One Week In Mbale

So I've been in Mbale for just over a week now. It has been quite the adventure.

We have gone to many meetings for many different groups and organizations. We started Monday with going in to the slums for a HIV/AIDS group meeting. These people are fantastic. They voluntarily give up their precious time to developing awareness of HIV/AIDS in this slum city of Namatala. After the meeting we went around and visited the people. It is common to think that jumping up and down will prevent you from getting AIDS. I was shocked. Their understanding is so limited.

We went to a bunch of health clinics but the most heart wrenching was the public clinic. Imagine taking equipment from world war 1 and using that in a hospital and that's what they have here. There have been many donations from people in America and the UK but they are still lacking a lot and the need is so high. The worst was going to the nutrition building and seeing so many little children who are malnourished. It  makes me take a second thought on my feelings of hunger and what hunger really is. 

The kids here are just adorable and always yell at us "Mzungu, how are you?" in the most high pitched voices. Mzungu means "white person". Then they run up to us and hold our hands and walk with us anywhere we go. When we sit down they flock to us and we play with them. The boy in this picture thought it was funny to say shhh and spit everywhere.
We went on a 4 hour hike and we started with just the 7 of us and ended with about 7 other Ugandans who followed us up the entire mountain... barefoot.  The hike itself was GORGEOUS. Pictures don't do it justice at all. What a beautiful land.

We went to a traditional African wedding which is just like any American wedding. We didn't even know the bride and groom but because we are white they treated us like family and we even were asked to be in line for food right behind the bride and groom. crazy. Ugandan's know how to eat, when they have it. They stack their plates so high and then they just eat with their hands. Lately (as in before I came to Uganda) I have been quite a messy eater. I think it's the utensils. Yes, call me a savage if you will but I eat without utensils now and I am somehow much cleaner.

Our biggest mode of transportation is by Boda-Boda aka scooters. It's so much fun. We pile on the back of the Boda driver and for the equivalent of 40 cents they drive us all around town. The pot holes and unpaved roads keep me on my toes the entire time but I enjoy every ride. 

Introductions are a big deal in Ugandan culture. They take a lot of time and every greeting is the same and went just like this "You are welacome. I don't have much to say but i want to thank ower visitars who have come from far a-way to helup us.They are sent from God and may God bless them". They are very Christian and full of love to God for all their blessings.

The church here is AMAZING. I absolutely love the members of the Mbale Branch. They are so warm and welcoming. The best part is that they teach the pure doctrines of the church. It is so refreshing to go back to the basics of the Doctrine of Christ and to see it being lived so humbly. It came as a shock to me after Gospel Principles today when the Sunday School President approached me and invited me to give the lesson next week. Even after serving a mission and teaching at the MTC I am quite a bit intimidated to teach. But I'm sure it will go well.

Wow what a week it has been. I can't believe I am so blessed to work with such great people. It's crazy but...
that's my life and what a live I live.

Travels

Hey Blogging world.

So this blog is all about my experience with HELP international in Mbale, Uganda. Approximately ten percent of Uganda is plagued with HIV/AIDS and malaria is the #1 killer of infants of all known diseases. I am here to assist in helping the people receive proper health care and health education. I, like you, can't wait to see how this story unfolds.

The journey to Uganda was an incredibly long one. Our flight left at 11:33pm on Tuesday January 8 and we didn't reach Mbale until Thursday January 10 at 11:30 am. This was not your average few days a travel. The most eventful part of it was having a 13 hour layover in Istanbul, Turkey.
What an amazing place. The traditional highlights were seeing the Blue Mosque, Haggia Sofia, and the Grand Bazaar. The comical highlights were getting into the country and on the metro. After landing I learned that Turkish people have absolutely no concept for a line and they will push you out of the way to get their visa asap. I wasn't too worried about that. What I was worried about was figuring out how to get out of the dang airport. They have English signs everywhere but they did not make sense. So we just got in the shortest line we could find and it worked. They stamped us and we were free. Expect that we had NO clue how to get down town. We got our money exchanged without any clue what the currency was and how it transferred. So as I was buying my Metro token I put in 500 Lyra. I thought that was plenty but the machine would not let me get my token. So a man named Onosh was kind enough to help us get on our way. He even gave me his number. How kind of him. haha.

Although it was covered in snow, Turkey is stunning. Their architecture is miraculous. We wandered around the ancient building in wonder and awe. The Grand Bazaar though, that place is incredible. It is every girls' dream shopping center. Everywhere you turn there is a little cove store with beautiful lamps decorating the entrance. I loved it.

Getting back on the Metro to the airport was just as much an adventure. Some man just came up to us and we thought he was there to help us get our tokens so Hannah and Lauren gave them money. I was busy filming the last look at the city before we left and wasn't aware of what they were doing. I figured they had been talking to him and he was helping them so when he asked for my money I gave it to him. I realized he was scamming us when he started to walk away. haha. Well I wasn't about to let this man walk away with my money so I chased him down, jumped on his back, tackled him to the ground and forced the money from him.... ok that may be a little bit of an exaggeration! I just went after him and made him put the money in the machine to get our tokens. It worked and away we went.Waiting for our last flight was horrible because we were all exhausted but we got on and finally at 4:20am we made it to Africa!!

Coming from negative degree weather to Africa's beautiful climate was the best feeling. However, it rained most of the way home and our luggage was on top of the car. The drive from Entebbee airport to Mbale is usually about 5 hours but we didn't make a turn when we were supposed to so it ended up being about 6.5 hours. It was no joy ride either. If you've been to Nebraska, New York or Utah you still have no concept of the pot holes, half road half dirt, cars, scooters and people everywhere and crazy drivers like they have here. Literally there are no road dividers and people drive on whatever side of the road they want to depending on the condition of the road. This takes the game of chicken to a whole new level. If I wasn't so amazed by the scenery I probably would have had a panic attack.

Seriously what a beautiful country. Wait a second.... I'm in UGANDA. What the heck!!! Let's just pause and take that in for a moment. I'm... In.... UGANDA!! I can't believe it. I really can't.

BUT...

This is real life and What a life I live!