We were so sick of box lunches that we didn’t take anything to eat on Saturday and that was a mistake. Today (Sunday) we took lunch again and it tasted good. We eat in the car on the way home from the Hills about 2-2:30 in the afternoon.
Kililli Branch was our Tuesday drive. I have pictures of the area. I bought a Laso or cloth that wraps around you to protect your skirt. It cost $1.50 and she hemmed the edges for $.25. The ladies in the branch took me across the path to the dress maker shop to get it.
Bruce did an audit with the Branch President and I taught a conducting class. No one can take the keyboard class without completing the conducting class as they have to show commitment. Then a couple in the branch gave a nice temple preparation lesson. When we arrived home we were able to talk to my brother Gary, Tuckers and Ami on G-chat and talk about the funeral. It was nice to see everyone.
Mitini Branch was Wednesday and Thursday Kymbeke Branch with Ilima on Friday. We met with those who came for classes and enjoyed them all. At the temple classes the sisters always ask if they can go to the temple and have their children sealed to them. Bruce just tells them no but to always be temple worthy and keep praying for their husbands and to love them.
At the Ilima branch they are building on to their chapel. You will have to look at the pictures. It just makes you shake your head the way they do things. Oh yes I also have to add that the community was filling their water jugs from the baptismal font when we got there at 10:00. They get water from wherever they can.
Mitini Branch: These two pictures are of Brother Anthony and Margaret, they are taking the temple classes and I wanted you to see how they pack their babies on their backs.
Saturday made the whole week worthwhile. It even made the last three weeks worthwhile.
The missionaries from Mitini and Kymbeke had a combined baptism and there were 24 baptisms, all ages. It was just thrilling. The people are so humble. They are so converted in their will and desires. The baptismal font is like a cattle-trough in Kymbeke. The water was quite clean but after all the baptisms it was brown. Some of the children and people should have been pre-baptized I think. We used up all the baptismal clothes. Little children had shirts with large rolled up sleeves and pants. . The one Elder had a pair of pants that he couldn’t zip up all the way and a man had a zipper that was pinned. We only had 10 towels and they kept wringing them out for the next person. No one cared. It was so spiritual and I cried as I watched the wonderful progress of the church going forth in Kenya. Most everyone is a first generation member.
After it was over I took all the wet clothing and towels home to wash.
After sitting in Nairobi traffic for 1 hour and 15 minutes we finally made it to our flat and had a shower, cleaned up and went to dinner with the missionaries couples. It is always a treat to be with them and have some pretty good food. We laugh and share our experiences. Every couple has a different mission assignment and they vary a lot.
Today we visited the Mitini Branch and there were 390 saints. They did not fit into the simple cement chapel with plastic chairs so they had plastic chairs out to the side of the building. When we arrived they had Christmas music playing on a CD player. As they came in they are very quiet and many read their scriptures. Sometimes I think the children are drugged they are so quiet. One little baby had on a red Santa hat with white trim and a white ball. You see everything.
By the time they did all their confirmations and blessed 3 babies it was over an hour. We then had the sacrament. It was so humbling because the bread was pieces of cookies broken very small. Then they asked Bruce and me to bear our testimony. We then separated to classes and Bruce went to Priesthood and they asked him to give a lesson, no other guidelines. He had to talk to them for 50 minutes. He said he is going to have a talk ready in his bag from now on.
The traffic was quite low today because it was Sunday so we got home at 4ish. We are happy that this week is over and that we have a rest day tomorrow.
I do have to add here that Thursday evening we were able to get on to G-Chat and with the help of Emilee and Johnny, watch mom’s funeral, live. No one could see the computer or us but we could see the speakers. It was so reverent and nice. It was 8:00 at night our time so we just enjoyed it. I appreciated all our children being there and participating. What a blessing technology has been for us at this time.
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