Just returned from Chuyulu and are still tying to put out fires...seems it is a constant effort. We have specialists coming from SLC on Saturday. They held our same position a couple of years ago and are being sent to orient us and to check up on a new project that is being proposed in the area from which we just returned. The project is to pipe some water from a high producing well to about 200-600 home gardens so that the local people can produce food even in dry periods. The pipes will be metered so that people will pay for the amount of water they use. This part of Kenya in the Southeast area is dry...the last 5-7 years have been so dry that the animals and crops have been dieing and the people have been on Church assistance. This would be a means of helping people become self-sufficient. Food production and self-sufficiency are new areas for Humanitarian. In the past there have been 5 areas of focus: water, eye glasses, measles innoculations, newborn resuscitation instruction, and wheelchairs. The Church knew it needed to have a focus so that it could make an impact in a few areas, and these were the 5 areas they chose. Now they have incorporated the Bensen Institute, which has been based at BYU, and is focused on food production. They have been doing lots with food production in Central and South America, but this is the first time it has been incorporated as a major humanitarian effort. We will see if it is approved. So the specialists are going to be in Kenya for 2 weeks and expect us to be with them the whole time.

We just returned from an HIV/AIDS seminar that LDS Charities has helped support. Aids is a real killer here, and this program targeted 23 schools in one area. There were 80 representatives from 22 of the schools (teachers/school chairmen). The program was aimed at training key people from each school to take teacher and student manuals back to their schools and train the other teachers, who are to target the families, not just the children. The "window of opportunity" here in Kenya is from 9-14 (before the children are sexually active). The program was to have started at 9 AM. It started at 11:30 (TIA--This Is Africa). The trainer was President Suchi, the Nairobi Stake President and the Director of Reach the Children. (Pres. Suchi has a married daughter in the Houston area whom he is visiting the first of April. I told him it would be great if he could visit with Lex and Jon too. When I told him that Jon is also Stake President, he said they could compare notes.) President Suchi is a very animated, well-spoken individual and I think Lex and Jon and children would love him. Perhaps I can send something back with him....any requests?

While in Chyulu we watched some children playing afterschool sports. It looked like all the children were playing...mandatory attendance. The younger children were playing volleyball; the older ones were playing handball. Both team sports were coed, with students wearing school uniforms to play (maroon skirts/pants and orange shirts)--no sports uniforms. Most were barefoot. Handball is played on a small sized soccer field with goals at each end. The ball, smaller than a soccer ball, is dribbled by the players and thrown into the goal (at the goalie) as hard as the opposing team can. The primary school (up to 8th grade) is mandatory and supported by the state, although the uniforms must be purchased by the families. High schools are private and many families cannot afford to send their children; we were told that about 75% go on to high school. A more affordable option is trade school. For primary school, the day begins about 6 am, ends about 6pm. Before and after school they milk cows and goats, clean, carry water and fit homework in whenever they can.

This trip (4 hours +++ depending on the traffic in Nairobi) is getting much more comfortable. John is getting into his element (his driving days in Boston were good training---lots of crazy roundabouts and aggressive merging). He is also getting more comfortable with the 6-gear truck and passing slow-moving trucks on 2-lane roads. It helped that we had wonderful CD's playing in the background...very soothing with Jenny Oaks, MoTab, Harmony. The countryside is very different and lovely. Some of my favorites are Baobob trees, golden acadia trees, brightly dressed women walking or working in the fields, Masaai men wandering through the countryside to find green pasture for their herds of goats and cattle, baboons lining the road in the same area of the road, sisal plants (look very much like century plants to me) whose strong shoots are used as a framework for simple homes. This trip we saw 3 giraffes, one right off the road...incredible.

Our other major committment next week is a national wheelchair convention that is to discuss a coordinated plan for wheelchair distribution throughout the country. They asked us to be VIP guests, which I politely declined since the specialists are going to be here. However, we were told by Public Affairs that we (the Church) really need to make our presence better known in the country, and that since an MP and the US Ambassador to Kenya are going to be there, we should attend and get some of the high officials in the Kenyan Church to attend too so that the Church has an "African face." So we have invited the Area 70, the Stake President, and the Public Affairs Director for SE Africa, all very impressive African men. And John and I will attend, and have to put together a display table, including visuals and brochures that we must have printed. So much to do....so little time.

Got to go fix dinner (6:40).

Great to hear from Caroline...sorry things didn't work out for David in Houston. But I'm sure you still have a contribution to make in NYC. Loved the Max story...what a bright kid! Many thanks to Sarah for sorting through all our mail. Don't worry Sarah, USAA and TIAA-CREF stuff is coming through online...we have sent in a change of address and a request that all things be sent via internet, but will do so again. I thought again about how Mark would have loved to be on the ROCKY, MUDDY roads we drove through, with 4-wheel drive no less. John is learning new tricks. Our car needs another wash job...only 300 Ksh inside and out...(conversion 75 shillings/american dollar...figure it out, and eat your heart out).

I've given you all some homework...look up Baobob, golden acacia trees online.

On our drive back, Dad was saying that this mission is a great way to retire...wind down by continuing working. The work is stimulating and it is great to get to know each other well by working together. There are so many wonderful Church programs with so few senior couples to man them. It is a shame that more don't understand how fulfilling it can be.

Love and kisses,

Mom

P.S. Cheryl will you please make sure Mom gets this and knows how much we love and miss her