So....I wrote my blog TWICE in Gulu. It was at least two pages in Microsoft Word each time and each time something went wrong with the computer. TWICE! But now I'm in Kampala with "high-speed" internet and a box of fruit snacks and granola bars in front of me from my mommy....so I'll summarize. There's a ton to say.
Extravaganza: Went well...or horribly. Depends on who you talk to. Wilson thought it was great, we thought it was horrid. So...ya know. A cultural difference I guess. The highlights were dancing traditionally and the crowd going wild...ALso the Mayor of Lugazi, Ozuma, got up and danced and I had a special little duet dance with him. It was nice.
Ride to Gulu: Let's just summarize it with 188 speed bumps, sitting in the back of the bus and gettin air on every bump, bus breaking down, stopping in a town with a bunch of drunkards for about 2 hours who asked me if I would sleep with them.
Gulu: Was nice. We stayed in a hotel with rats and roaches and spiders one night, then at a pink indian hotel for the rest of the nights. lovely. Built stoves. Met with Invisible Children--WAY cool. Visited an IDP camp. Just normal stuff...ya know...There are loads of mzungus there or mwonos as they call them in Acholi (Gulu is acholi tribe)....not much for us to do in 2 days.
SAFARI: AWESOME. I saw hippopotami and elephants and giraffes and warthogs and crocs and lots of other animals! Sadly no zebras...but the others sufficed.
Post-Safari: Driver was supposed to take us to Masindi and lied to us and actually took us back to Gulu so we had to suffer through the 5hour speed bumpiest ride EVER on the way back...not to mention suffering through a man next to me the entire time asking me to marry him and him leaning on me the entire 5 hours. Sick butt. I was so happy to get back to Lugazi. I love Lugazi sooooo much. It is my second home.
I guess I don't have much else to say. OH YEAH! I remember what I wrote in my other forty page long blogs. So..I love Uganda. So much. Like I didn't realize it until recently for some of my circumstances...but...I love it. I love the people. I love the land. I love the weird foods. I love all the gross things about it even. I embrace the latrines and the cockroaches. Seriously though. Like...Honestly, I really couldn't live here long term. But there will always be a place in my heart for Uganda. The people are wonderful. They need so much and lack so many necessary things, but one thing they do have is happiness. Pure joy and happiness. I especially love to see the joy in the members of the church. People here don't join the church because their parents are members or because they feel obligated too. It's a hard thing and many are persecuted. These people have nothing. They have maybe two pairs of clothes and a pair of worn out shoes. They have a meal once a day and it consists of flour and water. Most can't even afford rice and beans. But you know what? They're happy. People inside the gospel especially. But as well as people everywhere in Uganda. It's a kind of happiness you hardly ever see in America. It's hard to explain. GAH! I wish everyone could just automatically have the knowledge I have gained being here. I wish I could just shoot it into your brain or something. I wish everyone could have this experience....with ALL my heart. If I had the money, I would send each of my loved ones to come and take a part of east AFrica with them. I wish you could see these people. I wish you could hug one of the children. I wish you could be their friends and practically their family and feel their love day in and day out! It is incredible.
I see so many NGO's who come for two weeks and leave and they think they know so much about how these people live and they think they have helped these people so much by building a house and holding a few kids hands. Sure, building a house is great, but these people really do nothing much for these people and can never really understand them in that short amount of time. I have already gained way more than I have given here. I know I say this every time and I'm sure I'll say it again the next week and the next...but it's amazing what I have learned here and the love I have felt. I love the Ugandan people so much.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
"Pride Rock...It's Where The Lions Live!"
If you can name who said that, you rock....Probably Bonnie will, but I don't think anyone else. Bonnie? Now I'm counting on you!
I spontaneously decided to go on a safari next week while I’m in Gulu! Wahoo! It was supposed to be super expensive, but we got the price WAY down, so I’m really excited to go!
I am doing a traditional dance in front of all of Lugazi tomorrow.
I'm leaving for Gulu tomorrow.
I'm supa busy.
Love you all! I'll write in a week :)
I spontaneously decided to go on a safari next week while I’m in Gulu! Wahoo! It was supposed to be super expensive, but we got the price WAY down, so I’m really excited to go!
I am doing a traditional dance in front of all of Lugazi tomorrow.
I'm leaving for Gulu tomorrow.
I'm supa busy.
Love you all! I'll write in a week :)
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Hong Yun
There are these mini cake things...made by Hong Yun...and they're really good. We worship Hong Yun...who ever that is.
So...life is crazy. Literally insane.I am trying to do four tasks this week...
1. Record as much footage as possible for a documentary we are making. This is the last week we'll have a chance to make it with our camera man.
2. Create the biggest event ever to happen in Lugazi. It is called, "YOUTH MEGA FESTIVAL 2009" And will take place this saturday.
3. Help out with other projects in our extra time...which we don't really have..so we just fake it and help them as much as humanly possible.
4. Create the biggest fireside the Mormons in Uganda have ever seen...to take place one week from this saturday.
Life is hectic.
I have been at the Eye clinic for the past two days. And like none of the volunteers want to come because it is such a difficult project, so it has been little numbers trying to organize. The eye clinic is in Lugazi now and is doing dozens of surgery each day to help restore sight to these people. Majority of them have cataracts. What I do is organize the 150-200 people who need to be screened, then I screen them, then I organize them to see the doctor. It's a lot harder than it sounds. I am exhausted. But, it is so rewarding. People are constantly coming up and using the little english they know to try and tell me how grateful they are. Sometimes people even hug us. This was all Ryan's idea and he has done an incredible job of organizing it. It has impacted so many people...it's just amazing. The old people are so cute I can't even handle it.
Funny story: So there's a guy who works at the hospital named Amos. The first week we were here, we toured Kowolo hospital and I met him...he's like...a volunteer there...every day. So everyone has told me that every time they have been back, Amos asks for me. But I didn't even remember who he was...and I haven't been back to the hospital since. Let me give you an idea of this guy...he is so freakin awesome. So...he looks like a black version of Mr. Clean, and he sounds like the big guy on Princess Bride with the "duh" voice...or like he could be the Giant in Jack and the Beanstalk. Anyways...so he is a big guy too...like...all men are so short here...but not him. He's tall. So I saw him for the first time since the beginning of may on Monday. He talked to me for a while and I remembered who he was. Then he told me he had a shirt for me. ...Um..Okay! Haha. So he gave me this Ugandan Red Cross T-shirt and told me that it is to protect me. So wherever I go now, I will be safe. Thank you Amos.
Did I write about interviewing orphans? I don't think so. I'll write it quickly. So Monday we went and interviewed some orphans for the documentary. They were super cute, but there was one especially that broke my heart. We went up to where the plantation workers live. Lugazi is famous for it's sugar and there are sugar-cane plantations all through-out Lugazi and surrounding the entire village. So...we went up to some of the houses by Mehta stadium and there was this family that we interviewed. Apparently, the eldest daughter, about 3 years ago, heard some crying on the porch very very early and they found this few month old baby on the steps. It was a boy and they named him Innocent, Inno for short. They took him in since the parents had just left him there. They invited us into this house. Oh. My. Gosh. The house was literally not even six feet by six feet in area. They had a small couch with the cushins all ripped up and two foam matteresses that were...disgusting. There are THIRTEEN PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THIS ROOM. THIRTEEN. THAT IS THEIR ENTIRE HOME...KITCHEN, BEDROOM, EVERYTHING. And when I asked the girl how they can afford food for all of the children...she started to cry. She said they just sleep. If they don't have food, they go to sleep, and hope for a better day the next day.
How can people not do something about this?
Love, Dani
So...life is crazy. Literally insane.I am trying to do four tasks this week...
1. Record as much footage as possible for a documentary we are making. This is the last week we'll have a chance to make it with our camera man.
2. Create the biggest event ever to happen in Lugazi. It is called, "YOUTH MEGA FESTIVAL 2009" And will take place this saturday.
3. Help out with other projects in our extra time...which we don't really have..so we just fake it and help them as much as humanly possible.
4. Create the biggest fireside the Mormons in Uganda have ever seen...to take place one week from this saturday.
Life is hectic.
I have been at the Eye clinic for the past two days. And like none of the volunteers want to come because it is such a difficult project, so it has been little numbers trying to organize. The eye clinic is in Lugazi now and is doing dozens of surgery each day to help restore sight to these people. Majority of them have cataracts. What I do is organize the 150-200 people who need to be screened, then I screen them, then I organize them to see the doctor. It's a lot harder than it sounds. I am exhausted. But, it is so rewarding. People are constantly coming up and using the little english they know to try and tell me how grateful they are. Sometimes people even hug us. This was all Ryan's idea and he has done an incredible job of organizing it. It has impacted so many people...it's just amazing. The old people are so cute I can't even handle it.
Funny story: So there's a guy who works at the hospital named Amos. The first week we were here, we toured Kowolo hospital and I met him...he's like...a volunteer there...every day. So everyone has told me that every time they have been back, Amos asks for me. But I didn't even remember who he was...and I haven't been back to the hospital since. Let me give you an idea of this guy...he is so freakin awesome. So...he looks like a black version of Mr. Clean, and he sounds like the big guy on Princess Bride with the "duh" voice...or like he could be the Giant in Jack and the Beanstalk. Anyways...so he is a big guy too...like...all men are so short here...but not him. He's tall. So I saw him for the first time since the beginning of may on Monday. He talked to me for a while and I remembered who he was. Then he told me he had a shirt for me. ...Um..Okay! Haha. So he gave me this Ugandan Red Cross T-shirt and told me that it is to protect me. So wherever I go now, I will be safe. Thank you Amos.
Did I write about interviewing orphans? I don't think so. I'll write it quickly. So Monday we went and interviewed some orphans for the documentary. They were super cute, but there was one especially that broke my heart. We went up to where the plantation workers live. Lugazi is famous for it's sugar and there are sugar-cane plantations all through-out Lugazi and surrounding the entire village. So...we went up to some of the houses by Mehta stadium and there was this family that we interviewed. Apparently, the eldest daughter, about 3 years ago, heard some crying on the porch very very early and they found this few month old baby on the steps. It was a boy and they named him Innocent, Inno for short. They took him in since the parents had just left him there. They invited us into this house. Oh. My. Gosh. The house was literally not even six feet by six feet in area. They had a small couch with the cushins all ripped up and two foam matteresses that were...disgusting. There are THIRTEEN PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THIS ROOM. THIRTEEN. THAT IS THEIR ENTIRE HOME...KITCHEN, BEDROOM, EVERYTHING. And when I asked the girl how they can afford food for all of the children...she started to cry. She said they just sleep. If they don't have food, they go to sleep, and hope for a better day the next day.
How can people not do something about this?
Love, Dani
Monday, July 6, 2009
MuFASAH!
Wow. I seriously need to write more. Too much happens and then I forget what to write about. Good thing Becca dear is sittin' right hur next to me, so I can ask her what we did.
Last Wednesday we ....Becca doesn't remember either.
Uh..........Oh yeah! We did two home visits. They were pretty cool, nothing super exciting though. We got to hold the most adorable baby ever.
Thursday we ...I seriously cannot freakin remember!
Okay so FRIDAY I do remember that we ate at Wilson's house AGAIN. His family is so sweet! Oli malungi nyo! And ...I promise we've been working hard and doing stuff although it doesn't sound like it.
OKAY OKAY OKAY! I remember awesome stuff to talk about. So SATURDAY was one of my very favorite days in all of my days here in Uganda so far! In the morning we went to a market in Kampala called Owino Market. It is INSANE. Okay so this thing has got to be at the very least, two or three acres. It is amazing. And I have never seen anything like it before. It is all these shops, but they are tiny, like maybe 5 feet by five feet and they are packed with stuff. And they have stuff hanging all the way till like 15 feet up. I have no idea how in the heck they do it. But then they are so packed in there that you can't even see the sky. There is everything from watches and jewelry and shoes and clothes to g-nuts and flour and matoke to witch doctor medicines and jars and bottles and weird things. It's like an African Wal-mart. Except the aisles are like 2.5 feet wide and there are about 10 people with in arm's reach. It is crazy. I can't even explain it. And I SO wanted to take a picture but was terrified of getting my camera stolen...so decided against it.
After going to this market and getting about 15 marriage proposals, we went to the ARA, the American Recreational Association or something like that. HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! This was my first 4th of July EVER without my whole fam damily and I was a little sad, BUT it turned out to be the best Independance Day EVER. No offense fam.
At this little celebration there were so many white people I thought I might wet my pants. And it was funny too cause everyone there was saying the same thing. Haha, people were whispering to their friends, "I don't remember ever seeing so many mzungus...this is so weird." And it was crazy to hear them speak english constantly in an American accent and everything. It was super weird. But we had a BARBECUE with HOT DOGS. I don't really love hot dogs all that much but it was so good. They had hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers, grilled chicken (oh. my. gosh. so. freakin. good.), potato salad, coleslaw, ketchup and MUSTARD. Do you KNOW how long its been since I've seen mustard? Yeah. Awesome. Then sprite and fanta and coke and all of the goodness. Later they even had a HUGE AMERICAN FLAG CAKE! I've never been so patriotic! But seriously. I almost cried during the star-spangled banner. And the marines were there. And ....it was just awesome. I love America.
So we had some performances from some awesome dance groups ...traditional African dancing. It was funny though cause I felt like I was in happy valley at a ward thing in which we hired a group of African people who are randomly in Utah to come and perform for us. But then there was a lot of alcohol and I knew I wasn't in Happy Valley at a ward event anymore haha. So...like everyone there got totally wasted, except for us of course. And the funny thing is that ...okay so we started dancing cause they started to play real good music. Like Lady Gaga and stuff. It was so fun. And about Twenty-something of us were going crazy! And some guy from BYU who is working at the embassy was there...but he didnt' know we were from BYU yet. He saw us and thought we were totally wasted and some guy next to him was laughing so hard at how much alcohol he thought we had in us. Then he saw Jake's shirt that was a BYU shirt and came up to us and thought it was so funny. And what makes it even funnier is that it was like a normal BYU dance...like just a crazy one at the Riv or something and there's never any alcohol. I love BYU. I love Mormons.
Speaking of Mormons, WILSON CAME TO CHURCH YESTERDAY!!!!!! He loved it and is going again! We gave him a Book of Mormon today and he's really excited! What a sweetheart! I'm really excited!
Well, I think that's enough for today and remind me to write more! Is anyone even reading this anymore besides my family and Bonnie Claire? Are they the only ones who still love me? I feel like a missionary who has been out for six months and everyone starts forgetting about him/her. Yeeeeep. I still got a while to go and want to hear from ya'll! I love you all.
Love, Dani
Last Wednesday we ....Becca doesn't remember either.
Uh..........Oh yeah! We did two home visits. They were pretty cool, nothing super exciting though. We got to hold the most adorable baby ever.
Thursday we ...I seriously cannot freakin remember!
Okay so FRIDAY I do remember that we ate at Wilson's house AGAIN. His family is so sweet! Oli malungi nyo! And ...I promise we've been working hard and doing stuff although it doesn't sound like it.
OKAY OKAY OKAY! I remember awesome stuff to talk about. So SATURDAY was one of my very favorite days in all of my days here in Uganda so far! In the morning we went to a market in Kampala called Owino Market. It is INSANE. Okay so this thing has got to be at the very least, two or three acres. It is amazing. And I have never seen anything like it before. It is all these shops, but they are tiny, like maybe 5 feet by five feet and they are packed with stuff. And they have stuff hanging all the way till like 15 feet up. I have no idea how in the heck they do it. But then they are so packed in there that you can't even see the sky. There is everything from watches and jewelry and shoes and clothes to g-nuts and flour and matoke to witch doctor medicines and jars and bottles and weird things. It's like an African Wal-mart. Except the aisles are like 2.5 feet wide and there are about 10 people with in arm's reach. It is crazy. I can't even explain it. And I SO wanted to take a picture but was terrified of getting my camera stolen...so decided against it.
After going to this market and getting about 15 marriage proposals, we went to the ARA, the American Recreational Association or something like that. HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! This was my first 4th of July EVER without my whole fam damily and I was a little sad, BUT it turned out to be the best Independance Day EVER. No offense fam.
At this little celebration there were so many white people I thought I might wet my pants. And it was funny too cause everyone there was saying the same thing. Haha, people were whispering to their friends, "I don't remember ever seeing so many mzungus...this is so weird." And it was crazy to hear them speak english constantly in an American accent and everything. It was super weird. But we had a BARBECUE with HOT DOGS. I don't really love hot dogs all that much but it was so good. They had hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers, grilled chicken (oh. my. gosh. so. freakin. good.), potato salad, coleslaw, ketchup and MUSTARD. Do you KNOW how long its been since I've seen mustard? Yeah. Awesome. Then sprite and fanta and coke and all of the goodness. Later they even had a HUGE AMERICAN FLAG CAKE! I've never been so patriotic! But seriously. I almost cried during the star-spangled banner. And the marines were there. And ....it was just awesome. I love America.
So we had some performances from some awesome dance groups ...traditional African dancing. It was funny though cause I felt like I was in happy valley at a ward thing in which we hired a group of African people who are randomly in Utah to come and perform for us. But then there was a lot of alcohol and I knew I wasn't in Happy Valley at a ward event anymore haha. So...like everyone there got totally wasted, except for us of course. And the funny thing is that ...okay so we started dancing cause they started to play real good music. Like Lady Gaga and stuff. It was so fun. And about Twenty-something of us were going crazy! And some guy from BYU who is working at the embassy was there...but he didnt' know we were from BYU yet. He saw us and thought we were totally wasted and some guy next to him was laughing so hard at how much alcohol he thought we had in us. Then he saw Jake's shirt that was a BYU shirt and came up to us and thought it was so funny. And what makes it even funnier is that it was like a normal BYU dance...like just a crazy one at the Riv or something and there's never any alcohol. I love BYU. I love Mormons.
Speaking of Mormons, WILSON CAME TO CHURCH YESTERDAY!!!!!! He loved it and is going again! We gave him a Book of Mormon today and he's really excited! What a sweetheart! I'm really excited!
Well, I think that's enough for today and remind me to write more! Is anyone even reading this anymore besides my family and Bonnie Claire? Are they the only ones who still love me? I feel like a missionary who has been out for six months and everyone starts forgetting about him/her. Yeeeeep. I still got a while to go and want to hear from ya'll! I love you all.
