Four Projects, Four Days.

We have been focusing on several things as our days wind down. We have three things to do with our departure:

1. clean up, sort, organize.

2. pack

3. complete the turnover packet for our followers—the couple who follows us.

We have several activities yet with our missionary work:

1. visit people one last time.

2. regular training and teaching

3. prepare for the seminary activity.

We have been poking at each one all week.

Monday we worked hard to get the last of the “armor of God” prepared. E. Fox had cut out the Shield of faith, the breastplates of righteousness, and the swords of the spirit. I was having a hard time figuring out how to make the shoes of the Gospel of peace or the helmet of salvation. I finally took light cardboard and shaped a shoe top. Sister B. came up with a brilliant helmet of salvation—small dust bins covered with aluminum foil. They had strips of plastic for the sides, so part of the strips she just covered the strips making a grillwork for the face part. Monday we bought fabric for the “loins girt about with truth.” And we got fabric and cut it for arm bands for the different groups—yellow, blue, green. (no symbolism to the colors… just ones that looked nice.) They are now labeled and prepared to go. We got the Armor of God video clip and the speakers lined up. E. Fox is still working on the scripture mastery activity. We think we’ve decided on a lunch menu.

On Monday we took one of the young elders to the Woolen mill to check out suit material and to the tailors. E. fox finally dropped off his last fabric to have made into pants. The last one got a hole in it as the tailor was ironing it and one of the charcoal pieces dropped onto the finished pants. I got some crochet hooks for making necklaces.

In the afternoon we had a chance to visit with the branch president. He expressed gratitude for our service. He said, you’ve been my parents—encouraging and correcting as needed. And sometimes I’ve acted like the child. But I really appreciate you and I’ve grown a great deal. He is a good man. The branch is moving forward. The leadership is becoming aware of those not attending and focus is turning to them.

Tuesday my goal was to stay home and get stuff done on the turnover packet. I introduced each of the Kisumu members and identified relationships. I also started on the phone contact list. We have people in the phone like Elizabeth, Morrice, Electric Isaiah, Didikis, and so on. I thought it might be helpful to know who they were. Actually, if I would just put the last names into the phone so they could be cross referenced with the branch list that would help on some. In the evening we taught our last institute class. We have really enjoyed that. I think those in the class will see that it continues.

Wednesday we wandered through the house getting rid of stuff and organizing it. We have a file cabinet we’ve gone through about 3 times now. Each time we find things to take, things to toss, and things to leave. I think we’re done with it now. Part of the problem was Tom organized according to his thoughts, then I’d organize according to mine… then together. I made a list of things we’ve purchased since we came to Kenya for customs.

Wednesday evening we went to Elizabeth and Isaac’s house for a cottage meeting. I forget how far back into Nyalenda it is. We took boda-bodas to Solwe stage. Got there a little late, didn’t bring the right video we’d promised, and waited for more to show up. But still, it was good. The video was the Book of Mormon Stories instead of the John Tanner Story. So we watched “How we got the Book of Mormon” and several other chapters while we waited. Then E. Fox did a masterful job building on the things taught on that video. By the time we were done it was pretty dark. They walked us back to the stage stop, and we decided to take a piki-piki home. It’s a motorcycle… and they have headlights. It was a first time for us. Kinda fun. And we arrived safe. And it wasn’t much more than a boda boda for two.

Thursday Glory came to get her immunizations and we then sat with her and went over her missionary packet and talked about the USA. She’s going to the New York, NY south mission which includes Bermuda Island interestingly enough. We picked her up and took her to the Public Health place a little after ten. I thought, by noon we’d be done… Sigh. TIA. We returned her to the stage to return to Busia closer to 3. I got my last haircut here. Then we went to pick up the missionaries to go and visit Joan and George. Again, we parked the truck and walked back in a ways. Joan had not been present at church for over 2 months. I think she was a lost sheep. She’d wandered from church, but still was reading the Book of Mormon. E. Fox had her read the parable in Luke 15 about the lost sheep and the joy that was felt upon its return. In the evening we packed a suitcase of things we won’t need until we get home. Then we couldn’t find the scale—BAH!—to know if it is under 50 lbs. or not.

