Mombasa Branch

This Sunday was an adventure. It took quite a bit of time walking in the city to find the place where the Mombasa branch meets for church. We'd ask people along the way, but no one seems to know the Mormons here, or at least they didn't know where they met for church. Turns out they have an office space on the second floor of a city building. We overlooked the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" sign among the hundreds of signs hanging over the "side walk" [in most areas it is broken up concrete/dirt] and litter everywhere.

We would have missed it altogether if it hadn't been for a family that was heading to church late. I'm so glad that family was late for church!

The missionaries were there. One of them, Elder Lyons, is from Pleasant Grove of all places! He's in his 19th month, and speaks Swahili wonderfully. He had an accent when he spoke English to us. For once, I could understand why missionaries come home "weird" (I used to say) with accents and stuff. When you're living/breathing/speaking/completely immersed in such a foreign culture everyday for two years, OF COURSE you're gonna come home with an accent. It made me love that elder. I could tell he was a hard worker. Anyway, the church here, I think, is exemplary and very organized. I think I counted about 45 adults in Sunday school that week. They all participate in class, and they all come prepared with manuals. They all welcomed us and were discussing how to improve on home/visiting teaching, and member missionary work. I was very impressed. We're also lucky to have a fan at the front of the "chapel" so the heat is bearable.

During Sunday school, I was watching the teacher, Brother Karani,

(who is awesome btw), and looking at the ragged-edged chalkboard leaning against the backs of the chairs

and I thought to myself, "We're doing it! We're really doing it!" Let me explain.

We decided to move forward with this international experience for a few reasons (in no particular order). 1) We wanted the kids to see a different lifestyle and begin to be more appreciative of their easy and blessed life. 2) We had it on our family bucket list. 3) We wanted to learn to be more resourceful and less wasteful, and 4) Hunter and I have always wanted to serve a mission together one day. But we decided, we didn't want to wait the thirty or so years until retirement and HOPEFULLY we'll be financially ready, and HOPEFULLY, our health will be good enough, and HOPEFULLY we'll be called internationally. So we decided to MAKE IT HAPPEN! And we decided to just find a job opportunity that would take us international, and be really good "member missionaries". So as I was pondering during Sunday school, I was happy that we were taking our goals and desires and actually making them happen!