Love, Dani
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Amazalibwa Amalungi
Happy Birthday Wilson Levi Laker!
Yesterday was awesome! I am so happy to be back in Lugazi!
In the morning, I worked on the extravaganza with Becca and Youth Outreach.
In the afternoon, I did teacher training and music lessons.
And in the evening, I partied it up with HELP-International and my favorite Youth Outreach boys. It was Wilsey-Poo's 21st birthday and we told him we were having a party (they almost NEVER celebrate birthdays here). He invited us to his house and it was so much fun! His family had been cooking for hours and fed us this beautiful and delicious African meal. Wils did try to force-feed all of us, but it was really good! Becca got him a cake and a picture framed of all of us. He was so happy...what a sweetie. He was crying almost the entire night just cause he was so happy! He had to keep on leaving the room. The hardest part about leaving the beautiful land of Uganda for me will be to leave my youth outreach friends, Mary, and David. I don't even know if I will be able to say goodbye. It will be too hard. I don't know when I will see these people next. I'm also going to have a horrid time trying to say goodbye to the Mukono branch. What amazing people they have here in East Africa.
Summing it all up...yesterday was a good day and I love Uganda.
Yesterday was awesome! I am so happy to be back in Lugazi!
In the morning, I worked on the extravaganza with Becca and Youth Outreach.
In the afternoon, I did teacher training and music lessons.
And in the evening, I partied it up with HELP-International and my favorite Youth Outreach boys. It was Wilsey-Poo's 21st birthday and we told him we were having a party (they almost NEVER celebrate birthdays here). He invited us to his house and it was so much fun! His family had been cooking for hours and fed us this beautiful and delicious African meal. Wils did try to force-feed all of us, but it was really good! Becca got him a cake and a picture framed of all of us. He was so happy...what a sweetie. He was crying almost the entire night just cause he was so happy! He had to keep on leaving the room. The hardest part about leaving the beautiful land of Uganda for me will be to leave my youth outreach friends, Mary, and David. I don't even know if I will be able to say goodbye. It will be too hard. I don't know when I will see these people next. I'm also going to have a horrid time trying to say goodbye to the Mukono branch. What amazing people they have here in East Africa.
Summing it all up...yesterday was a good day and I love Uganda.
Rwanda Rwanda
Wow! I can’t believe a whole week went by! Time is going faster and faster and I am over half-way till I come home now! I have so much to say and if this keyboard wasn’t ridiculously messed, then it would be quite a bit easier.
So, the highlight of last week was definitely Thursday! We were at the youth outreach office and they wanted to go do a home visit. Honestly, I was not very excited…at all. I was not feeling well and I still needed to pack for Rwanda and do ten million other things. But I went. We hop on boda’s, me, Becca, Wilson, and Godfrey and head up. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. It’s about a 20 minute boda ride from Lugazi and in one of the rural areas of Mukono District. We got up to this adobe-mud house thing. It was about 10 feet by 10 feet and there’s a whole family that lives there. This lady is a widow, taking care of her whole family. We met her entire family, none of them speaking English, and brought them food and some things like soap and hygiene kits. We even brought some toys for the little kids. They were so grateful. Like on their hands and knees. It amazed me. We spent maybe like $10.00 on this family and they were down on the ground giving thanks. It’s kind of a wonderful feeling and a horrible feeling at the same time. I am so happy to help them, but I did hardly anything, you know? And I just wish I could give them everything I have. Everything they need. I am so blessed. I just bawled the entire time I was there. Wilson offered a prayer and we all held hands. Two little white girls and a bunch of Africans, all holding hands and thanking God. Asking Him to help this incredible family. The spirit was so strong.
Friday was a very very VERY long day. Up at six in the morning. Straight on our way to Kampala. Becca was so kind to go with me and spend half the day in THE SURGERY.
We did a blood count there and a thyroid test. The thyroid test came out totally fine. The blood count was weird. He said there was something weird about it. He said it is most likely just a virus and I need to just wait it out. I’ve just never had a virus last for a month before…oh well.
After the doctors, Becca and I went to the mall. And guess what we did? You will never guess. I promise. We got pedicures. And went to the Hannah Montana Movie!!!!!!! Oh how I love that movie. There’s not much to do in Kampala besides Americanized stuff or getting attacked by a random man who wants to marry you. We chose the Americanized stuff. We ate good food. Later on saw ANOTHER movie…Transformers II. Sick. I hate that movie so much. I hated the first one and in this one when Shia goes to robot heaven…I was done. But we had to wait for the bus to Rwanda which left at 1am. So we went and got no the bus to go to Rwanda. It was…horrid. I don’t think I slept at all. Maybe like an hour total. The road is so freakin bumpy. I thought the bus was going to tip over like last year. SCARY.
We got there and there was NO WHERE to get money…because…surprise! It was the national holiday of cleaning that they have EVERY last Saturday of the month. And EVERYTHING was closed. Eventually we worked it out, got to our hotel, and got settled in. We met up with the branch president, Eric Hyde at this mall place. He was super nice and took us to the Genocide museum. He’s done investigations on the genocide for over 2 years now and knows TONS about it. It was a beautiful memorial and I learned a lot. It’s so tragic what had to happen, but Rwanda has recovered and is an even greater country now.
Let me tell you a bit about Rwanda. It is SPOTLESS. I had kind of forgotten that paved roads and streetlights existed. But it is beautiful and clean..not an ounce of garbage on the road. The only thing that sucks is that maybe like 2 people speak English in the whole freaking country, but we worked it out! No big deal!
Sunday we went to church at the branch president’s house. I’ve never done that at a house before so it was pretty cool. Awesome branch. Then Sunday I met up with some friends of the family (mom! I met noella and her husband casimir! You’ll have to tell Gertrude so I can show her pics when I get home! They were so nice and bought me a soda and stuff! Soooo nice!). Dinner, then to the BP’s house again to watch the football (soccer) match….in which our poor team sucked the second half.
It was a good vacation and I’m glad I went. I am exhausted because I hardly slept, but it really was a good experience.
I still have tons to say, but I have to go…so…I’ll write more often now hopefully! Love you all!! Thank yu so much for your prayers and support, really. I am so blessed, especially with friends and family. And I am so grateful!
**BONNIE. SAVE $30 DOLLARS FOR WHEN I GET HOME. YOU ARE COMING WITH ME TO DO A PEDICURE. Just so you know. I think it’s only 20 but I’m not one hundred percent sure on that. I don’t know why I just typed out one hundred percent an didn’t just do 100% but I did. So…yeah. Save it girl.
**JESSI. I love you. Could you please do the newsletter? I got your e-mail and loved it and will write when I have more time!
So, the highlight of last week was definitely Thursday! We were at the youth outreach office and they wanted to go do a home visit. Honestly, I was not very excited…at all. I was not feeling well and I still needed to pack for Rwanda and do ten million other things. But I went. We hop on boda’s, me, Becca, Wilson, and Godfrey and head up. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. It’s about a 20 minute boda ride from Lugazi and in one of the rural areas of Mukono District. We got up to this adobe-mud house thing. It was about 10 feet by 10 feet and there’s a whole family that lives there. This lady is a widow, taking care of her whole family. We met her entire family, none of them speaking English, and brought them food and some things like soap and hygiene kits. We even brought some toys for the little kids. They were so grateful. Like on their hands and knees. It amazed me. We spent maybe like $10.00 on this family and they were down on the ground giving thanks. It’s kind of a wonderful feeling and a horrible feeling at the same time. I am so happy to help them, but I did hardly anything, you know? And I just wish I could give them everything I have. Everything they need. I am so blessed. I just bawled the entire time I was there. Wilson offered a prayer and we all held hands. Two little white girls and a bunch of Africans, all holding hands and thanking God. Asking Him to help this incredible family. The spirit was so strong.
Friday was a very very VERY long day. Up at six in the morning. Straight on our way to Kampala. Becca was so kind to go with me and spend half the day in THE SURGERY.
We did a blood count there and a thyroid test. The thyroid test came out totally fine. The blood count was weird. He said there was something weird about it. He said it is most likely just a virus and I need to just wait it out. I’ve just never had a virus last for a month before…oh well.
After the doctors, Becca and I went to the mall. And guess what we did? You will never guess. I promise. We got pedicures. And went to the Hannah Montana Movie!!!!!!! Oh how I love that movie. There’s not much to do in Kampala besides Americanized stuff or getting attacked by a random man who wants to marry you. We chose the Americanized stuff. We ate good food. Later on saw ANOTHER movie…Transformers II. Sick. I hate that movie so much. I hated the first one and in this one when Shia goes to robot heaven…I was done. But we had to wait for the bus to Rwanda which left at 1am. So we went and got no the bus to go to Rwanda. It was…horrid. I don’t think I slept at all. Maybe like an hour total. The road is so freakin bumpy. I thought the bus was going to tip over like last year. SCARY.
We got there and there was NO WHERE to get money…because…surprise! It was the national holiday of cleaning that they have EVERY last Saturday of the month. And EVERYTHING was closed. Eventually we worked it out, got to our hotel, and got settled in. We met up with the branch president, Eric Hyde at this mall place. He was super nice and took us to the Genocide museum. He’s done investigations on the genocide for over 2 years now and knows TONS about it. It was a beautiful memorial and I learned a lot. It’s so tragic what had to happen, but Rwanda has recovered and is an even greater country now.
Let me tell you a bit about Rwanda. It is SPOTLESS. I had kind of forgotten that paved roads and streetlights existed. But it is beautiful and clean..not an ounce of garbage on the road. The only thing that sucks is that maybe like 2 people speak English in the whole freaking country, but we worked it out! No big deal!
Sunday we went to church at the branch president’s house. I’ve never done that at a house before so it was pretty cool. Awesome branch. Then Sunday I met up with some friends of the family (mom! I met noella and her husband casimir! You’ll have to tell Gertrude so I can show her pics when I get home! They were so nice and bought me a soda and stuff! Soooo nice!). Dinner, then to the BP’s house again to watch the football (soccer) match….in which our poor team sucked the second half.
It was a good vacation and I’m glad I went. I am exhausted because I hardly slept, but it really was a good experience.
I still have tons to say, but I have to go…so…I’ll write more often now hopefully! Love you all!! Thank yu so much for your prayers and support, really. I am so blessed, especially with friends and family. And I am so grateful!
**BONNIE. SAVE $30 DOLLARS FOR WHEN I GET HOME. YOU ARE COMING WITH ME TO DO A PEDICURE. Just so you know. I think it’s only 20 but I’m not one hundred percent sure on that. I don’t know why I just typed out one hundred percent an didn’t just do 100% but I did. So…yeah. Save it girl.
**JESSI. I love you. Could you please do the newsletter? I got your e-mail and loved it and will write when I have more time!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
The World Keeps Spinnin
So I left off yesterday in between my doctors appointments.
I got back to the doctors office and the hillarious british doctor, Dr. Stockley (who in fact has met the Queen of England and is like a Knight or something like that--freakin awesome), comes out. I am in the waiting room with like 10 other people and with a moderately loud voice says, "did you produce a sample?" Everyone turns and looks at me and I BURST out laughing. I am so immature. And Dr. Stockley just looks at me with a straight face..waiting for my answer. After about 15 seconds, I pull myself under control and muster out, "yeah, it's down in the lab."
The blood test, the...other test show nothing. We are in Dr. STockleys office now and he is just thinking ...he was so awesome. The best doctor I've ever had. He is looking over the symptoms. Over and over and over. He has this cup of water he's sipping out of occasionally. Then goes back to thinking. Thinking. He pops up his head, picks up his drinking cup, throws the water out the window over his left shoulder, puts the cup in my face and says, "give me a urine sample." Um....okay....
Nothing shows up from that. I'm even really hydrated, and the apprentice girl says she's proud of me for drinking so much water.
Eventually he decides he wants me to come in for more testing on Friday. He says, "It could be something like the beginnings of a horrible case of TB or it could be something to do with thyroid, come back on Friday." Yeah that was comforting. Haha.
But he was so awesome. THE best doctor I have ever seen. And if you know me, you know I've seen a lot of doctors in my life. He wants me to take my temp 4 times a day...and then we'll see on Friday.
Well, other than that, nothing exciting. I'll be heading to RWANDA on Friday which will be SUPA cool! I can't wait. I've bought a bus ticket and will be getting my hotel booked tonight.
I was just on facebook for a few minutes looking at what all my friends are up to and realized that I don't really want to go home. The only reason I want to go home is because I miss a few choice people. But other than that....there's no reason to. I forget how boring Utah is in comparison to my life here. Melissa and I were talking about ityesterday and there is NEVER a dull day here. Every day is weird.
I love it!
P.s. Melissa was SO awesome to come with me and be such a good friend while I was there. She is so so so cool.
I got back to the doctors office and the hillarious british doctor, Dr. Stockley (who in fact has met the Queen of England and is like a Knight or something like that--freakin awesome), comes out. I am in the waiting room with like 10 other people and with a moderately loud voice says, "did you produce a sample?" Everyone turns and looks at me and I BURST out laughing. I am so immature. And Dr. Stockley just looks at me with a straight face..waiting for my answer. After about 15 seconds, I pull myself under control and muster out, "yeah, it's down in the lab."
The blood test, the...other test show nothing. We are in Dr. STockleys office now and he is just thinking ...he was so awesome. The best doctor I've ever had. He is looking over the symptoms. Over and over and over. He has this cup of water he's sipping out of occasionally. Then goes back to thinking. Thinking. He pops up his head, picks up his drinking cup, throws the water out the window over his left shoulder, puts the cup in my face and says, "give me a urine sample." Um....okay....
Nothing shows up from that. I'm even really hydrated, and the apprentice girl says she's proud of me for drinking so much water.
Eventually he decides he wants me to come in for more testing on Friday. He says, "It could be something like the beginnings of a horrible case of TB or it could be something to do with thyroid, come back on Friday." Yeah that was comforting. Haha.
But he was so awesome. THE best doctor I have ever seen. And if you know me, you know I've seen a lot of doctors in my life. He wants me to take my temp 4 times a day...and then we'll see on Friday.
Well, other than that, nothing exciting. I'll be heading to RWANDA on Friday which will be SUPA cool! I can't wait. I've bought a bus ticket and will be getting my hotel booked tonight.
I was just on facebook for a few minutes looking at what all my friends are up to and realized that I don't really want to go home. The only reason I want to go home is because I miss a few choice people. But other than that....there's no reason to. I forget how boring Utah is in comparison to my life here. Melissa and I were talking about ityesterday and there is NEVER a dull day here. Every day is weird.
I love it!
P.s. Melissa was SO awesome to come with me and be such a good friend while I was there. She is so so so cool.
The Surgery
Warning: This blog will be very detailed dealing with my insides. I apologize in advance. Okay it's not really that bad, I just wanted to say that.
So....I swear I start every sentence off with so. Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo I still am not feeling well and I went to Nyombi (the doctor in Lugazi) who said I do not have malaria anymore...hm.... But I still have many similar symptoms. I am so freakin tired every day and have these mini cough attacks like 3 or 4 times a day that last for an hour (or sometimes in the middle of the night). I also get really bad headaches and some dizziness. My parents suggested to just go get it checked out because it's better to know than to risk it here in lovely East Africa.
There's this western medicine-practicing clinic in the middle of Kampala called THE SURGERY that Jake went to and said they were legit and they saved him from his parasite. Okay, THE SURGERY? Who want's to go to a clinic called the surgery? Well, I do okay? Melissa was sweet enough to take off a whole day to go with me to Kampala to get checked.
This clinic is hillarious! I was working with a British doctor and he kept saying the funniest things with his silly british accent. He wanted me to do a stool sample and he reaches into this huge drawer and it's empty. He was like, "well show's how much crap we look at. We're up to our ears in **** every day!" Then I really really tried to give him a sample and failed horribly. So I come out and was like, "hey, I can't give you any......poo right now. What do you want me to do?" "Well, come in the other room, we'll take your thumbs and wrap 'em with piano wire and hang you from the ceiling." Then this other creepy mzungu girl from the waiting room was like "AND WE'LL BEAT YA WITH A BROOMSTICK! AAAAHAHHA" With this freaky smile.
It was quite the experience.
So here I am.
In Kampala.
At Garden City Mall.
Waiting to produce a sample.
I'll let you know how it goes.
I just want to feel like myself again! I didn't come to Africa to lay in bed all day and feel sorry for myself.
So....I swear I start every sentence off with so. Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo I still am not feeling well and I went to Nyombi (the doctor in Lugazi) who said I do not have malaria anymore...hm.... But I still have many similar symptoms. I am so freakin tired every day and have these mini cough attacks like 3 or 4 times a day that last for an hour (or sometimes in the middle of the night). I also get really bad headaches and some dizziness. My parents suggested to just go get it checked out because it's better to know than to risk it here in lovely East Africa.
There's this western medicine-practicing clinic in the middle of Kampala called THE SURGERY that Jake went to and said they were legit and they saved him from his parasite. Okay, THE SURGERY? Who want's to go to a clinic called the surgery? Well, I do okay? Melissa was sweet enough to take off a whole day to go with me to Kampala to get checked.
This clinic is hillarious! I was working with a British doctor and he kept saying the funniest things with his silly british accent. He wanted me to do a stool sample and he reaches into this huge drawer and it's empty. He was like, "well show's how much crap we look at. We're up to our ears in **** every day!" Then I really really tried to give him a sample and failed horribly. So I come out and was like, "hey, I can't give you any......poo right now. What do you want me to do?" "Well, come in the other room, we'll take your thumbs and wrap 'em with piano wire and hang you from the ceiling." Then this other creepy mzungu girl from the waiting room was like "AND WE'LL BEAT YA WITH A BROOMSTICK! AAAAHAHHA" With this freaky smile.
It was quite the experience.
So here I am.
In Kampala.
At Garden City Mall.
Waiting to produce a sample.
I'll let you know how it goes.
I just want to feel like myself again! I didn't come to Africa to lay in bed all day and feel sorry for myself.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Kitisa
Some things scare me here. I learned the word Kitisa today which means, "scary,"and is pronounced chee-tea-suh. This week has been awesome and horrid at the same time. So much homesickness, but so much feeling at home too...it's so hard to explain. This week was busy with teacher trainings and getting ready for a music fireside for all of the young adults in the district. Two of the schools I visited for the first time were AWESOME. St. Johns and Vincentalex...both boarding schools for primary age kids. The vincentalex one had all of the 700 students come out and greet us and we got to dance with them and of course they laughed at us. It was so fun and amazing!
