Well, it has been awhile since I’ve written. Saying for the day: “When you get too wet (from continual rain), it means your wife will be more beautiful!”
HAIR
We have a member who fixes hair: she gets about $1.20 for doing complete cornrows, and about $6 for doing long fake weaves. Another lady gets $1.30 for cornrows (it takes about 2 hours to do cornrows and they are done with the client seated on a wooden stool outside in the yard) and $13 for doing long weaves for beauticians in town.
PROSELYTING
The elders and branch president asked us to visit a really neat young man—30s. He has two children. When we arrived (they are better off than most), he was upset because an employee had just stolen the company money and taken his tools from his shop. He said his wife had just left to chase his cow because it got loose in the confusion. Later, he confessed that his wife had run away because she is so terrified of us because she thinks we are devil worshipers, will eat his children, have the Book of Mammon, and “strip naked in the church building” He said all of his neighbors have been watching from their homes as we drove up and are scared to come out so fearful are we for them. He lives right near downtown in really quite a nice mud house with a little plot of land. He is an electrical engineer (now out of work), but did quite well for many years after getting his degree. Both he and his wife (she also is quite well educated) lost their jobs about the same time 2-3 months ago.
We spent about two hours talking with him trying to help him understand that we truly do believe in Jesus Christ and try to practice His teachings. This man is really a choice young man—sharp. We left him with some pamphlets and the Proclamation on the Family and Strength of Youth pamphlet. We tried to explain who we really are and that those are false claims. He said he would come to Church Sunday. He did come, but the meeting was already over.
Saturday we went to a meeting—a branch fireside with maybe 30 people attending, only to discover that we were the key speakers. That was an interesting experience.
Tough decisions
Two of the branch presidents have asked us for money this week for their own families. One asked us to please visit with his wife. Before she arrived, he brought out her school papers and wanted us to see how well she was doing and how good her grades were. When she arrived, she began to talk about her school and tailoring course. I was a little surprised (shouldn’t have been) when almost immediately she asked if we would buy some sewing machines (she could get them cheaply from Nairobi) so she could start a small business. We explained that we are not allowed to do that. She said, “Well, I know the Church can’t do that, but I thought maybe you could”. I helped her understand that we can’t do that either. She is such a lovely lady, and we then had an animated discussion about sewing techniques.
She is attending a college to learn to do tailoring. I was impressed that they had seam rippers, tape measures and a couple of sewing machines for a fairly large class that they share. They hope to get some more soon. She said for their final exams (she has been in class about 1 ½ yrs and is about ½ done) they have three tests. One is written, one is practical, and the third one is completed in a large barn-like facility—a big room. They are given a machine, the measurements of an individual, some cloth, and told to make the item according to a picture. They have a proctor standing over each person (one on one). The proctor has a paper that gives plus or negatives depending if they pick up the correct tool and proceed as they should. They are timed for how long it takes to make the blouse or uniform or pants. It sounds pretty tough I think.
The BUG BUSINESS
Since February, off and on I have had some really frustrating bouts with hives or welts all over my body. We thought we had them beaten back, but they are back with a vengeance. I was going to wait until the couples’ conference next week to go to Nairobi to see the doctor, but I just couldn’t stand it any more. They itch like crazy. We really like the doctor (he is Indian with a turban) but very urbane and astute. He is puzzled. Another missionary had the same kind of problem and he had tried unsuccessfully (along with 2 dermatologists) to treat him as well.
He just isn’t sure. He thinks because we are in mud houses almost every day, and the area is known for scabies, maybe that is what it is, but it doesn’t present like that. It is like hives. But, just to rule out everything, we are going to wash everything in sight—blankets, sheets, clothes, then take the medicine, and after showering and rubbing ourselves hard with a towel “paint” our bodies COMPLETELY with some medicine for 3 days.
We looked up scabies in the mission office, and it doesn’t look like what I have, but we’ll try it. We’re supposed to see him again next week. In the meantime, I’m scratching like crazy!
JIGGERS and Mormon Helping Hands
Our helping hands project in this area was to clean the grounds of a local dispensary. We were supposed to paint the building, but there was a communication problem, and when we arrived (over 50 members came..it was awesome) there was no paint and no brushes, so instead they used pangas and pieces of metal to slash the grass and weeds and dig around trees. It turned out to be a nice event.t
Pres and Sister B. went to Eldoret where their project in that area was so offer a free clinic to dig out jiggers. It was life changing for the B’s I think. They were really touched with what they saw and did. They couldn’t believe the people who came had many many jiggers between their toes and fingers and sat stoically while they were dug out, even though they often had tears rolling down their cheeks. You can die from too many jiggers untreated.
We were told the people often don’t have scissors or clippers so they let their fingernails and toenails grow long. The jiggers use this as a bed to nest under the skin, then it is very painful to remove them. When they do cut their nails, both toe and fingers…they use a razor blade.
Fare to come to Church
So many of our people elect one of the family to attend church because they can’t afford to have any more come when it is too far to walk. We wish we could set up a branch in every neighborhood. WE are so impressed with how many of the people walk 2 hours one way to Church often…actually most of the rainy season in the mud. Their faithfulness just blows us away.
One of the branch presidents told us that his 14 year old son has bleeding from his ear (this has been going on for several months), but they can’t afford to get him treated. He worries because the boy can no longer hear from that ear.
WATER THEFT
We took a R.S. Pres out to visit less active sisters Thursday. She was explaining to us in the car as we drove through her home village, that when she was a young wife, it took her 2 hours ONE WAY to pack water (she showed us where) to their home. The upsetting thing for her however, was that she lived in an extended family compound, and after she got the water and put it in her home, if she went out to collect wood or hoe in the shamba, her sister-in-laws would come and steal the water. She expressed how upset that made her.
We asked if you can buy water. She said it was 10 ksh (about 13 cents) for 20 liters, but they can’t afford to do that. Little children are given little containers (when they are about 5 years old )to train them to realize that is their job) By the time a girl is 11-12, she should be able to carry a sizeable amount. Water is carried on the head.
MISSIONARY PREPARATION
One of the highlights of the mission for us has been teaching this Missionary Prep class. We meet for 2 hours every Monday. We started with about 6 young men. Now we have 13, and they come really well to it. We very seldom have more than one of them miss class. They arrive early—between an hour and ½ hour early and wait for us. They know they have to arrive BEFORE the prayer to be paid their transport to get there, but they come. It has just been a wonderful experience for us. I don’t know if they learn anything, but we really try to give them the meat of what they will need to know in the mission field. We use the Institute Manual and Preach My Gospel and the Book of Mormon.
We figure even if they don’t get on missions, if we can instill the gospel in their hearts, and they develop not only a knowledge, but a strong testimony by learning the gospel, it will be a blessing. So, we take this assignment really seriously and really give it a lot of prayer and thought before teaching each week.
We are so excited about them. They have so many trials to get ready, it just breaks our hearts. The one young man we have the highest hopes for wants to go so badly, but the money is such an issue for them. This week his aunt and mom got together and have told him he shouldn’t go, and they want him to go to school instead. He goes out as a branch missionary with the full-time elders almost every day. We are afraid he will lose his home (he lives with his grandmother…a polygamous home). It just seems like Satan knows when these kids are prime and ready to go. He works so hard on them.
Visiting Teaching
We took the mutual president in one of our branches out the last two Wednesdays to visit every girl. That really was successful, so the wonderful branch president in that congregation encouraged his R.S. Pres and her counselor to go this week. We have some wonderful visits with those two women and the branch President. On the way they discussed one of the sisters, who was married to a much older man when the girl was 16. Her family had no money to support her and the rest of the kids, so she was married so the dowry could bless the rest of the family.
We don’t hear of that a lot, but we do hear that it occurs. That led us to a discussion of education of girls. One of the branch presidents (not the one I’m talking about) works as a community lecturer for NGOs. He had never heard of One Cup of Tea, but he knew well the concept of educating a woman and that it will educated a village. It is great to hear that it is beginning to be accepted here according to him.
Boy with spinal injury
About two blog entries ago, I mentioned a young 19 year old boy, who sustained a spine fracture at 1-2. He has been lying on their dirt floor for 1 year waiting for money to be treated because they have no bed for him. They enlisted the help of a couple of NGO’s to take him to the hospital on 2 earlier occasions, but they could do nothing for him here. The father and boy traveled to Nairobi 2-3 weeks ago on a bus to see if the hospital there could perform his surgery. We were just told that he was sent home because they said they do not have expertise there to treat him. They are recommending that he go to another country to try, because they feel he would die if they treated him here. So sad.
Mission couples
One of the really nice blessings of being in Nairobi yesterday (we drove there Friday, saw the doctor that afternoon and returned this morning (Saturday) was that we were able to meet 2 new couples, who have just arrived. By November we are supposed to have a record number of couples—14 here! Isn’t that amazing. Wow!
When we were in the Philippines, we were the only couple in our mission and there had been no couples there for 3 years prior to us. Couples really can do a lot. I know that sounds funny coming from a couple involved, but our focus is so different from that of traditional-age missionaries, and I think there is much that couples can help with in the branches.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Many impressions
August 11, 2011
Yesterday we went to District Development Meeting with our 6 elders in the morning, then met with a Branch President to help him get started on a computer, something he has never even touched before. He is a darling man. We just love him to death, so humble and kind. He is the one who ran his bike into the ditch because he can’t see. He now has glasses, but we worked until almost 7 last night and it was raining, and he still had a 2 hour trip home by bike. It is so muddy, I don’t know how he can even ride, even when he is on tarmac. We had to take our YW Pres home (opposite direction).
