Fun Times; Busy Times

So much going on.  New missionaries arriving in Nairobi (see following post).  Lots of office work.  The banks here in Kenya are moving to chip debit and credit cards.  (We've already had them in Canada for several years).  So suddenly, missionary debit cards wouldn't work because the US banks hadn't issued chip cards.  So Elder Torrie had a huge problem on his hands.  He had to cancel all the missionary support cards while at the same time ensuring that missionaries had enough money to live and then he had to have the bank re-issue the cards with chips.  It was a huge headache.

We had a fun get-to-know you community party at our compound.  Then a Stake dinner and dance.  Lots of missionary work too as we share the gospel with all those we come in contact with.  Tonight we stopped at a little bakery/restaurant and the sweetest young girl served us.  She says she's a Christian but not attending church but would like to.  We shared the gospel with her and gave her some pamphlets to read.  So . . .  Life goes on.  I keep asking my kids . . . Do you think we can go for another year at this pace?!  Sure hope so!  By evening we are tired and thankful that we're not to be out after dark.  Nice to be home!

I'm still loving the foliage here.  We discovered a little park right next to "The Hub."  The Hub is a modern shopping mall with lots of stores and an arcade and lots of restaurants.  The park is lovely even though the water is very dirty.

Here's LeRon enjoying the park (with his eyes closed of course).

And now here I am with my eyes closed of course.  We both have poor vision as we age so we can't tell if eyes are open or closed until we get home and put the pictures on the computer.

This is the park from an upper level of The Hub.  Notice the walls on the left with barbed wire.  Sad that everything has to be fenced and wired and guarded.

I zoomed in on these storks so you can see the baby in the nest.  I only had my little point and shoot camera so the picture's not that great.

Any time there's an event, they set up these white tents.  They look cool.

The owner of our compound, Francis (on left) sponsored a get-together for all residents of the 30 or so apartments (called flats).  Here he is jamming with LeRon.  They had fun together singing gospel songs.  Amazing Grace.  How Great Thou Art.

Francis is a good Christian man and we enjoy visiting with him.  He is a politician but a very nice politician we think!  If we could vote here in Kenya we'd vote for him.  We never talk politics much; we talk Christianity and family and things like that.

Francis' two daughters are on the left.  Lovely girls.  And a friend from South Africa on the right.

LeRon and I are the oldest ones living in our compound.  Francis is just a few years younger than us but the rest are the ages of our kids.  So we have sort of adopted these two couples as our children.  They are from South Africa and Sweden.  We enjoy visiting with them.  Good people.

Here we are with Andrej and Francis.  Well . . . here is LeRon with Andrej (from Sweden) and Francis.

LeRon and I taught everyone the Chicken Dance and then they taught us an African round dance.  We joined in as best we could.  They were all singing in Swahili.

Our neighbor, Sammy, in the light blue shirt, explained that it was a song about a train.  So we joined in with the "choo choo choo."

Francis' wife Edith is a lovely person.  They provided this delicious catered meal.  For African food, it was pretty good!

Now a few pictures of the Stake Dinner Dance.  This was a first-time event for the Nairobi West Stake.  A first time event for any stake in Kenya.  The room was decorated simply but lovely.  Everyone was dressed up and it was an amazing event.  First the Stake President talked about strengthening marriages and how important it is to communicate but also to have fun together.  This was the point of the Dinner Dance.  In this photo you can see a mzungu couple (white foreigner).  They were the Grays, the only mzungus besides LeRon and me.  Everyone else was black.  But you know . . . we don't even notice color anymore.  They are just people.

Fun to see couples having fun!

The dance was a huge success.  More people were dancing than sitting.  The dance floor was hardly big enough.  LeRon and I enjoyed fox trotting and jiving while everyone else did their thing.  Lots of couples asked us how we learned to dance and said they would like to learn.

12 New Missionaries

We welcomed 12 new missionaries last week.  They came from Canada, the US, England, Zambia and one came from Kenya who was awaiting his visa to Zimbabwe.  We had KFC and Sister Msane's delicious salads.  I made brownies which are always a treat for the American/Canadians.  Elder Torrie and I processed all the missionaries and gave them training on safety and finances.  So fun to feel the energy of new missionaries before they actually "hit the field" and then reality sets in.

Some of the missionary moms and dads are following my blog so I've put a lot of pictures in for their benefit.  Hopefully I got everyone in in the candids.  I've enjoyed communicating with several of the mothers and it was fun to finally meet their sons!  First some group pictures and then the candids.  

L-R: Elder Fraga, Elder Mortezazadeh (I can actually say his name now -- it's pretty cool), Elder Munyariri, Elder Merz, Elder Josiah (in dark suit -- waiting for his visa to Zimbabwe which actually came two days later), Elder Call, Elder Christensen, Elder Wilson (from Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- yeah for a fellow Canuck!), Elder Brown, Elder Mortensen, Elder Harrott (from England), Elder Carlson; Sister and President Msane in front.  Fine young men!

Now here are the 12 new missionaries with their 11 trainers and President and Sister Msane.  The new mission home works very well for housing the new missionaries for a couple of nights and doing a day of training with them.  It's a very homey home and the missionaries love it.

I'm always taking pictures so I never get to be in the pictures.  So here I am with Sister Msane and our wonderful new missionaries.  It's amazing how you feel love for people you never knew before.  But because they are here serving the Lord, you feel an immediate bond with them.

