Neighborly Neighbors

I just did a post about members and missionaries and now I want to talk about great neighbors.  Jesus taught us to love our neighbors and all those we come in contact with.  It's not hard to do here.  We live in a great compound with great neighbors who have become good friends.  They are from India, Japan, Tanzania, Uganda, Slovenia, and Kenya of course.  (Our neighbors from South Africa and Sweden have, sadly, moved back to their countries).  We discovered last year when there was a fire in our compound how much we have learned to pull together as a community.  Our landlord also lives here and is a member of parliament whom we enjoy visiting.  These people are very good people.  They are Christians and Muslims and Hindus and atheists.  All good people.  We couldn't ask for any better place to live.  God knew we would thrive living here.

Chitra and Prem have recently moved into our compound.  He is a cardio surgeon from India who works at the nearby Karen Hospital.  He works with our long-time neighbor, Shrikant (and Pooja) whom we love dearly.  It has been so nice to get to know them.  

Prince and Joy stopped by to tell us the sad news that they are moving.  We will miss them.  Prince, Joy, and Faye were the first people to welcome us to the neighborhood.  I remember how they rang our bell on the second day that we were here and they said, "Welcome to the neighborhood!"  How sweet of them.  They have been good friends, actually good grandchildren.  They even call us Grandpa and Grandma.  We love them and their parents, Sammy and Nancy.

Then some of the other neighborhood kids dropped by.  Faye and Dan have joined Joy and Prince.  We love them all, and their parents too.

At last . . . I am in the picture.

Funny Dan!  His mother is a ranger who works at the Masai Mara keeping the poaching to a minimum.  She has stories to tell!!

Dan is quite the card!  

And now Prince is getting into the act.

Prince and Joy's parents, Sammy and Nancy stopped by to tell us good-bye.  So sad.  They were our first next-door neighbors.  We knew that if we had trouble, we could call on them, and they knew the same.

Joy is in the above picture and Prince in this one.  Below are videos of Prince and Joy playing the piano for their parents.  Elder Torrie has taught them a little ditty that they love to play.

Yes, I'm here.  You might never know it as I'm always the one taking pictures.  I am aging, sadly.

Prince has a gorgeous smile!

Now just tonight, a month after they moved away, Prince and Joy and their parents have popped over for a visit.  So nice to see them.  Hugs all around.  Should have taken pictures of Nancy and Sammy too.

Here's Faye (center) with Joy and the two young girls who have moved in next door (into the big house that Mariska and Jaco moved out of).  They are Muslim and we have enjoyed meeting their parents.  I need to take them some brownies.

Another night out with Prem and Chitra.  They are so fun and Prem is closer to our age although Chitra is a lot younger.  We are the oldest ones in our compound so it was nice when Prem moved in!!  

We had a great evening with Chitra and Prem.  I just wish I could visit her more often but I'm working at the mission office in the day and then when I come home, I'm so very tired.  But it's important to be friends.  So many nice people here.  Not all want to hear the gospel message but that's okay.