stopped to visit a less active member in Maseno on the way home. We arrived about dusk to a tremendous rain storm! We saw the black clouds, then the gray sheet of rain. As we entered Kisumu the huge drops pelted on the truck. Then the deluge! Hail, wind, the sheet of water across the road with raindrops making thousands of splashes as they plummeted. We could hardly see out the windshield. The upside was that all the pedestrians and bicyclists were off the road so we were unlikely to hit anyone. The other upside for ME was that E. Fox was the one that got drenched opening and closing the gate!

Monday I spent a good part of the day trying to input seminary and institute students into the Church system. The Church has done a marvelous job updating www.lds.org and www.mormon.org. These sites are so attractive. They have fun stories about people. They are easy to navigate and a pleasure to view. Alas, the same cannot be said for the Church Education System program. Grrr. It was a tough battle. I bear scars. And it’s not over yet. But I will succeed!

In the afternoon, I met with the Relief Society president and the Visiting Teaching coordinator and we revamped the Visiting Teachers and their routes. It took about 2.5 hours, but I think they will be able to update it and do it on their own from now on. Now we need to help the sisters have the desire to go and serve and to actually do it. I think that most of them, when they understand what to do, will be willing to do it. It was so rewarding to think we are moving forward in that area. E. Fox on the other hand, had scheduled a meeting with several things that NEEDED to be discussed… and NONE of it got accomplished. I think we have some new dents in the wall from head-banging. Poly poly. “Slowly by slowly” as they say here. We take a big breath and regroup.

This morning we met with the tailor to see about getting some more pants for E. Fox. We bought some light weight wool and I think it will cost about $12 to get pants made. If he does a good job, we’ll go ahead and get a suit made for about $45. Clue: Microfiber looks good initially, but starts to get a shine as it wears.

A Pearl on the Necklace of Life.

Sunday evening, our last day in Nairobi before going to the temple, we had a wonderful testimony meeting. Pres. and Sister B. were there and added to the joy.

Each person going to the temple from Busia, of every age, had a chance to share their thoughts on the Savior and the temple. The Branch President said, when we first started the Busia branch 15 months ago, we were crawling. Then we learned to walk… and run… and now we are FLYING! None of them had ever been on an airplane before. Another brother spoke of how they joined the church in 1992 and had spent 18 years preparing to go to the temple. I was surprised to learn that each of the brothers had spent time in Nairobi as Branch President or bishop’s counselor before work transferred them to Busia.

Pres. O.shared a story of how when he was new in the church, a missionary couple had spoken. They said, when you die, your family who has passed on will all come and greet you. They will say, “Did you perform the saving ordinances for me?” If you say yes, there will be great rejoicing. If no, they will sigh, and look down, and say, “I hope my next relative will think of me.” This had great impact on him as he had deep love for his grandmother, Salome. She was the one who found his wife. She was the one who, when the new wife had to wash clothes for not only Pres. O, but also his 6 or 8 brothers, and got frustrated and started walking away, Salome was the one who went after her and whispered sweet words and got her to come back. So he was eager to do Salome’s saving ordinances.

Brother F. said that the Sunday before, Barbara from Uganda had been visiting their branch. She said, “Are you really ready to go to the temple? Fully committed to live all the covenants you’ve made?” She said when she came back from the temple, after a bit, her son became rebellious. He was sent home from several schools. She’d paid the year of school fees, but they were left behind as she had to pay again and again in the new schools. She wondered why she had to leave all this money behind and why this was happening. Then she found the reason. She had stopped paying her tithes after she went to the temple. She repented and made it right, and after a time, the son’s behavior changed and he was able to stay in the same school for the year. She said, it’s not too late to change your mind and not go. So don’t go unless you are truly committed to keeping the covenants you make.

Glory and Robinson spoke of their struggles and efforts to get the documents needed to send in their mission papers. It was a miracle that they went through as fast as they did. On Friday we learned they’d been assigned and would not only be sealed to their parents, but also take out their own endowments. They were so happy.

