Scouting is Hot in Mombasa!

I thought Dar Es Salaam was hot.  In Mombasa, it's hotter.  You are continually dripping with sweat and not just us foreigners.  Everyone is dripping with sweat.  You can't survive without air conditioning in homes and vehicles.  It must be brutal for those with no air conditioning and for those who ride hot matatus and tuk tuks.  And that is one of the purposes of LDS Charities -- to help those in need to improve their quality of life without regard to religion.  But more on that in an upcoming post.

We flew down to Mombasa so LeRon could train the branch clerks in their financial duties.  So important to be accountable and to learn how to do things properly.  We stayed with Elder & Sister Jensen, farmers from Utah.  So fun!  We met up with the Elders there and I'll put pictures in my next post.  So hang in there, you missionary moms and dads.  Pictures are coming.  I'm just really tired tonight and I don't know how much I'll get done here.

We got to attend a Scout-arama.  Scouting is big in Kenya -- they have land, sea, and air Scouts.  Lord Baden Powell, the founder of the Scouting program is buried in Kenya.

I've learned which side of the plane to sit on so I can see Mt. Kilimanjaro.  It was quite far away this time but still jutting out of the clouds.  It's nearly 20,000 feet tall and the plane flies at over 30,000 feet so you can often see the mountain.  It's the taller one on the right.  Doesn't look like much because it's so far away but it's the tallest mountain in Africa.

Mt. Kilimanjaro takes 5-10 days to climb.  Wish I were younger and that my sciatic pains weren't so bad.  My growing-up family used to hike in the Waterton Lakes National Parks mountains a lot.

Elder & Sister Jensen picked us up at the airport but not in a tuk tuk.  We've ridden in tuk tuks in Thailand and it was actually quite fun.  But our mission rules say we can't ride in these kinds of public transportation.  Mombasa has LOTS of tuk tuks.  You hardly see them in Nairobi.

I'm continually amazed at what Kenyans carry on their heads and on their shoulders.

And what they push or pull on their handcarts.  Kenyan men and women are very strong.

Mombasa is on the coast of the Indian Ocean.  Lots of big containers being pulled to port by tractors.  Mombasa is the port for several landlocked African countries such as Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and others. 

The Kenyan Scouts held a Scout-arama (it's called that in Canada anyway).  Lots of troops showing off their scouting skills.

The little Scouts were thrilled when I joined them at their "exercises" while rock music pounded over loud speakers.

Now Sister Jensen has joined in too.  We weren't exactly sure what to do and the little boys were not much help but they were enthusiastic and happy that we joined them.

Cute young Scouts.

Beautiful white smiles too.

Elder Torrie had fun visiting with the Scouts and telling them that he was once a Scout too.  The Scouts showed him their lashing skills.  They had built some very fine things.

This wonderful woman runs a Primary School in which Scouting is part of the curriculum.  You'll see more pictures of her and her students because a couple of days later we got to visit her school.  The girls in the back are Girl Scouts.

Girl Scouts in their uniforms.  They were happy that I would take their picture.  And not one asked to see the picture after it was taken.  Just happy that white foreigners were interested in them.

These young Scouts shouted out the Scout Promise in amazing style.  Sister Jensen thought she had videoed it but she hadn't.  Darn.  They enthusiastically "yelled" the Scout promise twice for us.

And their leader drilled them in military salutes and stances.  So cool.  Two days later we learned that this troop won First Place at the Scout-arama.  They will go on to compete in the nationals at Nairobi.

All the little Scouts wanted their pictures taken.

The little kids are just darling and so friendly.

These older Scouts were excited to show us their cooking.  Unfortunately we didn't want to taste it as we have to be sure everything is cleaned properly and prepared properly or we white mzungus will get sick.  They were disappointed.

This man helps with Scouting in one of the schools.  A very community minded man.

And a gorgeous flowering tree.  Couldn't resist zooming in on these beautiful blossoms.  This tree was in the school yard where the Scout-arama was held.

Elder Torrie never misses anything to do with farming!  It's in his blood.

Interesting to see palm plants by grain bins.

It's not a John Deere but it does the job.