Today we will go to Sondu or the Nyabondo saints for the last time. We will visit a home where we’d been invited numerous times… but not gone. We will teach a lesson and do a little Seminary and Institute teacher training. We will also visit their brick making operation.

So, I suppose there are more than 4 projects. And technically more than 4 days. But mid next week we go to north and return just in time for the Seminary Activity. Then we clean and pack and head to Nairobi for exit interview and farewell.

All these activities have been made more interesting by lack of high speed internet and occasionally by lack of power. We've been having AWESOME thunderstorms. They tumble in with booms and crashes. Sometimes the rumblings seem non-stop. Alas, frequently then the power does stop-- anywhere from an hour or so up to half a day. If it stops at night, it will eventually come back on, but often stops again the next day-- presumably when they do a more secure fix. On the good side, we've had plenty of water!

Obedience

When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment God will endow us with power. -- Ezra Taft Benson

Sunday, Sunday

Last week raced past! I so appreciated the hand of the Lord in it. From Saturday when we drove back from Nairobi, until Thursday afternoon there were a million things to do. We loved having the Tuttles with us. They are a great couple. We delighted in showing them around and finding Homa Bay ourselves for the first time. We were pleased that the road toward Kitale has been repaved and is a good road. When we showed the Tuttles the way to Kitale, we enjoyed a tailgate picnic in the back yard of the Misihku branch with the Beechers. On the way back home we saw the shambas tilled and planted now that the rains have come. . I enjoyed teaching the Self Employment Workshop for two days with Susan Kanga and we celebrated our graduation. And of course, we needed to take time to prepare to teach Institute. It is always a treat. We didn’t get everything done that we wanted, but we got the important ones done. The miracle was that I didn’t feel stressed out. I felt that I was prepared for the classes and they went well. E. Fox made a great dent in the preparations for our seminary “Armor of God” activity. And I finished up classes on Thursday feeling well satisfied with all the things we’d done. We began to plot out the remainder of our time here and actually have about 10 days that are not scheduled. On Friday with a seemingly manageable list of things and a space of time to do them, I felt stress and tension creeping in. It made me realize how great the blessing was from the Lord that earlier in the week I was calm and stress free. We have been going through bookshelves and the filing cabinet to clear out our paperwork and leave what is needed. We are trying to write an “Area Book” that will help when a new couple moves in. Friday we had George here painting the Primary Room and Jackie cleaning our house and we left them at the church and went out to visit Morrice the guard and his family. They live about 10 km out of town and he rides his bike to work guarding the church every night. He's been a very good guard. We learn all the local events through him-- what's happening. What it means. What it may lead to. I guess the Fish Mamas were tired of their trade being interfered with due to roads being blocked and resolved the problem on their own. AH. Woman Strength!

We had a baptism on Saturday that was very nice. Here is Memory and her uncle Eliud who baptized her. And there were two investigators there as well.

I decided to go native for the baptism, and got a lot of complements on how "smart" and "African" I looked. I donno. The head scarf is always hot to wear. But the dress may replace my toucan one.

We both spoke in Sacrament today and we had a good attendance today. And in Branch Counsel concern was expressed by many about how to reach those who are not coming. I think that as the leaders and members have the desire and focus, they will find success in bringing back the lost sheep. My counsel was not to ask: “What’s keeping you away from church?” (which focuses on the negative,) but rather, “What will it take to come back to church?” (Which focuses in a positive direction.) After church we met with several new investigators and with those preparing to go to the temple. We discussed luggage. On Saturday we’d bought some duffel bags so they could carry things in something more than a polythin bag. They need to finalize their transport to Nairobi. With the family and a single sister from Nariobi, a couple from Kitale, and our 3 families and one single sister we will have 24 people to help get to the temple. It's still like herding cats... but at least I have some experience in that now.

For the past 10 days we have been struggling with our internet provider and have had to rely on a remote modem that doesn't do large files, to include allowing us to Skype. Really we would like to talk with you...

