Well we will start off with the bad news good news routine. The bad news is that Kenyans are still killing Kenyans. The good news is that Kibaki and Odinga have got together with Kofi Annan (former UN Secretary General) to attempt a mediation process. The continued strife is north of us in the Eldoret/Nakuru/Burnt Forest area. The local newspaper puts the death toll over 1,000 now but I am not sure anyone really knows. Because it has degenerated into a tribal ethnic cleansing type situation fatalities are mostly the result of bow & arrow, machete, rocks or fire. Nairobi has been pretty calm this last week but then someone assassinated one of the MPs (members of parliament) on Tuesday so who knows where this will end or if it will. The MP was from the opposition party but they currently hold a majority position because of their success at the polls in the December election. We continue to go about our business while keeping a wary eye on the church and embassy alerts we receive on our mobile phone through out each day.
Our efforts with our branches seems to have hit a plateau of sorts. The keyboard members continue to show but don't practice much through the week. The same is true of the English students so progress is very slow. Our investigators continue to insist that they want to be baptized but then struggle to respond to our efforts at prepatory interviews so they can or will express themselves when the assistants interview them for baptisms. Some would do well enough but I worry about those who fail becoming discouraged and just giving up but then I guess the plan is for each of us to progress at the rate we are willing to put forth the effort.
My patience is certainly being tried each day whether it is fighting to curb my road rage in their chaotic driving conditions, dealing with telephone repairmen who move at their own pace with no real thought of service, or trying to help people in some way who are struggling in very austere conditions just to survive to lift their heads and see the big picture of our Heavenly Father's Plan. Sure makes me appreciate my own heritage and comfortable living conditions. It also forces me to ponder why I am so blessed and would I have the same testimony that I do if I had come to earth in any other circumstances.We did make some progress this week with our prospective missionaries as we now have passports on two of the three form Kilili. We will get them back to Nairobi in another week so they can get their Patriarchal Blessings and finalize their applications to the Missionary Dept. with Pres. Taylor. I have appointments with the Doc and Dentist for Joshua from Ilima for next week so hope to have him at the same point within another month.
A local point of interest is that the newly elected Speaker of Parliament lives here in our compound. One of the couples who lives near him is trying to get him to come and visit with us during one of our Home Evenings.
Well that concludes my thoughts and ramblings for another week. We love and miss you all and thank you for your concerns on our welfare. Elder & Sister Bishop
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