Weekly Update 1-11-08

It's Sunday evening here and we just finished packing for another trip to Johannesburg and the temple. If I don't get an update off now it probably won't happen this week so I'll list a few things then get to bed. The whole week was a little hectic. The extra trip up-country on Saturday to work with the kids in school got extended as we stuck around for James Mativo's funeral. We had got involved transporting him to the hospital and home a few times and thought he was doing a lot better. We had even seen him out walking to get his strength back a couple of times but he passed quite suddenly last Monday. I guess a good brother was needed that could speak Kikamba on the other side and although he will be missed he lived a pretty full life before his passing. I think he was in his mid 60s. He would visit our english class occasionally and could do a fair job of reading but not sure where he was on the comprehension. We were going to try and leave the funeral by 2 but Sis. Bishop got roped into playing the keyboard so we weren't able to sneak out until 3:30 which put us back to Nairobi at 6:30. Seems like the whole week was filled with little ankle biters that would just extend our days. We found out Friday there was a Visa problem with Onesimus getting into South Africa which meant he had to cancel off the early flight for tomorrow but we have assurance that they will issue permission tomorrow. We are still going to take his pregnant wife and 2 year old son with us in the morning and he will follow on a later flight. So we will have 19 of us in this group. Only 10 of them are from our branches but we are glad to be a part of this experience no matter what our background with the new patrons is. We were at Kilili today and had several ask us when we will take them so we are going to try and schedule one more trip in late May or early June. We still have the one scheduled for 23 Feb and the jury is still out on who will have their passports in time. We are pretty sure that there will at least be 12 of our folks documented by then. Started another Mission Prep Class in Ilima Friday with a 21 year old girl named Stellamaris. If the documents work she could be leaving about when we do. Got 3 of the young men from Kyambeke into to see Pres. Taylor for their culminating interview so their papers should head to the Area Office in Johannesburg this week. Because of the need to obtain financial assistance for the majority of the African Applicants their paperwork has this extra stop before it gets to the missionary committee. We had a closing ceremony for a pit latrine at the Ndolo Secondary School in Kyambeke which provided a little more variety to our week. The Head Girl at that school (who is chosen by the faculty for their studies and citizenship) is a member as is the gal that accompanied the choir on the drum.
Had an interesting discussion with Pres. Taylor tonight as we were coordinating his temple recommend interviews with several of the temple attendees. They are going to ease off on some of the English requirements for some of the faithful ladies that have been attending for years but are probably illiterate in any language. That has been one of the frustrations for us to see these sweet ladies that are at everything the branch does but just can't make any progress with the English. It seems a little unfair that there is a functioning Swahili Ward in Salt Lake where one can be interviewed for baptism in Swahili but it has to be done in English here. I do understand though that the growth will come a lot faster here if we follow the English requirement but it is painful to see this group that doesn't quite fit into any of the programs provided. One of the English students told me that she wants to go to the temple and right now she can't even qualify for membership. It would really be a royal cap for our mission if we could get her over this first hurdle before we leave.

I guess the needed rains are not going to get here. The corn and beans are looking like they are a write off for this season. The government declared a national emergency this week claiming that the lack of water and last years post election violence is creating life threatening hunger for 10 million people. Makes someone like me that should loose a kg or so of weight feel a little guilty. Well the alarm is set for 4am so I had better join my companion in lullaby land so will sign off. Hope to be able to get a good report off by the 19th.

Elder & Sister Bishop