Typical kinyozi pictures.  A real Picasso or Rembrandt if you will.

July 14, 2014

Orriena,

Well there is a Kibukusu greeting for you ha.

This week.  First transfer news.... I will be staying in Kitale with Elder Dick again! So that is nice.

But really this week, nothing super interesting to report about.  Except in Sikhendu tho, we are starting to teach this deaf guy.  His name is Charles.  He stays at the institute called Prince of Peace, which is just a place for those deaf people and others who have similar disabilities.  The only way we can communicate is by writing things down on paper and just going back and forth like that. He also taught me how to do a few signs in Kenyan Sign language, just greetings, saying thank you, and also saying we are going.  It was pretty cool tho, he was a super cool guy.  I was with one of the members named David Kigalu from the branch, and he was just kind of like umm what is going on around here... he seemed kind of uncomfortable. But we both laughed about it after.  It was just really weird because the entire time we didn't say a thing. 

Also, on Saturday, we went out to Natiri to help out with the open house that the elders there were having.  It took us forever to get there though! It took 3 hours total to get there. Super long, but we were happy to help out there.  The open house turned out ok.  For Elder Dick and I, we went around the market there and did some contacting, and it was nice because it was market day so there were quite a few people.  But man, in Naitiri persecution against the church is really bad.  It used to be so bad that when missionaries there would try to buy stuff from shops, people would not give them anything, because they thought that the money would be cursed.... haha ya.  Things people believe.  But now its not as bad, but there were a good number of people who totally blew us off.  But we were able to find some potential people for those guys there.  It was great to be out there helping them with the rest of the zone, trying to get the work moving out there. 

Other than that not much else this week.  Rough Sunday, only had one investigator at church. But, whats great is that Walter is still doing great.  He loves coming to church and even brought his daughter this week.  So I'm happy that at least he is progressing well in the gospel.  YA!

Sorry not much else this week. But YAAAA for Emmy reading the Book of Mormon in 30 days!! That is super fast!! The Book of Mormon is a huge blessing that all of us can take advantage of.  All we have to do is read it and really look for things that we can apply to our lives.  Read it!!!   LOVE YOU ALL

Elder Thomas

Daniel just relaxing.  The Uganda border is on the other side of the river.

Daniel with Paul Muricho and his wife.  One of the less active members they are trying to reactivate.

Uganda

July 7, 2014

Another nice week here in Kitale!

Tuesday, we got to go one exchanges with the Elders in Naitiri, so for
me i stayed in Kitale with Elder Makazi.  He is a new missionary (only
been out 1 month) and he is from Mombasa.  He is a super guy! Really
humble and hard working. He was a huge help with teaching while we
went out tracting. Almost all the people we saw while I was with him
only spoke Swahili, so he was able to do a lot of teaching.  Also met
with this Seventh Day Adventist guy who was trying to give us a hard
time about which is the real day of worship.  I'm not going to lie but
we dominated him ha.  He was asking us all sorts of questions, but we
had the spirit with us and had answers to all of them.  We will visit
him again this week and really see how interested he is tho.  Also
with elder Makazi we set a bapt date with one of our investigators
Tony! Super cool guy.  First time we met him, we were getting to know
him and he said that he has been going from church to church looking
the truth.  And while he has been lookin he said that there has just
been ''a hole in his heart''.  So we took advantage of that and taught
about the Book of Mormon.  He was super interested and also accepted a
bapt date for August.  So im super excited to work with Tony!! Such a
cool guy.

On Friday we did our street boarding activity, and got a ton of help
from the members of the branch. We had the branch president, 2nd
councilor, and a priest age guy named Dismus.  Man, all of them were
really setting the example for us! This was the first time that Dismus
came with us (mind you he is 16), so i thought that maybe he would be
a little nervous at first with contacting people.  But he went strait
to work! All he asked us was ''how do i do this?'' We just told him to
introduce yourself, talk about the church/pamphlet, and ask if they
want to learn more.  Then he was off on his own contacting left and
right haha.  One thing i have really seen though is that Kenyans are
way more bold and open about religon, so they don't fear at all about
talking about it.  but it was a great experience.

