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!