More Singing Missionaries

The Africa South East Area is doing a public affairs event about the upcoming Nairobi Temple.  Government and other leaders and of course, the press, have been invited.  We've been asked to provide a small missionary choir.  So on Sunday we drove down to Upper Hill for a choir practice.  They are singing three numbers and I was impressed with how quickly the missionaries picked out their parts.  They are going to be fabulous!  Some expressed concern about their ability to sing but I told them that angels will sing with them.

The choir consists of 1/3 sister missionaries (there are only African sisters in our mission), 1/3 African missionaries and 1/3 Western missionaries.  So there are 6 sisters, (Sisters Maina, Matata, Okila, Masibo, Auma, and Bamutesiza); 6 African Elders (Elders Mayekiso, Somniso, Gimeyi, Nyanhamo, Kiio, and Ngabonziza); and 6 Western Elders (Elders Fraga, Noel, Lotulelei, Egbert, Ellis, and Cotts).  These missionaries are all serving in Nairobi and there are many more who could be in the choir but due to the size of the room in which the event will be held, the choir had to be limited.  So here's more pictures for you missionary moms and dads.

Sister Bamutesiza (from Uganda), who by the way, has a lovely soprano voice,  Sister Auma (from Uganda), Sister Matata (from Kenya), Sister Masibo (from Kenya).  All the sisters have lovely voices.  Africans can really sing!

Back row: Elder Fraga (from US), Elder Mayekiso (from South Africa), Elder Noel (from US); Front: Elder Somniso (from South Africa), Elder Lotulelei (from US)

Elder Gimeyi (from Zimbabwe), Elder Nyanhamo (from Zimbabwe), Elder Egbert (from US), Elder Kiio (from Kenya), Elder Ellis (from US).  Elder Torrie and I prepared the music in colorful plastic folders.  We wanted them to be all the same color but couldn't find enough of one color.

Elder Torrie (gray hair) is helping keep the group focused.  Do they look focused?

Standing: Elder Torrie, Brother David Machio, Brother Scriven Usi.  David and Scriven (both from Kenya) will lead and play the accompaniment.  Elder Torrie would love to do it but we needed to involve Kenyans.  Scriven is a great guy.  He attended the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, for 5 years.  He talks just like an Albertan.  Crazy to hear it coming from a Black African!!  Elder Torrie and I definitely feel that Scriven is "one of us!"  And David learned to play the piano from a senior missionary a few years ago and now he is teaching his children.  That's how the culture of piano music will grow in Africa.

Elder Kiio, Elder Ellis, Elder Egbert

Elder Nyanhamo, Elder Gimeyi, Elder Fraga, Elder Noel, Elder Somniso, Elder Lotulelei (look hard -- he's there!)

Elder Fraga, Elder Noel, Elder Somniso, Elder Lotulelei, Elder Mayekiso and a bit of Elder Torrie

Elder Cotts (from US), Elder Ngabonziza (from Rwanda).  I had trouble saying Elder Ngabonziza's name but now it just rolls off my tongue!

Elder Noel, Elder Somniso, Elder Lotulelei, Elder Mayekiso

Sister Maina, Sister Matata, Sister Okila, Sister Masibo (all from Kenya).  Sister Masibo's mother Elizabeth is the housekeeper at the mission home.  (Thought I would put that in in case Sister Hicken is reading this post.)

Front and center are Elder Cotts and Elder Ngabonziza who are companions.  They were late to the practice because they had, of all things, a baptism!  (That's great!)

Sing, Sing a Song . . . la la la la la . . .  The choir will sing "High on a Mountain Top," "I Love to See the Temple," and "I Am a Child of God."

These sisters sang lovely alto.  In fact most black Africans have low singing voices.

Last picture.  Here's Elder Lotulelei and Elder Mayekiso.  Elder Lotulelei is really singing out even though he says he doesn't sing!!