After the computer session, we drove out to get the YW Pres. She is in her 30s I would suspect, single, and very ,very crippled up with arthritis. She is a very beautiful woman, keeps herself just immaculate, painted finger and toenails, fixed hair, lovely clothing, etc. She is also well educated. She lives by herself in actually 2 houses connected that have fallen into bad disrepair on a big shamba owned by her parents.
Our goal for the day was to visit all the active girls and their families in the branch. We made many (not all) of them. We took the YW Pres and the Br President with us. We rode for a very long time on muddy dirt roads twisting and in and out among the maize fields until we came to the home of the 1st Coun in the Br Presidency. We’ve been to all of the homes in the past that we visited this day.
We were able to meet with 3 YW, several smaller children, and the mother, who was pulling kernals off a cob of corn. This corn is still wet (fresh). She said she needed for the 10 members of the family 20 cobs (big lovely ones) to add to their beans and Irish potatoes (as opposed to sweet potatoes, which they eat for breakfast with cocoa at 7AM). Supper is 7PM, and they eat maize and sometimes this stew like substance. Meat is consumed only on special holidays.
Some of the girls in this family are less active, but the YW is so eager to do her job well, that she just sat right down with them on their rickety stools and table and pulled out the Personal Progress and got them involved with her. She is amazing. We had chickens running under our feet. They usually don’t eat the eggs they raise they said. They use them for barter so they can get things like wire or wood or other commodities.
The house is larger than most here—the father is a mason. He has built a separate outdoor kitchen and some other rooms. They have a single bulb light dangling from the ceiling, but the power is erratic, and they can’t afford the electricity, so they use a lantern from 7-9 or 10 when they go to bed. They usually read the scriptures at night or sing together. No TV of course.
We left there and went down into the slums. The mud was unbelievable. We usually get lost in this area of the branch, and today was no exception. It is Ramadan right now, so we saw many completely covered women (black veils and gowns) picking their way with everyone else through the mud. Although we see Muslims fairly commonly, we don’t usually see so many Muslim women in this area. The Br. Pres thought they must be coming from the mosque.
They, like everyone were very curious about us. We could not see their expressions other than their eyes, but that told a lot. We were parked right in the middle of tons of mud homes with garbage scattered in large piles around us. People walked all around the car peering in to see the muzungus…the kids climbed right up on the edge of the car. We had to be careful when we opened the doors because one little boy tried to climb right in over me. Then he clung to the edge of the door and an adult had to come and pull him off. He was probably 6-7. Everyone was caked with mud in that rainy place.
The family we visited here is often sick with Malaria. It is a very poor area with standing water and garbage everywhere. The houses are joined to neighbors in many cases and very small and wet. The mother came out to welcome us into her home. Her father died that morning, and she was very upset because of his death and that he lives down by Kisumu (5 hours away), and she hasn’t any money to go to the funeral. We talked for awhile with her and then the YW talked with 2 of her girls. The Br Pres stayed to talk with her while we went to the car. We don’t know if he helped her with money for the trip. We are strongly cautioned not to give money, so we didn’t. I go out of those situations with a stomach and heartache. Oh, how hard it is for them, and what can we do?
We visited the next family—former pioneers here, 15 years in the church, just recently reactivated. The mother has just been called to be the R.S. Pres and the father to be the SS Pres. They live in a very poor house as well. The YW Pres had a very difficult time trying to walk to these houses through the mud and wet grass. She wears flipflops (probably because her feet hurt so badly), and it is treacherous walking with the clodhoppers I wear, I can’t imagine being in flipflops. This house was higher than most and to enter you had to climb cement steps. It was perilous for her, but the men came to her assistance. We had a good visit there with one girl.
While there, two female visitors came to the door and called “Hodi Hodi” The mother responded, “Karibu” Welcome. I think they came mostly to see the muzungus. One of the women is due to deliver her second baby this month. She was more sophisticated than most in our area. She was nicely dressed, spoke English very well, and just seemed quite put together. She has her own business in the next block from where we were visiting. She became very agitated as she began to talk with us. She started out with usual pleasantries, but then became more upset as she talked.
Last night, she locked her shop carefully, because she had just fully restocked it with hardware and foodstuffs to sell. Even though she had a night guard, she was completely robbed. She left the structure (they are usually little shacks) padlocked, and when she returned this morning (being yesterday), she found the padlock in place and locked, but she had a bad feeling. When she opened up, it was slicked clean. She usually sleeps on the premises in the back, but this night she had felt uncomfortable about doing so. She was understandably, very upset because of her many losses. The mother we were visiting reported that many shops had been robbed that night.
We felt so badly for her, but again, we are not to give money. We told her how sorry we were. I can’t imagine how hard that must be for her. She said all the money they had saved for the hospital for the baby is now gone. She had hidden it in the store and lost it as well.
We traveled even further into the slum to a very congested area we have visited before. This family lives right in the middle of the market, down an alley. The father is a tailor and has his sewing machine across the street right on the boardwalk outside. We were very crowded in this very, very small home. The YW Pres visited with the daughter as we encouraged the family (the father) to become more active. The father was anxious to leave once we had been welcomed, but Neal encouraged him to stay and talked with him about his son working on the Duty to God.
We left them to visit our last family of the day. It was pouring by this time, which only made it muddier. We moved to a bigger slum called Kipsonga, the largest slum in Kitale. This family lives down off the road in a very populated area. We parked up on the pavement (steep drop offs on either side). My door opened right down into a ditch. We had the YW Pres exit the car by the other side because it would have been so slippery, she would have been right in the ditch.
We crossed the busy road to the other side. Again, a very steep muddy drop off that continued that pitch from the road right down to the line of mud houses (all connected together). It was probably 40 feet from the road to the house. They had tied a filthy goat right by their door (a new acquisition just today). It bleated all the while we were there. We wondered if the neighbors came to slash its throat last night. They had piled a huge stack of garbage mixed with maize stalks and other greenery next to it from which piles of mosquitoes were rising and coming into the house.
They said they were going to raise the goat to sell for meat, hoping to mate it with another so they could have a herd. We wondered where they would put these animals with the neighbors so close around them. As we tried to visit, the goat was bleating, and somewhere a church or natives were beating drums, so it was difficult to hear. The father said, “I am so happy. Today, I got a goat and you have come to bless my home.” He was so nice about us coming. He was telling us what a good thing a dung/mud home is because the dung smell will protect the occupants from caterpillars entering the house.
Two of the girls had been working on Personal Progress. They found scraps of paper, which they had torn apart and colored with something to make torches for their PP books. I was so touched by their efforts. It must have taken supreme effort to do that with the few resources they have. The Br Pres translated to the mother the things “For the Strength of Youth” emphasizes. She was really pleased and wanting her girls to have those ideals and principles in their lives.
It was quite a day. We feel like we are overwhelmed and inadequate and helpless to make any changes or inroads. There is so much opposition, and their lives are so hard.
August 11, 2011 Today we were supposed to meet with another branch president to go visiting. We met with P and E first to talk with them about changes they would like to make to their situation. We have tried to be very prayerful as have they about their lives.
It was really raining when we reached the Church. We took the elders up as far as this branch so they could catch a motorcycle to their area. We know they were going to drown because they only were in their white shirts, and it was pouring and so muddy. They were going up to their homes on those roads that are so scary. They called us after they got home to tell us they had finally made it. We had really worried about them because those motorcycles are so dangerous on good days far less bad ones.
The branch president and 1st counselor, P. got into the car as we sat outside the Church in the rain. It was warmer than inside the church would have been. The branch pres talked about how hard it has been for him to be the BP. He said that his neighbors THINK he is rich now he is a leader, and they flood his house and stay all day eating what little food his family has. He tries to tell them he isn’t rich, but they don’t believe him. He feels he can’t go to his neighbors any more to ask for help because they think he is rich. Later, he said he plays conference as a missionary tool for them to watch on the TV and they sit and watch it all day.
He said they believed all were rich because in the past people had been given land. We went over again that that isn’t the way things work. He mentioned it was hard for any RMs that come home because neighbors expect them to be rich when they returned and wouldn’t help them get jobs or help with food.
He is so worried because almost all of his people in the branch are hungry. He said there were only 3 people in his branch who have high school educations. He explained that to get a high school education costs for the 4 years total of school between $1,750 and $2,000.
He works with NGOs—Non-government Organizations who do research. They found that in Kenya there are 8 months of hunger each year. There are only 1-2 families in the branch that have a family member employed outside of individual farming on their small plots of land. He left us early to go into Kitale (about ½ hour away in a matatu) to see if he could get work at the Community offices. He said he left at 8AM and his wife left at 10AM leaving the kids at home with all the people who are crowded into his house watching the TV. He was worried about what his kids would do at lunchtime when all those people want to eat.
Yesterday we went to District Development Meeting with our 6 elders in the morning, then met with a Branch President to help him get started on a computer, something he has never even touched before. He is a darling man. We just love him to death, so humble and kind. He is the one who ran his bike into the ditch because he can’t see. He now has glasses, but we worked until almost 7 last night and it was raining, and he still had a 2 hour trip home by bike. It is so muddy, I don’t know how he can even ride, even when he is on tarmac. We had to take our YW Pres home (opposite direction).
