Monday, July 27, 2015

Week 92: Experiencing Nairobi and Views of POTUS Visit

Hey! I hope everyone had a great week! We have been busy and it is great (and cooold) here in Nairobi. Well I only say cold because I came from Dar and I was used to being so hot all the time. But all is well!

Obviously the big news was the President of the United States was here, along with hundreds of Secret Service and tens of thousands of security men and women.

So Monday was cool, talked with the guy next to me on the plane ride from Dar. Got here, emailed, and went and sat in the famous Nairobi traffic for a few hours picking up Elders from the bus station.

Then Tuesday, sent some Elders off and got settled in. The rest of the week we had some great lessons and one of our investigators is an Oral Surgeon and was in Salt Lake for a meeting/conference and went on a tour of Temple Square, and then when he came back he contacted us. So it will be great working with him, as his office is not too far from the mission office. Oh and we were supposed to have an appointment with him Thursday, but we got there and he was too busy drilling on patients' teeth, so we rescheduled for this week.

We saw some recent converts and we have a lot of things to do. On Fridays we are here in the office doing online Mormon.org referrals and anything else we need to.

Friday evening, and Saturday during personal study at 8:30am, huuuge powerful US choppers interrupted us and they were around until Sunday when he left. We live veryyy close to the Statehouse (aka the White House of Kenya) in a really nice area which is where Obama had meetings on Friday and Saturday, so the choppers were around a lot and they had our road closed for him to pass.

We went out contacting Saturday towards town and we got stuck with roads shut down and we had to wait for 1 1/2 hours until Obama and his convoy passed which was interesting. Then later we were at the office then we went contacting into some places both of us had never been and came out right next to Statehouse, which was the same exact time he was leaving Statehouse press conference, so we saw him again in his convoy in one of the two 'Beasts' he brought.

Church on Sunday was great, we cover 2 areas- South B and Upperhill. Upperhill is the ward that meets next door to the mission offices. We attended South B which is an hour walk away and I bore my testimony- and when Sacrament Meeting started I was thinking of what I should say and then when the time came I got up there and my mind was filled with something totally different. It is amazing how the Holy Ghost helps us and can give us the very words at the very moment. All I remember is something about how in God's eyes we are all equal. I gave the example of how Obama comes with airplanes, dozens of different kinds of choppers, and so many staff, gets the roads shut down and anything he needs. But in the eyes of God we are all the same. He is the same as me, who is the same as you, who is the same as the beggar on the side of he street and the same as the CEO of your favorite big company. Then I tied it in to how we learn more about that in the Temple and encouraged everyone to prepare and go who has not been. Anyways I just thought that was interesting.

And something funny- this week my companion got a haircut a a really nice place and then I opted at a cheaper, more local, village like Kinyozi. The guy was a Maasai and didn't even speak English and just a lick of Swahili. Imagine trying to tell him how to cut my hair. It didn't go so well. And right when he started my companion looked at me and I thought of a talk I read earlier in the week and I started laughing. link to he talk-- https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/come-what-may-and-love-it?lang=eng

And long story short the guy kinda saved the haircut from what it was heading to and I turned out looking like a US marine. Sometimes you just have to laugh things off. A great talk though!

The whole week we would walk by people and hear things like 'Secret Service' or 'watu wa Obama' which means 'Obamas people' among others- it was pretty funny. Much happier being the Lord's servants.

Questions:

How is the new area? Super great.

Do you work with the AP’s? Yeah a lot. They live next door and we are together a lot, and also the couples live next door (powerful dinner appointments)

How is the apartment? Pretty nice. The APs have the only washer and dryer in the Mission so we get to use that which is a bonus.

How was the visit from the Pres? Alright I guess- Nairobi was DEAD and locked off.. nooobody was out as everyone had a 3 day weekend because Obama gave it to them.

Did you get to hear his speech or did the Elders all stay in during his visit or?? No, and no.

Did the phone or internet get disconnected? Surprisingly, no.

What do you think of Nairobi? It's good.

Enjoying your new comp? Hahaha yaaaa it's great.

How do you get around town? By driving my feet.

How long does it take to get from your place to the Mission Home? 25 minutes walking, 8-10 in a car with no traffic.

Well have a great weeeeek!

Elder Eveson
Kenya Nairobi Mission
Referral Secretary
Upper Hill Road
Next to Citigroup
PO Box 46162-00100
Nairobi,
KENYA
mormon.org

No comments:

Post a Comment