January 18-22, 2012

Wednesday we finally had a rest day. We slept in until 7:00, did some planning, got groceries and had a wonderful dinner with our new couple the Olsen’s. Hurray they are here! Thursday was another day of lessons at Kyambeke and Bruce led a great discussion with the temple class on the difference of Salvation and Exaltation. What great comments. Now Friday Woot! Woot! (As Addy would say) We went to Ilima to visit a few families but ended up spending 1 ½ hours at one home. Sister Rechell Kamawthe Muei and her husband Dennis Kalelu were early pioneers of the church in Ilima being baptized in 1986. She spoke great English and shared stories and showed us pictures. She told how hard it was to have the surrounding village people persecute them and ridicule the church. She said "we were failing because no one wanted to be with us or around us". At that time the government had given permission for them to meet for private worship in small groups of less than 10. Later in 1989, the government asked all missionaries to leave Kenya. They were not allowed to return until 1991. Sister Rechell said that they could only pray in their homes and could not meet together. She has not been active for almost one year because of hurt feelings but as I talked with her she bore her testimony to me and we challenged her to return to Ilima branch to church and to prepare to go to the temple with Dennis her husband. She agreed and there was such a glow about her and we just felt such a great spirit. I am so excited to see if she went Sunday as we are scheduled to the Kyambeke branch. I just hope if she does, the people will be so welcoming. Isn’t it interesting that the saints in Africa have the same “people problems” as the saints in Utah. We then headed back to Mitini for branch council meeting including lunch.

Saturday. They canceled the baptisms until next week at Mitini so we stayed in Nairobi. We took Elder and Sister Olsen and the Kellem’s out to see some sights. We had a great time and it was just so fun to be with them. It’s Sunday now and we have arrived home from Kyambeke. We brought some of the Elders in for Zone Conference tomorrow where we will all meet with Elder and Sister Carl Cook. The Elders made a banana cake in the kitchen and we had a fun visit before they left to stay at the Assistants flat which is in our same compound. It’s just been a busy and wonderful week.

These two pictures show a display of fruits and flowers at a fancy market at "The Junction" an up-scale mall here in Nairobi.

What a contrast from the shops in the villages. We really see so many different sides of Kenya.