June??

I can't believe how time is flying. Since going to Samburu nothing too exciting has happened. In fact, I'm struggling to remember what I've been doing. The project continues to have its ups and downs. I don't get to do much during the week since it gets dark so soon. Last weekend I went to the market. This place is amazing. It's street after street of shops with spices, used clothing, shoes, live poultry, scarves and fabrics. I walked and walked through all the little streets. I got pretty good at bargaining and splurged on a scarf and beaded sandals. I then found my way to Fort Jesus where there are more shops for the tourists. I exhausted the shops and myself so I headed home before Institute/Seminary.

Last Saturday I had 2 members come to Institute. Judy and Joseph are brother and sister and both quite amazing. We read 1 Nephi 8 and talked about Lehi's dream. It was new to both of them but they loved the entire discussion. We also talked about their conversion. Joseph (the younger brother) actually introduced Judy to the church before he was baptized. She then got baptized before he did. They are both incredibly strong and kept expressing how much the gospel has changed them. There has been some recruiting going on so I'm hoping more come tomorrow.

On Sunday I met more members of the Pope family. Their son, Eric, and son-in-law, Troy, are both in town with some of their kids. Their daughter Natalie flew in later that night. Louis invited me down to their new house after church. That turned into a three day visit. They had just moved in on Saturday and were still working out some of the bugs ie electricity and water. So, Monday we all helped unpack things and got the house mostly in order. The plumbing was all over the place which resulted in water all over the place. Electricity was still somewhat unstable when I left on Tuesday. BUT I have to say that they have a really beautiful house and a really beautiful location. It was fun just spending time with their family, they are a very inspiring group of people. Ned and Claralyn Hill also came to visit the family. Ned was rather excited to learn that I was starting my MBA at BYU in the fall. I loved talking with Claralyn about Yehu and other similar ventures as we tried to decide what really is the most effective way to help the most people.

I was pretty excited to be back in the office on Wednesday. I never knew how much I need routine in my life, kind of sad. Today I went to another branch that is located in Likoni which is south of Mombasa. I crossed the ferry on foot and have to say that the experience is always fascinating. As you wait for the ferry, they play advertisements and short safety videos. The first video showed what happens to those who stand on the ramp that moves up and down on either end. Apparently you will experience a horrible fall before you slip forever into the water. The next film was a bit ambiguous. It showed a lone person waiting for the ferry as a large man approached and then knocked the first man down. At first I thought the warning was to stay away from big scary people but then the large man was suddenly hit by a truck and run over. So, I guess the point is that there's always a bigger fish? The third and final film warned us to not sit on the rails. It showed a girl sitting on the rail (what NOT to do) when a rat showed up and jumped on her. This of course caused her to lose her grip and she fell back into the black water. Moral of the story? Take care of the rat problem. The whole experience was topped off on the way home when a man on a horse rode the ferry. There's just something so crazy and entertaining about that image that I will forever treasure.