Then yesterday AND today I was in Jinja. Yesterday I just went with the doc crew who are out here with Jackie and her sister and the "goals for girls" thing...we went to jinja to do shopping and I am officially the best bargain shopper. Seriously. There are two store owners who I love and who are the best to bargain with. David and Faith. I took Dani, Kara, and Nick (doc crew from BYU--they are so freakin awesome) to David's store. It was so funny. He kept trying to whisper prices to them and then I was like "No, come on David, I need to help these mzungus out!" and David kept telling me, "I know you are too good at bargaining!" It was so funny. In America, I LOATHE shopping. I hate the mall and "what, what" (that's what the africans would say instead of whatever), but HERE I LOOOOOOOOOVE IT! It is so fun to bargain...especially if you're good at it :) Dani and Nick and Abby kept having me bargain for them. It was so much freakin fun.
This morning, me, Abs and Leslie headed down to the Youth Outreach office to meet up with Luta and Wilson. They took us golfing on the Lugazi Metha Golf course. It's owned by the man who owns all of the sugar cane fields around here and many other industries in East Africa..an Indian Man. Let me tell you...he is LOADED. His house is on the golf course and his manager guy and the lady (Auntie Betty) told us we can golf there for free whenever and that we are welcome to stay in the guest house if we ever come back to Uganda. Dude. The 4 Million shillings it takes to get here would be worth it to stay in that guest house. Maybe my standards have gone down a little...but it is freakin awesome. Anyways, I didn't suck at golf ...not too bad. I actually was kinda good for my first time. Luta is amazing and gave me lessons. He's great.
Then we took Wilson and Luta to Jinja with us to go swimming at the Jinja Nile Resort (beautiful hotel). It was so funny cause they told us they swim and that the are not afraid of water...so....when Wilson jumped into the deep end, I wasn't too worried....until his eyes got really big and he started going to the bottom and didn't come up till a long time. So I did my best to rescue him. Then we gave him and Luta swimming lessons. We taught them the doggy-paddle and Luta kept on splashing ALL of the guests there...they were not very happy, but it was so funny. We taught them how to float and flip in the shallow end. So funny. I've never seen 20 year old men struggle with swimming so much.
After swimming, I brought stuff so I could shower in their showers there. Oh. My. Heaven. Above. This is the first shower I have taken since I have been here. I am tearing up just thinking about it. Not joking. FIRST SHOWER IN 6 WEEKS. I have always had to shower by pumping freezing water out of a well and trying to pour it on me. This was a HOT shower that came from a freakin showerhead. I got in and started to tear up. I'm not joking guys, this was amazing. Once the 5 minutes of bliss was over and I toweled off and started to get dressed, I realized that my hair still smells like the gross water, and my clothes are the same clothes I have worn for the past three days (new underwear...don't worry).....and I still smelled like sweat and nastiness....no matter how long I were to scrub, and my feet were still orange from dirt, and there was dirt under my nails, in my ears that might never go away.........then the magic was gone.
On the way home (keep in mind my friends this was like 20 minutes ago), I was crushed into this huge ugandan woman who spoke awesome english and barely had an accent. About halfway through the drive we dropped her off and apparently she is a famous Ugandan singer. She has an entire radio station dedicated to her and stuff. Her name is Sylvia. Isn't that AWESOME? Yeah.
I am feeling better by the way. I just am still really tired and I have a cough...but that's it. I'm just homesick. That's something that isn't cured with medicine. Don't get me wrong, I am SO glad that I am here. I love this place. And sometimes when I am here surrounded by friends and my temporary "family," I have this incredible feeling that I have only felt a few times in my life...a feeling like I'm home. And I have learned so much here. Last night talking to my mom I told her, the money we paid just for my flight would not even be enough money to pay for one of the great thigns I've learned here...does that make sense? I told her that if I have to, I will earn every dime for Gabi and Jess to have an experience like this. It has changed my life. And I still have a long time to go and even more to learn.
I have been taught the importance of family. Everyone is shocked here to know that I left my family to come. And seeing the sadness of people when they lose a family member and do not have the knowledge of eternal families...it breaks my heart. I am so blessed with my family and my incredible parents and with the knowledge of the gospel....wow. I can't even tell you how amazing it is that we have that so easy.
And there are so many things that I take for granted that I will never take for granted ever again. We are so blessed. How can people sit in their happy little houses in Happy Valley Utah and watch Happy TV and drive in their Happy cars and buy a happy little candy bar whenever they want ...and still not do anyone for anyone else. I am constantly explaining to people here why I came, like today to a very very very educated man, David, on the taxi. They don't understand why I would give up so much money and time to come here. First of all, I tell them we are all Gods children. It doesn't matter, David, that you are black and I am white. It doesn't make you better than me. It doesn't make me better than you. God loves us all the exact same. I was blessed with a nice home and a family and parents who work hard for my benefit. I may not be a super rich American like everyone thinks I am, but I am blessed and I want to give the rest of God's children all I have and do everything I can to make their life better. If I can assist in making their life better, maybe they will go out and help someone else in need. It creates a circle. Second of all, my dear David friend, I didn't come here to just do a whole bunch of stuff that I think will benefit Uganda greatly and make me awesome because I'm such a giving person. No no no no, Neda neda neda neda. I have gotten more than I have given here. I have gotten so much more. Then david asks me, "How can we do anything for you americans? You have everything." This is the exact convo today. And then I explain to him the beauty of their culture and daily life that has affected me so much. Okay I have to go cause I have like 50 seconds left. Peace homies.
P.s. Celine Dion is super famous here. It is so funny to hear her playing everywhere
p.p.s. HAPPY FATHERS DAY DADDY!!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!
Then yesterday AND today I was in Jinja. Yesterday I just went with the doc crew who are out here with Jackie and her sister and the "goals for girls" thing...we went to jinja to do shopping and I am officially the best bargain shopper. Seriously. There are two store owners who I love and who are the best to bargain with. David and Faith. I took Dani, Kara, and Nick (doc crew from BYU--they are so freakin awesome) to David's store. It was so funny. He kept trying to whisper prices to them and then I was like "No, come on David, I need to help these mzungus out!" and David kept telling me, "I know you are too good at bargaining!" It was so funny. In America, I LOATHE shopping. I hate the mall and "what, what" (that's what the africans would say instead of whatever), but HERE I LOOOOOOOOOVE IT! It is so fun to bargain...especially if you're good at it :) Dani and Nick and Abby kept having me bargain for them. It was so much freakin fun.
This morning, me, Abs and Leslie headed down to the Youth Outreach office to meet up with Luta and Wilson. They took us golfing on the Lugazi Metha Golf course. It's owned by the man who owns all of the sugar cane fields around here and many other industries in East Africa..an Indian Man. Let me tell you...he is LOADED. His house is on the golf course and his manager guy and the lady (Auntie Betty) told us we can golf there for free whenever and that we are welcome to stay in the guest house if we ever come back to Uganda. Dude. The 4 Million shillings it takes to get here would be worth it to stay in that guest house. Maybe my standards have gone down a little...but it is freakin awesome. Anyways, I didn't suck at golf ...not too bad. I actually was kinda good for my first time. Luta is amazing and gave me lessons. He's great.
Then we took Wilson and Luta to Jinja with us to go swimming at the Jinja Nile Resort (beautiful hotel). It was so funny cause they told us they swim and that the are not afraid of water...so....when Wilson jumped into the deep end, I wasn't too worried....until his eyes got really big and he started going to the bottom and didn't come up till a long time. So I did my best to rescue him. Then we gave him and Luta swimming lessons. We taught them the doggy-paddle and Luta kept on splashing ALL of the guests there...they were not very happy, but it was so funny. We taught them how to float and flip in the shallow end. So funny. I've never seen 20 year old men struggle with swimming so much.
After swimming, I brought stuff so I could shower in their showers there. Oh. My. Heaven. Above. This is the first shower I have taken since I have been here. I am tearing up just thinking about it. Not joking. FIRST SHOWER IN 6 WEEKS. I have always had to shower by pumping freezing water out of a well and trying to pour it on me. This was a HOT shower that came from a freakin showerhead. I got in and started to tear up. I'm not joking guys, this was amazing. Once the 5 minutes of bliss was over and I toweled off and started to get dressed, I realized that my hair still smells like the gross water, and my clothes are the same clothes I have worn for the past three days (new underwear...don't worry).....and I still smelled like sweat and nastiness....no matter how long I were to scrub, and my feet were still orange from dirt, and there was dirt under my nails, in my ears that might never go away.........then the magic was gone.
On the way home (keep in mind my friends this was like 20 minutes ago), I was crushed into this huge ugandan woman who spoke awesome english and barely had an accent. About halfway through the drive we dropped her off and apparently she is a famous Ugandan singer. She has an entire radio station dedicated to her and stuff. Her name is Sylvia. Isn't that AWESOME? Yeah.
I am feeling better by the way. I just am still really tired and I have a cough...but that's it. I'm just homesick. That's something that isn't cured with medicine. Don't get me wrong, I am SO glad that I am here. I love this place. And sometimes when I am here surrounded by friends and my temporary "family," I have this incredible feeling that I have only felt a few times in my life...a feeling like I'm home. And I have learned so much here. Last night talking to my mom I told her, the money we paid just for my flight would not even be enough money to pay for one of the great thigns I've learned here...does that make sense? I told her that if I have to, I will earn every dime for Gabi and Jess to have an experience like this. It has changed my life. And I still have a long time to go and even more to learn.
I have been taught the importance of family. Everyone is shocked here to know that I left my family to come. And seeing the sadness of people when they lose a family member and do not have the knowledge of eternal families...it breaks my heart. I am so blessed with my family and my incredible parents and with the knowledge of the gospel....wow. I can't even tell you how amazing it is that we have that so easy.
And there are so many things that I take for granted that I will never take for granted ever again. We are so blessed. How can people sit in their happy little houses in Happy Valley Utah and watch Happy TV and drive in their Happy cars and buy a happy little candy bar whenever they want ...and still not do anyone for anyone else. I am constantly explaining to people here why I came, like today to a very very very educated man, David, on the taxi. They don't understand why I would give up so much money and time to come here. First of all, I tell them we are all Gods children. It doesn't matter, David, that you are black and I am white. It doesn't make you better than me. It doesn't make me better than you. God loves us all the exact same. I was blessed with a nice home and a family and parents who work hard for my benefit. I may not be a super rich American like everyone thinks I am, but I am blessed and I want to give the rest of God's children all I have and do everything I can to make their life better. If I can assist in making their life better, maybe they will go out and help someone else in need. It creates a circle. Second of all, my dear David friend, I didn't come here to just do a whole bunch of stuff that I think will benefit Uganda greatly and make me awesome because I'm such a giving person. No no no no, Neda neda neda neda. I have gotten more than I have given here. I have gotten so much more. Then david asks me, "How can we do anything for you americans? You have everything." This is the exact convo today. And then I explain to him the beauty of their culture and daily life that has affected me so much. Okay I have to go cause I have like 50 seconds left. Peace homies.
P.s. Celine Dion is super famous here. It is so funny to hear her playing everywhere
p.p.s. HAPPY FATHERS DAY DADDY!!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Signs and Symptoms
Another blood test at Dr. Nyombi's yesterday confirmed I have malaria. SERIOUSLY. Yeah it's so weird. But I'm okay. I am just exhausted.
I FORGOT TO TELL SOMETHING AWESOME ABOUT LAST WEEK...and kinda sick. So Ryan had this like mosquito bite looking thing on his arm but it started hurting, so he started to pop it like a zit and guess what came out (after some pain and quite a few minutes of squeezing)? A WORM. I know. That's when I was like...oh my gosh. I'm in africa. This is real. Hahahha. But he's totally fine. I just heard that we all have to take "de-worming medicine" when we get home just to make SURE we don't have worms. SICK. The worm was so gross. I saw it. He put it on a napkin and I saw it. Legit. Sick.
Also, today I saw a chicken be killed. NOt only killed but violently killed. Kat and Drew bought some chickens to chop their heads off because it was their goal before they left Africa (they are leaving tonight). So they took each chicken and laid it on a brick (alive at this point), tied it around the neck so it wouldn't leave the brick, and...WHAM. Blood everywhere...but the chicken didn't move....for about 5 seconds...then it starts going CRAZY! Like all over the place, flapping its wings, squirting blood everywhere. Then it would almost die....freak out again....and evnentually die. That happened both times. Yum, huh? Yep. That was my morning.
I don't have anything else to say except thank you for your love and support and prayers. I know so many of you have been keeping me in your prayers all the time, and I can feel it. Thank you so much. I have never experienced this kind of homesickness...it's at a different depth than any homesickness I have ever felt, yet I am so happy that I'm here. Anyways, thank you! I have the best friends and family in the whole world...seriously! So many of the other volunteers here had to come without any familial support and very few friends support, but I am so blessed. I have loved ones who really love me and care about me and support me in every dream I have. So thank you SO MUCH. I love you all, really and truly!
Love, Dani Diz
Just a side-note...wow...that is the most random blog I think I have ever written. Goes from malaria to worms to blood squirting to prayers....best. blog. ever. hahahha.
I FORGOT TO TELL SOMETHING AWESOME ABOUT LAST WEEK...and kinda sick. So Ryan had this like mosquito bite looking thing on his arm but it started hurting, so he started to pop it like a zit and guess what came out (after some pain and quite a few minutes of squeezing)? A WORM. I know. That's when I was like...oh my gosh. I'm in africa. This is real. Hahahha. But he's totally fine. I just heard that we all have to take "de-worming medicine" when we get home just to make SURE we don't have worms. SICK. The worm was so gross. I saw it. He put it on a napkin and I saw it. Legit. Sick.
Also, today I saw a chicken be killed. NOt only killed but violently killed. Kat and Drew bought some chickens to chop their heads off because it was their goal before they left Africa (they are leaving tonight). So they took each chicken and laid it on a brick (alive at this point), tied it around the neck so it wouldn't leave the brick, and...WHAM. Blood everywhere...but the chicken didn't move....for about 5 seconds...then it starts going CRAZY! Like all over the place, flapping its wings, squirting blood everywhere. Then it would almost die....freak out again....and evnentually die. That happened both times. Yum, huh? Yep. That was my morning.
I don't have anything else to say except thank you for your love and support and prayers. I know so many of you have been keeping me in your prayers all the time, and I can feel it. Thank you so much. I have never experienced this kind of homesickness...it's at a different depth than any homesickness I have ever felt, yet I am so happy that I'm here. Anyways, thank you! I have the best friends and family in the whole world...seriously! So many of the other volunteers here had to come without any familial support and very few friends support, but I am so blessed. I have loved ones who really love me and care about me and support me in every dream I have. So thank you SO MUCH. I love you all, really and truly!
Love, Dani Diz
Just a side-note...wow...that is the most random blog I think I have ever written. Goes from malaria to worms to blood squirting to prayers....best. blog. ever. hahahha.
Monday, June 15, 2009
I have not been feeling very well again...but this time it's a sore throat, headache, head cold type thing. So around 7:20 this morning, I was dreaming about my mommy taking care of me because I was sick. Then I woke up to Jake screaming "YOU LAZY BUTTS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING STILL IN BED? GET ON DOWN THERE, YOU HAVE 10 MINUTES" And I wanted to cry. Haha....but really.
Last week, I just went to IOL training and prepared for teacher training. It wasn't SUPER exciting, but it was fun and very interesting. I absolutely love Lilian Odiero with my whole heart. She is incredible. Oh and okay this is freaking awesome. On...Wednesday I think, at training, I had to go to the bathroom in the middle of one of the lessons, so I snuck out. As I'm coming out of the bathroom (this is at the church building in Mukono), An elder (missionary) is coming out of the boys. I say, "hey elder," then keep walking. But my eye catches his nametag and it says...."ELDER ISRAELSEN: THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS"...There are not that many freakin israelsens around...well anywhere and IN THE MIDDLE OF EAST AFRICA! Wow. So I am like, "Uh...Elder Israelsen?" And he's like "Yeah???" And I point to my name tag and it says, "Dani Israelsen." He's like..."uh..." So it turns out he is my second cousin who dated my RS President from last year and (his) freshman year roomed with a bunch of my guy friends from high school in Heritage Halls. WEIRD. Oh and he goes home in 2 weeks. Paul, If you see this, welcome home haha. So randomly awesome!
4 new people came last week, Mandy & Taylor (married couple)and Catherine and Melissa. Awesome people! They're way fun! And some leave tomorrow....so we're just inm and out like crazy.
Saturday we went to Jinja to go swimming and that was sooooooooo wonderful. I just got to chill for a while. It was way nice. Then we went shopping and stuff. Awesome. I have way too many freaking souveniers so all you better be grateful when I get home :)
We also went on Friday night to Luta's comedy act in which he pulled Becca and I onto stage to dance in front of a whole bunch of Lugazians. Weird things always happen to me and becca. But it was super fun.
Then Sunday I sang in church, I know that my Redeemer Lives. I wish my sisters were there to sing with me :( But I LOVE the Mukono branch. Way cooler than the Jinja branch. My new favorite people are Christopher Mugimu, Daniel, Frank, Julius, and a guy named Ivan. A different Ivan. They rock.
Okay well I am done today.
PEACE HOMIES
Last week, I just went to IOL training and prepared for teacher training. It wasn't SUPER exciting, but it was fun and very interesting. I absolutely love Lilian Odiero with my whole heart. She is incredible. Oh and okay this is freaking awesome. On...Wednesday I think, at training, I had to go to the bathroom in the middle of one of the lessons, so I snuck out. As I'm coming out of the bathroom (this is at the church building in Mukono), An elder (missionary) is coming out of the boys. I say, "hey elder," then keep walking. But my eye catches his nametag and it says...."ELDER ISRAELSEN: THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS"...There are not that many freakin israelsens around...well anywhere and IN THE MIDDLE OF EAST AFRICA! Wow. So I am like, "Uh...Elder Israelsen?" And he's like "Yeah???" And I point to my name tag and it says, "Dani Israelsen." He's like..."uh..." So it turns out he is my second cousin who dated my RS President from last year and (his) freshman year roomed with a bunch of my guy friends from high school in Heritage Halls. WEIRD. Oh and he goes home in 2 weeks. Paul, If you see this, welcome home haha. So randomly awesome!