After the computer session, we drove out to get the YW Pres. She is in her 30s I would suspect, single, and very ,very crippled up with arthritis. She is a very beautiful woman, keeps herself just immaculate, painted finger and toenails, fixed hair, lovely clothing, etc. She is also well educated. She lives by herself in actually 2 houses connected that have fallen into bad disrepair on a big shamba owned by her parents.
Our goal for the day was to visit all the active girls and their families in the branch. We made many (not all) of them. We took the YW Pres and the Br President with us. We rode for a very long time on muddy dirt roads twisting and in and out among the maize fields until we came to the home of the 1st Coun in the Br Presidency. We’ve been to all of the homes in the past that we visited this day.
We were able to meet with 3 YW, several smaller children, and the mother, who was pulling kernals off a cob of corn. This corn is still wet (fresh). She said she needed for the 10 members of the family 20 cobs (big lovely ones) to add to their beans and Irish potatoes (as opposed to sweet potatoes, which they eat for breakfast with cocoa at 7AM). Supper is 7PM, and they eat maize and sometimes this stew like substance. Meat is consumed only on special holidays.
Some of the girls in this family are less active, but the YW is so eager to do her job well, that she just sat right down with them on their rickety stools and table and pulled out the Personal Progress and got them involved with her. She is amazing. We had chickens running under our feet. They usually don’t eat the eggs they raise they said. They use them for barter so they can get things like wire or wood or other commodities.
The house is larger than most here—the father is a mason. He has built a separate outdoor kitchen and some other rooms. They have a single bulb light dangling from the ceiling, but the power is erratic, and they can’t afford the electricity, so they use a lantern from 7-9 or 10 when they go to bed. They usually read the scriptures at night or sing together. No TV of course.
We left there and went down into the slums. The mud was unbelievable. We usually get lost in this area of the branch, and today was no exception. It is Ramadan right now, so we saw many completely covered women (black veils and gowns) picking their way with everyone else through the mud. Although we see Muslims fairly commonly, we don’t usually see so many Muslim women in this area. The Br. Pres thought they must be coming from the mosque.
They, like everyone were very curious about us. We could not see their expressions other than their eyes, but that told a lot. We were parked right in the middle of tons of mud homes with garbage scattered in large piles around us. People walked all around the car peering in to see the muzungus…the kids climbed right up on the edge of the car. We had to be careful when we opened the doors because one little boy tried to climb right in over me. Then he clung to the edge of the door and an adult had to come and pull him off. He was probably 6-7. Everyone was caked with mud in that rainy place.
The family we visited here is often sick with Malaria. It is a very poor area with standing water and garbage everywhere. The houses are joined to neighbors in many cases and very small and wet. The mother came out to welcome us into her home. Her father died that morning, and she was very upset because of his death and that he lives down by Kisumu (5 hours away), and she hasn’t any money to go to the funeral. We talked for awhile with her and then the YW talked with 2 of her girls. The Br Pres stayed to talk with her while we went to the car. We don’t know if he helped her with money for the trip. We are strongly cautioned not to give money, so we didn’t. I go out of those situations with a stomach and heartache. Oh, how hard it is for them, and what can we do?
We visited the next family—former pioneers here, 15 years in the church, just recently reactivated. The mother has just been called to be the R.S. Pres and the father to be the SS Pres. They live in a very poor house as well. The YW Pres had a very difficult time trying to walk to these houses through the mud and wet grass. She wears flipflops (probably because her feet hurt so badly), and it is treacherous walking with the clodhoppers I wear, I can’t imagine being in flipflops. This house was higher than most and to enter you had to climb cement steps. It was perilous for her, but the men came to her assistance. We had a good visit there with one girl.
While there, two female visitors came to the door and called “Hodi Hodi” The mother responded, “Karibu” Welcome. I think they came mostly to see the muzungus. One of the women is due to deliver her second baby this month. She was more sophisticated than most in our area. She was nicely dressed, spoke English very well, and just seemed quite put together. She has her own business in the next block from where we were visiting. She became very agitated as she began to talk with us. She started out with usual pleasantries, but then became more upset as she talked.
Last night, she locked her shop carefully, because she had just fully restocked it with hardware and foodstuffs to sell. Even though she had a night guard, she was completely robbed. She left the structure (they are usually little shacks) padlocked, and when she returned this morning (being yesterday), she found the padlock in place and locked, but she had a bad feeling. When she opened up, it was slicked clean. She usually sleeps on the premises in the back, but this night she had felt uncomfortable about doing so. She was understandably, very upset because of her many losses. The mother we were visiting reported that many shops had been robbed that night.
We felt so badly for her, but again, we are not to give money. We told her how sorry we were. I can’t imagine how hard that must be for her. She said all the money they had saved for the hospital for the baby is now gone. She had hidden it in the store and lost it as well.
We traveled even further into the slum to a very congested area we have visited before. This family lives right in the middle of the market, down an alley. The father is a tailor and has his sewing machine across the street right on the boardwalk outside. We were very crowded in this very, very small home. The YW Pres visited with the daughter as we encouraged the family (the father) to become more active. The father was anxious to leave once we had been welcomed, but Neal encouraged him to stay and talked with him about his son working on the Duty to God.
We left them to visit our last family of the day. It was pouring by this time, which only made it muddier. We moved to a bigger slum called Kipsonga, the largest slum in Kitale. This family lives down off the road in a very populated area. We parked up on the pavement (steep drop offs on either side). My door opened right down into a ditch. We had the YW Pres exit the car by the other side because it would have been so slippery, she would have been right in the ditch.
We crossed the busy road to the other side. Again, a very steep muddy drop off that continued that pitch from the road right down to the line of mud houses (all connected together). It was probably 40 feet from the road to the house. They had tied a filthy goat right by their door (a new acquisition just today). It bleated all the while we were there. We wondered if the neighbors came to slash its throat last night. They had piled a huge stack of garbage mixed with maize stalks and other greenery next to it from which piles of mosquitoes were rising and coming into the house.
They said they were going to raise the goat to sell for meat, hoping to mate it with another so they could have a herd. We wondered where they would put these animals with the neighbors so close around them. As we tried to visit, the goat was bleating, and somewhere a church or natives were beating drums, so it was difficult to hear. The father said, “I am so happy. Today, I got a goat and you have come to bless my home.” He was so nice about us coming. He was telling us what a good thing a dung/mud home is because the dung smell will protect the occupants from caterpillars entering the house.
Two of the girls had been working on Personal Progress. They found scraps of paper, which they had torn apart and colored with something to make torches for their PP books. I was so touched by their efforts. It must have taken supreme effort to do that with the few resources they have. The Br Pres translated to the mother the things “For the Strength of Youth” emphasizes. She was really pleased and wanting her girls to have those ideals and principles in their lives.
It was quite a day. We feel like we are overwhelmed and inadequate and helpless to make any changes or inroads. There is so much opposition, and their lives are so hard.
August 11, 2011 Today we were supposed to meet with another branch president to go visiting. We met with P and E first to talk with them about changes they would like to make to their situation. We have tried to be very prayerful as have they about their lives.
It was really raining when we reached the Church. We took the elders up as far as this branch so they could catch a motorcycle to their area. We know they were going to drown because they only were in their white shirts, and it was pouring and so muddy. They were going up to their homes on those roads that are so scary. They called us after they got home to tell us they had finally made it. We had really worried about them because those motorcycles are so dangerous on good days far less bad ones.
The branch president and 1st counselor, P. got into the car as we sat outside the Church in the rain. It was warmer than inside the church would have been. The branch pres talked about how hard it has been for him to be the BP. He said that his neighbors THINK he is rich now he is a leader, and they flood his house and stay all day eating what little food his family has. He tries to tell them he isn’t rich, but they don’t believe him. He feels he can’t go to his neighbors any more to ask for help because they think he is rich. Later, he said he plays conference as a missionary tool for them to watch on the TV and they sit and watch it all day.
He said they believed all were rich because in the past people had been given land. We went over again that that isn’t the way things work. He mentioned it was hard for any RMs that come home because neighbors expect them to be rich when they returned and wouldn’t help them get jobs or help with food.
He is so worried because almost all of his people in the branch are hungry. He said there were only 3 people in his branch who have high school educations. He explained that to get a high school education costs for the 4 years total of school between $1,750 and $2,000.
He works with NGOs—Non-government Organizations who do research. They found that in Kenya there are 8 months of hunger each year. There are only 1-2 families in the branch that have a family member employed outside of individual farming on their small plots of land. He left us early to go into Kitale (about ½ hour away in a matatu) to see if he could get work at the Community offices. He said he left at 8AM and his wife left at 10AM leaving the kids at home with all the people who are crowded into his house watching the TV. He was worried about what his kids would do at lunchtime when all those people want to eat.
Many impressions
August 11, 2011
Yesterday we went to District Development Meeting with our 6 elders in the morning, then met with a Branch President to help him get started on a computer, something he has never even touched before. He is a darling man. We just love him to death, so humble and kind. He is the one who ran his bike into the ditch because he can’t see. He now has glasses, but we worked until almost 7 last night and it was raining, and he still had a 2 hour trip home by bike. It is so muddy, I don’t know how he can even ride, even when he is on tarmac. We had to take our YW Pres home (opposite direction).
After the computer session, we drove out to get the YW Pres. She is in her 30s I would suspect, single, and very ,very crippled up with arthritis. She is a very beautiful woman, keeps herself just immaculate, painted finger and toenails, fixed hair, lovely clothing, etc. She is also well educated. She lives by herself in actually 2 houses connected that have fallen into bad disrepair on a big shamba owned by her parents.
