May 26, 2012

26 May 2012

Today was a wonderful day in which our spirits soared once again. The day began with us looking
forward to teaching at Philip and Julia’s. We had been asked a few days ago by President Kogo to
participate in the Eldoret Distict Leadership meeting this morning.

Our assignment was to discuss, ‘extending a call’ in the church. We each had a short three to four
talk at the podium and then we did a little skit, I called your mother to a secound councilor in a
branch Relief Society presidency. It was simple and after we had sat down I thought that was over
simplification, shame on us. After the meeting a few people came up and said how much they had
enjoyed and how much they had learned from our skit. I was surprised. Some said, “that is not how
we do it here.” Following the meeting we traveled home and grabbed a bite before our hour long
trip to see Philip and Julias.

Upon arriving we learned that Philip was not around and that there had been death locally and that
most people were attending the funeral. Julia was at home and we learned she had not attended
since she knew we were to arrive. Philip had asked me to buy some fertilizer for his maize. I resisted
for the better part of three weeks and then did not want his four daughters to suffer so knowing
better, I bought a 50 Kilo bag of 46% urea. As we were getting the recovery plan made due to Philips
absence I wandered over to see his chickens, he has the prettiest rooster that is always very mean
to the hens, typical. The rooster had not changed since our last visit. As I thought about our plan
my question was about to be answered. To my left I saw a man come over a barbed wire fence
bordering Phillip’s shamba. He was under a heavily leafed tree and I could not see who he was due
the absence of light, thinking perhaps it was Phillip, It was not, I was a little disappointed. I soon
learned who the man was.

At last weeks meeting there was a man that attended and said nothing for the entire two hours, I
assumed he was being polite and stayed for the discussion since he may have had nothing better
to do. With our Power-Point presentations it is interesting even in a mud hut to sit and watch the
miracle of the presentation on our lap-top computers.

The man walked quickly around the house and approached me until we were face to face. I didn’t
know his name but I soon learned that Alfred was a very special brother. He proceeded to tell me
about the testimony gained in our meeting and the additional confirmation of our message through
the workings of the spirit last week as he had studied the materials we had left with him. He talked
of how he felt the spirit and the purity of what we had testified and that which came into his mind
and how he knew it was true. I was highly impressed when he described his feelings of the Holy
Ghost and what he had felt even before we described what he would feel and how the Holy Ghost
would manifest truth to him. He told me he understood fully everything we had taught and knew
it was true. He related sharing the message with his daughter and wife, they both declaring it was
remarkable and they likewise felt what he was feeling after their reading about Joseph Smith the
Prophet and the Restoration. He went on to relate how his upper body was alive with the Holy
Ghost and how his mind opened and how he experienced clear thought and understanding of the
restoration message. Despite the language difficulties, there was communication by the Holy Ghost
that was real, which we must never under estimate. As we came to the end of his story, I said, “my
dear friend, you are of Israel, you are my brother, you have been lost but are now found.” We
embraced as two brothers with such affection I shall not forget. I was overwhelmed with love that
we shared which touched my heart as I wondered what will happen next to our dear friends in Elgon,
Kenya.

We decided to use Mengich’s home and give him and Eunnis, another drop-in the first discussion.

To have Philip absent turned out to be a great blessing as Julia interrpted our english into swahili.
We saw a spark of testimony and understanding in Julia that we had not seen earlier. She had
seen the Power-Point before and it seemed she had the slides memorized and getting ahead of
the presentation. Heretofore we had considered her as only ‘luke warm’. When Sister Babcock
said, “maybe you would like to attend church,” she seemed a little offended we would ever doubt
her attending. We left the meeting lifted and renewed as a result, we continue exercise our faith in
the Heavens that we may witness a great thing happening in Elgon, Kenya.