A little slow with the update this week. We arrived home from the super week at the temple on time Friday evening but had a problem with the ride coordinated from the airport so didn't make it to our flat until 11:00 pm. We were up early Saturday to get up-country for the baptism. We did end up with 23 convert baptisms and 6 children of record so by the time we got everyone dressed in their whites we didn't get the baptism started until almost noon but were able to wrap things up and get home by 5:00. We went out with the other couples for our Saturday evening dining out that happens most weeks but were up early again to make it to church at Ilima. Five of the baptisms were from that branch so that means Kyambeke had 24 confirmations to do so I don't think they had anytime left for Testimonies once they had completed all that branch business. They did tell me when we stopped in to pick up the records that there were 220 people in attendance for their Sacrament Meeting. It is rather timely that President Taylor had called last week to let us know that the branch division request had been approved. Just need to get busy and locate some potential facilities for the local agent to go and negotiate on. We need to be careful and keep our involvement rather covert as any hint of muzungu participation tends to drive up the cost.
We brought Stellamaris home with us from Ilima on Sunday. We are working with her on missionary preparation and had scheduled dentist and doctor visits for Monday. We were able to get most of the dental work, the chest x-ray, lab tests, and initial medical review finished Monday. We do have to take her back to the dentist to finish up there on Wednesday as well as get the final read on her TB test and a yellow fever shot. She was able to get her passport application and apply at the police for her good conduct verification today while we were at Kilili so should be able to ride back with us on Thursday. Then it is just a matter of waiting for her passport before she submits the mission application. She has been staying with us which makes it a little tough to get on the computer of an early morning hence the tardy update.
We have some more photos of "forever families" to send and was even able to get one photo with Elder and Sister Watson and Elder Parmly (Parmly is the area president and Watson his 2nd councilor). With our service at Saint Mary's tomorrow, finishing up Stella's work and trying to get to the Embassy for tax info it will probably be the weekend before I get the pictures up. I was going to try and run up-country to finish up the audit work with Kilili on Saturday but he will not be ready until next week. That is really a good thing as I really haven't had a Saturday for recovery for 2 months now but the joy of the young people I have been teaching on Saturdays more than compensated for any discomfort on my part. I was terribly proud of how well they each did in their interview the previous Saturday and they positively glowed during the baptism service last Saturday.
As a parting thought for this week we have often wondered why we signed on for 23 months when all the other couples are only here for 18. If we had returned home at 18 months which would have been January 30th we would not have been able to attend the Temple with 2 of the Branch Presidents and their families that we have really grown to love, assist Annah in being sealed to her husband George who died 13 months ago, nor been able to witness the joy of the 23 converts this weekend. We know this fun (not sure we have worked this hard as a couple before) will end with out us accomplishing all we want to achieve as it is but we have certainly been blessed to participate in so many great events in these peoples lives. Need to run now so Stella can have her bedroom back.
Karibu Asante,
Elder & Sister Bishop
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