Now for the candids.  Elder Torrie of course goes right for the piano.  Lots of the new missionaries and trainers joined him as they sang rousing renditions of Primary songs.  So cool to hear "We are as the Army of Helaman."

About 15 missionaries joined in the singing.

Elder Mortezazadeh, Elder Munyariri, Elder Fraga, Elder Brown

Elder Wilson, Elder Merz, Elder Mortensen, Elder Lotulelei, Elder Apuoyo, Elder Carlson

Elder Mortensen, Elder Harrott, Elder Merz, Elder Lotulelei, Elder Apuoyo

Elder Brown, Elder Soita, Elder Call, Elder Wilson

Elder Christensen, Elder Ang'ila, Elder Lotulelei

Elder Carlson and Elder Hales

Elder Fraga, Elder Carlson, Elder Harrott, Elder Lotulelei, Elder Kiio

Elder Muzwenje, Elder Kyuvi

Elder Fraga, Elder Carlson (two on right)

Elder Lotulelei, Elder Merz, Elder Mwashi

Elder Mwashi, Elder Mortezazadeh, Elder Warenga

Elder Carlson, Elder Mortensen, Elder Munyariri, Elder Merz, Elder Harrott

Elder Christensen, Elder Wilson, Elder Fraga, Elder Josiah, _______, __________, Elder McGrath, Elder Brown

Oh.  One last caption.  Here's Elder McGrath, one of the trainers.  He pitched in to the bitter end helping to do dishes and clean up the kitchen.  Thanks Elder McGrath!  Elder McGrath came to the mission two days after LeRon and I did.

Christmas, Giraffes, Elephants and Missionaries

We played Christmas music all day yesterday.  Why so soon?  Because our three amazing sons finished the harvest!  At last!  It's been a long hard haul this year.  (The latest harvest we've ever had ended on November 1).  Our tradition is to play Christmas music over the two-way radio just as harvest is finishing.  Because, as LeRon says, "If we don't have a harvest, we won't have a Christmas!"  Our whole year's income is dependent on the harvest.  So . . . Merry Christmas everyone!

Now back to our mission here in Kenya . . .  LeRon and I took Elder Egbert and Elder Musonda to see the Elephant Orphanage and the Giraffe Center here in Nairobi which are both very close to where we live.  

Missionaries are allowed one P-day a week.  P-day is a "preparation day" to do laundry, buy groceries, clean house, and see some of the sights close to where they are serving.  Missionaries are great fun to be with.

LeRon and Elder Egbert (from the US) and Elder Musonda (from Zambia) at the Giraffe Center.  The Center was established by a Scottish couple to protect the Rothschild Giraffe which is endangered and is only found in East Africa.  Several pairs of these giraffes have been successfully introduced back into the wild.

Elder Musonda is hugging the giraffe as he feeds it.  So cool to feel the rough, slimy tongue!  Not only fun to feed the giraffes here but you can stay overnight in the mansion on the property.  Giraffes stick their heads into bedroom windows and you can touch and feed them from the privacy of your room!  I hear the rooms cost between $500 and $2000 or more per night!!!

You can hold a food pellet between your lips and the giraffe will grab it with his (or her) tongue.  You get a very slimy kiss.  Yuck.  But a giraffe's saliva is antiseptic so you don't need to worry.  Elder Egbert said it was gross!!

LeRon and I both tried to take a picture of Elder Musonda "kissing" the giraffe but he jumped back too fast and we both missed it.

I had a hard time feeding the giraffe with my hand.  No way was I going to feed it with my mouth!  Every time it got its tongue close to my hand, I screamed and dropped the food pellets.  Don't know what's wrong with me.

What a majestic animal!

Feeding the giraffe by hand is much easier.  Still feels a bit gross!

I'm surprised the giraffe didn't bite Elder Egbert.  Looks like he's poking that giraffe's eye.

A lovely grey heron.

I love the warthogs.  So cool how they kneel as they scrounge in the dirt.  Someone said that the warthog should be our mission mascot as missionaries spend so much time on their knees praying!  But on the other hand, warthog brains are very, very tiny, and missionary brains are definitely not tiny.

Now on to the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage which rescues orphaned baby elephants, cares for them, and then re-introduces them into the wild.  Visitors can see them for only one hour per day to minimize contact with humans.  Here I am with Elder Egbert and Elder Musonda.

Look at the wrinkly skin on this baby elephant.  So cute.  I love elephants.

Elder Egbert and Elder Musonda

You can turn the volume off while you watch this short video.  Just people oo-ing and ah-ing over the darling baby elephants.

Now on to the Karen Blixen outdoor restaurant at Tamambo's.  Karen Blixen wrote "Out of Africa", a book of her experiences living in Kenya, which I have not read and don't intend to (after reading about it on Wikipedia!)

Delicious food in a beautiful environment.  It's finally warm enough to eat here without asking for little heaters at our feet.

Elder Egbert loves the foliage here.  So do I.

Elder Musonda arrived in the mission two days after LeRon and I did.  He is Elder Egbert's trainer and is doing a super job.  Missionaries work under a "trainer" for 12 weeks.  Then they are generally transferred and receive different companions to work with. 

Isn't this gorgeous?  I love clouds and trees.

The flowering jacaranda trees are so lovely and smell heavenly.  Better than lilacs.