4 new people came last week, Mandy & Taylor (married couple)and Catherine and Melissa. Awesome people! They're way fun! And some leave tomorrow....so we're just inm and out like crazy.
Saturday we went to Jinja to go swimming and that was sooooooooo wonderful. I just got to chill for a while. It was way nice. Then we went shopping and stuff. Awesome. I have way too many freaking souveniers so all you better be grateful when I get home :)
We also went on Friday night to Luta's comedy act in which he pulled Becca and I onto stage to dance in front of a whole bunch of Lugazians. Weird things always happen to me and becca. But it was super fun.
Then Sunday I sang in church, I know that my Redeemer Lives. I wish my sisters were there to sing with me :( But I LOVE the Mukono branch. Way cooler than the Jinja branch. My new favorite people are Christopher Mugimu, Daniel, Frank, Julius, and a guy named Ivan. A different Ivan. They rock.
Okay well I am done today.
PEACE HOMIES
Monday, June 8, 2009
I Hope They Call Me On A Mission
Friday night. Ryan and I ride a boda all the way to Mukono. BAD IDEA. I rode it to Jinja and back once...and Mukono is closer so I figured I would be fine...but it was deathly. It should be a 45-60 minute ride and it took us about25 minutes. And I quote Ryan, "This is scarier than bungee jumping."
So we finally get there and we meet up with some ofthe elders! We went to some appointments with them, then went out to dinner. It was SO FUN! And I have officially decided I will be turning in my papers in May of2010. So everyone be ready! I'm going on splits with the sisters all day saturday so I can really see what mission life is like. It's so weird cause I never really thought about going on a full-time mission. But the last couple weeks it has been constantly on my mind. After praying about it, I've decided I am going. I could leave as early as August 23, 2010!!!!!! Yay!
So, I forgot to tell a story about last sunday and I told my sisters and they were peeing their pants (by the way jess and gab, I just barely bought you THE most awesome souvenier ever. Like you guys are gonna pee your pants. You'd better love me forever and buy me good american food when I come home). So I'm walking home from church last sunday (well from the bus) and I get up my street and see about 50 of the neighborhood children standing outside my gate with a pile 30 feet long of bricks on the road. What the heck, right? Yeah. So I get closer and notice that OUR GATE ...OUR BRICK AND CEMENT GATE...IS BROKEN.....30 FREAKIN FEET OF IT. Yeah. So I move through the red sea...black sea...of children and climb up the pile of bricks ot see Shaun and Brian just chillin reading a book. My eyes are as big as they ever have been and my mouth is dropped open..."Uhhhh????" "Oh, yeah our wall fell down," Shaun says. NO???!! DID IT??!!! "Uh....?????Yeah???" "Erosion. It fell because of erosion." EROSION? I think it is safe to say that is one of the weirdest things ever. It took about 6 days to build the wall back up but it is up now.
So TODAY I went to do immunizations in Jinja. It has been a crazy day. I am still here in Jinja. Oh! And we saw Jackie and the Timpview soccer team! Wahoo! But Anyways...so we walk into town in Lugazi to try and find a bus to Jinja right? And we get on this bus but it's taking for4ever so we decided to just try and find one on the road. So we're out there for about 5 minutes when these TWO taxi's show up. These guys are crazy. All of the sudden...
"MZUNGU WHA AW YOU GOING?"
"MZUNGU, HERE"
"MZUNGU, MZUNGU, MZUNGU."
They start grabbing and pulling and shoving. I start pushing back. Now these african men are pretty skinny and short, so I just push with all my strengh and about three fall over. I was getting so angry. They started pushing around Hilary and Leslie and by this time I am screaming.
"GET OFF ME! STOP TOUCHING ME!"
This goes on for about three minutes. Also during this time we are discussing a price. We are yelling, "ONE FIVE." Which means 1500 shillings, which is what the africans pay. The mzungu price is 2500. So one guy is saying "NO, YOU PAY TWO." And I am screaming "WE WILL ONLY PAY ONE FIVE WHEN YOU ARE SO RUDE!" And another guy tells us we will pay one-five, so we get in. As we start driving, the conductor and I are still arguing and I am so angry...Like...I have never cared so much about a quarter in my entire life. Finally he gives up and I am just fuming. I try listening to Taylor Swift and it does NOT help. Anyways, we worked out that we would pay 2 if they would take us to the church building where we needed to go. But that is like every day here. I was so mad haha.
Then at immunizations, we all got separated and I got lost in the middle of Jinja for a while, but finally found Andrew L. Then we watched a bunch of kids get their lives saved and helped give kids polio vaccines. It was actually really cool! And we listened to kids scream and parents say, "LOOK AT THAT BABY. THAT BABY IS NOT CRYING. WHY ARE YOU CRYING? ARE YOU A BABY?" "IT IS NOT GOING TO KILL YOU. STOP SCREAMING!" Hahaha. But their lives were saved. So I'm happy. I wish we could go throughout africa and do immunizations. So awesome that two little drops and one shot can save a child's life. Apparently Uganda was a polio-free country until very recently when they discovered a few cases on the border of sudan.
I am becoming SO awesome at bargaining. Like...my friends say they're really proud of me. I have bought basically all of my souveniers so that I can spend the rest on vacations and I did so well. I argue with every store owner and get the best prices. I rock. Haha. I just get super mad when they try and charge me the "mzungu price" and then I tell them what he african price is and they give it to me...after a little arguing. I hate shopping in the US. But shopping here ...is AWESOME.
ANd I'm really really so FREAKING excited to go on a mission.
So we finally get there and we meet up with some ofthe elders! We went to some appointments with them, then went out to dinner. It was SO FUN! And I have officially decided I will be turning in my papers in May of2010. So everyone be ready! I'm going on splits with the sisters all day saturday so I can really see what mission life is like. It's so weird cause I never really thought about going on a full-time mission. But the last couple weeks it has been constantly on my mind. After praying about it, I've decided I am going. I could leave as early as August 23, 2010!!!!!! Yay!
So, I forgot to tell a story about last sunday and I told my sisters and they were peeing their pants (by the way jess and gab, I just barely bought you THE most awesome souvenier ever. Like you guys are gonna pee your pants. You'd better love me forever and buy me good american food when I come home). So I'm walking home from church last sunday (well from the bus) and I get up my street and see about 50 of the neighborhood children standing outside my gate with a pile 30 feet long of bricks on the road. What the heck, right? Yeah. So I get closer and notice that OUR GATE ...OUR BRICK AND CEMENT GATE...IS BROKEN.....30 FREAKIN FEET OF IT. Yeah. So I move through the red sea...black sea...of children and climb up the pile of bricks ot see Shaun and Brian just chillin reading a book. My eyes are as big as they ever have been and my mouth is dropped open..."Uhhhh????" "Oh, yeah our wall fell down," Shaun says. NO???!! DID IT??!!! "Uh....?????Yeah???" "Erosion. It fell because of erosion." EROSION? I think it is safe to say that is one of the weirdest things ever. It took about 6 days to build the wall back up but it is up now.
So TODAY I went to do immunizations in Jinja. It has been a crazy day. I am still here in Jinja. Oh! And we saw Jackie and the Timpview soccer team! Wahoo! But Anyways...so we walk into town in Lugazi to try and find a bus to Jinja right? And we get on this bus but it's taking for4ever so we decided to just try and find one on the road. So we're out there for about 5 minutes when these TWO taxi's show up. These guys are crazy. All of the sudden...
"MZUNGU WHA AW YOU GOING?"
"MZUNGU, HERE"
"MZUNGU, MZUNGU, MZUNGU."
They start grabbing and pulling and shoving. I start pushing back. Now these african men are pretty skinny and short, so I just push with all my strengh and about three fall over. I was getting so angry. They started pushing around Hilary and Leslie and by this time I am screaming.
"GET OFF ME! STOP TOUCHING ME!"
This goes on for about three minutes. Also during this time we are discussing a price. We are yelling, "ONE FIVE." Which means 1500 shillings, which is what the africans pay. The mzungu price is 2500. So one guy is saying "NO, YOU PAY TWO." And I am screaming "WE WILL ONLY PAY ONE FIVE WHEN YOU ARE SO RUDE!" And another guy tells us we will pay one-five, so we get in. As we start driving, the conductor and I are still arguing and I am so angry...Like...I have never cared so much about a quarter in my entire life. Finally he gives up and I am just fuming. I try listening to Taylor Swift and it does NOT help. Anyways, we worked out that we would pay 2 if they would take us to the church building where we needed to go. But that is like every day here. I was so mad haha.
Then at immunizations, we all got separated and I got lost in the middle of Jinja for a while, but finally found Andrew L. Then we watched a bunch of kids get their lives saved and helped give kids polio vaccines. It was actually really cool! And we listened to kids scream and parents say, "LOOK AT THAT BABY. THAT BABY IS NOT CRYING. WHY ARE YOU CRYING? ARE YOU A BABY?" "IT IS NOT GOING TO KILL YOU. STOP SCREAMING!" Hahaha. But their lives were saved. So I'm happy. I wish we could go throughout africa and do immunizations. So awesome that two little drops and one shot can save a child's life. Apparently Uganda was a polio-free country until very recently when they discovered a few cases on the border of sudan.
I am becoming SO awesome at bargaining. Like...my friends say they're really proud of me. I have bought basically all of my souveniers so that I can spend the rest on vacations and I did so well. I argue with every store owner and get the best prices. I rock. Haha. I just get super mad when they try and charge me the "mzungu price" and then I tell them what he african price is and they give it to me...after a little arguing. I hate shopping in the US. But shopping here ...is AWESOME.
ANd I'm really really so FREAKING excited to go on a mission.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Dreaded Diseases
Malaria...Typhoid...All just a part of life here in Lugazi, Uganda.
So a few weeks ago, one of the Andrew's (there's two here) was diagnosed with Malaria. Then yesterday, three people who keep getting SUPER sick, Becca, Shaun, and Drew, went to the doctor. All three were diagnosed with Malaria, and Becca a slight case of typhoid. Ridiculous! So...Melissa and Kristen last night highly recommended each of us go to the doctor to get tested. It was a little scary because ...well...they are sticking NEEDLES into our BLOOD in the middle of Africa. I don't know if you all realize but the chances of getting HIV...very high. But, the doctor is Dr. Nyombi who is practiced in western medicine and a very trustworthy doctor, so...we all are spending an hour of our day here in the doctors office.
I went this morning and incredibly, I didn't pass out (I always pass out). I am clear of Malaria, but I have TYPHOID............................................
............................................................................
.......................................................................
BAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAH. No I'm not joking. I'm completely serious but for some reason it is so funny to me. Don't worry I'll start taking medication soon. But parents, you had better call me today. If I die while I'm here, I'd better at least get to talk to ya'll on the phone one more time.
So...I have to go. That is all I have to say. But...I love you all, and happy typhoiding!
P.s. This test is legit...many people have turned up negative as well....so....yeah....BHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHA
So a few weeks ago, one of the Andrew's (there's two here) was diagnosed with Malaria. Then yesterday, three people who keep getting SUPER sick, Becca, Shaun, and Drew, went to the doctor. All three were diagnosed with Malaria, and Becca a slight case of typhoid. Ridiculous! So...Melissa and Kristen last night highly recommended each of us go to the doctor to get tested. It was a little scary because ...well...they are sticking NEEDLES into our BLOOD in the middle of Africa. I don't know if you all realize but the chances of getting HIV...very high. But, the doctor is Dr. Nyombi who is practiced in western medicine and a very trustworthy doctor, so...we all are spending an hour of our day here in the doctors office.
I went this morning and incredibly, I didn't pass out (I always pass out). I am clear of Malaria, but I have TYPHOID............................................
............................................................................
.......................................................................
BAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAH. No I'm not joking. I'm completely serious but for some reason it is so funny to me. Don't worry I'll start taking medication soon. But parents, you had better call me today. If I die while I'm here, I'd better at least get to talk to ya'll on the phone one more time.
So...I have to go. That is all I have to say. But...I love you all, and happy typhoiding!
P.s. This test is legit...many people have turned up negative as well....so....yeah....BHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHA
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Chocolate Milk
I am addicted. I love it. TOO much.
There is this store here called "Gap Co" Which is what WE call, "the Costco of Lugazi." Really it is about 10 feet by 12 feet large and has nothing...but comparatively it has EVERYTHING. It is owned by some sweet Indian men who make fun of me for getting a chocolate milk every day.
Yesterday was a national holiday. HAPPY MARTYRS DAY EVERYONE! So they celebrate this in a random place in the middle of NOWHERE that is technically in "Kampala" but like...super far from the city. In the middle. Of Nowhere. Seriously. So we drive from Lugazi to Mukono yesterday in order to go celebrate this blessed holiday. We get to Mukono and everyone says, "Oh yes, it is a forty-five minute walk." More like forty-five years. Like the pioneer children, we walked, and walked, and walked, and walked. We walked up and down these hills of orange dirt for THREE HOURS. It wasn't too bad...a few blisters but I ran part of the way, cause I'd rather run than walk. It was good excercise, that's for sure! We walked from MUKONO to KAMPALA!!! Do you people realize how far that is? Check a map. It was at LEAST 10 miles. AT LEAST is what we calculated. And by the time we got there, we were coated in red dirt. Like our eyelashes were not black anymore...they were orangey red. Our hair...my dark black braids where ORANGEY RED. Same with the rest of my body. I definitely showered last night...don't worry. So...Finally we get there and it starts POURING rain. So we have to hide under some tarp for like a half hour. We got to eat a rolex and some soda..real sprite! It was wonderful. Then we just hung out, watched this parade, then took 2 hours to drive back in a boda because of traffic. Oh in the parade it was super funny...some priest guy comes up to one of the boys in our group, Matty pants, grabs his hand, and says "Well, this young man!" And we're all like...."yeah?? what about him??" haha. Then he just starts rambling off for a while...it was funny. Guess ya had to be there :)
Then we had chicken for dinner last night. My dearest american friends...DO NOT TAKE PROTEIN FOR GRANTED. Hahaha. We got chicken..like FRESH chicken and it was sick. It was so hard, it took me like 10 minutes to chew one bite. Plus, we bought like a whole bunch and all we had was about a half inch thick by 2 inches long worth of meat. Then a lot of bone. My friends, eat protein for me. Thank you.
I love you like a mango.
There is this store here called "Gap Co" Which is what WE call, "the Costco of Lugazi." Really it is about 10 feet by 12 feet large and has nothing...but comparatively it has EVERYTHING. It is owned by some sweet Indian men who make fun of me for getting a chocolate milk every day.
Yesterday was a national holiday. HAPPY MARTYRS DAY EVERYONE! So they celebrate this in a random place in the middle of NOWHERE that is technically in "Kampala" but like...super far from the city. In the middle. Of Nowhere. Seriously. So we drive from Lugazi to Mukono yesterday in order to go celebrate this blessed holiday. We get to Mukono and everyone says, "Oh yes, it is a forty-five minute walk." More like forty-five years. Like the pioneer children, we walked, and walked, and walked, and walked. We walked up and down these hills of orange dirt for THREE HOURS. It wasn't too bad...a few blisters but I ran part of the way, cause I'd rather run than walk. It was good excercise, that's for sure! We walked from MUKONO to KAMPALA!!! Do you people realize how far that is? Check a map. It was at LEAST 10 miles. AT LEAST is what we calculated. And by the time we got there, we were coated in red dirt. Like our eyelashes were not black anymore...they were orangey red. Our hair...my dark black braids where ORANGEY RED. Same with the rest of my body. I definitely showered last night...don't worry. So...Finally we get there and it starts POURING rain. So we have to hide under some tarp for like a half hour. We got to eat a rolex and some soda..real sprite! It was wonderful. Then we just hung out, watched this parade, then took 2 hours to drive back in a boda because of traffic. Oh in the parade it was super funny...some priest guy comes up to one of the boys in our group, Matty pants, grabs his hand, and says "Well, this young man!" And we're all like...."yeah?? what about him??" haha. Then he just starts rambling off for a while...it was funny. Guess ya had to be there :)
Then we had chicken for dinner last night. My dearest american friends...DO NOT TAKE PROTEIN FOR GRANTED. Hahaha. We got chicken..like FRESH chicken and it was sick. It was so hard, it took me like 10 minutes to chew one bite. Plus, we bought like a whole bunch and all we had was about a half inch thick by 2 inches long worth of meat. Then a lot of bone. My friends, eat protein for me. Thank you.
I love you like a mango.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Ahhhhhhhh...You're My Best Friend
So...I TALKED TO BONNIE BOO YESTERDAAAAAAAAAY!!! It made me so happy and it was so good to hear her voice. Yay Bonnie! I miss her.
But now I have a little more time to write the stuff that I wanted to!
So...yesterday morning, I went to this school. It was about a 15 minute boda drive away up in the hills of Mukono district. It was Abby and I and this guy named Jefferson who has been involved with HELP for a while and is over Mamatoto's Choir! So this school is seriously made of sticks and tin. If there were to be a rainstorm, the kids would get SOAKED. It's a nursery school for 3-6 year olds. They built this school because these kids had to walk 2.5 Kilometers to get to the closest nursery school and they were getting kidnapped and sacrificed by some tribe who believes God will bless them with income if they sacrifice little children. SCARY. And people...this is like JANUARY that they built this school. This isn't 10 years ago. This is a few months ago that this happened. One of the guys over Mamatoto's choir owns this land and the mamatoto guys gathered ALL the money they could to put into this school...the structure, the school supplies, etc. The parents only pay 5000 UG shillings each semester (a little under $2.50) to send their kids to this school and that money is only to pay the teachers. The rest is funded by the good of these Mamatoto guys hearts. There are three teachers in this one "room" trying to teach and talk over each other. They do not get ANY funding for the government and are doing everything they can. They want to build a one-room schoolhouse in order to use it for the nursery school AND as a community center where women's groups can meet..english classes...etc. If ANY of you reading this have any ideas for funds, PLEASE let me know! If anyone needs a fundraising project, we would love to get started on this asap! Anyways, let me know! Of all of the projects I am doing, this is one that I am so excited about and that really really need the help. They will be providing the labor and everything...so this is not just us giving them something. Cause that would be pointless. Love you all!
But now I have a little more time to write the stuff that I wanted to!
