June 22 update 2

We had a baptism in Kisumu on June 4 with nine people being baptized into the Church.  The next day they were confirmed members in Sacrament Meeting. 

We drove up to the branch at Busia on Sunday June 12 to visit with the members there.  They had held a baptism service the day before and had one new member to be confirmed.  They were so appreciative of our being there and invited us back to participate in branch council meeting which we will do on June 26.

Brother Jonah from the Kisumu Branch offered to go with us and be our guide to get us to Busia and back.  We were grateful to have a guide since we had never been there and weren't sure how to find the place.  After church meetings were over he asked if we could stop by his son's house and pick up something for him.  I said sure since he had blessed us we could surely return the favor.  Turned out the "something" was two sheets of rolled up corrugated tin roofing which they loaded in the back of our truck.  They stuck out quite a ways so they tied them in and flagged them to be legal.

We were driving back when he asked if we could drop the tin of at his place just up the road about ten kilometers.  I thought that was great and I wouldn't have to worry about driving in Kisumu with them.  Turned out "about ten kilometers" were  ten kilometers down a couple of rough dirt roads.  He finally said turn here at a nice little place just off the dirt road.  I started to pull into the drive when he said "No, down the next road".   The next road was a narrow dirt cow trail with brush on both sides and washouts in the bottom.  I shifted the truck into four wheel drive low and proceeded down the trail.  It had started to spit rain and now it was really starting to rain.  We came to a clearing where there were two maize fields and he said "here."  I turned off the trail into the clearing thinking this was a bad idea since the ground had been worked up.  We unloaded the tin and I was thankful for the umbrella we carry in the truck.  He shouldered one roll and started off down a trail while I dragged the other one.  About a hundred yards later we came into the clearing where his house (a small mud hut with thatched roof) was and dropped off the tin.  He wasn't quite as old as me but he is no spring chicken and not a big man either.  I was impressed that he could carry that roll.  We slogged back through the mud to the truck and I was muddy and wet from  the knees down.

We started back up the track which now resembled an irrigation ditch with so much water running down it.  The truck spun and lurched and I had to drive up on the bank around washouts while Sister Jorgensen had a fit saying we were going to tip over.  I assured her we wouldn't tip, get stuck in the mud maybe but not tip over.  With the windshield wipers going full speed and me trying to see the road we finally made it back to the dirt road, heaved a sigh of relief and headed back for the highway.  When it rains it really pours.

We had another storm a few nights ago where the lightning was so close there was hardly any time between the flash and the clap.  It was so loud that we almost jumped out of bed.

We drove up to Eldoret for a conference on June 18.  I studied the map we have, the directions Elder Fox left and the satellite map on Friday and downloaded part of a map of Eldoret so I could see how to get to the chapel there.  Elder Beecher sent us directions to the chapel and so on Saturday morning early we set out without a guide.  Following the maps that I had studied we drove the trip I had planned out and made it right into the church compound there.  The meeting with Elder and Sister Usi the area authority and President Kogo of the Eldoret district was really inspiring.

We had a typical meal of rice with a meat in a broth to put over it, cooked vegetables and cabbage, fresh bananas and soda pop.  The only thing missing was the ugali.  With our confidence high we started back home.  It was cloudy and Sister Jorgensen said we might get rained on.  Her words were very prophetic.  As we approached Knapsabet a bolt of lightning hit the cell tower in front of us and it had started to rain.  When we drove into town it started to rain so hard with hail mixed in that I could not see where the road was so I pulled off.  I soon realized that we were in a bad spot when water was running around us.  We moved to a driveway in front of a business but had to move when a car honked for us to get out of the way.  We inched down about a block and parked in front of a service station to wait it out.  Very few vehicles were moving and we waited about a half hour until it eased off some and then started out again.  About twenty kilometers later we drove out of it and had clear roads from then on arriving home safely.  The Lord really does watch out for his missionaries.

June 22 update

baptism candidates Kisumu Branch

baptism candidates with missionaries and family members

Elder Larson in baptism font

Elders Larson and Jackson on transfer day going to Nairobi

road to Busia approaching equator

top picture is chapel at Busia. bottom one is our night guard's shack

Sister Jorgensen holding baby at orphanage.  Most babies are abandoned and some are HIV

Next door neighbors guard shack.  It doesn't rock and roll when it rains and the wind blows

Add caption

Eldoret chapel

June 6

faithful Saints Dennis and Bethsheba in front of their house.  She insisted on carrying the backpack even though she has to use a crutch and has a leg brace.  He uses two crutches because both legs are crippled.  No such thing as government welfare

Elder Larson by partially finished hut.  more mud will be added

chapel at Nyabongo.  mud walls over poles, mud floor

Victor from Nyabongo

road into chapel

children sitting in front of their house.

crushing rocks for the road

the road to Nyabondo   Picture does not show how rough road is  it really shakes you up and rattles the truck. 

Nyabondo is about sixty kilometers from Kisumu.  The people there have no electricity or running water but were so gracious and welcoming to us.  We met with them for three hours and taught them.  Sister Jorgensen and I met with the members and the Elders met with the Investigators to teach them more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  They were so honored by our visit that they insisted on feeding us.  I know that was a lot of work and a financial burden on them because they have very little to share except for the produce from their garden and trees.  My first experience with genuine mud huts.  Some are two rooms with a wall,  Some just have a curtain dividing the living space.  Some have a board door and some just have a curtain.  The more affluent have tin roofs.  Never seen any milled lumber except for doors and shutters.

We drove up there on the one month anniversary of our mission and took the four Elders, Larson, Olsen, Jackson white and Jackson black.  Elders Larson and Jackson black have been transferred to Nairobi.  We will receive two new Elders on Thursday.

We baptized nine new members in our branch on Saturday.  Fortunately we filled the font before the water went off.

Our water has been off for three days.  Church services in this building went on without any water for the bathrooms.  The people have to walk or ride bicycles, tuk tuks or matatus to church and some come from quite a long ways out.  They really need the bathrooms.  It smelled really rank as we were loading buckets from the back storage tank to flush and clean the bathrooms.

I will get pictures of tuk tuks and matatus.