Our goal for the day was to visit all the active girls and their families in the branch. We made many (not all) of them. We took the YW Pres and the Br President with us. We rode for a very long time on muddy dirt roads twisting and in and out among the maize fields until we came to the home of the 1st Coun in the Br Presidency. We’ve been to all of the homes in the past that we visited this day.
We were able to meet with 3 YW, several smaller children, and the mother, who was pulling kernals off a cob of corn. This corn is still wet (fresh). She said she needed for the 10 members of the family 20 cobs (big lovely ones) to add to their beans and Irish potatoes (as opposed to sweet potatoes, which they eat for breakfast with cocoa at 7AM). Supper is 7PM, and they eat maize and sometimes this stew like substance. Meat is consumed only on special holidays.
Some of the girls in this family are less active, but the YW is so eager to do her job well, that she just sat right down with them on their rickety stools and table and pulled out the Personal Progress and got them involved with her. She is amazing. We had chickens running under our feet. They usually don’t eat the eggs they raise they said. They use them for barter so they can get things like wire or wood or other commodities.
The house is larger than most here—the father is a mason. He has built a separate outdoor kitchen and some other rooms. They have a single bulb light dangling from the ceiling, but the power is erratic, and they can’t afford the electricity, so they use a lantern from 7-9 or 10 when they go to bed. They usually read the scriptures at night or sing together. No TV of course.
We left there and went down into the slums. The mud was unbelievable. We usually get lost in this area of the branch, and today was no exception. It is Ramadan right now, so we saw many completely covered women (black veils and gowns) picking their way with everyone else through the mud. Although we see Muslims fairly commonly, we don’t usually see so many Muslim women in this area. The Br. Pres thought they must be coming from the mosque.
They, like everyone were very curious about us. We could not see their expressions other than their eyes, but that told a lot. We were parked right in the middle of tons of mud homes with garbage scattered in large piles around us. People walked all around the car peering in to see the muzungus…the kids climbed right up on the edge of the car. We had to be careful when we opened the doors because one little boy tried to climb right in over me. Then he clung to the edge of the door and an adult had to come and pull him off. He was probably 6-7. Everyone was caked with mud in that rainy place.
The family we visited here is often sick with Malaria. It is a very poor area with standing water and garbage everywhere. The houses are joined to neighbors in many cases and very small and wet. The mother came out to welcome us into her home. Her father died that morning, and she was very upset because of his death and that he lives down by Kisumu (5 hours away), and she hasn’t any money to go to the funeral. We talked for awhile with her and then the YW talked with 2 of her girls. The Br Pres stayed to talk with her while we went to the car. We don’t know if he helped her with money for the trip. We are strongly cautioned not to give money, so we didn’t. I go out of those situations with a stomach and heartache. Oh, how hard it is for them, and what can we do?
We visited the next family—former pioneers here, 15 years in the church, just recently reactivated. The mother has just been called to be the R.S. Pres and the father to be the SS Pres. They live in a very poor house as well. The YW Pres had a very difficult time trying to walk to these houses through the mud and wet grass. She wears flipflops (probably because her feet hurt so badly), and it is treacherous walking with the clodhoppers I wear, I can’t imagine being in flipflops. This house was higher than most and to enter you had to climb cement steps. It was perilous for her, but the men came to her assistance. We had a good visit there with one girl.
While there, two female visitors came to the door and called “Hodi Hodi” The mother responded, “Karibu” Welcome. I think they came mostly to see the muzungus. One of the women is due to deliver her second baby this month. She was more sophisticated than most in our area. She was nicely dressed, spoke English very well, and just seemed quite put together. She has her own business in the next block from where we were visiting. She became very agitated as she began to talk with us. She started out with usual pleasantries, but then became more upset as she talked.
Last night, she locked her shop carefully, because she had just fully restocked it with hardware and foodstuffs to sell. Even though she had a night guard, she was completely robbed. She left the structure (they are usually little shacks) padlocked, and when she returned this morning (being yesterday), she found the padlock in place and locked, but she had a bad feeling. When she opened up, it was slicked clean. She usually sleeps on the premises in the back, but this night she had felt uncomfortable about doing so. She was understandably, very upset because of her many losses. The mother we were visiting reported that many shops had been robbed that night.
We felt so badly for her, but again, we are not to give money. We told her how sorry we were. I can’t imagine how hard that must be for her. She said all the money they had saved for the hospital for the baby is now gone. She had hidden it in the store and lost it as well.
We traveled even further into the slum to a very congested area we have visited before. This family lives right in the middle of the market, down an alley. The father is a tailor and has his sewing machine across the street right on the boardwalk outside. We were very crowded in this very, very small home. The YW Pres visited with the daughter as we encouraged the family (the father) to become more active. The father was anxious to leave once we had been welcomed, but Neal encouraged him to stay and talked with him about his son working on the Duty to God.
We left them to visit our last family of the day. It was pouring by this time, which only made it muddier. We moved to a bigger slum called Kipsonga, the largest slum in Kitale. This family lives down off the road in a very populated area. We parked up on the pavement (steep drop offs on either side). My door opened right down into a ditch. We had the YW Pres exit the car by the other side because it would have been so slippery, she would have been right in the ditch.
We crossed the busy road to the other side. Again, a very steep muddy drop off that continued that pitch from the road right down to the line of mud houses (all connected together). It was probably 40 feet from the road to the house. They had tied a filthy goat right by their door (a new acquisition just today). It bleated all the while we were there. We wondered if the neighbors came to slash its throat last night. They had piled a huge stack of garbage mixed with maize stalks and other greenery next to it from which piles of mosquitoes were rising and coming into the house.
They said they were going to raise the goat to sell for meat, hoping to mate it with another so they could have a herd. We wondered where they would put these animals with the neighbors so close around them. As we tried to visit, the goat was bleating, and somewhere a church or natives were beating drums, so it was difficult to hear. The father said, “I am so happy. Today, I got a goat and you have come to bless my home.” He was so nice about us coming. He was telling us what a good thing a dung/mud home is because the dung smell will protect the occupants from caterpillars entering the house.
Two of the girls had been working on Personal Progress. They found scraps of paper, which they had torn apart and colored with something to make torches for their PP books. I was so touched by their efforts. It must have taken supreme effort to do that with the few resources they have. The Br Pres translated to the mother the things “For the Strength of Youth” emphasizes. She was really pleased and wanting her girls to have those ideals and principles in their lives.
It was quite a day. We feel like we are overwhelmed and inadequate and helpless to make any changes or inroads. There is so much opposition, and their lives are so hard.
August 11, 2011 Today we were supposed to meet with another branch president to go visiting. We met with P and E first to talk with them about changes they would like to make to their situation. We have tried to be very prayerful as have they about their lives.
It was really raining when we reached the Church. We took the elders up as far as this branch so they could catch a motorcycle to their area. We know they were going to drown because they only were in their white shirts, and it was pouring and so muddy. They were going up to their homes on those roads that are so scary. They called us after they got home to tell us they had finally made it. We had really worried about them because those motorcycles are so dangerous on good days far less bad ones.
The branch president and 1st counselor, P. got into the car as we sat outside the Church in the rain. It was warmer than inside the church would have been. The branch pres talked about how hard it has been for him to be the BP. He said that his neighbors THINK he is rich now he is a leader, and they flood his house and stay all day eating what little food his family has. He tries to tell them he isn’t rich, but they don’t believe him. He feels he can’t go to his neighbors any more to ask for help because they think he is rich. Later, he said he plays conference as a missionary tool for them to watch on the TV and they sit and watch it all day.
He said they believed all were rich because in the past people had been given land. We went over again that that isn’t the way things work. He mentioned it was hard for any RMs that come home because neighbors expect them to be rich when they returned and wouldn’t help them get jobs or help with food.
He is so worried because almost all of his people in the branch are hungry. He said there were only 3 people in his branch who have high school educations. He explained that to get a high school education costs for the 4 years total of school between $1,750 and $2,000.
He works with NGOs—Non-government Organizations who do research. They found that in Kenya there are 8 months of hunger each year. There are only 1-2 families in the branch that have a family member employed outside of individual farming on their small plots of land. He left us early to go into Kitale (about ½ hour away in a matatu) to see if he could get work at the Community offices. He said he left at 8AM and his wife left at 10AM leaving the kids at home with all the people who are crowded into his house watching the TV. He was worried about what his kids would do at lunchtime when all those people want to eat.
Yesterday we went to District Development Meeting with our 6 elders in the morning, then met with a Branch President to help him get started on a computer, something he has never even touched before. He is a darling man. We just love him to death, so humble and kind. He is the one who ran his bike into the ditch because he can’t see. He now has glasses, but we worked until almost 7 last night and it was raining, and he still had a 2 hour trip home by bike. It is so muddy, I don’t know how he can even ride, even when he is on tarmac. We had to take our YW Pres home (opposite direction).
After the computer session, we drove out to get the YW Pres. She is in her 30s I would suspect, single, and very ,very crippled up with arthritis. She is a very beautiful woman, keeps herself just immaculate, painted finger and toenails, fixed hair, lovely clothing, etc. She is also well educated. She lives by herself in actually 2 houses connected that have fallen into bad disrepair on a big shamba owned by her parents.