After the Street boarding, we went to Bro Walters place for the first
time (prior, we had always been meeting/teaching at the church). He
lives FAR tho!! In a place called Rafiki. Two hour walk...  and he
always comes to church, never has missed.  But it was really cool to
see his place and be with his family.  He was super super excited for
us to see his home and be with his family. Even his wife was really
glad to have us over.  Before this time, his wife hate the church big
time.  No joke.  But after she came to the baptism, she has been super
interested ever since.  So we are planning on teaching her now, along
with some of her kids!! Even Walter talked to us after about how he
wants us to start visiting and teaching them. So we are really excited
to start teaching family and help bring them altogether by way of the
restored gospel. YA! Also walter got confirmed on sunday ;)

Also had a awesome lesson on Saturday in Kitale with this guy named
Bernard.  He has been wanting us to prove everything about our church
and the Book of Mormon thru the Bible.  So he had a ton of questions
for us, and elder Dick and I did a awesome job answering them. We had
an answer for everything he asked.  But just the thing that hit me
most was just really the need for all of us to just read the Book of
Mormon.  He had tons of questions, which was great, but all he really
had to do to get the answers to his questions was to just read and
then pray about the Book of Mormon.  Those with a real desire and the
faith to act will receive an answer.  Simple as that. But I'm really
grateful that i have been able to do this in my own life, and even
more grateful that i have received and answer for myself.

But a pretty great week.  Still really workin to get the Less active
members back to activity.

Today tho was a awesome P-Day.  Me and Elder Dick went to the boarder
of Kenya and Uganda.  Took an Hour and a half matatu ride on dirt road
to this place called Suam. Really cool! got some ugandan currency,
hung out in the market, and got a look at Uganda haha. It was really a
lot of fun.

But other than that things are great!!! Love you all!

Elder Thomas

PS also we are recieving transfer news tonight.  I have been in Kitale
for about 4 and a half months, so i think i will stay. but we will
see!

Baptism of Water Kone- Daniel loves this guy!  Elder Dick is on the left

The essential wazee of Mautuma-
From the left:  Christopher who was a less active but now active member, Daniel, Edward Opiayo- Branch President, Brother Kisamba -former Branch President and Brother Songa

On the way to Eldoret, Elder Eveson went night-night

Ben served with Anziano Eveson in Italy now his brother Elder Eveson is in Daniel's mission

Elder Griffiths riding an ostrich - Kenya Nairobi Mission

Gotta be ready for anything when you are out in the bush - Kitale

June 30, 2014

FIRST.  HAPPY BDAY MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE YOU MOM YOU ARE THE BEST!!

So this week has probably been one of my best weeks in Kitale so far!

This week we had MLC (missionary leadership council) with President Hicken in Eldoret.  It was a lot of fun and a great experience.  On Tuesday we drove from Kitale to Eldoret, and had some extra time so we all got to play soccer together.  I have to say soccer has become one of my favorite sports now.  So I'm excited to get back and play with Emmy!! haha.  But on Wednesday we had the meeting with President Hicken.  We just discussed things that we need to teach our zones about, that will help the work to progress a lot better.  The 5 topics 1). Overcoming pride/ selfishness 2). How to budget your funds 3). Learning how to solve your own problems 4). Racism (unfortunately) 5). Getting over negative feelings about areas.  Some of these have become  a problem in the mission, and President Hicken wants us to help solve them.  But all of these i feel like are life long skills.  One thing i like about president Hicken, is that he is really trying to help us a lot as missionaries, but also that he is teaching us life long lessons and skills.  Also after the meeting, we got PIZZA! ya.

Also this week, we got a ton of help from the members.  So every week, we go out to Sikhendu twice a week.  And both times we went this week, we got to go on splits so we were able to get a lot more work done.  We mostly visit less active members there.  Apparently there used to be 600 members there.  But only 40 come to church every week... haha so not sure what's goin on.  But we are working on it! Also contacting a lot there looking for people to teach. 

The big thing tho this week was on sunday.... BAPTISM! This week we had the baptism for Walter Kone.  He is such a great guy, who has gone through a lot.  He first heard about the church in 2009, and became really interested in learning more, but could never find the church.  Since then, he has been going on the internet, looking up information about it.  Then 2 months ago we found him on the street and contacted him.  Since then he has come to church every week (by the way he walks 2 hours to get there). but has had a lot persecution coming his way.  A lot of his friends have been saying a lot of negative things to him about the church, and even his wife has been giving him a tough time.  She didn't want him to come, but he told her that he knew the church was true. For while, she would not talk to him if she saw him reading the Book of Mormon and was totally against everything he did.  But overtime she really softened up to the church because she saw how Walter was changing.  Even on Sunday, she agreed to come to the Baptism! It was great to have her there and the members did a good job of fellow shipping her.  It was a great service though, Walter asked me to perform the ordinance and it was a really wonderful experience.  After the baptism he got to bear his testimony and bore a great testimony.  I'm really grateful for the opportunity i have had to help out Walter come unto Christ and look forward to continuing workin with him.  Such a powerful guy, truly converted!