So...yesterday morning, I went to this school. It was about a 15 minute boda drive away up in the hills of Mukono district. It was Abby and I and this guy named Jefferson who has been involved with HELP for a while and is over Mamatoto's Choir! So this school is seriously made of sticks and tin. If there were to be a rainstorm, the kids would get SOAKED. It's a nursery school for 3-6 year olds. They built this school because these kids had to walk 2.5 Kilometers to get to the closest nursery school and they were getting kidnapped and sacrificed by some tribe who believes God will bless them with income if they sacrifice little children. SCARY. And people...this is like JANUARY that they built this school. This isn't 10 years ago. This is a few months ago that this happened. One of the guys over Mamatoto's choir owns this land and the mamatoto guys gathered ALL the money they could to put into this school...the structure, the school supplies, etc. The parents only pay 5000 UG shillings each semester (a little under $2.50) to send their kids to this school and that money is only to pay the teachers. The rest is funded by the good of these Mamatoto guys hearts. There are three teachers in this one "room" trying to teach and talk over each other. They do not get ANY funding for the government and are doing everything they can. They want to build a one-room schoolhouse in order to use it for the nursery school AND as a community center where women's groups can meet..english classes...etc. If ANY of you reading this have any ideas for funds, PLEASE let me know! If anyone needs a fundraising project, we would love to get started on this asap! Anyways, let me know! Of all of the projects I am doing, this is one that I am so excited about and that really really need the help. They will be providing the labor and everything...so this is not just us giving them something. Cause that would be pointless. Love you all!
Fur Elise
I just want to say one more thing. Cell Phones. Everyone here has way ghetto Cell phones and like the ghetto rings like fur elise or the entertainer...it's just really funny. Love it. And you know the chicken man from 33 chickens? Emma was his name. He had the same phone that I have at home and that's like the nicest phone that they have here...and it really made me miss my phone. That's all.
Mucaga
Okay, so I always hear this word when people are talking...and I think to myself, WHAT THE HECK IS MUCAGA and my co-volunteer told me today it is "six"...so...Six. Mucaga. Yeeeeeep. This weekend was SUPER crazy.
First, an update on my pal Ivan Koretta. He's now just chillin in Lugazi, the police could not keep him any longer. No one's stuff was recovered except for an mp3 player. It just breaks my heart. I know I keep saying that...but it's true. No matter what has happened or what he did or didn't do, I still want the best for him and hope he can see how much we all still love him. He's our friend. He is not allowed to communicate with us, but my prayers are always with him.
Secondly, HOLY CRAP IT'S JUNE!! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS? SEVENTEEN DAYS FROM NOW, CHRISTIAN DEE PAGE WILL HAVE BEEN OUT FOR ONE FREAKIN YEAR! YEAAAAAAAAAAAH AND ONE WEEK LATER...ANDRES ANTONIO GONZALEZ!!!!!!!!!!! BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH. I love June. I especially love June 2010. GAH. Okay....
Let's see...I have to remember what happened on Friday. Oh...nothing super exciting. We worked with my favorite Youth Outreach peeps to make a soccer game...after we taught them about HIV/AIDS. Oh AND I got my hair braided.
Wow. Okay so I'm sitting here at the internet cafe and the sweetest woman next to me just started talking to me and she offered me a necklace as a gift that usually costs 8000 shillings...that is a LOT of money for these people. But she runs a women's group and I told her I want to help her with teaching the women English and with generating income. She told me they will be so excited to meet me! YAY! I'm so excited! Okay so...I have so much to say. So friday...hair braided. It's awesome. People keep calling me, "African Queen" or saying "You look smart!" Which is kind of like saying you look cool. So...I like it :)
Saturday was the weirdest and funnest day of my life. A bunch of people stayed at Sipi falls for the weekend, but I decided to stay with some people here. So we went to Kampala for the day. We left in teh morning...OH and we went with the Youth Outreach people. I LOVE THEM! Robert, Wilson, Luta, Godfrey, Patrick, the whole bunch. I LOOOOOOOOOVE them. They're such good wholesome boys. None are mormon, but we're hoping they will be. ;) So...we went to Kampala and to this MALL. Guys, it was like...AMERICA. God bless America. Seriously. There was a mini Wal-Mart in there.....like everything you could ever imagine to be in Africa was there. I even got cold cereal and milk. Blessed blessed cold cereal. Yum. So then we hugn out in Kampala and went to the "pentagon of Uganda"...parliament...beautiful building and really cool. Then we Just walked around and got DOMINOS. It started to rain when we were like a half mile from it and we thought What the heck, we are running. The africans looked at us like yeah right, but we dragged them along. It wasn't just raining my friends it was a freakin Hurricane. Okaynot really, but it felt like it. We wereSOAKED but the pizza was worth it. And a chocolate milkshake. yuuuuuuuuuuum.
Just a sidenote mostly for Bonnie, Mal, Jess, and Gabaroo...I know how to braid hair now, so if you want me to when i get home, I will. Letr me kknow cause you have to buy extensions. Also, for anyone, if anyone wants to buy me billy joel/elton john tickets for my birthday...I'm definitely fine with that.
Geez, I have no time. I will write more tomorrow probably, but yeah...Saturday was crazy...danced at African Paradise with the Youth Outreach guys. Then...Sunday I sang Todd's song and eveyrone LOVED it. They all want to learn it. And they all said I have a voice of an angel, thank you Kyle Hanson.
And this morning I went to this nursery school (like kindergarten) and it was made of a bunch of sticks and tin basically. I really hope we can do something for them! GAH! I just am so excited about all of the projects! I walked into this school and said to the 70+ kids, "Hey guys! How are you?" and they all stood up and responded in unison, "I am fine, Thank you Madame!" SOOOOOOOOOO cute. Okay. I love you all. And African men love white girls. Peace out Mzungus.
First, an update on my pal Ivan Koretta. He's now just chillin in Lugazi, the police could not keep him any longer. No one's stuff was recovered except for an mp3 player. It just breaks my heart. I know I keep saying that...but it's true. No matter what has happened or what he did or didn't do, I still want the best for him and hope he can see how much we all still love him. He's our friend. He is not allowed to communicate with us, but my prayers are always with him.
Secondly, HOLY CRAP IT'S JUNE!! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS? SEVENTEEN DAYS FROM NOW, CHRISTIAN DEE PAGE WILL HAVE BEEN OUT FOR ONE FREAKIN YEAR! YEAAAAAAAAAAAH AND ONE WEEK LATER...ANDRES ANTONIO GONZALEZ!!!!!!!!!!! BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH. I love June. I especially love June 2010. GAH. Okay....
Let's see...I have to remember what happened on Friday. Oh...nothing super exciting. We worked with my favorite Youth Outreach peeps to make a soccer game...after we taught them about HIV/AIDS. Oh AND I got my hair braided.
Wow. Okay so I'm sitting here at the internet cafe and the sweetest woman next to me just started talking to me and she offered me a necklace as a gift that usually costs 8000 shillings...that is a LOT of money for these people. But she runs a women's group and I told her I want to help her with teaching the women English and with generating income. She told me they will be so excited to meet me! YAY! I'm so excited! Okay so...I have so much to say. So friday...hair braided. It's awesome. People keep calling me, "African Queen" or saying "You look smart!" Which is kind of like saying you look cool. So...I like it :)
Saturday was the weirdest and funnest day of my life. A bunch of people stayed at Sipi falls for the weekend, but I decided to stay with some people here. So we went to Kampala for the day. We left in teh morning...OH and we went with the Youth Outreach people. I LOVE THEM! Robert, Wilson, Luta, Godfrey, Patrick, the whole bunch. I LOOOOOOOOOVE them. They're such good wholesome boys. None are mormon, but we're hoping they will be. ;) So...we went to Kampala and to this MALL. Guys, it was like...AMERICA. God bless America. Seriously. There was a mini Wal-Mart in there.....like everything you could ever imagine to be in Africa was there. I even got cold cereal and milk. Blessed blessed cold cereal. Yum. So then we hugn out in Kampala and went to the "pentagon of Uganda"...parliament...beautiful building and really cool. Then we Just walked around and got DOMINOS. It started to rain when we were like a half mile from it and we thought What the heck, we are running. The africans looked at us like yeah right, but we dragged them along. It wasn't just raining my friends it was a freakin Hurricane. Okaynot really, but it felt like it. We wereSOAKED but the pizza was worth it. And a chocolate milkshake. yuuuuuuuuuuum.
Just a sidenote mostly for Bonnie, Mal, Jess, and Gabaroo...I know how to braid hair now, so if you want me to when i get home, I will. Letr me kknow cause you have to buy extensions. Also, for anyone, if anyone wants to buy me billy joel/elton john tickets for my birthday...I'm definitely fine with that.
Geez, I have no time. I will write more tomorrow probably, but yeah...Saturday was crazy...danced at African Paradise with the Youth Outreach guys. Then...Sunday I sang Todd's song and eveyrone LOVED it. They all want to learn it. And they all said I have a voice of an angel, thank you Kyle Hanson.
And this morning I went to this nursery school (like kindergarten) and it was made of a bunch of sticks and tin basically. I really hope we can do something for them! GAH! I just am so excited about all of the projects! I walked into this school and said to the 70+ kids, "Hey guys! How are you?" and they all stood up and responded in unison, "I am fine, Thank you Madame!" SOOOOOOOOOO cute. Okay. I love you all. And African men love white girls. Peace out Mzungus.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Hacuna Matata
A PICTURE!!!!!! I GOT A PICTURE ON!! AND HOPEFULLY I'M NOT SPREADING SOME WEIRD VIRUS TO ALL OF THE LAPTOPS WE HAVE!! haha. Merry Christmas everyone. These kids kind of look high...but they're not I promise. Well, actually I can't promise that, but I don't think they are. And they are the neighborhood kids I always hang out with...Mary, Fatuma, Shareaf, Junior....awwww...I love these kids. Everytime I walk out of the gate to our house, they all yell, "DANIELLA! DANIELLA!" Or sometimes, Diana...I'll take what I can get.
Not much new out here in Lugazi. Well...there are a few developments. First of all, I got really sick AGAIN and was in bed all day yesterday. I'm feeling better now...Mom, thank Grant for the medicine for me...the prescription stuff is the only thing that has worked. I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO grateful...he must have been listening to the promptings of the Spirit or SOMETHING Cause...I was dyin.
Um...sadly, Ivan is still in Prison. We're like positive that he took our stuff which makes me SO sad...It is sad that he betrayed our trust. But, we are trying to find an alternative than the police keeping him in jail for a few years. Kristen (kristen is my country director) called her parents to ask for advice and her mom said that she would sponsor him to go to a super strict boarding school as long as Ivan was honest with us and he didn't make any contact with any of us for the rest of the summer...but Mike at HELP said that it is against HELP policy to sponsor someone for school...If we do, people will think that HELP usually does that...and we don't have the money to sponsor a whole bunch of kids. So...I don't really know what's going to happen. Poor Kristen and Melissa have had to deal with this every day this week.
Yesterday I watched my first movie since I have been here...GREASE! Haha I haven't seen it for years....It was wonderful. For a second, I felt like I wasn't sick in the middle of east africa, I was sick at my house in Alpine with my mommy a few rooms away.
The last few weeks have made me really appreciate life in happy little bubble of a place, Alpine, Utah.
I feel so grateful for so many things in America that make life so easy.
Grateful for a soft bed.
Grateful for a comfortable home.
Grateful for a family that is alive and healthy.
Grateful for a family that loves me and that are my best friends.
Grateful for a flushing toilet.
Grateful for a naked shower every day
(we don't shower naked here...outside in the open).
Grateful for privacy.
Grateful for good healthy food.
Grateful for clothing that does not have holes in it.
Grateful for a washing machine and a dryer.
Grateful for a dishwasher.
Grateful for very few bugs.
Grateful for a good education.
Grateful for the opportunity to get a good education.
Grateful for the garbage trucks that pick up our garbage and dispose of it properly.
Grateful for clean water so that I can drink from the tap.
Grateful for best friends who I can truly depend on.
Grateful for an extended family who loves and supports me and who gets together often.
Grateful for a job.
Grateful for clean grocery stores.
Grateful for EVERYTHING SANITARY.
Grateful for the medical system (even though drugs out there are WAY more expensive than here. I went to the doctor here, Dr. Nyumbi the other day and he gave me 3 different kinds of medicine for 13000 shillings...like $6.50).
Grateful for a car.
Grateful for our political system.
Grateful for a President and the ability to vote.
Grateful for the media and all the knowledge I receive...here the politics are completely unfair (they just had an election for mayor here in Lugazi and the guy who won only won because his slogan was "obama"...that's all it takes here).
Grateful to be so close to a temple and to my church building.
Grateful for my home ward that is so strong and so kind and caring.
Grateful for the opportunity to come out here and serve.
Mom, you were right when you told me that getting out of America will only make me more grateful to be from America and to be an American. I wish everyone had this opportunity. It makes me so much more patriotic. Since Monday was memorial day, we had one girl in our group sing the star spangled banner, and I almost started crying. We are so blessed and so lucky. Really and truly. To live in America and to have the gospel in my life...I am TOO blessed. I don't know why Heavenly Father decided to bless me with this much, but I hope to be able to help others with the knowledge that I have. I'm going to do everything I can to give back to Heavenly Father what He has given to me.
Monday, May 25, 2009
33 Chicken
This is a really long blog post, but probably the best so far…so read it all…. Okay? Okay J
Wow. What a weekend. Or as Zig would say, “WAW!” Yep. It was crazy. Let me start with Friday. So, we went up to this AIDS Clinic that was built by USAid up in the middle of the Jungle to watch an MDD performance (It’s not called MDT here, it’s Music-Dance-Drama). It was a super rainy day and the mud was sooooo slippery. But Becca, Lacey and I had to get back down quickly so that we could make it to a traditional dance performance. So, we climb down the hill and by this time our shoes are COVERED in mud. At the bottom, miraculously, there was a boda boda. So random. What he was doing there is beyond me, but it was definitely an answer to prayer (I’ve had so many of those the last few weeks). There are three of us. One boda. One driver. He says, “No, no, you can all come!” So, sure! Boda driver on, then Lacey, then Becca, then me. He starts the engine and slowly starts driving, when BAM. We all fell to the side. Now our whole bodies were covered in mud. Once we got to the town (we drove very slowly and a cop shook her finger at us), we walked down the street and EVERYONE was peeing their pants. “THE MZUNGUS! BAHAHAHAHAHHA!” They all pointed at our mud and were laughing their heads off. A woman literally fell out of her chair. It was so funny. A girl at the Youth Outreach office helped us clean up a little bit, thank heavens. But I’ve never had about 100 people full on LAUGH and POINT at me. We were laughing so hard. It was quite the experience.
So, then we meet up with
So, I write everything I want to remember to say on my hands or on some other body part. Sometimes I write it on my legs. I never remember things. And I haven’t had tmie to write in my journal, so …that’s my method. Just so you know. Hey! Mom! Or Drew! Or whoever talks to him first, tell Todd McCabe that I’m singing his song in church here next Sunday! Just thought he might think it was cool that his song is in a different continent. I’m hopefully going to sing it in both of the nearby branches!
So, something really sad has happened. Drew in my group caught Ivan stealing some clothes off our clothesline the other day. There have been some other things missing too…like digital cameras and such. The cops are investigating now, but David (our AWESOME guard) said it was really important to get the cops involved. So he’s in custody right now and in a few minutes they are going to search his house and al the places he has been. Supposedly, if the stuff is found, he will be put in jail for a few months. If not, he’ll be let off. So…I have no idea what’s going to happen. It just makes me so sad. I don’t really know what to believe and I won’t say whether he actually stole or not, but I just think Ivan is a sweetheart either way and I am so grateful for him. Honestly, we would not have been able to do 90% of what we have done so far if we didn’t have Ivan. He’s been a huge help with everything and I personally trust him so much. But, I guess we’ll see. It has been a hard thing for everyone to deal with and it is something no one wanted to do, but something had to be done.
On a happier note, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!! IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY, SHOUT HOORAY! I WANT TO SING TO YOU TODAY! BUT I’M IN AFRICA AND YOU’RE IN THE
So…I’ve had a few weird things said to me lately. These are some funny stories. Yesterday we went to the house of the Branch President of the Mukono ward for dinner which was so fun and he rocks! But afterward, there were about 15 of us cramming into a place to ride home in which only 11 people should have been sitting. SO….as we’re going up to the bus/taxi/van/whatever, this guy comes up to me and says, “You are a beautiful woman.” Alright…uh.. “thanks man.” This is pretty normal and I’ve gotten used to it, right? So…then he starts following me up to the van. “Will you marry me? We be married. Let us get married. You are so beautiful. You are so beautiful!” Uh…I run up to Jake (guy in the group) and say to him, “This is my omubisi, sorry!” The guy just laughs, “No…let us get married. Come with me! You are too beautiful. I am serious. Serious. Serious!” AHHHHHhh. So Jake is not backing me up and I’m getting a little freaked out cause this guy is all up in my grill. I start getting into the taxi, towards the back part. He is in the taxi now and my whole group is peeing their pants but no one is helping me! Everyone’s just laughing! So he says the same things over and over and is right in my face when finally we start to drive off and he has to jump out, then he starts CHASING THE TAXI. Oh my goodness it was so funny. I wish I would have got in on camera, but alas, I didn’t. It was quite the proposal.
Also, today a lady in the market passing by said, “hello” so I said, “hello” back, then she says, “you look just like my daughter!” Uh……HAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAH. It was really funny.
Oh and on one of the taxi’s yesterday, there was a guy in the back with his 33 chickens under the back seat. Don’t worry. There were just 33 chickens…just chillin the back of the taxi. ….Just hanging out. WHAT THE HECK? None of the other girls would sit back there except Melissa so I decided to be brave. I kept my feet up. I didn’t want to get pecked to death. And the chickens were fighting. Well every once in a while there would be a big thud and then some squawking. It was scary. I am not a big fan of animals. Actually, I don’t like animals…at all. It was really exciting. Also, it was about a 90 minute drive. Wonderful.
