Except for today is Tuesday... and you haven't gotten an email from me about this past week yet. I know you were all stressed and really worried that it wouldn't come, but alas here it is. So don't you fret.
My delayed week 13 email: because sometimes living life is cooler than communicating it.
I will start with last Monday AND this Monday. We taught the girls at Child of Hope for the last times. It's hard for me to walk away from that school knowing I'll never be back. The first of the goodbyes began and booooooo. I didn't like it one bit.
There is one girl there named Diana. I am not an advocate of teachers pets, but she is totally my favorite.She has this smile that will light up any room. She lives in Namatala (the slum) and since our program was an after school program she had to bring her little brother with her. They would both sit quietly in the back during every lesson. Last week we challenged all of them to go home with their sanitary pad patterns and make one at home. If they brought it back to us this week then they would get a special prize. Well I stood up at the front of the class this week and called for all those who had gone home and made some. Honestly I wasn't expecting anyone to have remembered... but three girls did (way cool!). One was Diana. She shyly raised her hand and hid what she had sewn in her hands. I caught a quick glimpse of it and it looked like my very first sewing project... so pretty bad. But It was so cute that she had tried. Near the end of our lesson yesterday we told them we were heading back to America. Wrong thing to say. They were disappointed and each one of them wouldn't leave without giving us at least three hugs. One girl kept coming back to me for another one. After like five I basically (gently) pushed her out of the classroom. I started to feel a few tears coming on and didn't let that happen because Ugandans think crying is weak. Also that's what I think too... but that doesn't mean i wasn't FREAKING sad.
Other cool things that happened last week? Too many to write, but I will tell you about::
Dental Camp
We held this one day camp in a community called Bhukawheyka (yea pretty sure I spelled that wrong. If I can't even spell in English I'm definitely not going to be able to spell in Luganda).
Anyways, the camp was a big success. There were a few setbacks but that was to be expected. There are only 200 dentists in all of Uganda. That is one dentist for every 175,000 people. So yea, dental care is not top priority over here. If people get a cavity they let it stay there until their tooth is so rotted they will either (1) pull it out themselves or (2) come to our free dental camp and get it extracted (with numbing) for them. Plus they got medication and a free toothbrush. whoop whoop!
I sat and watched/assisted the dentist as tooth after tooth was extracted. One girl came in with a giant tooth sticking out the front of the bottom part of her mouth. It wasn't rotten, but it was influencing her bite and all that other stuff. So she asked if he would extract it. He gave her the numbing shot and then I watched for twenty minutes as he tried to get the tooth out (most other extractions only took about two minutes). He pulled, and pulled, and twisted.... and pulled. All the while this girl didn't say a word. She was gripping the chair really hard, and her legs were shaking. I felt really bad, but didn't want to leave her alone so I stayed put. Eventually it came out but man alive---I am so thankful for the dental care we have back in the states. After the camp I realized that not one person had made even a sound with their extraction! NOT ONE. How legit. How freaking legit. They are brave souls over here I tell ya.
For more details on what we did last week go check out my updated blog. There is some awesome pictures that I think you'll like.
I'll end with a spiritual note. Because duh.
On Sunday I gave a talk in church.
I woke up Sunday morning realizing this. The internet was down so I grabbed a piece of paper and looked at a talk I had from the Gospel Library App. I'm sure you all know it: Mountains to Climb by President Eyring. The talk was thrown together super quick but ended up probably being the best talk I've ever given (haven't given a talk in church since my senior year of high school so there is not much competition).
I don't know about you, but I've felt like this past year has been one big mountain for our family. Every one of us is dealing with our own separate battles. It's been a tough year hasn't it? But also I would say the best because of what we've all learned.
Well anyways I want to backtrack from my talk for a bit and go back to Thursday. I woke up and realized that it was the 27th, thus making it officially one year since I received my mission call. I know, I know, I like to talk about this a lot. But I just couldn't help but think about all the mountains I've climbed since that time. What I talked about in church was the importance of relying on our faith, the Atonement, and the love of God during the times in our lives where it seems like "the birds don't sing and the bells don't ring." As we rely on these things we will be lifted up during our "climb." As I gave my talk I felt the sure witness again that we're never alone. That God will bare us up in our trials, temptations, and afflictions. I know he has done that for me in this past year, and in these past few months during this crazy Ugandan experience.
It really has been a wild ride that I am extremely grateful for.
I leave for London in eight days. Ya'll will get one more email from me next Sunday and then I'm off. Love you all so much. You are all in my prayers every day!
Ray
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