WELCOME 2012 "Look Up, Stand Up & Cheer Up"

This is the Khamisi Charo Family.  They are in the Bamburi Branch.  They have decorated their home for Christmas, what a fun family!!!  We have been helping them obtain Birth Certificates for 2 reasons: 1.  All the children now need them for school & 2. They will need them to go to the temple.  It has taken us the entire month of January to finish them. We have 1 more day left in January, I hope we can help them finish it tomorrow.

This is Elder Scott & Salome Charo.  She is 3 yrs old.  She likes Elder Scott because he gives her lollypops & rides in the truck from her house to the well.  Of course she sits on the console between the seats which she thinks is just for her!!!

Daniel & Herbert from Changamwe Branch concentrating on the keyboard.  Sister Scott is giving them lessons each week & plan on at least one concert pianist before we leave!!!

This is a Scout Troop in Bombolulu.  It is at an Orphanage.  The leader is Jackson. The Elders are teaching him the gospel, but he already is very Christ-like taking care of all these boys & teaching them good life skills.  They just need a little work on the salute!!

Downtown Mombasa was getting a new paint job on the "Zebra Crossing"  as they call it.  I say" good on ya " for staying in the lines free handed.

We pass this fruit stand many days.  I think he's rather creative in the display of his produce.

These are the "Honey Ladies"  They are actually located in the Kerio Valley.  We always stop there & get Honey for either members or ourselves.  They put it in whiskey bottles or anything they can find.  I tell them I'll only buy it in Ribena Bottles, then I bring it home, boil it, & strain it, then it is ready for human consumption.  One time the entire bee was inside the bottle.  Elder Scott is trying to get them to smile.  I think he suceeded!!

During our walk one day, we spotted some new blooms.  We don't know what they are called, but they are gorgeous right now.   The flowers here are spectacular.  That's one thing that Africa does in royal style & that's the flowers.  So many different species & so beautiful!!

The highlight of the month was a visit from our Mission President & his wife ( the Broadbents) & Elder & Sister Cook from Johannesburg.  What a delight to have them with us in Mombasa for Mission Tour.  Elder Cook is actually from Plain City & grew up on 4700 West.  They are now assigned to Johannesburg until they get re-assigned.  They have 5 children, 4 married, 13 grandchildren under 6 yrs old.   What I personally learned from him was he has a scripture reference for everything.  He was just like having Gospel Link without the Internet Hookup.  I told him that his talk in General Conference was so good that if I was Sherrie Dew, I'd have fridge magnets with "Look Up, Cheer Up & Stand Up" on them selling them in Deseret Book all over the country.  He chuckled at that!!

We took them to Akamba Carvers here in Mombasa.  We have some members of the church who do the carving, so it was extra special for them to meet Elder Cook at their work.  Here we are in the Giraffe section.   We so enjoyed the time we spent with both the Broadbents & the Cooks.  A journal entry day!!