Our training is over now the real work begins.

This was our first week in which we were solo in the office. Prior to that we were being trained. Elder Randall trained Karen on her responsibilities as receptionist and more importantly her role as the mission's immigration agent. She ensures that each missionary has a valid passport, visa, work permits and so forth. Since the mission encompasses two countries when the missionaries are transferred to Tanzania they have to get a Tanzanian visa. Sister Randall trained me on my responsibilities as the mission's financial clerk.

Sister Randall training me on my responsibilities.

Elder Randall trains Karen on her responsibilities.

On our drive to the office last Wednesday, in down town Nairobi, we passed these two camels just walking along a very busy street, with their handlers walking behind them visiting with each other and pointing and laughing at us foreigners taking pictures of their camels.

These young amaze me! They pull these handcarts fully loaded with pretty heavy loads (here he is carrying a few hundred pounds of potatoes). They pull these things on the same roads as the other vehicles. If you look hard you can see strapped onto the bottom of the back end is an old tire. It is not a spare. It is the break! When they are going down hills they just lift up on the handle causing the tire to drag on the road-slowing it down. There are many hills in Nairobi. It must be very difficult pulling these up and down fairly steep hills with cars, buses, large trucks, motorcycles darting around them not to mention hundreds of pedestrians walking in front of them. They are studs!!

I could not get over the scaffolding on the building under construction. The building is several stories high and this scaffolding is constructed out of 2-3" diameter wooden staves (not bamboo like in some asian countries). They are simply lashed together with 3/8" ropes, just like the monkey bridges that we made in the boy scouts. OSHA must not have any standing here!