09.21.09

Hey everyone,


I'm doing great! I''m in Kitale it's one of the most northern areas. it rains almost everyday, but its really green, the rest of kenya is in a drought. my comp is elder katjotjo, he is from nambia and he has been out for 21 months. he is a great guy. two other elders live with us. elders cele and chimimba. i'm the only white guy. a missionary couple lives next door they are from blackfoot,id. elder and sister watt. i'm quite the spectacle here in kitale, there are very few white people, so i stick out like a sore thumb. my p-day is mondays so thats when i'll be able to e-mail. i did my laundry today.... that was interesting. dad, thanks for buying a washing machine. i did it all by hand, in a bucket. but at least we have showers, i'm told that all the missionaries flats have showers and flushing toilets, so thats a good thing. but there isn't any water pressure and all the water we drink has to go through a filter first.

friday was probably the scariest day of my life. i was dropped off at a bus stop in the middle of nairobi by the ap's and told to get on the bus going to kitale. i could barely understand anyone but some how i got on the right bus and i made it here. it was an eight hour trip. i saw zebras, babboons, and two warthogs. and about ten thousand sheep, goats, and cows. kitale is quite the place, there are the slums and the houses. we visited a few people who lived in a little 10 X 10 mud hut with tin on top, it was pretty sad to see people living like that. we ride bikes, but the bikes are horrible. they are the most uncomfortable thing i have ever been on. you feel every bump cuz there ain't no suspension and there aren't any smooth roads. yesterday we attended church in sikhendu. the building there looks like its about to fall over, but the members like to sing loud so thats good. right before sacrament started i found out that i was the first speaker. haha that was interesting. it was funny to look at the crowd (about 50 people) and see only blacks. i was the only white person there.

the roads here are crazy, there are no laws and even if there were, there isn't anyone to inforce them. the cops here aren't exactly your friends. we took a matatu to sikhendu, that was a little scary. i've been told that because i'm white that people will charge me more money for things. we get about 10,000 shillings a month to live on. thats equal to $140 US we don't have to pay rent, water, or electricity all off that is taken care of by the mission office. we just have to pay for food and transportation. there is a golf course here in kitale and elder watt said that we could go with him one day haha that will be awesome, but i think it costs about 1500 ksh (kenyan shillings) one US dollar is about 70 ksh. myldsmail doesn't work very good so we can use gmail. so e-mail me at this address and if you mail anything send it to the mission office and make sure that it has the PO box number on it.

i love you guys a ton, let me know when you get my letter, i have now sent two. i hope everything is good at home, keep me updated i like to hear what is going on back in the valley.

Love Elder Larsen



ps let me know what you what to know about, i feel like i'm just rambling on.