Our goal for the day was to visit all the active girls and their families in the branch. We made many (not all) of them. We took the YW Pres and the Br President with us. We rode for a very long time on muddy dirt roads twisting and in and out among the maize fields until we came to the home of the 1st Coun in the Br Presidency. We’ve been to all of the homes in the past that we visited this day.
We were able to meet with 3 YW, several smaller children, and the mother, who was pulling kernals off a cob of corn. This corn is still wet (fresh). She said she needed for the 10 members of the family 20 cobs (big lovely ones) to add to their beans and Irish potatoes (as opposed to sweet potatoes, which they eat for breakfast with cocoa at 7AM). Supper is 7PM, and they eat maize and sometimes this stew like substance. Meat is consumed only on special holidays.
Some of the girls in this family are less active, but the YW is so eager to do her job well, that she just sat right down with them on their rickety stools and table and pulled out the Personal Progress and got them involved with her. She is amazing. We had chickens running under our feet. They usually don’t eat the eggs they raise they said. They use them for barter so they can get things like wire or wood or other commodities.
The house is larger than most here—the father is a mason. He has built a separate outdoor kitchen and some other rooms. They have a single bulb light dangling from the ceiling, but the power is erratic, and they can’t afford the electricity, so they use a lantern from 7-9 or 10 when they go to bed. They usually read the scriptures at night or sing together. No TV of course.
We left there and went down into the slums. The mud was unbelievable. We usually get lost in this area of the branch, and today was no exception. It is Ramadan right now, so we saw many completely covered women (black veils and gowns) picking their way with everyone else through the mud. Although we see Muslims fairly commonly, we don’t usually see so many Muslim women in this area. The Br. Pres thought they must be coming from the mosque.
They, like everyone were very curious about us. We could not see their expressions other than their eyes, but that told a lot. We were parked right in the middle of tons of mud homes with garbage scattered in large piles around us. People walked all around the car peering in to see the muzungus…the kids climbed right up on the edge of the car. We had to be careful when we opened the doors because one little boy tried to climb right in over me. Then he clung to the edge of the door and an adult had to come and pull him off. He was probably 6-7. Everyone was caked with mud in that rainy place.
The family we visited here is often sick with Malaria. It is a very poor area with standing water and garbage everywhere. The houses are joined to neighbors in many cases and very small and wet. The mother came out to welcome us into her home. Her father died that morning, and she was very upset because of his death and that he lives down by Kisumu (5 hours away), and she hasn’t any money to go to the funeral. We talked for awhile with her and then the YW talked with 2 of her girls. The Br Pres stayed to talk with her while we went to the car. We don’t know if he helped her with money for the trip. We are strongly cautioned not to give money, so we didn’t. I go out of those situations with a stomach and heartache. Oh, how hard it is for them, and what can we do?
We visited the next family—former pioneers here, 15 years in the church, just recently reactivated. The mother has just been called to be the R.S. Pres and the father to be the SS Pres. They live in a very poor house as well. The YW Pres had a very difficult time trying to walk to these houses through the mud and wet grass. She wears flipflops (probably because her feet hurt so badly), and it is treacherous walking with the clodhoppers I wear, I can’t imagine being in flipflops. This house was higher than most and to enter you had to climb cement steps. It was perilous for her, but the men came to her assistance. We had a good visit there with one girl.
While there, two female visitors came to the door and called “Hodi Hodi” The mother responded, “Karibu” Welcome. I think they came mostly to see the muzungus. One of the women is due to deliver her second baby this month. She was more sophisticated than most in our area. She was nicely dressed, spoke English very well, and just seemed quite put together. She has her own business in the next block from where we were visiting. She became very agitated as she began to talk with us. She started out with usual pleasantries, but then became more upset as she talked.
Last night, she locked her shop carefully, because she had just fully restocked it with hardware and foodstuffs to sell. Even though she had a night guard, she was completely robbed. She left the structure (they are usually little shacks) padlocked, and when she returned this morning (being yesterday), she found the padlock in place and locked, but she had a bad feeling. When she opened up, it was slicked clean. She usually sleeps on the premises in the back, but this night she had felt uncomfortable about doing so. She was understandably, very upset because of her many losses. The mother we were visiting reported that many shops had been robbed that night.
We felt so badly for her, but again, we are not to give money. We told her how sorry we were. I can’t imagine how hard that must be for her. She said all the money they had saved for the hospital for the baby is now gone. She had hidden it in the store and lost it as well.
We traveled even further into the slum to a very congested area we have visited before. This family lives right in the middle of the market, down an alley. The father is a tailor and has his sewing machine across the street right on the boardwalk outside. We were very crowded in this very, very small home. The YW Pres visited with the daughter as we encouraged the family (the father) to become more active. The father was anxious to leave once we had been welcomed, but Neal encouraged him to stay and talked with him about his son working on the Duty to God.
We left them to visit our last family of the day. It was pouring by this time, which only made it muddier. We moved to a bigger slum called Kipsonga, the largest slum in Kitale. This family lives down off the road in a very populated area. We parked up on the pavement (steep drop offs on either side). My door opened right down into a ditch. We had the YW Pres exit the car by the other side because it would have been so slippery, she would have been right in the ditch.
We crossed the busy road to the other side. Again, a very steep muddy drop off that continued that pitch from the road right down to the line of mud houses (all connected together). It was probably 40 feet from the road to the house. They had tied a filthy goat right by their door (a new acquisition just today). It bleated all the while we were there. We wondered if the neighbors came to slash its throat last night. They had piled a huge stack of garbage mixed with maize stalks and other greenery next to it from which piles of mosquitoes were rising and coming into the house.
They said they were going to raise the goat to sell for meat, hoping to mate it with another so they could have a herd. We wondered where they would put these animals with the neighbors so close around them. As we tried to visit, the goat was bleating, and somewhere a church or natives were beating drums, so it was difficult to hear. The father said, “I am so happy. Today, I got a goat and you have come to bless my home.” He was so nice about us coming. He was telling us what a good thing a dung/mud home is because the dung smell will protect the occupants from caterpillars entering the house.
Two of the girls had been working on Personal Progress. They found scraps of paper, which they had torn apart and colored with something to make torches for their PP books. I was so touched by their efforts. It must have taken supreme effort to do that with the few resources they have. The Br Pres translated to the mother the things “For the Strength of Youth” emphasizes. She was really pleased and wanting her girls to have those ideals and principles in their lives.
It was quite a day. We feel like we are overwhelmed and inadequate and helpless to make any changes or inroads. There is so much opposition, and their lives are so hard.
August 11, 2011 Today we were supposed to meet with another branch president to go visiting. We met with P and E first to talk with them about changes they would like to make to their situation. We have tried to be very prayerful as have they about their lives.
It was really raining when we reached the Church. We took the elders up as far as this branch so they could catch a motorcycle to their area. We know they were going to drown because they only were in their white shirts, and it was pouring and so muddy. They were going up to their homes on those roads that are so scary. They called us after they got home to tell us they had finally made it. We had really worried about them because those motorcycles are so dangerous on good days far less bad ones.
The branch president and 1st counselor, P. got into the car as we sat outside the Church in the rain. It was warmer than inside the church would have been. The branch pres talked about how hard it has been for him to be the BP. He said that his neighbors THINK he is rich now he is a leader, and they flood his house and stay all day eating what little food his family has. He tries to tell them he isn’t rich, but they don’t believe him. He feels he can’t go to his neighbors any more to ask for help because they think he is rich. Later, he said he plays conference as a missionary tool for them to watch on the TV and they sit and watch it all day.
He said they believed all were rich because in the past people had been given land. We went over again that that isn’t the way things work. He mentioned it was hard for any RMs that come home because neighbors expect them to be rich when they returned and wouldn’t help them get jobs or help with food.
He is so worried because almost all of his people in the branch are hungry. He said there were only 3 people in his branch who have high school educations. He explained that to get a high school education costs for the 4 years total of school between $1,750 and $2,000.
He works with NGOs—Non-government Organizations who do research. They found that in Kenya there are 8 months of hunger each year. There are only 1-2 families in the branch that have a family member employed outside of individual farming on their small plots of land. He left us early to go into Kitale (about ½ hour away in a matatu) to see if he could get work at the Community offices. He said he left at 8AM and his wife left at 10AM leaving the kids at home with all the people who are crowded into his house watching the TV. He was worried about what his kids would do at lunchtime when all those people want to eat.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Lots of new experiences
August 9, 2011
COMPUTER AGE
Four of our five branches got computers this week. They are so excited. It was really fun to be in the room when they all came (branch presidents and clerks) to see them unpackaged and to be able to see a new world open up for them. Many have no experience whatsoever with computers. It is amazing how much vocabulary there is to the computer world: things like mouse, software, cursor, etc.
In several of the branches, there is one or two people who have at least used a computer before to do email, but it is a sharp learning curve. It will make their lives so much easier. It is amazing how much that will be true.
One of the branches has no electricity, but that branch presidency was devastated to think that they couldn’t get one of the computers. “Well, can’t we just use it in one of the two mud houses in the branch that has electricity?” “NOOOOOO” So, they will just have to push to get electricity into that building.
Next we visited up on top of the opposite mountain, through the maize field, over craggy rocks—both visits quite a climb for me. This time we visited the R.S. Pres. She appears to be about 37 I would guess. She had been out hoeing in her maize field in her bare feet, with several children hanging on her. She was literally in rags.
