The drive to Ilima started at 6:00. We went with the Nevins and had a lot of items to be delivered to the Mitini and Kymbeke missionaries. The drive is so hard and scary but the rewards are so tremendous once you get there. The baptism in Ilima started an hour late as the people are pretty layed back and they have to walk many miles to get to the church. One son baptized his mother and then he baptized two younger boys that lived in the branch. They were raised by their grandma. Her third grandson probably five just came and held my hand. So sweet. He didn’t talk once. The baptismal font was a large blue garbage bin like we have in the United States. The lid was set off to the side and they had made a metal ladder for the candidate to step down into the water then the latter had to be lifted out so that they could be dipped into the water. The water was very cold and very dirty but know one said to much. After, we heard testimonies from the new members. The Branch President then told me that we were in charge of all the baptism clothes and we would be in charge to take them to baptisms. So I am going to work really hard to get them white. There are two large Rubber-Maid containers.
The Mitini missionaries then asked us to go with them to see a member and his family. We left our truck at the top of a ridge and hiked down a narrow bumpy path to Brother and Sister Boneface’s house or hut. They moved from there mud and stick hut to a sandbrick house. They have ten turkey’s that provide money for their children to go to school when he sells two. They have a cow and chickens and 2 geese that he is hoping to produce more.
The two grandmothers live with them and they have eight children. Two of them are his brothers children who died. Sister Agnus, is the YW President. (they have forty girls in their branch).
The conditions were something I couldn’t put into words. They brought out wooden stools for the four of us to sit and the two elders sat in the dirt. Four of the children sat on the turkey box. The chickens and turkey wondered through our stools and legs. We were under a huge avocado tree and the grandma was next to me sitting on a burlap bag, rubbing fibers on her leg to make a rope. We had an opening prayer, a message from the elders, then a testimony from Brother Boneface. They are such a humble and sweet people. There was a good spirit there. He asked Dad to give a closing prayer and blessing on his family and son Joseph who has been very ill. Sister Agnus took a bag and filled it with huge avocado’s to take home. I noticed Elder Navin quietly gave her some money.
We then hiked up the mountain path and returned the missionaries to their flat in this (I want to say sleazy but I won’t) little village. Its hard to explain but they live in some apartments, goats and chickens hang around the door and the bottom floor of occupants all us this one bathroom toilet and it is not a flush toilet. Anyway the Elders were told they needed to clean-up and attend to their flat as it was bad. Last night’s dinner was still on the table. They were embarrassed.
On the way home on Monbasa Road we saw not only zebras, but camels, ostriches, gazzells, and wildebeests'. It was so fun. We are going to start taking the binoculars with us. We got home in good time, chatted with some of the kids online, packed our lunch for Sunday and went to bed.
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