As we finished the testimony meeting, Jane and the family from Eldoret arrived. I am so impressed with Jane. She had never been out of her local area. She is a single mother, a farmer from deep in the country. Her Branch President took her to the bus station and put her on the bus for the eight hour ride to Nairobi. There Victor collected her and brought her to the guest house. She looked dazed, but determined and delighted. Here is Jane at the temple.

The trip to Johannesburg was a bit like a three ring circus—exciting, eventful, and in need of great orchestration. Up at 4am. Airport by 5:30. Plane took off about 7am. We had to shepherd our flock through ticketing, baggage check in, immigration and to the gate. I only lost Jane once. “After you go through the Kenyan immigration (I had to go through the foreign line) stop and wait for me.” We did our thing with the paperwork and passed through. No Jane. Akkk! We’re not even out of Kenya and I’ve lost her! I raced up the steps. No Jane. I looked down the busy, confusing concourses. No Jane. I instructed the Achimba family to stay put and if Jane showed up, keep her there and then I searched down the concourses. No Jane. But… she saw me and came back to the flock. Phew.

Off to the gate… with 17 people trailing. Tom and I took head and tail of the line and that seemed to work. We had explained about airplanes, but I think the take offs and landings were a bit uncomfortable for our friends. Again, we deplaned and tackled immigration and baggage claim and found our transport. Johannesburg is beautiful and the weather was lovely. The Patron Housing was welcoming and quite nice. Sister Taylor explained about the food provided, the rooms, and went into the necessary detail about flush toilets and hot and cold running water. After a short time Jane was skilled in using the elevator and the key card to get to her room. It was so fun to see the learning curve! We had a chance to wander the beautiful grounds and gardens. The first afternoon we wandered into the “White house” which we learned housed the area presidency and got invited to visit with a member of the area presidency and his wife. We went to meet one of the couples who works in the area office and ended up meeting so many wonderful, fantastic, warm, friendly missionary couples. It became one of the highlights of our time there. We met several of the public affairs people and talked shop—articles to put in the Liahona and on the SE Africa area website.

In the mornings, the gardens were a wonderful place to read scriptures. Tuesday they went to the family history center and used the computers to put in their genealogy. At 1 pm they went to the temple. (Mom, the agapanthis was blooming all over the place.)They were so excited! They wanted to do everything right. After, I asked one of the sisters, “What did you like about the temple?” She said, “It was so reverent and peaceful and beautiful. And I loved making covenants with my God.” That evening families were sealed together for time and all eternity. Words can’t express the wonder of seeing these innocent children dressed in white coming to be sealed as a family forever. One couple had 6 deceased children sealed to them.
I thought we would have some spare time as the mornings were not scheduled and we didn’t go to the temple until about 2. I hoped we might see a tiny bit of South Africa. However, time was taken up with getting things from the distribution center and with the family history center. Elder Fox spent two hours there and became the resident expert. The volunteer was not a member and so couldn’t help with all the work that needed doing. But we got names printed off, and the family members did the saving ordinances. Pres O just beamed as he and his wife did the ordinances for Salome and her husband.

The recommendation was that the sisters fix the large meal midday and have sandwiches or something quick for dinner as we often didn’t get out of the temple until past 7:30. However, sandwiches aren’t a meal, I guess. We did do sandwiches the very first meal-- at about 3pm. We had hot meals for every meal and they were so good at taking care of us. We thought maybe we’d have cold cereal in our room, but no. Toast and “tea” (hot chocolate) would be waiting for us, or an egg, or apple. Lunch was stew, ugali or rice, and vegetables…. As was dinner. Wednesday about 8:30pm, we did claim tiredness and take bread to our room for sandwiches. Thursday we did not, and ended up eating about 10pm. Elder Fox was an excellent role model. The women cooked, and he and the men went into the kitchen to clean up. That is quite a change from African culture to Church culture—have men helping clean up in the kitchen! One day, the lunch took too long to prepare. Faced with the choice of lunch or temple, they all fasted and just went to the temple. That was the day they ate at 10pm.

