Week 8 email

WEEK EIGHT. TWO MONTHS>HOLY WHAT. 

Weekly recap commencing: 

On Monday we started on our latrine project at Miriam’s school. Miriam is (hands down) my most favorite Ugandan women. I don’t know what it is (maybe that she reminds me of Queen Latifah) but I adore here. She is super overweight and super awesome. She gives the best hugs. Remember how I’m not good at hugging? Well Miriam is making me good at hugging. The other day she asked me if we could be friends forever. I was all like DUH MIRIAM. And my heart melted a little.

Anyways, reasons why Miriam is cool:

3.  She used all of her money to build a school on her families property

2.   She gave us real, live, COW MILK to drink (semi gross, semi enjoyable)

1.  She taught me how to use a hoe like a real African women ( A LOT harder than you would think).

In preparation for the project Stephanie (the project lead) and I went to gather all the supplies. When I say supplies I mean: two truckloads of river sand and one truckload of pit sand. We had to go to the place where they sell sand… which is located on the border of Mbale town. My favorite parts of this experience included me bartering with a group of construction workers over pit sand and transportation. There have been a few times in my life where I have felt significantly out of place. It goes in this order:

3. The time I went to cheer camp in fifth grade… sports>cheerleading

2. Sitting at a bar in the Virgin Islands last Christmas and explaining to people that I don’t drink

1. Bartering for pit sand in a Ugandan construction site.

 Remember how I am only 22 years old? 

 Anyways, good times.

Something else that is funny about building the latrines is experiencing the reactions of all the Ugandans watching us work. They literally don’t think we can do anything. They think everyone from America has all their work done for them by machines. So when we lift a brick, use a shovel, plaster a wall, etc… they are amazed. I had one come out and say to me multiple times “well done… ah… well done.”

I wanted to tell him about the one time my family built our entire house in one summer and my sister and I spent  hours upon hours carrying buckets of water to lay the tile in our own house. This girl knows how to work. Maybe (probably) not as hard as all these Africans but golley, if need be I can work.

Some other highlights from the week include (A) GOING TO KENYA.

Let me explain.

There is a school on the border of Kenya and Uganda that we are going to being working with this week. I went to visit on Thursday. Part of their playground Is in Kenya and you don’t have to pass through the border office to get there. So I walked across a stream and stood in Kenya for about two minutes. Check that one off the bucket list?

(B) Playing in a soccer game while all of the student population of St. Stephens watched. I forgot that I can be good at soccer if need be. It was super fun. This game was part of a teamwork program that we had been doing with the school. It ended with this soccer game. We had team t-shirts and played against the students and teachers. I don’t think I’ll ever forget running up and down a soccer field full of cow pies on an overcast day while 300 Ugandans watched. It was a site I tell ya. It was a site.

On the way back from the game (we were riding motorcycles back) I had to go to the bathroom super bad because I had drunken like 16 cups of water that day (that is not an exaggeration) The roads are realllly bumpy here so that was not helping at all. Finally I told my driver to pull over and I sprinted to the back of this house. I asked the family if I could use their latrine and they pointed me to the ghetto pit latrine I’d ever used. It was a great (not) moment, but also pretty memorable.

Other highlights from this week include:

1.    Teaching three sanitary pad lessons

2.    Feeding a whole school porridge for lunch

3.    Having a super awesome conversation about Ugandan culture with Saleh. Learned some really interesting things about the Albino population, introduction ceremonies, polygamous families, and how people handle money (all things that are very interesting aspects of the culture).

Every day here is such an emotional rollercoaster. Some days I don’t even want to think about having to come home, and other days being back in Utah doesn’t sound all that bad. It’s so interesting. I am for sure learning SO much about my weaknesses and strengths. Still super grateful to be here.

A few highlights from church:

I am the ward pianist. I don’t like playing in front of people at all. Like it is on my list of least favorite things to do… but I do it because I know they need it. It has actually ended up being really fun for me. I also go every Friday night and help the ward practice the hymns at ward choir. I am really growing to love the members here.

There is a family here called the Bhutalli’s. They remind me SO much of mom and dad. They are super firm in the gospel and are holding this branch together. They are the only family that has gone to the temple to be sealed (all the way to Johannesburg south Africa). Yesterday sister Bhutalli bore her testimony on the temple and it was SO powerful. I am super grateful for all the work the Wade family has been doing in the temple this month, and even more grateful for a good mom who is such a good example to me of service and hard work. Sister Bhutalli exemplifies all of the good qualities I see in you mom. I love you!

Lastly

Two weeks ago I invited our friend James to come to church with us. He accepted our invitation and came with us yesterday. It was neat to be there with him. He is going to take the first discussion with Elder Hallday and his new companion tomorrow night. I love all of the opportunities I have had to share the gospel here.

Life is good. Miss you all.

Ray