Update 7.26.2010

Meeting Along the Road – We taught in Kyambeke on Tuesday. The Elders didn't go this time as they thought there wouldn't be many people to teach because it was market day. Our surprise was that there were people there for five classes at the same time – investigators, large temple class, two English levels, and keyboard! We were able to shift around and get by, but we'll have to do some adjusting for another time. We drove up the hill to Ilima to talk to them about the four-branch YM/YW activity planned for Aug. 7^th. We still needed to talk to two more branch presidents about the YM/YW activity and happened to run into them along the dirt roadway! We stopped and sat on rocks and had our meeting right there. It was fun. Maybe we should conduct more meetings outside in a less structured atmosphere!

Ilima Children Want to Carry Bags down to Church

 We shopped at the Nunguni Market Day on our way home and bought Elder Blake a couple of pairs of casual pants. There are some new things and food for sale, but much of what is for sale is like a king-sized garage sale, mostly laying on the ground on a tarp or blanket. We picked up the missionaries there and took them home.

Training – Wednesday Mitini classes went well and Sister Blake did a Relief Society training with the presidency. As they were talking about the change in name for the week-day Relief Society, the sisters had a confused look on their faces. They didn't know there were any other R.S. meetings except on Sunday. They are very anxious to do things right but there is much to learn!

Trip to Mombasa – After classes we headed for Mombasa which is a large seaport city (as was Tacoma). We stayed in the empty, couple-missionary apartment in Chyulu along the way, as it is an 8 hour drive. Elder and Sister Byrd were also staying there doing employment training. We played games and enjoyed our evening with them. We love the other missionary couples and learn so much from them.

Girls Carrying Water

Carving Canoe of One Log

Thursday we visited a branch in Mtito Andei where Byrds were teaching employment skills; and then drove to Mombasa where we met Elder and Sister McBride. With peanut butter sandwiches in hand we drove to the ferry and crossed over to where there was a beautiful beach on the Indian Ocean. It was just like the travel posters with warm, aqua colored water and soft white sand. We took off our shoes and waded out enough to get wet up to our knees. If we weren't on a mission we would have taken a book and sat under a coconut palm tree by the beach for the afternoon. What a beautiful place. The only drawback was the “sharks” as they are called – young men on the beach who won't take “no” for an answer to give them money or buy something from them that is inflated up to 5X for Mzungus. We then met with the young missionaries so Elder McBride could interview an investigator for baptism who has family roots based in polygamy.

While we were in Mombasa we visited their English class and got some new ideas. Many of the students are not members of the Church but they all love being there. McBrides were also preparing for a pioneer celebration party on the 24^th so we helped with that. Usually senior missionaries only help and advise local leaders, but Elder McBride was called to be branch president because of tribal contentions that were tearing the Branch apart. 

While there they also took us out to a wood shop where native artists do their carvings. Artists sit on the ground with hand tools, and each one has a specialty, such as elephant carver, giraffe carver, etc. It was a fun day and we were able to purchase some nice African animal carvings to remember our Kenya mission experience. McBrides were so hospitable as we ate, visited and played games in the evenings. Saturday we helped finish party preparations and attended the first part, where we had been invited to share pioneer stories. We enjoy seeing what the other missionaries do, but we love where we serve and what we are doing. We haven't seen anyone we would like to trade with.

          

         

        

       

Top two photos - Native Woodcarvers; Next two Sister B with children in English Class and Log boat in ocean; Next two Elder Blake with Sister Blake and Sister McBride wading in Indian Ocean and Elder B showing a Bomas or cattle enclosure made of sharp tumble weed type bushes; Last two are a large Termite Mound and one of many trucks found on side of road as we traveled.

Have a wonderful week! We love you.

Update 7.19.2010

Kilili Progress – We made delightful visits to Kilili Branch two times this week – Tuesday and Sunday. More new brothers and sisters are coming to conducting and keyboard classes, and joining the choir. (Notice that Mzungu tenor.) The building has had a new paint job. Sister Miriam said, “The building is 'smiling.'” That's the feeling we have when we visit there. They have suffered with the loss of President Morris Makiti and they are now pulling together and making some good progress. We took Sister Phyllis (President Makiti's wife) home Tuesday and visited there. She gave us a tour of the tangerine orchard and we had a good visit. She's lonely but doing well.

Kilili Choir Practice/Mzungu Tenor

Sister Mikiti w/Elder Blake - Tangerines

  

Sister Mikiti w/ Sister Blake and Helper - Beans

Kilili Primary Class

        

Temple Preparation - We are working hard getting 5 couples and their families ready to go to the Johannesburg South Africa temple in November. The lessons and worthiness seem to be the easiest part. There is so much red tape involved with ID cards, birth certificates, passports, etc. Then there's the application for the Temple Assistance Fund which all the families from this area need. (We are so grateful for the many members who donate to this fund to help people who live far from a temple and couldn't afford to go without help.)

