Beginning of Summer, Setember in Mombasa Africa

We were on our way to Koins Country and came across this man selling rolls!  It was a hot day, but we thought they would like some.  When we purchased them we realized they were "hard rolls" with emphasis on "hard" as rocks!!!

As we were returning back to town, we passed these oxen yoked together, two pair, pulling the hand plows behind.  It is always interesting to see how these good people live and work.

We were in Old Town Mombasa with another Senior Couple taking a tour, when we passed by the open fish market.  I stopped to inquire as to whether or not the fish were fresh, to which they explained "oh yes" but you must come in the morning hours.  I was looking around and they said do you want "Lobster", wow it was a big one.

We delivered 5 wheelchairs back to the Shaun Michael School for Disabled Children.  When we pulled up we saw these women getting their water for the day; we had to take pics.  They work very hard and are wonderful providers for their families.

Small babies don't slow these wonderful women down, nor do they dampen their smiles and laughter, what wonderful examples they are to us, they are "beautiful in every way".

This mama was on her way to the Koins Clinic with her twins!  A must have pic, but the girls were afraid of the muzungu(white person).  I went and got sweeties (lollypops) for them, and they were a little more willing to let me take a pic.  Mama was happy, we will try and get her a copy of the pic.

While we were at one of the Sisters work place, we walked out on the Indian Ocean beach or should I say the "Ocean Desert", this is really "low tide" more so than we have so far seen here. It must have been 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile to the water.  She said that the "full moon" caused it to be that way.

Look what we found in our grocery store this month!!  Yes, that is real A&W Rootbeer with Vanilla Ice Cream!  We've had one every night for a while.  You have to get them while they last!!

We were at President Mwambere's home, and here this little kitten was in one of the missionaries shoe having a rest.

We thought we should remind you, as it is turning cold in Utah now, that it is "pretty nice" at our flat veranda in Mombasa.  Martha says that resting on the veranda will " increase your days"  So we are soaking it all in while we can.

Beautiful, beautiful, if we must say so ourselves!  We never tire of eating our meals on our veranda in this wonderful setting we are blessed to be in.  However, there are mosquitos!!

  We saw these two young men across the street from our flat this day.  It was raining, & they were waiting for the bus.  It is just a little different scene that we are used to of school children waiting for the bus.

YOUNG WOMEN'S CAMP & ALL AFRICA HELPING HANDS

The 1st ever "Young Women Day Camp" was held for all 3 branches this month.  They learned many life skills & spiritual skills too.  We look for great leaders in the future from this group of young women in Mombasa!!

 

 

We roamed the beach this month with some of our visitors

 

 

Refreshing coconut drink in downtown Mombasa.  He had a bench to rest on if you bought a drink, so it's almost like being in Dairy Queen!!!

Elder Scott found some friends to help him keep the   water bucket on his head.  He actually could do  it as long as the ladies held his hands.  Go figure!!

This is our friend "William by the Seashore"  He gives " Curbside Pedicures"  He just wanders around the beach & if you want a pedicure, get comfortable right on the curb, no water or foaming scrub, just down  dirty painted toes.  He does get very clever with his designs.  I call him "an artist"  He loves that one.

 

 

This is a little girl at Sean Micheals School in the Koins Area.  We visited the school & found a bunch of damaged wheelchairs, so we threw them in the truck & took them to the company that the church bought them from to repair.  We have 5 left to repair, then they will have their wheelchairs back all fixed like brand new!!

 

 

All Africa Helping Hands Day was August 18th.  Every ward & branch all over Africa was working on service projects that day.  Ours was planned by all three of our branches.  They did a great job & it was much more successful than last year.  About 200 people attended.  We cleaned up an orphange/street children rescue center.  Pres. Broadbent & his wife attended our project this year.  We all were very happy to have them with us.

 

 

This is what passed us today as we traveled to Bamburi Branch.  We had to do a "double take"

  This little girl and her mother were along the road walking.  We could not pass her by without a pic, she is simply darling, dressed to fit a Queen.  The mother was very gracious in allowing us this treasured memory.  We gave them a "sweetie" or lollypop, and they were happy.

 

Today is wash day for our neighbors.  I took this photo from the roof of our building.  If you have grass, why does one need a clothesline?  Whatever works!!

 

 

This bus was all loaded & ready to rumble, chickens & all.  If they are going far, the chickens may already be dead when they arrive & ready to go into the soup, thus eliminating one step.

 

 

These young women were learning First Aid treatments including the Heimlich Maneuver. 

DAYS THAT WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN

Shaun & Shantel found a school while they were here to greet, share a song & give out sweeties ( lollypops)  So today, we brought them school bags from the good will of the Ortega's. There were many smiles this day!!

They sang us a song in Kiswahili with a catchy tune & all in unison with such strong beautiful voices.

John Achola, our tailor went with us this day.  He made the bags, and he said "these children will remember this day for the rest of their lives"!

These are kids from a children's rescue center.  They were happy to receive a new soccer ball from our Grand Daughter Brilee.  Her team wanted to send a ball to someone who needed one and wanted to be greeted by them.  They all signed the ball and we gave it to them.  They were very happy to have it and sent a warm Asante Sana (thank you) to Brilee and her team.  Their ball was just worn out and needed to be replaced very badly, Brilee's Team ball came at a perfect time.

These children are student's at the Koins 4 Kenya school.  They are always happy to have their pictures taken, and then to see themselves on the camera!  Their happy and beautiful smiles make your day!

This young lady is waiting in que at the clinic at Koins 4 Kenya.  Her mom has her hair all fancy for the visit, but her mother did not want her picture taken, but this little one is precious!!