Now for what you’ve all been waiting for….RIVER RAFTING ON THE
Love, Daniella
Friday, May 22, 2009
Too Much
I discovered that the "too much" phrase isn't just something that Andrew, Zig, and Josh say all of the time. EVERYONE in Africa says it all the time haha. ALso, if you ask them a question, like, "can we come on thursday at 2pm?" They won't say yes or no, they will say, "it is okay." I never understand that....Anyways. MY HAIR IS TURNING BROWN. Like, no joke. So...a few days before Africa, I go to the hair place and say, "put some more blonde highlights in," right? Yeah. Then it turned out to be PLATINUM BLONDE and I thought to myself, "what the heck?" But THEN I come here and my hair is turning darker than it has been in the past like...long time. It's so random. I'm wondering if it's something in the water or something. Oh and did I tell everyone that I went 4 days without showering? YEAH BABY! Haha. It'll be so weird to someday get in a shower that I can stand up in and to pee while sitting down.
I love Peanut Butter. I am addicted. They actually have good peanut butter here and I love it. Just a side note.
So...I am feeling so much better. I'm really anxious to talk to my family tonight, but other than that, I'm not very homesick or sick....I still have to use the bathroom a lot in an uncomfortable way, but other than that, I feel GREAT! I think the main thing that changed it is the following experience...
I think it was Wednesday afternoon when I went with Andrew L (we have two Andrews. Andrew L is the one who is in the band with me and Andrew H is on the BYU Rugby team...just FYI) to this Youth Outreach office. It's an organization, kind of like Dan Blake's...but it is run completely by Young people, 20 and under. These are all University students from the surrounding area...Lugazi, Jinja, Mukono, even Kampala. They go to different schools and teach about AIDS/HIV and hygiene, a balanced diet, and things like that. Then they get young people involved in Community Service, because NO ONE really does that here. They don't make any money off of it, these guys just wanna change Uganda and make it a better place. They sometimes teach kids about Aids or Drug Abuse or something like that and then play Futbol with them to reward them for coming....the kids here LOVE soccer. So Andrew is big into soccer and brought a TON of soccer stuff. He donated every bit of it to them and we're starting a soccer league type thing that will spread awareness of Aids and the sort. I went with Andrew to their office to give this stuff to them. They were so grateful, everyone was near tears. "Too Much! It is too much! You do too much for the people here and they are so grateful! You will see their faces, Andrew and Dani, they will be so happy!" On and on and on. It was so awesome. Wilson is the President and he is SUCH a sweetheart. The other guys are Godfrey, Luta(super goofy he is so funny--I'm going with him to a MDT performance today at 5pm), Robert, Barack(yes, his name is barack and he gets a lot of praise for it), and so many others. THey are mostly guys. But every single one of these guys want to just change the world, and make it a better place. Their careers, everything. Everything they are doing in their lives is for the good of Uganda, for no praise at all. "He is a social worker, I am an accountant, we will work with the poor and the needy. We do not care if we live in a one room house, like this office. As long as what we are doing is spreading and helping the youth, we will be happy." They are incredible. This gave me a whole new....renewal I guess. It made me remember why I am here. Being homesick and missing American food is such a dumb thing. What's the point? Of course it'll happen, but I just gotta get over it. It's not doing anyone any good. There's so much to do here and so many people that I still want to help and who will still teach me. I am so excited for these next few months!
I still have a few minutes so I'm just going to tell you a few funny things about Uganda and what it's like here. Everyone is so welcoming. Whenever you walk into a building or even a little shack, people will say "You are most welcome here." They are so nice and make you feel so comfortable. There is this place where we always go to get lunch. It is with Nixon(the rolex man) who makes us each a rolex. It is 700 Shillings and it is basically a tortilla with a layer of omelet (like eggs and tomatoes and onions) all rolled together. The tortilla is called a chipote (don't know spelling) but so much better than the ones in America. Everywhere I go, men seem to call to me. There's about 3 or 4 places in town wehre all of the Boda drivers gather. They all sit there and wait for someone to ask for a ride on a boda. Whenever I pass by, I always get some weird comments, whether in Luganda or English...it's always weird. Today the guy just yelled, "I love you so much!" Haha uh...thanks?? So that's entertaining...
The smells in Uganda are horrid. Walking through the market is death. Seriously, death. They have all the fruit stands and stuff, but then they have fish. It just looks like they picked up the fish and let it dry for 3 months and then set it out for you to eat. It is disgusting and smells like........death. Yep, that's the only way to describe it. And I'm sure eveyrone who has been to a 3rd world country has seen the meat places....the stands of meat. Let me describe this to you. One day, Shareaf goes out and kills a cow, he skins it, takes it to town and sits it on a table. For about 3 weeks. SIIIIIIIIIIIICK. I hope you can all imagine me whining that sick, "SIIIIIIIIIIICK!"
People here are late to everything. For example, yesterday we had a teacher training and there were supposed to be 8 teachers. It was supposed to start at 2...the first teacher go there about a quarter after and finally by 2:30, we had to start with 2 teachers. Then 2 more came throughout ...and the other four probably showed up 2 hours later. Haha, it's always a suprise whether things will actually happen or not. That's one thing I've learned here. Development is a slow-moving thing. You have to have SO much patience. You just HAVE to be able to go with the flow, otherwise, it will never ever happen. That's one thing I suck at. Going with the flow. But I'm learning. And I'm really enjoying it too.
Well, time to go again. I hope you are all doing well. Again, thank you EVERYONE for your sweet notes of encouragement and your prayers. I appreciate it more than you know. Things have been good. We've had a few scary moments...first with everyone getting sick, another girl needs back surgery and there's no good medicine here, one boy just got malaria, and two girls got beat by drunkards with banana tree branches last night after a political election...yes these are all people in my group. Haha...but everyone is okay. And happy. And working hard and doing our best to get as much done as we possibly can in the few short months that we are here. I LOVE UGANDA. As do I love all of you!
Love,
Me.
I love Peanut Butter. I am addicted. They actually have good peanut butter here and I love it. Just a side note.
So...I am feeling so much better. I'm really anxious to talk to my family tonight, but other than that, I'm not very homesick or sick....I still have to use the bathroom a lot in an uncomfortable way, but other than that, I feel GREAT! I think the main thing that changed it is the following experience...
I think it was Wednesday afternoon when I went with Andrew L (we have two Andrews. Andrew L is the one who is in the band with me and Andrew H is on the BYU Rugby team...just FYI) to this Youth Outreach office. It's an organization, kind of like Dan Blake's...but it is run completely by Young people, 20 and under. These are all University students from the surrounding area...Lugazi, Jinja, Mukono, even Kampala. They go to different schools and teach about AIDS/HIV and hygiene, a balanced diet, and things like that. Then they get young people involved in Community Service, because NO ONE really does that here. They don't make any money off of it, these guys just wanna change Uganda and make it a better place. They sometimes teach kids about Aids or Drug Abuse or something like that and then play Futbol with them to reward them for coming....the kids here LOVE soccer. So Andrew is big into soccer and brought a TON of soccer stuff. He donated every bit of it to them and we're starting a soccer league type thing that will spread awareness of Aids and the sort. I went with Andrew to their office to give this stuff to them. They were so grateful, everyone was near tears. "Too Much! It is too much! You do too much for the people here and they are so grateful! You will see their faces, Andrew and Dani, they will be so happy!" On and on and on. It was so awesome. Wilson is the President and he is SUCH a sweetheart. The other guys are Godfrey, Luta(super goofy he is so funny--I'm going with him to a MDT performance today at 5pm), Robert, Barack(yes, his name is barack and he gets a lot of praise for it), and so many others. THey are mostly guys. But every single one of these guys want to just change the world, and make it a better place. Their careers, everything. Everything they are doing in their lives is for the good of Uganda, for no praise at all. "He is a social worker, I am an accountant, we will work with the poor and the needy. We do not care if we live in a one room house, like this office. As long as what we are doing is spreading and helping the youth, we will be happy." They are incredible. This gave me a whole new....renewal I guess. It made me remember why I am here. Being homesick and missing American food is such a dumb thing. What's the point? Of course it'll happen, but I just gotta get over it. It's not doing anyone any good. There's so much to do here and so many people that I still want to help and who will still teach me. I am so excited for these next few months!
I still have a few minutes so I'm just going to tell you a few funny things about Uganda and what it's like here. Everyone is so welcoming. Whenever you walk into a building or even a little shack, people will say "You are most welcome here." They are so nice and make you feel so comfortable. There is this place where we always go to get lunch. It is with Nixon(the rolex man) who makes us each a rolex. It is 700 Shillings and it is basically a tortilla with a layer of omelet (like eggs and tomatoes and onions) all rolled together. The tortilla is called a chipote (don't know spelling) but so much better than the ones in America. Everywhere I go, men seem to call to me. There's about 3 or 4 places in town wehre all of the Boda drivers gather. They all sit there and wait for someone to ask for a ride on a boda. Whenever I pass by, I always get some weird comments, whether in Luganda or English...it's always weird. Today the guy just yelled, "I love you so much!" Haha uh...thanks?? So that's entertaining...
The smells in Uganda are horrid. Walking through the market is death. Seriously, death. They have all the fruit stands and stuff, but then they have fish. It just looks like they picked up the fish and let it dry for 3 months and then set it out for you to eat. It is disgusting and smells like........death. Yep, that's the only way to describe it. And I'm sure eveyrone who has been to a 3rd world country has seen the meat places....the stands of meat. Let me describe this to you. One day, Shareaf goes out and kills a cow, he skins it, takes it to town and sits it on a table. For about 3 weeks. SIIIIIIIIIIIICK. I hope you can all imagine me whining that sick, "SIIIIIIIIIIICK!"
People here are late to everything. For example, yesterday we had a teacher training and there were supposed to be 8 teachers. It was supposed to start at 2...the first teacher go there about a quarter after and finally by 2:30, we had to start with 2 teachers. Then 2 more came throughout ...and the other four probably showed up 2 hours later. Haha, it's always a suprise whether things will actually happen or not. That's one thing I've learned here. Development is a slow-moving thing. You have to have SO much patience. You just HAVE to be able to go with the flow, otherwise, it will never ever happen. That's one thing I suck at. Going with the flow. But I'm learning. And I'm really enjoying it too.
Well, time to go again. I hope you are all doing well. Again, thank you EVERYONE for your sweet notes of encouragement and your prayers. I appreciate it more than you know. Things have been good. We've had a few scary moments...first with everyone getting sick, another girl needs back surgery and there's no good medicine here, one boy just got malaria, and two girls got beat by drunkards with banana tree branches last night after a political election...yes these are all people in my group. Haha...but everyone is okay. And happy. And working hard and doing our best to get as much done as we possibly can in the few short months that we are here. I LOVE UGANDA. As do I love all of you!
Love,
Me.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Kiss Me Through Da Phone
That was for you bonnie. Ivan was listening to it today and I started dancing an he got embarrassed like always. So...I got sick. Not just homesick, but sick-sick. Almost everyone in our whole house except for 5 people did. I was feeling a little sick monday morning but thought I was imagining it. I didn't eat anything cause I couldn't get anyting down. Then, I was in Mukono meeting with a teacher and I was walking with her. All of the sudden I realized I was on the ground and pushing myself up thinking, "oh man that hurt." I blacked out and scraped up both my knees and elbows pretty bad. Then I went home and fell asleep at like 6pm without any food. All throughout the night I was....in the bathroom. Then I slept almost the entire day. I had the worst fever I can ever remember having in my whole entire life. I would be FREEZING. I would be shaking and so cold even with leggings, sweatpants, a skirt, 3 shirts and a sweatshirt, and a huge warm blanket.....SO COLD. Then about a half hour later, I would be sweating like I just ran 10 miles outside in the middle of Africa. I was dripping. Then again, freezing, cold, freezing, cold. I was really dizzy and had a horrible headache. Like...worse than all my thyroid bad days combined. It was horrible. Today I'm pretty weak and can't eat anything, but I'm okay. I am really sore too, like my back kills. We thought it was the food at first, but we think it may be somethign that's going around because our guard david and our neighbors are really sick too. Um...yeah...but I'm doing a lot better today. It just made me mroe homesick to be really sick and away from home. I want my mommy. But I'll be better tomorrow. Today will be chill.
So, have I mentioned that men hold hands here? It still freaks me out a little bit. But I'm getting used to it. It's like so normal to them. Sick. Just wanted to mention that. We've decided the people here just tell us that but really Lugazi is the Gay capital of Uganda. Haha.
I have so much more to say, but my time is up for today. More on friday.
Everyone who wrote me sweet e-mails and notes of encouragement, thank you so much! I am still homesick, but most of you said to stay busy and that will take it away, and once I am feeling a little more...stable...I will be up and moving and keep myself going. So thank you. I have the best friends in the whole world. I love you all. Especially my family :)
Love, Daniella (the neighborhood kids can't say Dani so they just started calling me Daniella)
So, have I mentioned that men hold hands here? It still freaks me out a little bit. But I'm getting used to it. It's like so normal to them. Sick. Just wanted to mention that. We've decided the people here just tell us that but really Lugazi is the Gay capital of Uganda. Haha.
I have so much more to say, but my time is up for today. More on friday.
Everyone who wrote me sweet e-mails and notes of encouragement, thank you so much! I am still homesick, but most of you said to stay busy and that will take it away, and once I am feeling a little more...stable...I will be up and moving and keep myself going. So thank you. I have the best friends in the whole world. I love you all. Especially my family :)
Love, Daniella (the neighborhood kids can't say Dani so they just started calling me Daniella)
Monday, May 18, 2009
Mama Africa
So...I've been pretty homesick the last few days. I didn't think I would get so homesick but I definitely am. So write to me. On here or at my e-mail dani.israel23@gmail.com. I am dying to hear from people at home. I do have a few funny stories though. Yesterday at church....Story Uno. I taught YW. So I get through the entire lesson titled "Chastity and Modesty" and at the end I ask if anyone has any questions. A girl says, "What does Chastity mean?" Uh.............
So second, there was this boy named Geoffrey getting baptized. A sweetheart definitely. He befriended us on the first Sunday and is a very intelligent university student. So, we went to his baptism right after church. Now...a lot of people here are terrified of the water. I don't really understand why, but they are. There's a guy in the ward baptizing him and he gets him only part way under the water and Geoffrey jumps right back up. This happens 6 more times, then the Elder is like, "okay, I'm goin in." So he gets in a jumpsuit and tries to baptize him. Geoffrey still won't go under. So the Elder comes up with a new technique. He says the prayer and TACKLES him into the water. Whatever it takes, right? Nine times! Hahahhahahahahhah. Poor thing, everyone was laughing. And he just got out with the biggest grin on his face, so happy. I love baptisms. It was awesome.
Everyone got sick last night...like really sick. There were five throwing up continuously throughout the night. One girl puked 4 times. We have no idea what it could be. I've been really nautious and haven't eaten anything. Even smelling food makes me want to barf. I've also been really really dizzy and have a pounding head ache. I do not feel good at all, but at least I'm not stuck in bed like everyone else. THere's also about 6 others who are stuck in bed not feeling well. Poor things. I guess that's waht happens when you are eating delish (sarcasm) food in a 3rd world country. I hope everyone has an awesome day. I'll write again hopefully on Wednesday!
Love, Dizzy D
So second, there was this boy named Geoffrey getting baptized. A sweetheart definitely. He befriended us on the first Sunday and is a very intelligent university student. So, we went to his baptism right after church. Now...a lot of people here are terrified of the water. I don't really understand why, but they are. There's a guy in the ward baptizing him and he gets him only part way under the water and Geoffrey jumps right back up. This happens 6 more times, then the Elder is like, "okay, I'm goin in." So he gets in a jumpsuit and tries to baptize him. Geoffrey still won't go under. So the Elder comes up with a new technique. He says the prayer and TACKLES him into the water. Whatever it takes, right? Nine times! Hahahhahahahahhah. Poor thing, everyone was laughing. And he just got out with the biggest grin on his face, so happy. I love baptisms. It was awesome.
Everyone got sick last night...like really sick. There were five throwing up continuously throughout the night. One girl puked 4 times. We have no idea what it could be. I've been really nautious and haven't eaten anything. Even smelling food makes me want to barf. I've also been really really dizzy and have a pounding head ache. I do not feel good at all, but at least I'm not stuck in bed like everyone else. THere's also about 6 others who are stuck in bed not feeling well. Poor things. I guess that's waht happens when you are eating delish (sarcasm) food in a 3rd world country. I hope everyone has an awesome day. I'll write again hopefully on Wednesday!
Love, Dizzy D
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Mzungu
Today was our first vacation day and we went to the Mubiru (or something like that) forest. It was an adventure even if it started off way lame. We paid a few thousand shillings to get into this forest that is inbetween Lugazi and Jinja. It is a pretty big forest and it has a road called Jinja Road running right through the middle of it. Jinja Road is a busy road that goes all the way from Lugazi up to Jinja...about a 30 minute drive. Anyways, we start into this forest and all we see is a few really fat and long (probably 6 inches or more) centipedes. Oh! And we go around this corner and there was this MAN just standing in the middle of the trees. It scared the crap out of me! I almost screamed. He was just standing there...this 60 year old man...with a toothless smile! It was so scary. Wow there's another white guy in here...that's a first...
So...we go through this forest for a while...super boring...and the rest of the group is like "oh here's jinja road....anyone who wants to just go to jinja, just go." So 9 of us were definitely ready to be out of the boring forest. I just felt like I was in Bedford, New Hampshire walking through my backyard. We are on this road and a million cars are passing by. Finally a bus stops for us and they tell us they are going to make us pay 3000 shillings to get to Jinja....that's a lot. That's $1.50 which is a lot here. So...no way. Then NO ONE will stop for us. We walk for like 30 minutes and finally I say a prayer asking for some help. By this point the rest of the group was WAY far away from us. So finally a bus stops and says they'll take us to the nearby market where we can catch another bus to Jinja, suuuuuure!! So we get in and go to this market. At this market there are hundreds of people in these blue vests running at you and sticking their arms in your windows or right in your face trying to sell you fried bananas and meat on a stick. Disgusting meat. The smell alone made me want to barf.
We cannot find a bus that will take us to Jinja. So we see this man with a truck...and jokingly we're thinking maybe we could just ride in the back. This was probably a stupid thing to do, but we ask him for a ride. He says he'll let us hop in the back for 10,000 shillings total. AWESOME. So we're riding in the back of this random man's truck, just HOPING he's actually taking us to Jinja and that we don't fly out of the back of the truck. The drivers here are insane.