Learning of the Lord

Mission Tour was a unique opportunity to ask questions of Elder and Sister Clayton and Elder and Sister Koelliker. I learned much.

1. A young man with serious cancer asked Elder Bednar for a blessing. Elder Bednar asked: “Do you have the faith NOT to be healed?” After thinking about it, the young man said, “Yes. That means I know the Savior CAN heal me. So if he does, or if he does not it’s okay. It happens because that the Lord knows is best for me.”

2. Sometimes we focus too much on behavior. The goal is to focus on conversion. If we are converted, our minds and hearts change. Then the behavior will take care of itself.

3. How does the husband “preside” in the home when the husband and wife are equal partners? He serves. He is responsible for the family. However he is not the boss. The Broadbents have a saying: “Happy wife, happy life.”

4. Reverence is the key to revelation. Reverence is being. It’s not only an action, it’s who we are. The heart and mind are receptive to the spirit.

5. Don’t feel you have to be perfect today. Keep working on it. Life is a process and it takes time. Moses 7:21 “In the process of time” the City of Enoch was taken up into heaven.

6. There is a preciseness in the Lord’s pattern and he wants us to move closer to that perfection. However, it takes time to learn in new wards and branches. Lift the leaders. Support them. Don’t criticize.

7. What are the prophet and apostles like? They are like you and I in that they eat. They sleep. They wash their clothes and shop and do dishes like everyone else. What sets them apart is that everything they do, they do with great love and purity of heart. They do things for lofty reasons. They see the Lord in everything.

[I made it my goal to act more in love. The Savior says “no” many, many times. And he does it in a spirit of Love. I should be able to love all—the unkind, the hateful and hurtful and those that just want something from me. I can love them and still set boundaries and say no. Clearly it CAN be done. I just need to figure out how to do it.]

8. He gave the story of a man who purchased a pearl of great value. He hired a master craftsman to make a box to showcase it. People came to see it… but many went away discussing the beautiful box. The Gospel is the pearl. The church organization is the box. Don’t get so caught up in how the box is doing. Don’t struggle with the wrong details. What matters is who you are. Be as good as you can be. Conversion will change hearts and minds which will change behavior. The Gospel of Jesus Christ will create a Zion on earth. Eventually the church here will look like established churches in Utah.

9. The Savior has rectified everything that is fallen about this earth.

It’s Still Interesting

Life has been interesting since Andy and Kera and Family left. We had made plans for that week, but then we learned that Elder L. Whitney Clayton of the Presidency of the 70 and Elder Koelliker the South- East Africa Area President were coming to Nairobi for a Mission Tour and all Missionaries from Kenya were to be in Nairobi on Friday. So we decided to stay in Nairobi for the week.
Tuesday I laboriously wrote out Visa applications for our people going to the temple. Then we went to the service center. Wednesday we went to Jogo market and the service center and got a lot done. Thursday we made a cake and lasagna. We also met with Josephine who makes the lovely necklaces. Thursday night we went to dinner (and took our lasagna) at President Broadbent’s house and met with the general authorities. Elder Fox and I were blessed to sit next to the Claytons. They are delightful people and we had a lovely conversation. After dinner they opened it up to questions for the church leaders.

We were up early on Friday and had a grand Mission Tour Conference. Again, Elder Clayton opened the meeting for questions from the young missionaries and we learned a lot. Of course after being spiritually fed, the missionaries got temporal food.

After lunch I was able to connect some of the sisters with Josephine so they could get great necklaces, too. Friday night we laundered and packed and Saturday we headed home.


We lead the way and the E/S Tuttle, the LDS Charities missionary couple, followed us. This was their first time out of Nairobi. They’ve been on their mission just a month and are still getting their feet wet… almost literally. They are looking at water projects. We arrived home in Kisumu at the tail end of the Relief Society Birthday Party.

We had good church meetings on Sunday and on Monday we took the the Tuttles to Homa Bay to see where the neonatal training will be held later this spring. They spoke to the water monitor down there. The bay was lovely as was the drive.

