Weekly Update 10-20-08

Yesterday was the Primary Program at Ilima. What a treat! I spent Sacrament Meeting with a little feller on my lap who finally drifted off to sleep just as the meeting was about to end. He is not two yet and my companion thought maybe he was looking for a piece of candy. I have quit giving them out though as there was actually one boy that would stay home from school on the days he knew we were coming just so he could get a sweet. Don't want something like that to deprive a young Kenyan of an education as many need all the help they can get to improve their lot in life. I have since slipped some to the Branch President or Primary President at times so they can give it out after we leave. There has been some rain in the lower areas and those members tell me their maize is starting to germinate. Hope those further up and over the big hill get the same blessing soon. It started raining in Nairobi as we arrived home and the guards told me this morning that it rained most of the night. Had some more and even thunder this afternoon. Today was pretty low key as Kenya was celebrating Kenyatta Day so wasn't much going on except in the Uhuru Park in our neck of the woods. President Makiti buried his brother today so told us they would still be involved elsewhere tomorrow and wanted us to not visit Kilili. We have a few investigators ready for their baptismal interviews in Kyambeke so I am going to take the Assistants up there to conduct those interviews tomorrow. Since it is just up and back Sis. Bishop is going to stay and work on some projects here tomorrow. Victor tells me we should start to see some of the passports for the temple patrons this week. Justus is still waiting on his birth certificate. We thought we had everything ready to go on it but the folks that issue them have decided they want another 2,000 shillings which appears to me to just be outright graft. I am having to spend a little time on my attitude lately as the system here lacks a lot of order which to my way of thinking is a result of the prevalent me attitude. It is very refreshing to deal with so many of the church members who really buy into the brotherhood of all God's children. There really are a lot of good native people here doing really good things. I just need to remember that when I run into the negative things that come along.

All the rain has brought out some slugs that we hadn't seen in the previous 14 months. Sister Bishop was cleaning the flat for our hosting of FHE this evening when I heard one of those funny noises she makes when unpleasantly startled. I went into the other room to find her staring at a 2 inch long black slug oozing up the dining room wall. Then as the couples were coming tonight they complimented us on our early Halloween decorations on the door. There was a 5 inch long white slug adorning our doorframe. Not sure if either of them could swim or hold their breath very long but I gave them both the opportunity to do both of those activities as I flushed them down the facilities. I did not do it in her bathroom though on the off chance that they can do both and decide to come back and haunt us. I guess there are a few advantages to the hole in the floor latrines up country.

After the post election violence of the first of the year the new coalition government appointed a chief Justice by the name of Waiki to look into the causes and that commission finished their report this week. Be interesting to see where this goes as some are even claiming they will file with the folks in the Hague if nothing is done with the named culprits which are still not being revealed to the public.

Well that is a brief review of our life in Kenya for another week. Congratulations on the winning pinewood derby car Max. Your mother has probably told you how much I personally dreaded that particular Pack Meeting each year so not many of my sons creations made it into the record books for speed.

Elder & Sister Bishop