We happened to pass a waterhole where all these ladies were all leaving.  They were having a great time chatting like they didn't have anything at all on their heads.  These are REAL Women!!!  Some have to walk far, three to four kilometers (approx 3 miles) each way.

The first team of young people came to Koins to do service projects.  This is a gratitude sheet.  They all wrote down what they missed while here which included, running water, electricity, ice cream, warm shower among other things.

This young man should be an engineer.  He has designed this toy to change direction as he twists the long stick which is held by the rubber bands.  Tremendous potential is in these minds if they only have a chance.

VISITORS BRING BLESSINGS

 An African saying says that visitors bring blessings.  We got our first visitors from home June 2nd. The Ortega's Robert & Debbie.  We visited Koins 4 Kenya (an NGO) and Debbie was in the kitchen and learned how to make chapati's (like a tortilia) with Emily.

Family Night was with the Mwambere family, he is the Branch President in Mombasa Branch.  Jael his wife, showed Debbie how hairs fight with each other. 

 We had a special treat when President Broadbent and his family came to Mombasa for a visit.  We all went to Mamba Village (a Crocodile farm with 10,000 being raised in all stages of growth). Here the President displays one of the month old Croc's.

We took Shaun and Shantel to the Indian Ocean and the entrance to the Mombasa shipping harbour. 

 We also visited the beach along Hotel row.  We thought they should ride on a camel, so here they are, just prior to saddling up!

Sunday came and we were going to one of our branches for services.  We went to Bamburi Branch and the children could not get enough of Shantel.  The other sister is Halee who was helping at the Koins compound.

When in Africa you must do as the Africans do, ride in the common transportation, a three wheel cart called a "Tuk-Tuk".  They enjoyed the ride, even if you bump along. 

Birthdays come and go, but Shaun and I did not want this one to get away.

So we chartered our neighbor's fishing boat and went out into the Indian Ocean after a catch.  Yes, we were successful as can be seen.  Yes, they were very, very good on the dinner plate.

Shantel had to find out what it is like to be an "African Woman"!  Wow was she surprised to learn the work a day efforts by these wonderful women.  She went with Frieda and her kids for the day.  They went for water and wood for use at the home.  Shantel even wore a blister on her hand cutting the wood sticks using a panga (machete).  She said she has a new appreciation for the women here.

Here in Mombasa a new Hindu Temple was opening.  It is the only Temple outside of India. The ladies loved Shantel and wanted her to walk in their parade.  Fun was aplenty and the Temple is simply wonderful, we shall have to post a pic of it when it is totally completed.

At Momba Village Shaun held the one month old Croc's.

Shantel didn't want to be out done, so she held the Python!!!  It was a good size one, and Shaun said he really didn't need to hold it.

Sandra Dahl came over to volunteer at the Koins Clinic.  She has a big heart and loved the people who brought their babies for help. She worked there for the first week and then we went on a Safari to Tsavo West Game Park.  It is wonderful, ask her how it was!!  She saw lots of animals and stayed at Kiliguni Lodge, one of our favorite places to visit.

Good Byes came too fast!  We transfered three Elders and received three Elders coming from other areas of the Mission.  They are wonderful young men serving their Father in Heaven.

It is very quiet now that our visitors have returned to the States.  We will miss them.  We need more blessings and enjoy showing Mombasa and surrounding areas to any who would like to come over!  You are most welcome!

HURRAY HURRAY IT'S MAY

This month we found an orphanage for the young elders to visit for service.  Time is all they are asking from us. For this little one, a torn piece of paper puts a smile on his face!!

This is the finished product of the workshops of Akamba Carvers located in Changamwe near one of our branches.  Some of our members work there.  They come from generations of carvers in their families.  Here at the workshop they have formed a "association" so all benefit from sales. They do beautiful work.

This is ebony wood.  It is the most costly because the ebony is only in the middle of the trunk.  This is how it arrives & the picture above is the finished product.

These gentlemen are experts at elephants & lions.  The tusks for the elephants are real cow bones, so that area doesn't have a pleasant odor, but it's still a work of art!!  They use only hand tools, chisels & hand saws & a lot of grit!!

The Young Adults had an outing at the "Butterfly Pavillion.  This is one of the pictures that Elder Scott captured while there. Below is what we see from our flat.  This man is brushing his teeth with a stick as tall as I am.  The tree that they use has a "minty" taste in the wood.  After prolonged use, the stick frayes out & works quite well.  Mankind started with sticks until the 1900's when nylon was invented.  Then the health benefits of individual brushes had to be taught to have more than one per household.  We've come a long way, except this gentleman didn't get the memo!!

Our district went on an outing this "P" Day. We visited Mamba Village, a crocodile farm.  They have approximately 10,000 crocs here.  They are sold to Italy for their skins & meat. 

Sister Scott is trying to be a good sport by holding the croc egg & baby of approximately 1 month.

Elder Scott is taking a pic of Big Daddy.  The elders are Left to Right, Elders Ramananaiorvoisn( Madagascar), Elder Gideon's back( Cape town), Elder Herr ( AZ) and Elder Brown (TX) We have awesome elders in Mombasa!!

This is how the croc's greeted us.  Below is Elder Gideon.  He is such a positive, cheerful elder. He is a delight to know & serve with here.

This is "Big Daddy"  He is supposed to be over 100 yrs old.  Elder Scott told the guide that we thought that Big Daddy was plastic because we've only seen  his eyes poking out of the water.  So the guide took some meat over to the edge & Big Daddy slowly by slowly crawled out.  He is so old, it's no surprise that he only comes out of the water on Fridays.  But he is indeed real, just old and very BIG!!