It seems like we’ve been coming and going a lot. We drove home from Nairobi on the 8th 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.
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