YM/YW Activity Day – We are in the midst of helping put together a large four-branch YM/YW Activity Day in August, since school is out then. It's difficult because of the large distances to get a group together to plan so we are facilitating the communication and planning. It will be Saturday, Aug. 7^th from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with each branch preparing one ½ hour workshop (four going on at the same time and rotate) and one group game. It will include get acquainted activities, service, food, and the movie The Other Side of Heaven (about Elder Groberg's mission) that the young people here love. We're excited but a little nervous as one branch said they have 50 young men and young women! It's hard for us to tell, as most of the young people go away to boarding school when they are high school age.

Shopping Day – Saturday we took a break and went the new couple, Elder and Sister Byrd, shopping at Jogo Market (factory where you watch the clothes, purses, hats, soccer balls, etc. being made). We also went to the Hilton Arcade where they sell African crafts. Elder Berg (missionary we work with in Kalongo area) is leaving in August and asked if we'd get 4 bone-handled knives for him there. We ate lunch in a little “Taco” shop in town. It certainly wasn't Taco Bell, and nothing was taco-flavored, but it was good. 

Elder and Sister Byrd w/Sister Blake at Jogo Market

Indian Ocean – This week after classes Tuesday and Wednesday we are heading for Mombasa to stay with the missionary couple there. We 'll go to their English class to share ideas and then to their branch Sunday. We're looking forward to seeing a little different view of Kenya, including the ocean.

Stay safe and well. We love you.

Update 7.12.2010

Thanksgiving Dinner With the Elders​- The Elders in Kalongo invited us to “Thanksgiving” dinner last Tuesday night. It was a wonderful evening but the closest thing to Thanksgiving was the turkey in the stew! One of the members who has a few turkeys walked 4 kilometers to their flat carrying a big tom turkey under his arm which he promptly killed and prepared as a gift for them. They shared that gift with us in the form of a nice dinner of rice with turkey stew on top. They also served “pumpkin” which is what they call squash here. We made popcorn on our gas burner to contribute for the evening and watched The Other Side of Heaven about Elder Groberg's mission. (The elders said they enjoyed watching, as they previously had thought their mission was the most primitive in the world! Of course, the movie took place at least 45 years ago.) What a fun evening. We love the young missionaries. They are working so hard – especially since they walk many miles each day.

Dinner with the Elders

Chicken in Sack for Dinner

 Missionary Training - We held a three-branch missionary training with six young men and one young woman from the branches we serve, who are preparing for missions. Since we have been here our good friends, Claire and Michael, have left to serve in South Africa and Uganda. Two more have their calls to the same mission fields; two others are expecting calls any day now; and six more are preparing their mission applications to receive calls in up-coming months! There is an explosion of African missionaries going throughout the continent and elsewhere. It's exciting to be a part of it.
  

Dominic Kaseve's Mission Call/ With Father, President Kaseve of Mitini Branch

Chyulu English Training – We were asked by President Taylor to train English teachers in each of ten branches in the Chyulu District (four hours south of Nairobi). The missionaries are trying hard to work with the people there, but lack of English is really a problem. It is also hard in meetings as they are to be conducted in English and many, especially the old people, do not understand what is being said. Elder Blake has been preparing and shopping for supplies for some time and we finally presented the training this week, first to the two district leaders and then to facilitators from nine of the ten branches. They were so receptive to the “hands on” learning centers and new ways of presenting things. It was fun being part of it.

President Andrew of the District Presidency spoke to encourage the leaders and told the following story which has implications to almost any learning. He said, “A mother goose took her goslings, parading in a line, out for a flying lesson. They worked hard and had good success. They could finally fly! How exciting!! They then got back in their line and walked back home.” How does that apply to new learning in each of our lives?

Craftsmen Outside Chyulu Missionary Flat

Children Outside Chyulu Missionary Flad

 Little by Little/Small Successes – Sunday we took Elder and Sister Byrd (new missionaries from Blanding, UT – Dad Blake, you knew and taught them in the MTC a couple of months ago.) up to the high-on-the-hill branch, Ilima to meet the people and prepare for an employment class as that is their calling. It was fun seeing things through their eyes as we saw giraffes, camels, ox carts, etc. It was a good day as Sister Byrd and Sister Blake visited primary (about 80+ children with only three leaders). The members are trying so hard to follow the program of the Church. The children gave their talks in English and then the leaders helped the younger children understand in Kikamba. They sing the primary songs with all the energy of heart – not always the right melody – but with enthusiasm!

We next visited Relief Society where the first counselor conducted for her first time in English. She's been attending the English class. She was so proud. It was fun to see.

Bro. Jackson, Ilima Branch - Church Transportation

Collecting Water in Dry Season

Water Transport If They Are Lucky!

