A Marathon

When I get into the flat after Sunday meetings, I feel like I’ve run a marathon. I take deep breaths. I stop and think: have I done everything I’m supposed to? I wash my hands. Collapse in a chair for a moment, and then fix something to eat-- at maybe 2 or 3. Elder Fox usually has his lunch.. or second meal at about 4-5.

So, what do I do? It’s all small things. We’re trying to get a seminary class going, instead of just home study. So today I printed off the students and contact numbers and a sample of how the class should run. I asked a young woman to act as secretary. I went in the last bit of Sunday School class to explain it. We had a flurry of investigators come during Sunday School. So I visited with them, and then, after, encouraged them to come to Relief Society. However a friend had been in an accident and they were going to visit the person at the hospital.

We are preparing families to go to the temple so I printed the recommender letter and wrote on the backs of 13 photos, “I certify that this is an accurate likeness of this person” so that the recommender could sign the letter and the photos. I met with the mothers of the 3 families to confirm they could all gather on Friday at 1 for Yellow Fever shots - and go to the passport office at 10 that day to get passports. I spoke with another family who will need to get yellow fever shots to make up the total of 20 people to get the lower rate. And we talked about how the recommender could sign the passport applications before Friday. And of course, we reminded them about birth certificates and copies, ID’s and copies, Marriage Certificates and copies. And…oops… I need to type up a father’s recommender letter for the children of the three families.

Beatrice ordered a hymn book and I needed to give it to her. Winnie’s husband didn’t come to church today because a member said he needed to be in a white shirt and black pants… and he didn’t have them. He’s not even a member mind you. Argh. It’s so frustrating when people either give out misinformation or information given is misunderstood. Anyhow, Rebecca had brought over some white shirts, so I gave her one. A sister I’d heard about from Kisii came for the first time, so I needed to visit with her. And also Bernard and his wife Helen came from Migori about 20 km north of the Tanzanian border. We’d visited with them yesterday. They didn’t have money for food, so I’d given them some few things from our pantry. I knew they’d need something for the 5 hour journey back home and put some things together for them. Relief Society had planned to do some sewing class on Saturday, but no one showed up, so I showed Bernard, who was a tailor before an accident injured his hand, my idea of hot pads. The women here just grab a bit of paper to hold on to their HOT pans or to move the jiko charcoal stove. They must have burned all feeling off their fingers by now. Anyhow, I showed them a pot holder I made and then included it in the lunch along with the pattern for cloth dolls.

The Primary leaders had come Saturday and scrubbed the walls in the primary room. They are probably 300% better, but still have marks. Then they hung pictures around the room. Looks good! I may see if we can paint that room with a glossy paint that will be easier than flat to get the marks off.

I visited with the Young Men’s first counselor. I hoped they would have a presidency meeting, but the President rushed off and so they were left leaderless again. The counselor didn’t know about the Duty to God program so I ran up and down the steps several times looking for a book and the DVD to explain it. I hope he will review the material and be better prepared to help the young men move toward their goals.

That’s not all, but it’s probably more than anyone wants to know about what happens on a typical Sunday. Oh, and sandwiched in was a good Sacrament meeting, (I was asked to lead the music and some were hymns people hadn’t sung before), a fun youth class I caught a bit of, and a good Relief Society class. And in Sacrament they said approval had been given for a chapel in Kitale, one in Eldoret… and a TEMPLE in the DR Congo!