Tuesday Susan Kanga and I taught a Self-Employment workshop from 9-3:30 and E. Fox stayed in to work on our seminary activity planned for 9 April. Tuesday night at 5-6:30 we held our usual Institute class. We sent the Tuttles off to Busia in the morning to look at spring projects. It’s been a long day and I be tired!

Tomorrow we will go with the Tuttles to Mbale for the second neonatal training site, and then on towards Kitale so we can show them the way. Then the Beechers will help them find latrine project and other needs in the Kitale area. Thursday will be the second day of the Self Employment Workshop. I have not seen this workshop, so I’ve really had to study from the book and prepare.

When I was with Josephine I got some string and beads to crochet a necklace. I had hoped to bring back one of Josephine’s to show my ladies here, but it wasn’t there. So I’m busy trying to crochet one. Akk! My crocheting is lousy! I hope the uneven stitches add to the charm and uniqueness of the necklace. It is something I can do when I’m really tired.

The End of the Visit

We returned to Kisumu on Friday. I prepared a kit for Margaret so she could start making dolls and pot holders. Elder Fox and I took boda-boda’s to her house and taught her how to make them. Fortunately the rain came as we were there and was gone when we left.

Saturday morning was Aaron’s baptism. We had another 8 year old girl baptized and the wife of a member. It was a great service.

In the afternoon we took boda-bodas to the vegetable market, walked to the masaii market, and took a tuk-tuk home. Kera improved greatly on her negotiating skills. And I think everyone had a good time and came home with desirable loot. It is both exhilarating and exhausting to be corralled, cajoled, and commanded to buy things. They spent the rest of the day with laundry and packing. Oh, and talk preparation. Nathan, Andy and Kera were all asked to speak on Sunday.

Sunday morning we had Branch Counsel. The good news is that we are having the meeting. Progress is being made and learning is occurring. Sacrament was good. Our attendance is down, sigh. I keep thinking if the visiting teachers and home teachers would just contact those not there and say, “We miss you!” more would come. This was Elder Bakker’s last Sunday. He’s been doing such a good job playing the piano. We will miss him.

In the afternoon we went to visit some church families. We stopped and visited Fred Okoth. Aaron got to see his chicken again.

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Then we went to Marcelus’s house for a lovely dinner and good company. It’s always so uplifting to hear their conversation stories and their testimonies.

It was dark by the time we left, but we gathered for a photo of Marcelus and wife, his daughter, grandson, and the landlady.

Monday we left early for Nairobi. I had prayed that the Lord would stretch the car, and I believe he did. The ride seemed not as crowed or as long as the last ones. I think it helped that Kera entertained us by reading from “Tick-bite Fever” by David Bennun for part of the way. Sometimes we were laughing so hard, she had to stop for a minute.

We stopped at Westgate mall for lunch and a bit of shopping. Then we went to the couple’s apartment and I caught up on emails. Almost the whole time Andy’s family has been here, the internet has not been working! Grrr. We’ve had to rely on our wireless connection. The rest of the group decided to walk to the Hilton for one last shopping spree. That evening we had the couples family home evening and as I was leaving, they voted new people to the Couple’s Co-op board.

We hugged good bye and Tom took the family to the airport. They had LOTS of stuff, but made it back to the USA safely!

Mara With Andy and Family

Wednesday we left early for the Mara. We squished into the truck and the ride was not too bad. Once we got to the rough road, we let the children climb into the back of the truck. Ohh. They got dusty. But they were excited to be there. Along the way, the skid plate came loose and a temporary fix was found.





At the Mara, we had many game drives and saw great scenery, animals and birds. While our Masaii driver spoke some English, his understanding of OUR English was minimal. However, he took us to see all the big 5 and he had a good command of the names of birds, so Kera was happy.



Eland

Sacred Ibis

Big bird in a tree-- Gray buzzard?

The lions and our cubs.

Banded Mongooses... or mongeese. And below, a black backed jackal. Try saying that three times fast.

A really big buzzard.

