Mothering the Missionaries

We love being here for the young missionaries.  Many are only 18 and are away from home for the first time.  We're glad we are here to help them have a bit of home.  Sometimes challenges can be pretty heavy for them.  Nice to be able to mother them, or rather, grandmother them!  We love all the missionaries.

And on another note, be sure to check out the video at the end.  Some very strong Kenyans are pushing a very heavy handcart up a city hill amidst the cars and trucks.  And check out the previous post about the termites!

Here's Elder Merz and Elder Card.  Elder Merz very recently lost his mother.  Our hearts ache for him and his family.  The comfort the Holy Ghost gives is real, as Elder Merz can attest.  That plus the knowledge that families will be together forever because of temple covenants gives hope and comfort at such a time as this.  But it's still a hard time.

Elder Card and Elder Ellis.  Elder Card is a fellow Canadian and actually a fellow Albertan.  He descends from Charles Ora Card who started the town of Cardston, Alberta in the 1800's.  Charles Ora Card has sometimes been called "Canada's Brigham Young" since he led many Latter-day Saints to that area of Canada under the direction of the church president, John Taylor.

Elder Ellis with Elder Merz and Elder Card who are showing off their new scriptures.  They had a little incident in which their scriptures (as well as other things) were stolen.  Glad to get new scriptures.  The Distribution Center here in Nairobi carries lots of things needed by missionaries.

Elder Ellis, Elder Merz, Elder Card, and Elder Hales.  What are they dreaming of?  Someone to teach?  Someone to baptize into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?  Or maybe they're dreaming of a home cooked meal!  For sure they're not dreaming of girls because missionaries are not allowed to date for the two years they are on missions.  They focus on the work of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And Elder Thomas is dreaming of the day he can walk again without a crutch.  Maybe if he would quit playing soccer on P-day (Preparation Day), he would stop wrecking his ankle.  Sister Msane sure hopes so.

We were with Elder Thomas on a busy street going up a hill when along came a heavily-loaded handcart.  It was pulled by one Kenyan and pushed by three.  Sweat was pouring down them.  Wish I had a picture of the front man.  His face was etched with pain.  These men are STRONG.  Notice the tire cover on the truck beside them:  Nivea for men.  I never knew Nivea was for men or for women.  Just thought it was a cream for people.  There's a very short video at the end of this post of the men pushing the handcart.

I tried to get a picture from the car of this cute little girl in the white dress.  How they can keep them so white is beyond me.  Posters on the wall are for the upcoming elections.  Posters are everywhere.

We took Elder Thomas for dinner at Tamambos.  It's such a lovely place.  A little dark to take a nice picture though.  It's getting much cooler in the evenings now.  We had to wear jackets and they brought us little charcoal-burning heaters to warm our legs.  In December, January, and February, you didn't need a jacket in the evenings but you do now.

Karibu Tena.  Very welcome.  Come back again Elder Thomas and Sister Torrie.  I brought my light Masai blanket to wrap around my legs so the mosquitoes wouldn't get me.  Kenyans here call them "mos-qweetoes."

Karibu Tena Elder & Sister Torrie.  Come back again and welcome.