But other than that things are great! Elder Dick and I did a 2 hour presentation of the "Work of Salvation" dvd in Kitale branch for combined 5 Sunday. It was great, and a lot of members came up to us after and said that they had an increased desire to do missionary work.  So that was great! 

Have a great week!  LOVE YOU ALL!

Elder THOMAS

PS happy 4th of July.  and if you already didn't know that holiday is not recognized in Kenya ;(

June 23, 2014

Pretty good week.

What was really great about this week was that i got to go on exchanges with Elder Utonga (Tanzania) back to MAUTUMA! It was really cool to go back to my old area! I was able to see a ton of old members! I thought that most of them wouldn't think much of seeing me again, just because i was only there for 3 months, but all of them were super super excited to see me again! A lot of them said wow elder Thomas, you look a lot healthier and bigger now, Kitale must be treating you good! hahah ya something like that.  Its just that i don't have to bike 15 kms up hill to get to DDM's anymore haha. Although, we did get fed by just about every person that we went to see.  They were like ohhh Elder Thomas is back! Lets make him food!  there was Ugali, Skuma wiki, potato stew, chapati, cocoa, mandazi, eggs, ground nuts, and other Kenyan goodies! But it was really cool to especially see President Edward while i was there.  Also did a bapt interview there, which turned out really great. Super great being back in Mautuma tho!!!!

Had a pretty cool experience this week. On Friday after our street contacting activity, elder Dick and I had scheduled some 3 appointments at the church. So while we were waiting at the church, it started to rain really hard! So we waiting for a long time, waiting for our investigators to come, but we thought for sure that non of them would come because of the rain. It started to get late and we were really getting discouraged that no one was coming. So we decided that it was probably best if just go and go visit other people. But just right before we walked out of the church, one of our investigators showed up! His name is Tony, and he was a guy that we contacted on the street. Even though it was getting late, we decided to talk with him and see how interested he was. We began to ask him about himself, and he went on to tell us how he was really looking for something to fill the "hole in his heart". He talked about how he has gone to different churches, and how even he is going to one now. But as he has gone to all of them, he is just confused about their teachings and just feels like something is missing. So he told us that he was hoping that maybe something our church, and in our teachings could help him. So we decided it would be best to talk about the Restoration. Had a really great lesson with him about it. At the end i asked him how he felt about the Restoration and about Joseph Smith. He said that he felt confused... and i was like ohh no did we not teach clearly enough? But he went on to say that he was confused because it was just new to him, but that i did make sense that God would call a prophet to restore the fullness of His gospel. He said that he would really need to pray about these things, but thats all that we ask of, to find out for oneself. So it was a really cool experience, and what made it even better was that he even came to church on sunday! So we really hope to keep working with him and see if we can fill that hole that he has. And i know we can!

Things are still going great will Walter, we will most likely have his baptism next Sunday!! He has really been progressing well, in spite of all the challenges and difficulties he has been having, especially with overcoming word of wisdom and dealing with his family.  Whats been great though is that his family, especially his wife, has been softening up.  Before, she would not talk to him at all if she saw the Book of Mormon or anything like that.  But now, she is actually really supporting him, praying together as a family, and even all of them are living the Word of Wisdom together! They threw away all of their tea and coffee!! YA!!  So we will visit with him a lot this week and just really prep him for Sunday.  I really pray that all will go well! He is such an awesome and sincere guy. 

Did a zone fast on sunday, just for all of us to find more people to teach and members to work with.  Answer kind of recieved immediatly.  Show up to church in Kitale.  Branch president sees me and says "oh elder Thomas, i hope your ready to be the concluding speaker today in church.".... Ya president why not! had 10 minnutes to prepare a 35 minnute talk.  hahahaha its ok, i talked about the restoration and apostasy.  I did ok, but not as good as i would have liked it to be.  But if i helped at least one person, than its worth it! But it was pretty interesting haha. 

But things are great!!!!!! I love serving a mission, and being in Kenya.  I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!

Elder Thomas