Legal Conference in Kenya & Masai Mara

Every few years OGC tries to meet with the local counsels from the various countries.  It is a time for us to train them on specific issues we have encountered and discuss ways they can help us.  We also try to make sure that they understand that we are using the widow's mite and they need to be very conscientious in how they manage the projects and bill the Church.  Each of us prepared Powerpoint presentations for the areas that we primarily work in.  We also try to help them understand more about how the Church is organized, its policies and functions, so they have a better understanding of where we are coming from, whether it be for establishing the legal entities, for tax issues, for land acquisitions, for leases, for Visas or a dozen different legal issues.  The Conference was held in Johannesburg a few years ago, but many of the attorneys were not able to get Visas for South Africa.  As a result, we selected Nairobi since it is a major air hub, it is more centrally located among our 26 countries, and also Kenya is quite liberal on granting Visas.

We held it at the Intercontinental Hotel across the street from the Parliament.  We had an excellent turnout and a very good conference.  At the end of our presentations, Bryan Jackson opened it up for them to ask us any questions they wanted about legal issues or the Church.  It was excellent and you could feel the Spirit there.  That night we had one of the Area Seventies, Elder Artur Miranda who spoke to the group about standards and ethics.  He is one of the top Executives in Coca Cola in Africa.  He gave a great talk about maintaining our standards, whether in business, in the law, in Church, and in our personal lives. It was very powerful and several people could really feel something special when he was speaking. Two even had tears in their eyes.

The work does not stop when we are traveling so I did one lease and two contract reviews on the way from the Nairobi airpot to the hotel.  I did a couple the day of the conference and then did a major construction A&E contract the next day while waiting at the Wilson airport to fly to the Masai Mara.
The Broadbents who had lived in Kenya for three years said we really needed to take time to go see the Masai Mara while we were in Kenya.  Three couples decided to go to the Mara Intrepids camp for a weekend safari.  We stayed in tents that were very deluxe.  We got to visit a Masai village, and had an evening lecture in our camp from a Masai chief (in training.)  The camp people were amazing, the food was delicious, and the game drives were spectacular. It is mostly open and you can see animals for many miles. We felt like we were in a National Geographic movie.  Our driver was Raphael and he had a sixth sense when it came to finding animals and finding the best spot for viewing them.  The whole Kenya trip and experience was wonderful.

Overlooking the Parliament Building from the Intercontinental Hotel in Nairobi.

Some of the Attendees at the Conference.

The OGC wives at a local fabric store.

It was International Women's Day while visiting the Kazuri Bead Factory in Nairobi.

Artur Miranda from Coca Cola gave a great talk on Standards and Ethics.

At the Wilson Airport waiting to board our plane to the Mara Intrepid Camp.

We were welcomed by one of the local Pumbas (Warthog).

We were then greeted by the tall and stately giraffes.  I could watch them for hours.

 Our driver, Raphael drove up very close to the large Cape Buffalos.

We saw some Eland which are among the largest of the antelope family.

Our driver took us across the river, over the rocks, with the water racing by.

A Cheetah looking around to make sure no one was coming to eat her lunch.

Some beautiful crested cranes.

A mother lion and her cub.

A Topi antelope.  Their nickname is "Mr. Blue Jeans".

A beautiful Thomson Gazelle.

The Secretary Bird.

A big female lion 8 feet from our open vehicle!

A baby elephant decided it was time for a lunch break.

Grant Gazelle's.

A Brown Hyena and a spotted Hyena.  Often they do not get along but today they were friends.

A pregnant mother Cheetah.  We followed her for miles.

A Hippo came up from the river to eat some grass.

The Burchell or common Zebra.

The Gnu or  Wildebeest.

This ostrich dances about as well as me.

The elusive leopard in the thick underbrush.

A large green crocodile waiting for some lunch to come down to the river.

The Masai men wear plaids and they love to jump.
When greeting them you always have to ask how their cattle are first.

In the chief's home learning about their life.  It was very dark until my flash lit it up.

The day ends with a beautiful African sunset.