That was the day Elder Fox and I went to MCDONALDS! The public affairs couple took pity on us and took us to McDonalds. It was like the USA. Sigh. Just a small taste of the USA, but I enjoyed it. It seemed each day we visited with some of the couple missionaries there. Ah, it was so nice to talk to them, learn where they came from, learn what they do, connect. We found one was childhood neighbor to the mission president’s wife. Another spent time as mission president to the Vickerys who were in the MTC with us. She volunteered to watch the two under 12 children so all the rest of us could go to the temple. The couples just tucked us under their wings and loved us.

The whole temple experience was precious! We loved being there and seeing these wonderful people from Kenya learn and grow. Even the journey back to Kenya was handled with much more confidence by the members. Ticketing? Immigration? Gate number? Yeah, been there. Done that.—although Johannesburg has a much larger airport. They were all reluctant to leave the temple knowing they will likely never see it again. On the plane, mid-flight, Jane popped her head around the seats and sang us a hymn, smiled, and disappeared again.

We arrived back in Kenya, awaited transport, and arrived back at the couples flat about 9pm. Ah. A good trip.

Temple Prep Week

It's been a great and diverse week. We spent the first part of the week in Kisumu. We held some Branch Presidency training, we had district meeting, we visited. We coordinated and collected stuff for our temple trip.

Tuesday we went to visit our friends in Sondu and taught the Seminary and Institute teacher and also a group of others. It's fun to see them beginning to understand how to read scriptures, verse-by-verse, and look to see what the principles are and how they apply to them. They are obedient and learning and I know the Lord will bless them.

We left Thursday and drove to Nairobi. On the way down we made lists: Challenges facing the branch. Things we can do to to help resolve some of the challenges. Things the Mission President or others may want to help support the branch. Things to do in Nairobi. and so on. We stopped at the "Big Five Look-out" over the Rift Valley, and the shop actually had some of the soap stone carvings that I wanted.

We arrived in time to visit the Mission Office and accomplish much. We went back on Friday to get all the temple recommends signed. We looked at the records we thought had been properly updated and discovered two people had not had their priesthood ordinations recorded. One had an improper birth date and a few middle names were not the same as those appearing on their National ID cards and passports. So we needed to make some changes.

Friday night all the couples met together for a progressive dinner and games. We had such fun visiting with them. We got to know the new couple better and visited with Elder and Sister B. who had attended the temple not long ago to glean more details from them. We ate far too much tasty food and stayed up way past our bedtime. Then the New Year's celebrations in the city and the park with noise and fireworks and drums and such reminded us through the remainder of the night that the New Year had arrived.

Saturday we went to the Jogo market and bought some things-- a dress, a shirt, a suit, and some fabric. And we bought a soccer ball that we saw being made there-- hand stitched. We went to lunch with some of the couples and then went to visit with President Odero and his wife.

Sunday we went to the Upper Hill Ward for church and had a great testimony meeting. It was fun to see how other wards in Kenya operate and they are doing fine. We visited with the Imende family who had traveled over night from Busia so they could attend church on Sunday. They are SO excited to be going to the temple. And two of their children-- Glory and Robinson will be able to receive their endowments as their mission papers are approved. After church we had them all fill out exit papers and we explained the process of going through an airport and flying. Then later in the evening, we went with the Mission President and his wife to visit with the Busia families. They shared their testimonies and it was a sweet time.

Glory's birthday is tomorrow. We happened to have some cake left over from last night and thought they might enjoy it. They were delighted. Its interesting how a small thing from us can be a big thing for them.

Tomorrow we depart early for Johannesburg. I don't know if we will have Internet connection there. But we will surely have a spiritual connection there.