Finally we got there and were starving. It was like 2pm and we hadn't eaten since 8am. And we'd been hiking all day. We went to OZZIES!!!!!!!! It's this American/Australian restaurant in Jinja with burgers, milkshakes, brownies, anything you could ever want. It's so sad that after only one week here we are all dying for American food. We were so excited. The owner lady there was a sweetheart too. A really awesome woman who had taken in many orphans and fed many people who couldn't afford food. She's from Australia and lived in NewZealand for a long time, so she got really excited when I told her I was going there next January! Also, we met some other mzungu's, from canada, who were doing humanitarian work and had just been rafting and bungee jumping on the nile. It made me really excited to go! We're going next weekend! Yay! There were a lot of Mzungu's there it was soooo awesome. For about 30 seconds I felt like I was home. That was nice. I also bought some sweet souveniers to bring home to people and I'm so excited! You guys will love em.
So...tomorrow I am going to church in Jinja again and I'm teaching Young Women's. I'm really excited! Oh Lauren! I forgot to tell you that the girls were all so excited when I told them that I know you and everything! They were so happy! The YW president too! I don't remember her name, but they just LOVE you!
Well, I have to go. Mallory, Jay, Kyle, Garyn, Sam, Drew, Matt, Merrill, Shanda, Jade, Christy, Rachel....and all of the rest of you, I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Okay? Okay. Bye. Love.
P.s. JESSICA MARIAH AND GABRIELLE JOIE ISRAELSEN. I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU NOW. YOU'D BOTH BETTER SEND ME AN E-MAIL ASAP OR I WILL NOT BRING YOU HOME AN AWESOME SOUVENIER. I almost think you don't love me anymore :(
So...we go through this forest for a while...super boring...and the rest of the group is like "oh here's jinja road....anyone who wants to just go to jinja, just go." So 9 of us were definitely ready to be out of the boring forest. I just felt like I was in Bedford, New Hampshire walking through my backyard. We are on this road and a million cars are passing by. Finally a bus stops for us and they tell us they are going to make us pay 3000 shillings to get to Jinja....that's a lot. That's $1.50 which is a lot here. So...no way. Then NO ONE will stop for us. We walk for like 30 minutes and finally I say a prayer asking for some help. By this point the rest of the group was WAY far away from us. So finally a bus stops and says they'll take us to the nearby market where we can catch another bus to Jinja, suuuuuure!! So we get in and go to this market. At this market there are hundreds of people in these blue vests running at you and sticking their arms in your windows or right in your face trying to sell you fried bananas and meat on a stick. Disgusting meat. The smell alone made me want to barf.
We cannot find a bus that will take us to Jinja. So we see this man with a truck...and jokingly we're thinking maybe we could just ride in the back. This was probably a stupid thing to do, but we ask him for a ride. He says he'll let us hop in the back for 10,000 shillings total. AWESOME. So we're riding in the back of this random man's truck, just HOPING he's actually taking us to Jinja and that we don't fly out of the back of the truck. The drivers here are insane.
Finally we got there and were starving. It was like 2pm and we hadn't eaten since 8am. And we'd been hiking all day. We went to OZZIES!!!!!!!! It's this American/Australian restaurant in Jinja with burgers, milkshakes, brownies, anything you could ever want. It's so sad that after only one week here we are all dying for American food. We were so excited. The owner lady there was a sweetheart too. A really awesome woman who had taken in many orphans and fed many people who couldn't afford food. She's from Australia and lived in NewZealand for a long time, so she got really excited when I told her I was going there next January! Also, we met some other mzungu's, from canada, who were doing humanitarian work and had just been rafting and bungee jumping on the nile. It made me really excited to go! We're going next weekend! Yay! There were a lot of Mzungu's there it was soooo awesome. For about 30 seconds I felt like I was home. That was nice. I also bought some sweet souveniers to bring home to people and I'm so excited! You guys will love em.
So...tomorrow I am going to church in Jinja again and I'm teaching Young Women's. I'm really excited! Oh Lauren! I forgot to tell you that the girls were all so excited when I told them that I know you and everything! They were so happy! The YW president too! I don't remember her name, but they just LOVE you!
Well, I have to go. Mallory, Jay, Kyle, Garyn, Sam, Drew, Matt, Merrill, Shanda, Jade, Christy, Rachel....and all of the rest of you, I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Okay? Okay. Bye. Love.
P.s. JESSICA MARIAH AND GABRIELLE JOIE ISRAELSEN. I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU NOW. YOU'D BOTH BETTER SEND ME AN E-MAIL ASAP OR I WILL NOT BRING YOU HOME AN AWESOME SOUVENIER. I almost think you don't love me anymore :(
Friday, May 15, 2009
Tender Mercies
Hello! Today marks the one week anniversary of my beginnings in Africa! 12 more weeks to go! There is not as much to say today, but I still want to write. I love my team. They are awesome. My grandpa passed away and I just found out yesterday. I was having a really hard time because I have to be so far away from my family right now. But I asked a few boys for a priesthood blessing and they were more than willing. Today I feel so much better! I am so happy! And I know my grandpa is happy too and that my family will be comforted!
We have been working on projects and will start jumping in with full forces on Monday. We're going to be doing everything from teacher training, to AIDS prevention to adobe stoves building to farming to music dance theater and everything inbetween! I am Project Lead over the Teacher Training and tehre are so many awesome people who are really excited to start on it. I'm so glad there are so many passionate teachers .....and just passionate people here. We're all really here for the rigth reasons trying to do good things. We're all here to teach these people what we know and to learn from them and what they know! I love my team!
Today, Andrew, Ivan and I went on a boda ride around the entire city of lugazi for about an hour. We got to see the most beautiful sights i have ever seen. I'm sad that my camera battery was dead, but Andrew got some awesome pictures. We got to drive right through the middle of the sugar cane fields and go all the way up to the golf course and all aroudn the town. We went to some places where none of us "muzungu"s have been yet and people were jumping out of their pants to yell "muzungu" at us and to see us. Word travels fast here. In one area, there were kids lining the streets yelling at us becuase they had heard "muzungu's" were coming. It was hillarious. I thougth this girl's lungs were going to jump out of her throat because she was so enthusiastic about screaming at us.
Oh this is a good story. So yesterday afternoon, Andrew, Ryan and I start washing our clothes okay? So we get these buckets and we like soak them in soap and stuff and swish em around and then wash em off and Ivan and our cook/mom Mary come running over "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO WASH YOUR CLOTHING HERE. WE ARE NOT LAZY LIKE YOU AND WE CLEAN OUR CLOTHES. I WILL SHOW YOU NOW." So they start scrubbing our cltohes like I have never seen anyone scrub before. It was insane. So we spend like hours cleaning our clothes with Ivan doing the large majority of it ("these are clean ivan, freak!" "no they are not! give them to me, you are lazy! I will show you"). So we hang them up on all of the lines outside and I was a little self concious to just hang my undrewear out in the open but that's about all you can do here. So, after all this work, we eat dindin, go to beddie bye......Its dark outside when I wake up and it is POURING RAIN. It is pouring harder than I think it eve rhas here. I think to myself...crap, all my laundry is outside. I have two options. Option one. Get out of bed, go try to save mine, andrews, ryan's clothes. Option Two. Leave my clothes out there probably to fly off of the thing and either get lost or really dirty again and go back to bed. Definitely took option two. Yeah, my clothes rae soaked. But it's really warm today so they should be fine. That's how we do here in lugazi.
Tomorrow we are heading up to Jinja (where I go to church and a bit bigger city than this) to do some shopping, hopefully tour a jungle, and eat some goo damerican food...milkshakes, burgers, the like. It will probably not be real american food, but good enough. I can deal.
I haven't had any proposals today. So...you know...It's all good. Haha. Um...yeah so I'm leaving now. I hope all things are going well in the U.S. and I hope you have a wooooooooooonderful day! Webale! Or waraba! I don't relaly know...okay bye.
We have been working on projects and will start jumping in with full forces on Monday. We're going to be doing everything from teacher training, to AIDS prevention to adobe stoves building to farming to music dance theater and everything inbetween! I am Project Lead over the Teacher Training and tehre are so many awesome people who are really excited to start on it. I'm so glad there are so many passionate teachers .....and just passionate people here. We're all really here for the rigth reasons trying to do good things. We're all here to teach these people what we know and to learn from them and what they know! I love my team!
Today, Andrew, Ivan and I went on a boda ride around the entire city of lugazi for about an hour. We got to see the most beautiful sights i have ever seen. I'm sad that my camera battery was dead, but Andrew got some awesome pictures. We got to drive right through the middle of the sugar cane fields and go all the way up to the golf course and all aroudn the town. We went to some places where none of us "muzungu"s have been yet and people were jumping out of their pants to yell "muzungu" at us and to see us. Word travels fast here. In one area, there were kids lining the streets yelling at us becuase they had heard "muzungu's" were coming. It was hillarious. I thougth this girl's lungs were going to jump out of her throat because she was so enthusiastic about screaming at us.
Oh this is a good story. So yesterday afternoon, Andrew, Ryan and I start washing our clothes okay? So we get these buckets and we like soak them in soap and stuff and swish em around and then wash em off and Ivan and our cook/mom Mary come running over "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO WASH YOUR CLOTHING HERE. WE ARE NOT LAZY LIKE YOU AND WE CLEAN OUR CLOTHES. I WILL SHOW YOU NOW." So they start scrubbing our cltohes like I have never seen anyone scrub before. It was insane. So we spend like hours cleaning our clothes with Ivan doing the large majority of it ("these are clean ivan, freak!" "no they are not! give them to me, you are lazy! I will show you"). So we hang them up on all of the lines outside and I was a little self concious to just hang my undrewear out in the open but that's about all you can do here. So, after all this work, we eat dindin, go to beddie bye......Its dark outside when I wake up and it is POURING RAIN. It is pouring harder than I think it eve rhas here. I think to myself...crap, all my laundry is outside. I have two options. Option one. Get out of bed, go try to save mine, andrews, ryan's clothes. Option Two. Leave my clothes out there probably to fly off of the thing and either get lost or really dirty again and go back to bed. Definitely took option two. Yeah, my clothes rae soaked. But it's really warm today so they should be fine. That's how we do here in lugazi.
Tomorrow we are heading up to Jinja (where I go to church and a bit bigger city than this) to do some shopping, hopefully tour a jungle, and eat some goo damerican food...milkshakes, burgers, the like. It will probably not be real american food, but good enough. I can deal.
I haven't had any proposals today. So...you know...It's all good. Haha. Um...yeah so I'm leaving now. I hope all things are going well in the U.S. and I hope you have a wooooooooooonderful day! Webale! Or waraba! I don't relaly know...okay bye.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Omubisi
Okay. Geez. It has been a crazy two days. Every day here is crazy! I love it. So I have all of these things written down and I hope I can get through all of them. This is kind of my journal for the next four months too so I hope this works. I LOVE not having an alarm clock. My alarm clock is the rooster that lives next door. I LOVE not looking at my watch all of the time. I LOVE people being late to meetings and not showing up. I thought I wouldn't be able to stand it, but it is the best blessed thing that has ever happened to me. Everyone is SO relaxed here and it makes everyone have so much less stress and everyone is so happy.
An update on my "honey" situation: So....I dumped him. Hahahahha. We had a divorce and I gave his ring to Lacie. Then he was mad at me for a while for giving his ring away, but we just barely made up and we are friends. But HIS friend Julius Caesar. Did I talk about him last time? I don't remember. He was over meeting us and Ivan got mad at him for talking to me. Anyways, he brought me flowers yesterday. I don't understand. And these are the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen. He picked them, and formed this beautiful bouquet with everything from scratch, he made a kind of wrap thing with some cardboard and some banana fibers to tie it all together. And the smell. My friends, I have never smelt anything more beautiful in my entire life. I'm not even joking one tiny bit. Bonnie and Jess LeBaron, remember how when we went to the stores and I would smell that special stuff of Abraham's and wanted to die? It is that times one bajillion million. Answer me this. How come I can hardly get a DATE in America, but here, I could basically marry any man I want? I can tell you this, I have never had more self confidence in my whole entire life. Haha. And yesterday we were walking by a bunch of men ...they all own "boda boda's" which are basically little motorcycles. They own these and they sit on corners and wait for someone to ask them for a ride somewhere (I went on my first one yesterday and it was SO fun but a little scary). Anyways, so this guy said hello to me and I reach out to "shake" his hand. When they shake hands, they don't really shake, they just kind of hold your hand, so this guy holds my hand for a minute, then keeps holding on...I let go but he starts following me and he says "No! But I love you!" So one of the guys in my group, Ryan, says "Omubisi" which means "my honey" or "my sweetheart" kind of claiming me. Hahaha it was so funny. So the guy finally backed off after a few minutes. Ryan was like "what is with you and these Ugandan men?" And everyone is teasing me about "dating the locals." I swear I am just friendly to them....I'm just trying to be kind, but whatever.
So...our water came on yesterday! Hallelujah! But before that, I had to take a shower. I felt completely disgusting. Like, sorry for the details kids, but you clean your arms, legs, face, hair, etc. But you don't clean where your swimsuit covers.....your "necessaries" as we like to call them. So we came up with a shower method for this particular problem. You put soap where is needed, then one stands in the front with a bucket of water, one stands in the back with the same. ONe, two, three. Then there's a bunch of screaming cause the two buckets of water are FREEZING!! Then you crab walk under the rain-water faucet to rinse the rest off. It was really a wonderful feeling to be totally clean. Well....for about 30 seconds.
So we were coming up with a team mission statement yesterday and a guy in my group named Andrew suggested the phrase "self discovery," so I told my group that we needed to have a firm ending, and I came up with "...while on the road to self discovery." Andrew supported me in this and we now put that at the end of every sentence basically. It was hilarious. I'm sure no one else thinks this is funny...but I am peeing my pants just thinking about it so I want to remember it.
Yesterday we went to an AIDS/HIV clinic and oh my goodness. It was the saddest thing I have ever seen. There are dozens of people just sitting there waiting to hear their fate. As I walked in and saw all of these beautiful people...My eyes started to water. It's incredible the power something like that can have on your life. Most people become completely unmotivated and think their is no reason nor any way to live. There was this one woman waiting with her not-even 3 year old girl. The little girl was in this cute white dress and she was staring at me, so I went up to touch her hand. She just grabbed it and held it. My friend got mad at me and was like "don't do that! You'll get some disease!" But I just wanted to pick her up and hold her and give her everything I have. Ah! It's hard seeing these things cause I just want to give them everything. So I just sat with her and held her hand for a while. The most angelic little girl.
Andrew Sitati. I want you to know that half of the men here look like you. I love it. I always want to run up and hug them.
The other day in the middle of the market there were these drums playing and lots of music. I started dancing and EVERYONE was laughing and pointing. Then they made me go in the middle and tried to get me to play the drums. Funny. OH and yesterday I was sitting outside of the SILDA internet cafe and some lady comes up just being really friendly. I shook her hand and she started to pull MY RING OFF. She was crazy. So I was laughing at her trying to ask us for money and every time she would do this insane crazy laugh. As we were walking away, we were like "ah yeah man that was the craziest person in all of Uganda!" And this MAN jumps out of a dumpster making these goat noises and laughing hysterically. So funny.
Well, I need to go and get some lunch now before it is too late. But I love it here. I love the people. i know that we came here to try and do everything we can to improve their way of life. But I don't think I can do anything for them. i know that I can help their education a little bit and maybe build them a stove or two or eight or twenty to help cut their costs, but whatever I do here will NEVER be enough to make up for what they have done for me. I have been here for less than a week and I have learned more than I have in my entire life. These people are incredible. They are so Christ-like and know the right way to live. I love Uganda and everyone here! Even the crazy ring stealer and the psycho dumpster man!
--
Love Will Save The Day
Dani Israelsen
An update on my "honey" situation: So....I dumped him. Hahahahha. We had a divorce and I gave his ring to Lacie. Then he was mad at me for a while for giving his ring away, but we just barely made up and we are friends. But HIS friend Julius Caesar. Did I talk about him last time? I don't remember. He was over meeting us and Ivan got mad at him for talking to me. Anyways, he brought me flowers yesterday. I don't understand. And these are the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen. He picked them, and formed this beautiful bouquet with everything from scratch, he made a kind of wrap thing with some cardboard and some banana fibers to tie it all together. And the smell. My friends, I have never smelt anything more beautiful in my entire life. I'm not even joking one tiny bit. Bonnie and Jess LeBaron, remember how when we went to the stores and I would smell that special stuff of Abraham's and wanted to die? It is that times one bajillion million. Answer me this. How come I can hardly get a DATE in America, but here, I could basically marry any man I want? I can tell you this, I have never had more self confidence in my whole entire life. Haha. And yesterday we were walking by a bunch of men ...they all own "boda boda's" which are basically little motorcycles. They own these and they sit on corners and wait for someone to ask them for a ride somewhere (I went on my first one yesterday and it was SO fun but a little scary). Anyways, so this guy said hello to me and I reach out to "shake" his hand. When they shake hands, they don't really shake, they just kind of hold your hand, so this guy holds my hand for a minute, then keeps holding on...I let go but he starts following me and he says "No! But I love you!" So one of the guys in my group, Ryan, says "Omubisi" which means "my honey" or "my sweetheart" kind of claiming me. Hahaha it was so funny. So the guy finally backed off after a few minutes. Ryan was like "what is with you and these Ugandan men?" And everyone is teasing me about "dating the locals." I swear I am just friendly to them....I'm just trying to be kind, but whatever.
So...our water came on yesterday! Hallelujah! But before that, I had to take a shower. I felt completely disgusting. Like, sorry for the details kids, but you clean your arms, legs, face, hair, etc. But you don't clean where your swimsuit covers.....your "necessaries" as we like to call them. So we came up with a shower method for this particular problem. You put soap where is needed, then one stands in the front with a bucket of water, one stands in the back with the same. ONe, two, three. Then there's a bunch of screaming cause the two buckets of water are FREEZING!! Then you crab walk under the rain-water faucet to rinse the rest off. It was really a wonderful feeling to be totally clean. Well....for about 30 seconds.
So we were coming up with a team mission statement yesterday and a guy in my group named Andrew suggested the phrase "self discovery," so I told my group that we needed to have a firm ending, and I came up with "...while on the road to self discovery." Andrew supported me in this and we now put that at the end of every sentence basically. It was hilarious. I'm sure no one else thinks this is funny...but I am peeing my pants just thinking about it so I want to remember it.
