August 7, 2011

This lady wanted to take a picture with me. Next is a Momma with her 2 children.

This fellow wanted to stand in the door way with dad to see who was taller. He wanted me to take a picture and then he wanted to see the picture. It was funny!

Here is a picture of a young women with her medallion.

We left for the Killili Branch at 7:00. The Nevins drove this time hurray! The branch is further out and more primitive than the hills. There are actually many dried grass huts still being used. I will send some pictures as we will be going back there on Tuesday. The sacrament meeting was so amazing. It was fast-Sunday so we heard their testimonies. They talk very quiet. One beautiful young sister shared her testimony; she is leaving for Uganda in September on a mission. There was another sister leaving this month to serve in Mesa, Arizona. The youth have all the strength in the branches. A sixteen year old young man stood and gave the Sunday School lesson 12-adults. He did a great job and when he asked a question he would wait and wait until someone answered. I then went to Young Women’s. They were all crowded in a small room. A young tall girl stood up to conduct. Yea, they are doing it right, however 20 minutes later they handed her the baby that was in the back of the room and she started to nurse the baby. She was so young and come to find out this was her second baby and she was the 1^st counselor in the YW presidency. They passed out 4 manuals and a few followed a long with a girl who read the lesson. Every word. Most of the girls were quiet, but not listening or involved. The Presidency sat in the front with another manual and helped the young girl with words she didn’t know which was many. I tried to do my best not to drink anything because I don’t want to use the out-house hole, but we had temple class after the 3 hour block and it couldn’t be helped.

Temple class was wonderful. One sister cried when Elder Nevin told her she could have work done for all of her family that had passed. She was very old and the only member. Just to show you what a sacrifice it is for them to go to the temple, I will list the things they have to do just to get ready legally to travel to South Africa.

1. Get ID find it

2. Get pin # to apply for birth certificate (have to go to ride a bus to their county seat )

3. Apply for passport (they first have to raise a lot money to ride into Nairobi on a bus that takes 4-5 hours and pay for the passport)

4. Verification of marriage ( sometimes they have to marry them because they haven’t been married legally by proper authority)

There is a temple fund that will financially assist them to fly to S.A. and then at the temple there are places to stay for 5 days. They have to show sacrifice before this fund kicks in. Like one family gave a goat and that was really a lot for them. Each trip we eat a sack lunch on our way home. We arrived home at 6:00.