Children Want to Carry Bags Down Hill to Church

We love the work here. It's an adjusting time as many of the young single adults who have been helping in our teaching are moving on which is exciting to see, but a change. We also are adjusting to doing more leadership training instead of working with investigators because of the new Elders placed up in the Area last month. All these things are good and show progress, but we are making adjustments as well. We are being blessed and guided as to what we should do. Sometimes we don't even recognize it until later. We hope we can stay open and receptive to inspiration.

We love you. Have a good week and stay safe and happy.

Update 7.3.2010

New Mission President - Last week we bid good-by to our dear friends, Elder and Sister Randall, and President and Sister Taylor who returned home to families who were anxiously awaiting them. We will miss them and appreciate their influence in our lives. President and Sister Broadbent from North Ogden arrived this week, and to say they are overwhelmed is probably an understatement! They will be wonderful. Elder Blake has known President Broadbent since working with him in the Weber State University Stake. We look forward to getting better acquainted.

President and Sister Taylor with Sister Randall

 Funeral for Beloved Friend, Morris Makiti – The funeral last Saturday for President Makiti was a wonderful tribute to him and to his family, as 500 to 600 people attended, many of whom stood 5-6 hours for the whole service, which culminated with the burial behind the house in the family shamba. // The death was so sudden: Pres. Makiti, a Primary level teacher, aged 51, taught his class as usual on Monday, was rushed to the hospital by his school principal during the night, and was deceased by Tuesday morning. Causes of death are not discussed in this culture, but Elder Blake saw evidences of what we would call a brain aneurism. A funeral here is a community event, especially for a prominent family. We felt honored to take part in the services and observe first-hand the culture of the Church working with the village/tribal culture. // This was the first death of someone in the whole area who had been to the temple, and Elder Blake helped dress the body early in the morning in the temple robes. We then escorted the hearse from the mortuary to the home compound – a drive of about one hour over primitive, bumpy dirt roads. As we neared the village, we yielded to a motor cycles escort of about a dozen motor bikes (local “taxies” in the area) which announce the arrival by sounding their horns. We (family) were ushered through the crowd and into the home where they brought the casket while the family gathered and were fed. Two of the Makiti children are serving foreign (Africa) missions and were able to come home for a few days to be with the family.

Sister Blake was asked (impromptu) to play the keyboard for the services, on a jazzy(!) keyboard set up by another church in the village. Elder Blake finally substituted Sis. B's keyboard, which provided a much more reverent atmosphere as the crowd filed past the casket // The service then began with speeches by close and distant family members and friends; co-workers and some of his students; and many politicians and community leaders – all before the LDS part of the services – where Elder Blake became the 26^th speaker of the day! His short explanation of the Plan of Salvation seemed to be appreciated by family and warmly received by friends from near and distant villages.

Safety and Protection – It was getting dark as we followed a matatu full of branch members home through a “short cut,” part of which was over a bridge in it's early stage of construction. They placed boards over the big ditch to get up on the construction; then carried the boards to the other end to span another large gap to get off. // We pressed on in the evening darkness, and as we went around a curve the truck skidded on gravel and didn't quite make the turn. We ended up tipped over on the down-side of the mountain, with the truck on it's side. Sister Blake's door was at the top side and people came running to help us out of the car before it might continue and roll down the hill. We were able to climb out but couldn't reach Sister Blake's purse which had the phone (and camera) with phone numbers to call for help.

A group of about 40-50 people began to gather. We said silent prayers and Elder Blake was able to contract with one of the drunken men for a “truck” to help roll our truck back up on it's wheels and pull it back on the road. We found the “truck” that he finally contracted for 4,000 Kenya schillings was 18 men pulling on ropes. They shoveled and pulled and tugged until it was finally on it's wheels and stable enough to drive and pull it back on the road. // After Elder Blake paid the spokesman, who said he would pay his helpers, they all crowded around and started assaulting the man to get the money. We could see what was happening, but couldn't leave because one rope was still tangled in our tire. Someone finally cut it with an ax and we hurried away.

After getting in the car we found the phone had been ringing. Someone had called President Kaseve, who had called members who were literally running to our rescue. We later learned they had arrived just after we sped away. They are so good to us and would help in any way. We feel blessed for the love we feel from the people and for the answers to prayers for safety and protection. Viewing the truck on it's side hanging over the hill for about half hour, we had a strong realization that angels were holding it in place until it was stabilized.

Precious Blood Menu Every Night - Shared w/Us

More Animals – For the grandchildren, we have been seeing more animals again in our travels. Along the roads this week we have seen journeys of giraffes; herds of gazelles, heartabeasts and bushbucks; and families of ostriches. It's exciting like going to the cabin and not knowing what's around the next corner.

Loaded Matatu

Nunguni Market Day

    

Thanks for your love and prayers. Have a good a safe week.