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!