This woman is very sweet and humble. She lives a very hard life—so hard in fact, I just don’t know how she does it. Her husband does not live with her. He lives in Eldoret (3 ½ hours away) where he works to sustain them. They couldn’t afford to live together there, so she came up on this mountain to live on his family’s land. When he is home, 8 of them sleep in a rickety bunk bed separated off from the main room by a curtain. She lives by herself with her 6 children ages 13 down to 3 or 4. She said her twins were 4 years old, but Neal thinks they were about 3. They were crying and pulling on her. She sat down on a 3 legged stool, took one on her lap to nurse. The other twin walked up to her and nursed on the other side at the same time while he was standing next to her knee. All the while, she tried to talk to us of the problems the sisters in her branch who were suffering from hunger. I looked at this poor, sweet sister and thought, how on earth do you do it? She has no phone, lives a long way from the Church (to which she walks), and has so much on her plate.
She agreed to hike down to another sister nearby to visit, but she was covered with mud from toe to crown. She went into the next area (separated by a cloth) to wash. As we climbed up another mountain over very rough terrain, she far out-distanced me. We asked her how she did it in bare feet and didn’t she get jiggers (maggots) in her feet. She looked amazed and said, “Oh no, I wash my feet very hard every night!” We thought, “we wash every day too, and wear socks and covered in shoes, but we still get them.”
As we walked down off her place, the branch president and counselor, pulled back some of the maize stalks and said to us (out of her hearing), “She will get nothing off this maize crop this year. She must not have had any fertilizer because no ears matured.”
Sickness
One of our members who lives in this very far distant village has been a rock about coming to Church for years since her baptism. She has walked great distances to get to Church when there were no buildings near. She recently went to the temple, the highlight of her life, but she has been absent from Church for 3 weeks. We went to visit her as well. We have visited her up on her mountain many times, and each time we visit, she tells us she isn’t feeling well. We have referred her to the branch president, and he has tried to help her. He has no funds, however, to do so. We worry that her illness is more than recurrent Malaria. So, we had a good visit and hopefully lifted her spirits. The branch president will continue to monitor her situation.
The Wood gatherers
It is VERY common for us to see kids and women with huge piles of wood upon their heads. Sometimes the wood extends 8-10 feet total in length. Many times, especially with little children, it looks like there are just bunches of wood with legs walking down the street. This wood is used for cooking.
We were somewhat amazed on one of our trips to the forest this week to see some far-distance members, to see many groups of children of all ages, traveling in packs, carrying huge loads of wood out of the trees. There were so many all along the way, we commented to the branch president. He explained that school got out August 4 and as soon as school gets out, the kids’ duty is to bring wood in from the forests to keep the family stocked for the 3 months until they get out of school again. They are out for 28 days and then return for 3 months, then out for another 28 days, and return for another 3 months. This goes on all year. Every day of break, they are expected to bring in the wood. The kids get up early in the morning after they’ve got the water for the family for the day, and call to other kids in the village to go with them so they travel in groups to prevent being raped or accosted alone in the forest.
Interesting sayings:
We visited in a home of an older gentleman, who very kindly asked us to sit down in his house. The branch president said he would stand because there were not enough chairs for everyone. The man looked up at him and said, “In my tribe we say, ‘If you stand, you drain my blood. Sit down!’” He sat.
One young woman (20 ish) stood in testimony meeting and said that it had been hard for her to move to our area from a bigger city because she ran into so much opposition. She said neighbors said to her, “If you live here, our children will all die because you are a devil worshiper.” She said she is working hard to help them know that we worship the Savior and use the Bible as our scripture.
Another pre-missionary spoke relating how he joined the Church. He said he was afraid of the Church because he had heard we were devil worshippers. He finally attended, and everyone was speaking English and there were muzungus (whites) at the Church, so he REALLY did believe we were devil worshippers. He later gained a testimony and found we worshiped Christ, not Satan. It was a real eye-opener to him.
COMPUTER AGE
Four of our five branches got computers this week. They are so excited. It was really fun to be in the room when they all came (branch presidents and clerks) to see them unpackaged and to be able to see a new world open up for them. Many have no experience whatsoever with computers. It is amazing how much vocabulary there is to the computer world: things like mouse, software, cursor, etc.
In several of the branches, there is one or two people who have at least used a computer before to do email, but it is a sharp learning curve. It will make their lives so much easier. It is amazing how much that will be true.
One of the branches has no electricity, but that branch presidency was devastated to think that they couldn’t get one of the computers. “Well, can’t we just use it in one of the two mud houses in the branch that has electricity?” “NOOOOOO” So, they will just have to push to get electricity into that building.
Next we visited up on top of the opposite mountain, through the maize field, over craggy rocks—both visits quite a climb for me. This time we visited the R.S. Pres. She appears to be about 37 I would guess. She had been out hoeing in her maize field in her bare feet, with several children hanging on her. She was literally in rags.
This woman is very sweet and humble. She lives a very hard life—so hard in fact, I just don’t know how she does it. Her husband does not live with her. He lives in Eldoret (3 ½ hours away) where he works to sustain them. They couldn’t afford to live together there, so she came up on this mountain to live on his family’s land. When he is home, 8 of them sleep in a rickety bunk bed separated off from the main room by a curtain. She lives by herself with her 6 children ages 13 down to 3 or 4. She said her twins were 4 years old, but Neal thinks they were about 3. They were crying and pulling on her. She sat down on a 3 legged stool, took one on her lap to nurse. The other twin walked up to her and nursed on the other side at the same time while he was standing next to her knee. All the while, she tried to talk to us of the problems the sisters in her branch who were suffering from hunger. I looked at this poor, sweet sister and thought, how on earth do you do it? She has no phone, lives a long way from the Church (to which she walks), and has so much on her plate.
She agreed to hike down to another sister nearby to visit, but she was covered with mud from toe to crown. She went into the next area (separated by a cloth) to wash. As we climbed up another mountain over very rough terrain, she far out-distanced me. We asked her how she did it in bare feet and didn’t she get jiggers (maggots) in her feet. She looked amazed and said, “Oh no, I wash my feet very hard every night!” We thought, “we wash every day too, and wear socks and covered in shoes, but we still get them.”
As we walked down off her place, the branch president and counselor, pulled back some of the maize stalks and said to us (out of her hearing), “She will get nothing off this maize crop this year. She must not have had any fertilizer because no ears matured.”
Sickness
One of our members who lives in this very far distant village has been a rock about coming to Church for years since her baptism. She has walked great distances to get to Church when there were no buildings near. She recently went to the temple, the highlight of her life, but she has been absent from Church for 3 weeks. We went to visit her as well. We have visited her up on her mountain many times, and each time we visit, she tells us she isn’t feeling well. We have referred her to the branch president, and he has tried to help her. He has no funds, however, to do so. We worry that her illness is more than recurrent Malaria. So, we had a good visit and hopefully lifted her spirits. The branch president will continue to monitor her situation.
The Wood gatherers
It is VERY common for us to see kids and women with huge piles of wood upon their heads. Sometimes the wood extends 8-10 feet total in length. Many times, especially with little children, it looks like there are just bunches of wood with legs walking down the street. This wood is used for cooking.
We were somewhat amazed on one of our trips to the forest this week to see some far-distance members, to see many groups of children of all ages, traveling in packs, carrying huge loads of wood out of the trees. There were so many all along the way, we commented to the branch president. He explained that school got out August 4 and as soon as school gets out, the kids’ duty is to bring wood in from the forests to keep the family stocked for the 3 months until they get out of school again. They are out for 28 days and then return for 3 months, then out for another 28 days, and return for another 3 months. This goes on all year. Every day of break, they are expected to bring in the wood. The kids get up early in the morning after they’ve got the water for the family for the day, and call to other kids in the village to go with them so they travel in groups to prevent being raped or accosted alone in the forest.
Interesting sayings:
We visited in a home of an older gentleman, who very kindly asked us to sit down in his house. The branch president said he would stand because there were not enough chairs for everyone. The man looked up at him and said, “In my tribe we say, ‘If you stand, you drain my blood. Sit down!’” He sat.
One young woman (20 ish) stood in testimony meeting and said that it had been hard for her to move to our area from a bigger city because she ran into so much opposition. She said neighbors said to her, “If you live here, our children will all die because you are a devil worshiper.” She said she is working hard to help them know that we worship the Savior and use the Bible as our scripture.
Another pre-missionary spoke relating how he joined the Church. He said he was afraid of the Church because he had heard we were devil worshippers. He finally attended, and everyone was speaking English and there were muzungus (whites) at the Church, so he REALLY did believe we were devil worshippers. He later gained a testimony and found we worshiped Christ, not Satan. It was a real eye-opener to him.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Update for August 3, 2011
Weekly update August 3, 2011
I’ve been remiss in writing for a couple of weeks. We’ve been busy, and that is good. This will be random because I have so many scattered thoughts.
DEATH
One of the men in one of our branches was telling me about the death of his daughter from Malaria. He said, “It is just a normal thing—something to be expected. Death is common.” Indeed, it is here. We’ve told you how pervasive Malaria is here. No family is exempt. Literally, we rarely talk to someone who doesn’t tell us one of their family members hasn’t had it within the last two weeks or is infected with it presently.
We were discussing problems which needed solving. Five families were identified as needing clothing and food. W of W was a big culprit in many homes.
