Needing to Move on Monday

We found out that we need to move on Monday.  Two missionaries (the Assistants to the Mission President) had their flat flooded during the rains.  So they need to move into our flat and we need to move into the new (to us) flat for the senior mission couple (which we are).  We will be living in a nicer part of town, away from the crazy traffic and noise that we experience daily here.  Kind of sad because LeRon is really getting into the hang of driving here.  But for a while we will be driving from our new place in the Karen area back to the mission office here.  When the mission office moves, it will be in Karen and we won't have so far to drive.  Our drive right now will be anywhere from 30-90 minutes or longer depending on the traffic as we get into the city.

Our new flat is much newer than this one, with more rooms but is actually smaller.  In fact the kitchen is teeny-tiny.  There is no hot water heater, just something in the shower to heat the water.  We'll have to heat water for washing dishes on the stove but that's okay because we do it now anyway.  So tomorrow we need to pack everything to be ready for the move on Monday.  We have to pack all the kitchen stuff as well as our personal stuff.  Everything -- furniture and all -- will move with us to the new flat.

LeRon's playing on the keyboard that was given to him by the Maxwells, the missionary couple that trained us.  LeRon's in heaven being able to play again.  It's been a long drought.

We pass this scene every day on our way to the mission office.  It's a "restaurant".  Lots of food always cooking here but I don't think we'll try it out.  Sister Lyman (one of the seniors) is never afraid to try the street food but we were advised not to.  We've always eaten street food in the many countries we've been to but since the Area Doctor in Johannesburg advised us not to, we won't do it here.

This is the entrance to the mission office/service center/stake center complex.  Gated and guarded.  Guards open the gates for us to drive in.  The water barrels are on the sidewalk waiting to be filled with good drinking water.  Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, the Church provides free drinking water so people bring their barrels to fill up.  Good water is hard for many people to find here.

Another peak out my bedroom window.  Yesterday, this man weed whipped (with a gas-powered weed whipper) this area.  Today he is digging it by hand with a big hoe-type spade.  He actually finished the whole area in several hours.  Wow.  What a lot of work.  Notice how red the soil is.  I'm going to miss watching things grow when we move to our new place.  (Change is always a bit hard for me).

Another peak out the other window.  Starting about 6:30 a.m., men come to wash cars for residents in the compound.  They wash by hand, filling the bucket up with water and throwing it on to the car and then washing with a cloth.  They are happy to get a dollar or two for their work.

This is my tiny kitchen in the new flat.  I'm sure we'll manage somehow.

With LeRon is Peter, with whom he works to find suitable housing for all the missionaries in Kenya.  He's the one who found our new flat and will help us move in.  Peter is about 30 years old and has two small children.  He's also the Bishop of his ward.  He's a wonderful man.  LeRon and Peter are standing outside the mission president's new residence, which is a 5-minute drive from our new place.  I'll show you a picture of our new place when I can get it to come in to the blog.  Maybe next blog.

We're here with President & Sister Hicken, our mission president and wife.  It's their P-Day (which means it's their preparation day so they go shopping and/or work around the house).