We saw the cheetahs on a hill looking out. Then running as if they were playing. Then an unfortunate bush buck ran past.

And our driver tracked down the three cheetahs and the kill. (the brown shape on the left.)

We found our fun secretary bird (about 3' tall) and an Impala, not all that much taller.

This is the first time I know for sure I've seen a black rhino. The mouth is more pointed than the white (or wide) rhino. There aren't many on the Mara, so this was cool!

Then we found a mama leopard...

with her baby.... and breakfast.

Warthogs seemed to be standing...or running away. Not many eating grass this time. But they are fun "Pumba" types.

For the first time we saw a hippo on land. I'm glad he was on the OTHER side of the river from where we had our breakfast! He walked up and down that side several times.

We had breakfast with the hood of the safari van as our table. This was just as we were to leave the river site. John was our driver (pronounced Joan.)

I'd seen the bee catchers in my bird book and was delighted to find one in person... or in wing. I think today he was a dragonfly catcher.

One of Tom's favorites is the Topi.

We saw many elephants.

Several times when we stopped for photos of birds, we saw other animals-- a lion under a tree, some elephants in a ravine. I wonder how many times we drive by, never knowing the animals near by. How many times do we pass by, never seeing the need in others?

When we got back to camp, no one was hesitant to dig into the food. It was very good. Aaron was fascinated by the trees growing inside the dining area... and out the roof.

We saw a number of lions-- in small groups and large. Here there were about 9 lion cubs all sprawled out together.

The giraffes are always so graceful.

While I refrained from getting so many zebra shots this time, Katie made up for it. I wonder if half her photos aren't zebras. And rightly so. They are lovely.

Tom's camera accidentally got on the "take a gazillion photos" mode. So we have dozens of this hyena! Left paw up.. left paw slightly extended... paw stretched a bit more... you get the idea. He also had that on with a bird that took flight. That series was much more interesting.

Sunsets on the Mara are always exquisite. This is the water mill at Telak Gate.

And on the way home from the Mara, we saw buzzards circling. We came closer and found buzzards gathered around a deceased zebra. It was just off the road and out of the Mara. So we got closer, scattered the buzzards, and then watched them come in to land again.

Our drive home was dusty, but uneventful.

Fun With the Fox's

Monday March 7th we went to Dunga Bay and took a boat ride on Lake Victoria.
It's always fun to see the fishermen and the fantastic shore line.
We had wanted to go to the bird sanctuary near hippo point. Although we said that a few times… we got taken elsewhere, until I got a bit grumpy and paid a few more shillings. Of course, we did see some awesome birds! This kingfisher was standing on the head of a giraffe sculpture .

Look at the feet of this bird!




Later in the day we went to Erica’s. She fed us a great lunch and we visited with her friends. They asked great gospel questions and we had a good conversation. At the same time Aaron spent the 3 hours chasing chickens. As we walked to the fish pond he managed to catch a baby goat and scare the mama enough to break loose of her tether—and catch her again. When it was time to leave, Erica took Kera and Aaron off… and came back with a chicken. One of her friends had given Aaron a chicken! The white one is Aaron's.

He was SO delighted. He held it all the way home. He fixed a place in the patio and fed it rice, chased it, held it, and collected leaves for a nest for it.

Tuesday morning we went to Eliud’s school. The Fox children shared about their school and asked students about how their school worked. Then we watched Eliud teach about “sharing” or division. It was really good. “I have 6 sweets I want to share between two children. How many will each child get?” See? Sharing. He introduced the concept. Each desk had a set of “counters”—bottle caps—that they used to visually figure out the math—even up to 24 divided by 8! The children were swept on to the playground to play with the children a while, then we lounged and awaited sodas before departing. (Sorry. Andy got photos of the school, I think.)

We came home and they relaxed and E. Fox and I prepared for our Institute class we had that evening. We asked one of the class attendees- Fred- if he would be kind enough to take Aaron’s chicken. Aaron was SO sad to see it go. We had hopes Fred could use the chicken to raise and sell eggs. But it turns out it’s a rooster.

Wednesday we left for the Mara.