Pilgrimage to Nairobi

Since there are no LDS congregations (except for our family!) in Sudan, it was a high priority for us to attend church in Kenya. There are several LDS chapels in Nairobi. They are big, new, and gorgeous. The one we attended, in fact, was across the street from a couple of other Protestant churches meeting in dilapidated shacks. Visiting meetings in the developing world, we have become used to seeing North American missionaries directing the fledgling congregation. This branch was markedly different. We were the only non-African faces in the congregation. The three sister missionaries there were from Namibia, Uganda, and Democratic Republic of the Congo. The branch president, a Kenyan, was a remarkable leader. The church in Kenya is obviously in good hands.

I think this picture should be titled "Ed's Talent." Ruth and Lucy are good with small children, but Ed draws them to him, wherever we go.

You can put in the basketball hoop, but can you take the football (soccer) out of the kids? Everywhere we go, there are basketball hoops in church parking lots, and everywhere we go, we see kids playing football underneath them.
These kids had made their own ball out of blue plastic grocery bags. David points out that they could play soccer in the parking lot because there were exactly two cars in the parking lot, despite the fact that the chapel was pretty full.

This beautiful little girl was anxious to have her photo taken. We were happy to oblige.