Weekly Update 9/9/07

We put the Cowleys on the plane headed back to Tanzania on Monday then went back to work in our area. We did host Family Home Evening Monday for the 7 Nairobi Couples and the ones from Eldoret and Kitale who were still here getting their vehicles worked on. Pretty good sized group for our little flat. The Sudweeks were the only ones missing as they had family visiting from Utah. (The Kenyans pronounce it Ootah.)

This was to be our first week teaching English at Kyambeke and we were really struggling as we just weren't sure how to evaluate their current skill levels. We had decided that I would work with those who had some reading skills, Barb would take the middle group and Cassie (a native with good english skills) would continue with the beginners. After all the worrying most of the class were no shows but we did have 2 non-members show up who wanted to be baptized. There hasn't been anyone baptized in that branch for 5 years because of their struggle to understand English and the Church is requiring that everything be done in English now. We read with them out of the scriptures and asked some questions and they seemed to have a pretty good grasp once we got past our accents. We set up an appointment for the Assistants to work with them for next Thursday while we work with the rest of the class.

Friday we finally accomplished our first solo visit to Ilima. Quite a feat as the last km has to be done in 4 wheel drive with Sister Bishop keeping her eyes closed. I worked membership and financial audits with the Branch Pres and his Clerk while Sister Bishop walked over the side of the hill a ways where the RS were doing a service project. The Branch Presidents wife had been in the hospital so the ladies were using their hoe like implements to get the shamba ready for planting next month. The women do most of the menial work in the shambas. Especially in the non-member households.

Today we drove to Kilili for Sunday Services and finished coordinating for our visits for the next little while. Because of some special help that all 3 branches want in preparing for their primary programs we will be making 4 to 5 trips a week for the next 5 weeks.

Sister Bishop is being a real trooper about all the traveling. Road and traffic conditions are tough to describe. About half of the 40 kms on the Mombasa Highway are spent on deviations (British term for detours). Picture 2 lane dirt roads with a steady stream of large trucks going to and from the Port in Mombasa to as far inland as Uganda. Throw in the Mutatus and buses darting in and out which makes for one large dust cloud that you are never really sure just what is heading at you. There doesn't seem to be any kind of DOT controls so it is not unusual to be behind a truck that is either overloaded or run down to the point that it is just creeping along. One often comes across a rig that broke down right in the road and the driver is working on it trying to get it going again. The normal warning sign is a tree branch broken off and thrown in the road. There are days when I sure wish I was traveling in an M1 Tank again.

We did see 5 more giraffes, an ostrich, and several herds of antelope that looked like heartabeests along the road this week. When we get on the roads in the hills one has to be alert for goats and cows but they are usually trailing a hobble like rope from one leg and a herdsman of some kind (usually a young kid) is close by.