One woman named a concern she had for a small child in a family of neglected circumstances. She said, “The baby has a swollen face and swollen arms and legs. The legs are so swollen from malnutrition that the skin is splitting and liquid is seeping through the cracks. The little kids in this family have been grabbing the sacrament bread. I was appalled. I was very upset about how we could help this baby. I discovered the branch had "already taken in some food and resolved the problem.” I was so relieved, but couldn’t get that baby out of my mind. The next morning we were told the baby died during the night. That is twice that has happened since we’ve been here. We just felt so badly about it.
Then we were told that the family had been helped for over a year, but the caretaker had taken the food they had been given and sold it. Our hearts just ached for all of them.
Anyway, she asked for help to bury the child. She lives on rented ground. The landlord agreed to allow the burial on his ground, but then, his family members were against it, so he retracted his offer. Our group helped with the casket. The caretaker wanted us to help with getting the plot on the landlord’s ground issue resolved. Later, it was discovered that the plan was to have the baby buried and then claim the ground. Our leader was inspired to go to the police when it became obvious that all was not right. The police gave very good advice. So, ultimately, the neighbors got together and buried the baby. It just amazes us all the things that we don’t understand.
Remember the baby we told you about earlier—young 18 yr old mom, no English, and older father, 52. We are going to visit there on Friday because we were just informed the baby has some significant birth defects: 5 missing fingers and one leg missing. I feel so sorry for that little mother. She just looks like a lost sheep. We are going to take out a few baby things because there are no clothes for this baby. She still acts like she is afraid of me.
You know when we go out in these more remote areas, many of the people don’t see muzungus (whites) much if ever. We went to visit a sister quite near us (where whites would not be quite so rare). As we were in her home talking with her, two little boys (about 6-8) came and stood in the room. The houses are open, so it isn’t entirely unusual for people to wander in, but they were so intent on our conversation, that we asked if they were sons of the sister. She said “No, they’ve come to see the muzungus).
PATRIARCHAL BLESSINGS
This continues to be one of the highlights of our missions. We had two last week and three next week and then 3 more scheduled for the next week and two more still not scheduled for a specific time. It has been a real blessing and privilege to be able to serve in this way. We’ve so enjoyed the wonderful people who have come to receive their blessings. People don’t really know a lot about patriarchal blessings here because (1) most are new in the church (2) they’ve never had access to a patriarch before, so this has been really a sweet tender mercy for us and hopefully, for them.
VISION: Very, very few people have glasses here. They can’t afford them. They live in very dark, smoky homes, and so many are unable to see very well—particularly the middle-aged adults. One of the branch presidents (the one who cycles his wife 2 hours one way to Church) told us he was cycling home from the church in the dark and fell into the ditch because he didn't see it. It was not a good experience. We hadn’t realized how much he couldn’t see. He told us neither he nor his wife can read their scriptures because they can’t see. No electricity of course either. Then we remembered another mission couple who had returned home, had given us a plastic box filled with eyeglasses. Some of them have wild frames, but they are brand new and THEY work. So, we gave him the box to take home for both of them to try out. He was thrilled. They now can read their scriptures. Yay!!
Heartrending experiences
We went to see a less active family, who has not been out to Church for several years. The father and 19 year old son are presently in Nairobi waiting for the son to have spinal surgery. One year ago, this boy was lifting a heavy weight and dropped it or something, crushing his 1-2 vertebrate. They said he broken his spine.
For one year he has been lying on his mother’s dirt floor waiting for someone to diagnose and treat him. Both parents work for an NGO (Non-governmental Organization—charitable), and that group has provided funds for the boy to be hospitalized on 2 occasions, but there is nothing in this area at all to treat anything so severe, and they haven’t been able to afford to go to Nairobi for treatment.
The mother hired a homeless 18 yr old boy to be the 24 hr a day caretaker for her son. When I mentioned to mom that I had had a spinal fusion, she was very interested because she has thought her son would never walk again. She then pulled out the projected hospital bill: 200,000 ksh. The paper stated that he had had an injury, but the problem was really TB induced.
I was shocked that they were able to take him to Nairobi. It is a hard trip, even if you feel well. There are no ambulances to transport, so I was curious how they did that. His mom said they took him on a bus to Nairobi. I just can’t imagine the pain that young boy must be experiencing, and what an arduous trip that must have been in a very crowded bus.
OUR TRIP TO THE DOCTOR
Well, Neal has had a cold for a long time with a cough. We finally went into Nairobi where we see a doctor we really like quite well. He is an Indian gentleman, wears a turban, and is very well-spoken. We have seen him several times, and on each occasion, we’ve been pleased with his counsel. He did discover Neal’s foot maggot, and did take me off the Malaria medicine, which cleared up all the bug bites, so we like him.
Neal had been on Amoxicillin for 10 days to no avail, so, he put him on an even stronger antibiotic, and told him if the cough wasn’t gone by Friday, to come back in and he would test him for TB. It is a long trip to Nairobi, so we were praying the cough would clear up...because of the trip and of course, because of the thought of TB.
Of course, that scared the dickens out of us. By Friday, the cough was a little better, but not gone, but the thoughts of driving all the way back to Nairobi (6-7 hours one way) were just daunting. So, we procrastinated. We really didn’t want to go to a doctor here. Finally, however, we decided we would just go see him, but decide if we wanted a blood test or any other invasive treatment only after visiting the office.
We arrived early thinking there would be lines of people as we had seen in the past, but it was early in the morning, and only a couple of people came and began to wait. The nurse arrived one hour late, and the doctor later. We went in to find 2 inches of water standing wherever we stood or waited. The office, like the outside surroundings, was very dirty.
The waiting room was a very narrow aisle with plank benches on both sides and a small area to walk between them. The walls were made of rough wood plastered with torn notices and advertisements. As the nurse/receptionist began to mop out the water, she brushed aside the dirty curtains that served as doorways, and we could see into her office where behind other curtains she moved, were revealed opened, gaping boxes of different pills and medicines. Some of the medicines were standing on the floor. He must have a very busy practice, because we could see floor to ceiling stapled pieces of paper (medical notes) lining some of the walls.
We were the first called to see him. We were ushered through some of the curtains into another very crowded room with more medicines and files floor to ceiling again. He seemed very professional although his notes were on scratch paper. He seemed confident that Neal did not have TB, which would manifest itself with night sweats and fevers. We were relieved and relieved that he did not have to have a blood test. He gave us a prescription and told us to take it to the chemist. It was an interesting experience. It didn’t cost much—I think $10 approx for the exam (he only talked to Neal, didn’t listen to his chest or back) and the meds combined. By the time we left, the waiting room was packed.
SEMINARY
We have been challenged to have all of our seminary students attend class daily instead of once a week. We are grateful the local leaders will be the ones to figure out how to do it. We are sure it will be a great blessing to the kids, but it will be very difficult to bring to pass. They generally go to school 6 days a week, 6AM-5:30-6PM and sometimes Sundays. I’m sure if the Lord wants this to work, it will work. Our SE Africa director came to stay with us and gave us that challenge. He said, “The Stone Age didn’t end because we ran out of stones.” Thomas Friedman quote. We just need to figure out how to do it.
Fun and interesting Comments: Some of the priesthood brethren got into our car (it has been quite cold here, and the natives really feel the cold) One of them said, “The weather is really good inside here.”
“Some young men dream of a mission. They leave a very poor area, go on a mission, often live better—better food, better housing—than ever in their lives. They dream. They get home and think it will continue, but often it doesn’t. They despair. PEF has been a blessing to them to help them better themselves.”
One young man bore testimony (he is really quite dynamic, a RM). “I returned home and dreamed I would work hard and buy a big car and live in a big house. I started a business and worked very, very hard. Then thieves broke in after 3 months and took everything I had worked for. It was very hard for me. I have a testimony, however, and I know that if I continue to work, the Lord will bless me. “
We had a meeting of branch presidents. Two of them separately told us how their roosters had been stolen. We put them together to commiserate. It is so hard for them to get ahead because there are so many challenges. The church is really their greatest blessing.
One of our young men is trying to get a PEF loan. To do so he needs to visit several schools and several businesses to do research. He went to the school of his choice three times and tried to ask questions (from the manual) of the registrar. The registrar told him he asked too many questions, and if he wanted to come, he could come, but not to bother him any more.
COMPUTERS
Today we went to an all-day training as each branch (except the one without electricity) received a computer to begin to use the Church MLS program. It was a very informative day and very enlightening I’m sure for the branch presidents and their clerks (and sometimes counselors). Only about 3 of the group had any experience at all with computers if that many. It will really simplify their work. We will act as consultants—not on the program, but just to kind of help them understand the computer…what is a mouse, a keyboard, etc. The meeting was supposed to start at 9AM. We were there to help set up, but the leaders didn’t come for an 1 ½ and it didn’t start until 2 hours after 9AM. It works for them. We just need to adjust! We are learning.
I just have to say that this is one of the most beautiful places on earth. It is so green and flowers bloom everywhere, even in the most unlikely places. We are getting a new house in our compound, right in front of our front room window. We will miss the very beautiful yard in front of us, but we’ve enjoyed it for a year. We are doing well. Sometimes we wonder if we make any difference at all, but we keep trying.
I’ve been remiss in writing for a couple of weeks. We’ve been busy, and that is good. This will be random because I have so many scattered thoughts.
DEATH
One of the men in one of our branches was telling me about the death of his daughter from Malaria. He said, “It is just a normal thing—something to be expected. Death is common.” Indeed, it is here. We’ve told you how pervasive Malaria is here. No family is exempt. Literally, we rarely talk to someone who doesn’t tell us one of their family members hasn’t had it within the last two weeks or is infected with it presently.
