Hello Family and Friends:
Another week gone; it seems like just seven days ago I was writing a letter telling what happened. This might be short. It’s late and I’m tired. Sundays are long days with four hours of driving just to get to church and back. Then throw in four hours of meetings, some shopping to get treats for the week, it makes for a long day. We went to the fancy mall again today just to make sure it was still there so when Debi arrives she can have a nice place to go for a retreat. They have a clothing store where they sell “I dream of Jeannie” clothes (whatever country those come from).
So anyway, two things to tell you for the week. It has been a long tough week for production. The plant is still in a funk and it doesn’t look like it will be coming out of it anytime soon. So I’ve been spending a lot of time in the plant. On Friday, I was watching the operation and noticed a conveyor belt was not working right. It was running to one side and was beginning to fold over on itself. The operator was a man from the bush and didn’t have a clue what he was doing. He was just standing there watching it destroy itself. I finally yelled across the plant and told him to shut the belt off. I was so angry by the time I got to where he was I told his supervisor I wanted him off the plant site. If he didn’t know what a disaster looked like we didn’t need him. With that I walked to check on another area where a pump was being rebuilt. I was at the pump for a few minutes and started to realize I had been a little harsh on the Maasai and went back to talk to him. As I walked up on the scene, the old man dropped to his knees and started pleading in Maasai with me to let him stay. I pulled him up off his knees and told his supervisor I had acted harshly and to tell him he could continue to work but he had to pay attentions to his work. So after that message was communicated, he dropped to his knees again to thank me. So I pulled him up again and put my arm around his shoulder and gave him a hug. Told him through his translator he had to be more careful in watching the operation. Many of these people don’t have a clue what goes on in a plant and have no business even working there but they are here and I guess I have to deal with it. I just need to find jobs where there is no risk to the operation or themselves.
The second interesting thing was the Stake President dropped in on church today unannounced. In PEC he was asking about the activity in the two areas of the branch – Rongai and Langata. That is where they want to have two branches instead of one. He will submit paperwork to have the branch split in August. He told of an example of a branch in western Kenya (Eldoret) where there was a group of about 80 members that attended. They came from many different communities to a central location. They divided the branch into three units and placed a branch in each of the communities and after three months each branch was up to the 80 members that the original branch had had prior to the split. So it looks like there may be some excitement coming. Like I’ve said there are some very strong and faithful people in this area. There are a number of young men that are very impressive, they may be a little young now but in a few years they will be the leaders in the Nairobi Stake. When they were talking about where the current priesthood leadership lived and discussing how they would be divided they told me I may not be in the branch that I lived closest to. Because I was an ex-patriot they would assign me to the branch they needed me in.
I think I’ve said it before, transportation here is a major problem. Very few people have their own car so they come to church in vehicles driven by suicidal youth. Some people can’t afford to come to church every week so having a Branch closer to their home would help many members. It is just like a lot of wards and branches we have lived in; by the end of sacrament meeting the congregation is pretty good sized. But at the beginning there aren’t many people. But here they have an excuse. They have to walk to a Matatu pick up point then ride to a spot close to the church and then walk to the church from the drop off point. Just getting to church is big deal in Nairobi. The cost for a ride is about $.35 one way but that is a lot to some of the members.
So, so much for the week in review. Just a closing note, Churry, I got a necklace for your sis in-law so that is covered. Debi, there are some good chocolate candy bars here and the same brand has a dark chocolate one so I got some for you to bring home. And come to find out the Massai have very good teeth because they chew on a stick called miswak (Google it) that helps prevent tooth decay and anything else. I got some miswak toothpaste; you can introduce it to the US and we can “BOTH” retire after you make a fortune in the import business.
Only one more letter then I’ll be in the US. Looking forward to seeing you all.
Love Paul/dad
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