Well I am going to try and get this out before the rest of Kenya wakes up and the internet is overtaken by its' Monday Morning Hiccups. This wasn't too bad of a week as we were able to make it to all our scheduled visits despite the vehicle challenges that last week left us. Our truck came out of the shop by Wednesday evening before we had to climb the Kilungu Hills. The replacement we were using, although only 2 wheel drive, got us into Kilili okay on Tuesday but only because President called and warned us that the road was broken (washed out) in 3 places so we took a different route and still arrived close to schedule. We did have a flat in the traffic jam coming home that day but we were just a little over a mile from the Mission Office so we just rode it to there and then changed it. That turned out to be the best decision as the last assigned driver on our loaner vehicle had put a weird lock on the spare hanging underneath. That was probably a good idea at the time but the lock was so full of African dust that I was unable to open it. It was after hours so that no one but the security guards were available to help resolve the issue. I did finally find a hammer and proceeded to vent my frustration on the offending lock which did finally yield the desired results. However, the lock is now non-functional but I do feel somewhat vindicated. That will teach that hunk of metal not to willingly comply with the desires of a retired Colonel.
The Johannesburg Temple called us Thursday somewhat concerned that we had not sent any paperwork yet to support our scheduled Dec. 1-6 trip. We had finally received some of the passports on Wednesday and Victor was supposedly pursuing some of the deficiencies as we spoke. We coordinated with the Public Affairs couple to scan passports and the patron assistance form while we were in Ilima Friday. So I think we are good to go except there will only be 13 of us on this first trip as one of the families was still short passports for 2 children. We have since tracked down one of the missing documents and hope to have the other this week but they will have to go in February as the window of opportunity for Dec. is now firmly closed. The time lag in securing documents might put some of the projected February participants in jeopardy as well as we are still struggling with the submission of a few of those. We will still hopefully have some seeds of desire planted that will yet yield some good fruit.
Martin Muthenya Kioko became the newest convert in Kyambeke yesterday. He is a 36 year old bachelor who had previously spent some time proselytizing for his old religion in the village. The branch had over 160 attendants yesterday which is pretty good since there are only 181 members. There were several non-members in attendance and we will be starting some new discussions there Thursday. There are several family members and friends of recent converts that want to receive some instruction during the December School Holidays. Sister Bishop obtained a solid referral on a man who lives here in Nairobi and was visiting in his ancestral home and desired to come and worship with the members there. It was Kyambeke's week to have the generator and video equipment so they opted to view church history films in place of Priesthood and auxiliary meetings yesterday. After he saw "The First Vision", "The Three Witnesses", "Wilford Woodruffs Search for Truth", "The Windows of Heaven", and then witnessed Martin's baptism he was wanting to take the plunge himself. Hopefully this will result in a baptism for the Cassarani Elders here shortly.
Well I am starting to hear wake up noises in the other flats in our compound now so will close for another week but I will leave an observation which has been much on my mind lately. We have really grown close to some of these people and find the majority of the Kenyans to be very open people uncluttered with so many vices of the world that plague our own society. However it is my opinion that once they sit behind the steering wheel of a vehicle (especially the public service type) or occupy an office chair in some government ministries (especially immigration) their brain cells are reduced to "0" or lower and their propensity for ignorant acts, otherwise foreign to them, is inversely related to their mental capacity. Having got that off my chest I do feel better and am ready for another week. May God Bless you all!
Elder & Sister Bishop
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment