Primary Program

What an awesome Sunday! Today was the primary program. Now, I've been known to shed a tear or two while listening to the kids sing the beautiful primary songs in past years, but I was especially touched this time when the sweet kids in our branch were saying things like "I know Heavenly Father gives me many blessings" knowing what some of their homes look like. Or singing things like "I always want to be with my own family…." and knowing that many families have yet to save up and make major sacrifices to make the long journey to the nearest temple which is in South Africa so they can be sealed eternally as a family in the temple. I was just very touched. I love these children.

(That mzungu at the piano is Elder Lyons. He was just called to be an AP. I'm worried they'll ask me to play the piano now.)

It was also a very special day today because we got to attend the baptism of a young widow named Agnes, and her daughter who have been attending church since we arrived. 

It was awesome to watch our entire branch pile into two matatus and bus over to the public swimming pool called Star of the Sea. I'm talking like thirty bodies packed in a 12 seater sized van which is already crammed with 15 seats. It was hilarious and so exciting!

All the members laughed at Elder Lyons for jumping into the shallow end. I made a comment like, "Yeah, I want to jump in, too! It's so hot!" and I was immediately met with shocked expressions, and "Can you swim?????" I said yes. Few adults can swim here. Honestly, there were only a handful of people swimming in the pool. They only teach it at the private schools which are generally too expensive for people to attend, I guess. The sisters were clinging tightly to the bar along the shallow end wall. It probably took a lot of courage to let the elders baptize them by immersion. 

Anyway, it was so special. I'm excited for Paulo to be baptized in just a few months!

By the way, these are the famous Mombasa tusks over Moi Avenue. They're just a small distance down from where we meet for church. The kids look sloppy, I know. I've since cut their hair.

Shamba La Salaam

Last weekend, we were invited to South Coast to Shamba la Salaam, which is the name of the estate that Natalie Fairbourne's parents lived in when they were here. They are preparing to sell the place as a vacation home, so we got to take advantage of it one last time (my first time) before they sell.

The place is on this vast, lush, land and the richness of the home and property is completely hidden from the rural dirt road outside the gate. The beach house is completely open to the air. There are windows in bedrooms, but the common area is open.

Our room had a king sized bed and this was the view from it.

We could walk past the swimming pool

Cross the lawn and through this little coconut tree grove

And then there was the ocean. 

Gorgeous. 

The kids enjoyed playing in the sand. 

Here they're coconut bowling with the Fairbourne kids.

We also made a Volkswagen Beetle.

Once again, we'd see fishermen out working. When the tide was low, they'd be picking through the seaweed, I think for fish bait, and then when the tide came in, they'd go out in their boats which apparently are made from mango trees, all one piece, carved out into a boat.

It was so peaceful. It felt very much like a private beach except every time we're near a beach, we're approached by people trying to sell us a carved keychain or a bracelet. This time I told the teenage boy that I used to make bracelets too when I was a kid, and I tried to explain a different method he could try.

Anyway, it certainly felt like a vacation at this home. The Fairbournes cooked for us or hired people to cook for us so we didn't have to worry about food the whole time. 

I made friends with the cook, Najma. She taught me all the stages of how to get the coconut milk.

First it starts like this.

After the green part is removed, you try to remove most of the husk, and whack this huge heavy knife around the center of the coconut until you can break it in half with your hands. I wish I had filmed this part. Sorry.

The juice, if I understand right, people like to drink because it supposedly helps with urine infection.

Anyway, after you grate out the meat of the coconut...

…you put it in this cool woven bamboo thing called a kifumbu and then squeeze out the milk. The milk is used for cooking.

Now this is how you process an older coconut. A young coconut's meat is much softer and is used for drinks. Yum!

Blasted Crows!

I think the most frustrating thing about living in Kenya has been the power. The power goes out SO often and for SO long. Well, I found out the blasted CROWS are the culprits! Well, at least that's what my landlord thinks. They all congregate on the power lines and peck at the gadgets at the top of the posts until the power goes out.

One time, I heard a flock of crows cawing at the top of their lungs in what sounded like a heated argument, except all talking at once. I thought, "What on earth are those crows freaking out about?"--it was LOUD! Miriam discovered that there was one lying dead in the street. Maybe he got electrocuted.

I've failed over an over again to capture a decent photo, but you get the idea. Just picture many more crows, and imagine their "caw"ing in the background ALL day long.

Fly Swatter

This post is for Julie, who generously sacrificed her fly swatter at the last minute so we could take it with us. It was a great gift and we use it a lot.

As it turns out, it is also one of Jared's favorite toys at our house. Jared is Miriam's baby boy who's about 16 months old or so. He was running around with it in front of him as if it were a vacuum cleaner...as if he knew what a vacuum cleaner was, which he doesn't. And then he stopped doing it when I started filming.

I meant to say "...because I am recording." at the end of my sentence, btw.

Anyway, thanks, Julie!!!

Reyna's New Tricks

Reyna has some new tricks.

She can make this funny face:

If you listen carefully to the following video, you can hear her click her tongue. Sorry the video is flipped. I can't figure out how to flip it, but I figured you'd want to see it anyway and just watch it up-side-down. :)

She loves splashing up a storm in her little blue bath basin. Bad photo, but again, thought you'd like it anyway.

AND…..drumroll……She has SIX TEETH! She had three teeth on bottom at first, and then her top teeth, and the last fourth on bottom have finally broken through the gums. (Yeah, when I said earlier that she had "broken teeth" I meant her teeth broke through the gums, not her teeth broke--sorry for the confusion) Yay! What a big girl!

Oh! I almost forgot! Reyna is starting to drink from a bottle again! I guess she's thirsty enough to drink the formula when my milk is not enough. She can even hold the bottle!

Hugs and Kisses from Reyna!!!!!!!! She misses you, too!