We were discussing problems which needed solving. Five families were identified as needing clothing and food. W of W was a big culprit in many homes.
One woman named a concern she had for a small child in a family of neglected circumstances. She said, “The baby has a swollen face and swollen arms and legs. The legs are so swollen from malnutrition that the skin is splitting and liquid is seeping through the cracks. The little kids in this family have been grabbing the sacrament bread. I was appalled. I was very upset about how we could help this baby. I discovered the branch had "already taken in some food and resolved the problem.” I was so relieved, but couldn’t get that baby out of my mind. The next morning we were told the baby died during the night. That is twice that has happened since we’ve been here. We just felt so badly about it.
Then we were told that the family had been helped for over a year, but the caretaker had taken the food they had been given and sold it. Our hearts just ached for all of them.
Anyway, she asked for help to bury the child. She lives on rented ground. The landlord agreed to allow the burial on his ground, but then, his family members were against it, so he retracted his offer. Our group helped with the casket. The caretaker wanted us to help with getting the plot on the landlord’s ground issue resolved. Later, it was discovered that the plan was to have the baby buried and then claim the ground. Our leader was inspired to go to the police when it became obvious that all was not right. The police gave very good advice. So, ultimately, the neighbors got together and buried the baby. It just amazes us all the things that we don’t understand.
Remember the baby we told you about earlier—young 18 yr old mom, no English, and older father, 52. We are going to visit there on Friday because we were just informed the baby has some significant birth defects: 5 missing fingers and one leg missing. I feel so sorry for that little mother. She just looks like a lost sheep. We are going to take out a few baby things because there are no clothes for this baby. She still acts like she is afraid of me.
You know when we go out in these more remote areas, many of the people don’t see muzungus (whites) much if ever. We went to visit a sister quite near us (where whites would not be quite so rare). As we were in her home talking with her, two little boys (about 6-8) came and stood in the room. The houses are open, so it isn’t entirely unusual for people to wander in, but they were so intent on our conversation, that we asked if they were sons of the sister. She said “No, they’ve come to see the muzungus).
PATRIARCHAL BLESSINGS
This continues to be one of the highlights of our missions. We had two last week and three next week and then 3 more scheduled for the next week and two more still not scheduled for a specific time. It has been a real blessing and privilege to be able to serve in this way. We’ve so enjoyed the wonderful people who have come to receive their blessings. People don’t really know a lot about patriarchal blessings here because (1) most are new in the church (2) they’ve never had access to a patriarch before, so this has been really a sweet tender mercy for us and hopefully, for them.
VISION: Very, very few people have glasses here. They can’t afford them. They live in very dark, smoky homes, and so many are unable to see very well—particularly the middle-aged adults. One of the branch presidents (the one who cycles his wife 2 hours one way to Church) told us he was cycling home from the church in the dark and fell into the ditch because he didn't see it. It was not a good experience. We hadn’t realized how much he couldn’t see. He told us neither he nor his wife can read their scriptures because they can’t see. No electricity of course either. Then we remembered another mission couple who had returned home, had given us a plastic box filled with eyeglasses. Some of them have wild frames, but they are brand new and THEY work. So, we gave him the box to take home for both of them to try out. He was thrilled. They now can read their scriptures. Yay!!
Heartrending experiences
We went to see a less active family, who has not been out to Church for several years. The father and 19 year old son are presently in Nairobi waiting for the son to have spinal surgery. One year ago, this boy was lifting a heavy weight and dropped it or something, crushing his 1-2 vertebrate. They said he broken his spine.
For one year he has been lying on his mother’s dirt floor waiting for someone to diagnose and treat him. Both parents work for an NGO (Non-governmental Organization—charitable), and that group has provided funds for the boy to be hospitalized on 2 occasions, but there is nothing in this area at all to treat anything so severe, and they haven’t been able to afford to go to Nairobi for treatment.
The mother hired a homeless 18 yr old boy to be the 24 hr a day caretaker for her son. When I mentioned to mom that I had had a spinal fusion, she was very interested because she has thought her son would never walk again. She then pulled out the projected hospital bill: 200,000 ksh. The paper stated that he had had an injury, but the problem was really TB induced.
I was shocked that they were able to take him to Nairobi. It is a hard trip, even if you feel well. There are no ambulances to transport, so I was curious how they did that. His mom said they took him on a bus to Nairobi. I just can’t imagine the pain that young boy must be experiencing, and what an arduous trip that must have been in a very crowded bus.
OUR TRIP TO THE DOCTOR
Well, Neal has had a cold for a long time with a cough. We finally went into Nairobi where we see a doctor we really like quite well. He is an Indian gentleman, wears a turban, and is very well-spoken. We have seen him several times, and on each occasion, we’ve been pleased with his counsel. He did discover Neal’s foot maggot, and did take me off the Malaria medicine, which cleared up all the bug bites, so we like him.
Neal had been on Amoxicillin for 10 days to no avail, so, he put him on an even stronger antibiotic, and told him if the cough wasn’t gone by Friday, to come back in and he would test him for TB. It is a long trip to Nairobi, so we were praying the cough would clear up...because of the trip and of course, because of the thought of TB.
Of course, that scared the dickens out of us. By Friday, the cough was a little better, but not gone, but the thoughts of driving all the way back to Nairobi (6-7 hours one way) were just daunting. So, we procrastinated. We really didn’t want to go to a doctor here. Finally, however, we decided we would just go see him, but decide if we wanted a blood test or any other invasive treatment only after visiting the office.
We arrived early thinking there would be lines of people as we had seen in the past, but it was early in the morning, and only a couple of people came and began to wait. The nurse arrived one hour late, and the doctor later. We went in to find 2 inches of water standing wherever we stood or waited. The office, like the outside surroundings, was very dirty.
The waiting room was a very narrow aisle with plank benches on both sides and a small area to walk between them. The walls were made of rough wood plastered with torn notices and advertisements. As the nurse/receptionist began to mop out the water, she brushed aside the dirty curtains that served as doorways, and we could see into her office where behind other curtains she moved, were revealed opened, gaping boxes of different pills and medicines. Some of the medicines were standing on the floor. He must have a very busy practice, because we could see floor to ceiling stapled pieces of paper (medical notes) lining some of the walls.
We were the first called to see him. We were ushered through some of the curtains into another very crowded room with more medicines and files floor to ceiling again. He seemed very professional although his notes were on scratch paper. He seemed confident that Neal did not have TB, which would manifest itself with night sweats and fevers. We were relieved and relieved that he did not have to have a blood test. He gave us a prescription and told us to take it to the chemist. It was an interesting experience. It didn’t cost much—I think $10 approx for the exam (he only talked to Neal, didn’t listen to his chest or back) and the meds combined. By the time we left, the waiting room was packed.
SEMINARY
We have been challenged to have all of our seminary students attend class daily instead of once a week. We are grateful the local leaders will be the ones to figure out how to do it. We are sure it will be a great blessing to the kids, but it will be very difficult to bring to pass. They generally go to school 6 days a week, 6AM-5:30-6PM and sometimes Sundays. I’m sure if the Lord wants this to work, it will work. Our SE Africa director came to stay with us and gave us that challenge. He said, “The Stone Age didn’t end because we ran out of stones.” Thomas Friedman quote. We just need to figure out how to do it.
Fun and interesting Comments: Some of the priesthood brethren got into our car (it has been quite cold here, and the natives really feel the cold) One of them said, “The weather is really good inside here.”
“Some young men dream of a mission. They leave a very poor area, go on a mission, often live better—better food, better housing—than ever in their lives. They dream. They get home and think it will continue, but often it doesn’t. They despair. PEF has been a blessing to them to help them better themselves.”
One young man bore testimony (he is really quite dynamic, a RM). “I returned home and dreamed I would work hard and buy a big car and live in a big house. I started a business and worked very, very hard. Then thieves broke in after 3 months and took everything I had worked for. It was very hard for me. I have a testimony, however, and I know that if I continue to work, the Lord will bless me. “
We had a meeting of branch presidents. Two of them separately told us how their roosters had been stolen. We put them together to commiserate. It is so hard for them to get ahead because there are so many challenges. The church is really their greatest blessing.
One of our young men is trying to get a PEF loan. To do so he needs to visit several schools and several businesses to do research. He went to the school of his choice three times and tried to ask questions (from the manual) of the registrar. The registrar told him he asked too many questions, and if he wanted to come, he could come, but not to bother him any more.
COMPUTERS
Today we went to an all-day training as each branch (except the one without electricity) received a computer to begin to use the Church MLS program. It was a very informative day and very enlightening I’m sure for the branch presidents and their clerks (and sometimes counselors). Only about 3 of the group had any experience at all with computers if that many. It will really simplify their work. We will act as consultants—not on the program, but just to kind of help them understand the computer…what is a mouse, a keyboard, etc. The meeting was supposed to start at 9AM. We were there to help set up, but the leaders didn’t come for an 1 ½ and it didn’t start until 2 hours after 9AM. It works for them. We just need to adjust! We are learning.
I just have to say that this is one of the most beautiful places on earth. It is so green and flowers bloom everywhere, even in the most unlikely places. We are getting a new house in our compound, right in front of our front room window. We will miss the very beautiful yard in front of us, but we’ve enjoyed it for a year. We are doing well. Sometimes we wonder if we make any difference at all, but we keep trying.
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