Yesterday we went to an AIDS/HIV clinic and oh my goodness. It was the saddest thing I have ever seen. There are dozens of people just sitting there waiting to hear their fate. As I walked in and saw all of these beautiful people...My eyes started to water. It's incredible the power something like that can have on your life. Most people become completely unmotivated and think their is no reason nor any way to live. There was this one woman waiting with her not-even 3 year old girl. The little girl was in this cute white dress and she was staring at me, so I went up to touch her hand. She just grabbed it and held it. My friend got mad at me and was like "don't do that! You'll get some disease!" But I just wanted to pick her up and hold her and give her everything I have. Ah! It's hard seeing these things cause I just want to give them everything. So I just sat with her and held her hand for a while. The most angelic little girl.
Andrew Sitati. I want you to know that half of the men here look like you. I love it. I always want to run up and hug them.
The other day in the middle of the market there were these drums playing and lots of music. I started dancing and EVERYONE was laughing and pointing. Then they made me go in the middle and tried to get me to play the drums. Funny. OH and yesterday I was sitting outside of the SILDA internet cafe and some lady comes up just being really friendly. I shook her hand and she started to pull MY RING OFF. She was crazy. So I was laughing at her trying to ask us for money and every time she would do this insane crazy laugh. As we were walking away, we were like "ah yeah man that was the craziest person in all of Uganda!" And this MAN jumps out of a dumpster making these goat noises and laughing hysterically. So funny.
Well, I need to go and get some lunch now before it is too late. But I love it here. I love the people. i know that we came here to try and do everything we can to improve their way of life. But I don't think I can do anything for them. i know that I can help their education a little bit and maybe build them a stove or two or eight or twenty to help cut their costs, but whatever I do here will NEVER be enough to make up for what they have done for me. I have been here for less than a week and I have learned more than I have in my entire life. These people are incredible. They are so Christ-like and know the right way to live. I love Uganda and everyone here! Even the crazy ring stealer and the psycho dumpster man!
--
Love Will Save The Day
Dani Israelsen
Monday, May 11, 2009
Shake Shake That Mango Tree
I am sitting inside an internet cafe right in the middle of the market place and there are about 300 people gathered outside listeing to this man yell and some music. Right now TI's Live Your Life is on! Yah man! Okay I have so much to tell and I finally have a second to get on and write. Okay so here are some of the things about our living conditions. I don't really remember what I said last time so forgive me if I repeat myself. Our house is two stories and as of today there are 28 of us living there. It is not very big. Maybe like my kitchen, family room, and great room....that's about it. But it is probably the second biggest house in Uganda besides the mayors. It is a doctors house. We do not have running water right now. For some reason they turned it off in the entire city for a few days and ...yeah...which means....I am very sweaty and dirty! Yuck! But it's okay. I am so happy to be here. I don't know if I have been this happy since I was playing with my six boys before they all left! It is hard making the adjustments to be here (not to mention every one has WAY bad B.O. Sick), but I am still so happy! Heavenly Father is blessing me! Oh! Backstreet Boys just came on! American Music! Yeah!
Also, we do nto have flushing toilets. Yes, I pee in a hole in the ground. It is the weirdest thing I have ever experienced. I can not tell you how blessed you boys and men are. We females have a lot harder time aiming. Yeah....But it's a talent I will eventually posses I am sure. The food is good. Just a lot of rice and beans. I love rolex's and these scone things that no one really knows what they are called. They call them "snahks" because they can't say "snacks."
We are the most popular people in town. Every where we go, people follow us and stare at us and yell "Muzungu! Bye Muzungu! How Ah You?" They cannot say their "r"s. Neither do they use any contractions. Do Not. Cannot. Should not. Etc. When you are talking to anyone...even if they have had many years of english, you have to talk like them. So I have started to think in their accent.
Everyone dresses so nice here! All of the women wear dresses or skirts and all fo the men have slacks and button up shirts. Especially at church! Oh I loved Church so much! I went to the Jinja ward yesterday and it was so beautiful! The chapel is open and warm with fans blowing and all of the windows and doors wide open, yet it was so quiet and peaceful and the spirit was so strong. A little girl named Sarah passed me a note and she said "this is for you" at the very end of the meeting. It was so cute. It just read "I want to be your friend. I think you are nice" and then her address and her brother's phone number haha. I love it. I am also teaching young womens next week. The young women's president is incredible. She teaches every single week. I can't imagine how hard that would be with everything else these people have to do. I am hoping that the branch president will give us callings so we can really help the branch grow and strengthen. There are many investigators here and I LOVE seeing the missionaries at work.
Oh, quick shout out to Jadie poo! HAPPY BIRTHDAY GF! I hope you had a good one. My mom was going to call you and tell you happy birthday so I hope she got a chance.
I have to tell about my friend Ivan. He is so funny. He follows me arund everywhere and always listens to my ipod. Then he started calling me Nakintu (said Na-sheen-tu). He said this was my African name. He and one of our bus drivers gave it to me. Then he started calling me "baby" because "you have a young voice" then he calls me things like "mulaloo" which means "handicapped/crazy" whenever I try and speak luganda. And he calls me "little punk" and...what else...there are so many. He is so mean to me. Then he gave me a ring and said we were married. So now he says "you are my honey" and he introduces me to everyone like, "this is my honey." It is a little awkward and I don't really know what to do haha...and I can't really tell if he is joking or not. But he'll go back to school soon and hopefully won't be with us as much. He is defintiely my best "african friend" and he is so helpful to us! He always shows us where to go. And there he is. He just walked in. What a sweetheart. We all love Ivan. Oh he also made me a bracelet today and now everyone else wants one haha it is way cool.
Um...okay the KIDS! This is the best part! Everywhere I go I seem to find a flock of kids. ALL DAY yesterday ...literally...like 4 hours or more...I just went out of our gate and played with the kids. It was me and a boy named Andrew in our group at first. And there were maybe 20 kids out there...then 30 more joined after about a half hour. Then it was much to complicated to try and do ring around the rosy with all of them or to play london bridge is falling down because they all were trying to touch me and my skin and my hair haha. They are so beautiful! They talught me this song that goes ...
"SHAKE SHAKE THAT MANGO TREE
MANGO YELLOW MANGO GREEN
ONE FOR YU AND ONE FOR ME
SHAKE SHAKE THAT MANGO TREE!"
And another one to the tune of frerejaka or however you spell that haha...
"BABY JESUS, BABY JESUS
I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU
YOU ARE MY SAVIOR, YOU ARE MY SAVIOR
EVERY DAY, EVERY DAY!"
They are adorable. I just can't even tell you. When I go anywhere everyone else in the group just waves at the kids as they come out and yell "MUZUNGUUUUUUUUU!!!" But I want to touch and hold and play with every single one! So I at least touch all of their hands or give them a high five or pound it...they say "bonga" when you pound it. Whatever that means.
Saturday we went to African Paradise which is the dance club here. Okay so....everyone LOVES obama here. Like seriously..LOVES obama. I asked Ivan why everyone loves him and he immediately said "BECAUSE HE IS BLACK! HE IS LIKE ME!" I asked him if that was the only reason and he said, "No. He also speaks my language." So...there you go. Everyone loves Obama because he is black and he speaks Luganda. So when we walk down the streets and adults are yelling things at us we don't understand, we just yell "OBAMA!!!!!" And they all go nuts, "OBAMA! OBAMA! OBAMA!!!!!" Cheering and jumping and going crazy! It is so funny! Anyways...so at African Paradise...There are like 20 of us Americans, so they play this song called "obama the hero" or something like that over and over and over and over. We even coreographed a dance to the chorus and every one just watches us on stage. Look up the song on google or something. It is sooo freakin hillariuos. "hero hero hero obama is the hero of africa..." It is stuck in my head all day every day.
Ihave about twenty minutes left and I'm trying to think of what I want to tell! I am constantly thinking oh Merrill would appreciate that or Grandma Nina would think that was hillarious....but I CAN'T REMEMBER IT ALL! Oh okay so I just love meeting the people and talking to people. I love it. I want to meet every single person in this town. And they are all incredibly beautiful. No matter if their hair is all gone and their teeth are all rotted out and they have scars all over their body and their clothes have holes and their eyes don't look straight. They are all beautiful! These people have relationships and love is the most important thing to them. Anyone who will take time to look them in the eyes and say "hello" is their hero. It is a big deal to them. And I love it! I was talking to another girl in my neighborhood ...I can't remember her name for the life of me...something like Vivi. But she is 15 and goes to Secondary School right now. She is so cute. She speaks english so well! She asked me why I play with the kids because apparently all of the other whites who come here are rude and will not talk to anyone. I told her that the kids in
America don't do things with each other. Every child has his or her own video games and movies and maybe plays a team sport but that is about it. THey don't have real relationships like they do here. They don't love like they do here. And they are SO not fun to play with! Haha. Sorry kids, but true. I have never seen real love and real happiness like I have here. And I can't imagine how I will be able to see it even more by the end of this four months.
Like...think fo this. I am walking with a group of about six of us and we're trying to find African Paradise for the first time. Of course everyone else in the group is too shy to ask anyone and I run right up to this store and ask this man where it is. He drops what is in his hands ...literally drops waht he is doing and says..."I will show you. I will escort you. Come on"....And of course we are white so I'm sure that makes a difference, but this has happened multiple times and they do this for each other. This is just how they are. These people are so kind and so caring and so generous. Everything they have, they share. There are no hesitations. If one child gets a mango, they split it into 20 different pieces and give it to the rest of the group. I saw this today multiple times and have seen it every where I go.
So today we went to an orphanage then to do Adobe Stove evaluations. Which is basically checkin out the stoves HELP did last year and making sure they still rock. Which almost everyone did. It was crazy. There were children coming out of every corner and from half a mile away to play. They all wanted to hold uor hands and tuoch us and see us. I don't know if it is weird to make this connection, but I almost feel like this is hwo it will be to see the Savior, you know? Like we will all be so grateful to Him and run up to him and want to feel His hands and just thank him so much for everything He did. Every child's face...I think of the love I feel for them and can't IMAGINE how great Christ's love is for them. Wow. Incredible. Anyways...one of the girls in the group was like, "Dani, we just need to five you a flute and you'll be the Pied Piper." Haha they are so cute. Oh and I do have my flute so I will be teh pied piper. I just want to keep every single child and take them home with me. I wnat to give them everything I have and help them to find a better life. Even with them being so happy....I want them to feel every joy in life.
I have to go, but I love you all. I love Africa! Thank you for your comments on the last post and keep commenting so I know this serves a purpose. I love you all soooooooo much. I don't really miss you to tell the truth, but I love you.
I hope you are doing well and have a good day! "MUZUNGUUUUUUUU!"
P.s. Lauren. the girls in the ward LOVE you. More later.
Also, we do nto have flushing toilets. Yes, I pee in a hole in the ground. It is the weirdest thing I have ever experienced. I can not tell you how blessed you boys and men are. We females have a lot harder time aiming. Yeah....But it's a talent I will eventually posses I am sure. The food is good. Just a lot of rice and beans. I love rolex's and these scone things that no one really knows what they are called. They call them "snahks" because they can't say "snacks."
We are the most popular people in town. Every where we go, people follow us and stare at us and yell "Muzungu! Bye Muzungu! How Ah You?" They cannot say their "r"s. Neither do they use any contractions. Do Not. Cannot. Should not. Etc. When you are talking to anyone...even if they have had many years of english, you have to talk like them. So I have started to think in their accent.
Everyone dresses so nice here! All of the women wear dresses or skirts and all fo the men have slacks and button up shirts. Especially at church! Oh I loved Church so much! I went to the Jinja ward yesterday and it was so beautiful! The chapel is open and warm with fans blowing and all of the windows and doors wide open, yet it was so quiet and peaceful and the spirit was so strong. A little girl named Sarah passed me a note and she said "this is for you" at the very end of the meeting. It was so cute. It just read "I want to be your friend. I think you are nice" and then her address and her brother's phone number haha. I love it. I am also teaching young womens next week. The young women's president is incredible. She teaches every single week. I can't imagine how hard that would be with everything else these people have to do. I am hoping that the branch president will give us callings so we can really help the branch grow and strengthen. There are many investigators here and I LOVE seeing the missionaries at work.
Oh, quick shout out to Jadie poo! HAPPY BIRTHDAY GF! I hope you had a good one. My mom was going to call you and tell you happy birthday so I hope she got a chance.
I have to tell about my friend Ivan. He is so funny. He follows me arund everywhere and always listens to my ipod. Then he started calling me Nakintu (said Na-sheen-tu). He said this was my African name. He and one of our bus drivers gave it to me. Then he started calling me "baby" because "you have a young voice" then he calls me things like "mulaloo" which means "handicapped/crazy" whenever I try and speak luganda. And he calls me "little punk" and...what else...there are so many. He is so mean to me. Then he gave me a ring and said we were married. So now he says "you are my honey" and he introduces me to everyone like, "this is my honey." It is a little awkward and I don't really know what to do haha...and I can't really tell if he is joking or not. But he'll go back to school soon and hopefully won't be with us as much. He is defintiely my best "african friend" and he is so helpful to us! He always shows us where to go. And there he is. He just walked in. What a sweetheart. We all love Ivan. Oh he also made me a bracelet today and now everyone else wants one haha it is way cool.
Um...okay the KIDS! This is the best part! Everywhere I go I seem to find a flock of kids. ALL DAY yesterday ...literally...like 4 hours or more...I just went out of our gate and played with the kids. It was me and a boy named Andrew in our group at first. And there were maybe 20 kids out there...then 30 more joined after about a half hour. Then it was much to complicated to try and do ring around the rosy with all of them or to play london bridge is falling down because they all were trying to touch me and my skin and my hair haha. They are so beautiful! They talught me this song that goes ...
"SHAKE SHAKE THAT MANGO TREE
MANGO YELLOW MANGO GREEN
ONE FOR YU AND ONE FOR ME
SHAKE SHAKE THAT MANGO TREE!"
And another one to the tune of frerejaka or however you spell that haha...
"BABY JESUS, BABY JESUS
I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU
YOU ARE MY SAVIOR, YOU ARE MY SAVIOR
EVERY DAY, EVERY DAY!"
They are adorable. I just can't even tell you. When I go anywhere everyone else in the group just waves at the kids as they come out and yell "MUZUNGUUUUUUUUU!!!" But I want to touch and hold and play with every single one! So I at least touch all of their hands or give them a high five or pound it...they say "bonga" when you pound it. Whatever that means.
Saturday we went to African Paradise which is the dance club here. Okay so....everyone LOVES obama here. Like seriously..LOVES obama. I asked Ivan why everyone loves him and he immediately said "BECAUSE HE IS BLACK! HE IS LIKE ME!" I asked him if that was the only reason and he said, "No. He also speaks my language." So...there you go. Everyone loves Obama because he is black and he speaks Luganda. So when we walk down the streets and adults are yelling things at us we don't understand, we just yell "OBAMA!!!!!" And they all go nuts, "OBAMA! OBAMA! OBAMA!!!!!" Cheering and jumping and going crazy! It is so funny! Anyways...so at African Paradise...There are like 20 of us Americans, so they play this song called "obama the hero" or something like that over and over and over and over. We even coreographed a dance to the chorus and every one just watches us on stage. Look up the song on google or something. It is sooo freakin hillariuos. "hero hero hero obama is the hero of africa..." It is stuck in my head all day every day.
Ihave about twenty minutes left and I'm trying to think of what I want to tell! I am constantly thinking oh Merrill would appreciate that or Grandma Nina would think that was hillarious....but I CAN'T REMEMBER IT ALL! Oh okay so I just love meeting the people and talking to people. I love it. I want to meet every single person in this town. And they are all incredibly beautiful. No matter if their hair is all gone and their teeth are all rotted out and they have scars all over their body and their clothes have holes and their eyes don't look straight. They are all beautiful! These people have relationships and love is the most important thing to them. Anyone who will take time to look them in the eyes and say "hello" is their hero. It is a big deal to them. And I love it! I was talking to another girl in my neighborhood ...I can't remember her name for the life of me...something like Vivi. But she is 15 and goes to Secondary School right now. She is so cute. She speaks english so well! She asked me why I play with the kids because apparently all of the other whites who come here are rude and will not talk to anyone. I told her that the kids in
America don't do things with each other. Every child has his or her own video games and movies and maybe plays a team sport but that is about it. THey don't have real relationships like they do here. They don't love like they do here. And they are SO not fun to play with! Haha. Sorry kids, but true. I have never seen real love and real happiness like I have here. And I can't imagine how I will be able to see it even more by the end of this four months.
Like...think fo this. I am walking with a group of about six of us and we're trying to find African Paradise for the first time. Of course everyone else in the group is too shy to ask anyone and I run right up to this store and ask this man where it is. He drops what is in his hands ...literally drops waht he is doing and says..."I will show you. I will escort you. Come on"....And of course we are white so I'm sure that makes a difference, but this has happened multiple times and they do this for each other. This is just how they are. These people are so kind and so caring and so generous. Everything they have, they share. There are no hesitations. If one child gets a mango, they split it into 20 different pieces and give it to the rest of the group. I saw this today multiple times and have seen it every where I go.
So today we went to an orphanage then to do Adobe Stove evaluations. Which is basically checkin out the stoves HELP did last year and making sure they still rock. Which almost everyone did. It was crazy. There were children coming out of every corner and from half a mile away to play. They all wanted to hold uor hands and tuoch us and see us. I don't know if it is weird to make this connection, but I almost feel like this is hwo it will be to see the Savior, you know? Like we will all be so grateful to Him and run up to him and want to feel His hands and just thank him so much for everything He did. Every child's face...I think of the love I feel for them and can't IMAGINE how great Christ's love is for them. Wow. Incredible. Anyways...one of the girls in the group was like, "Dani, we just need to five you a flute and you'll be the Pied Piper." Haha they are so cute. Oh and I do have my flute so I will be teh pied piper. I just want to keep every single child and take them home with me. I wnat to give them everything I have and help them to find a better life. Even with them being so happy....I want them to feel every joy in life.
I have to go, but I love you all. I love Africa! Thank you for your comments on the last post and keep commenting so I know this serves a purpose. I love you all soooooooo much. I don't really miss you to tell the truth, but I love you.
I hope you are doing well and have a good day! "MUZUNGUUUUUUUU!"
P.s. Lauren. the girls in the ward LOVE you. More later.
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