So on Saturday we left at like 8:30 in the morning to go to the Uganda cranes football game! (Kinda funny side note...last email I was trying to be cool and spell football how they do instead of saying soccer...so I spelled it "Futbal" well turns out that's just the British way to spell it...it's still spelled football so I just was in the wrong country for a minute haha)
So, we rode the Elgon Flyer (Uganda bus) to Kampala which is 4 hours away. Kinda funny...at home I don't think we would EVER drive to St. George and back in a day for an hour and a half soccer game. We got there around, but the 1:00 but the game didn't start until 4. It's all open "seating" (really it's standing..there are no seats) so you have to be there like 2 hours early. Only thing Ugandans are on time for...SOCCER! The second we got off the bus it was MADNESS everyone has these super annoying horns and they are blowing them like crazy...you would have thought we just won the world cup and the game hadn't even started. So basically we hung out for 3 hours until the game started with endless noise and people trying to sell us all sorts of things. There were people in the stadium selling drinks and treats and stuff and in their baskets they were selling bottles of straight gin and whiskey, and cigarettes! No carding in this country..
I wish I could show you all how chaotic it was because describing it doesn't even come close to doing it justice. The game was way fun, but our team is HORRIBLE, and Senegal was pretty bad too....and the noise NEVER stops the entire game. When we got a goal I thought my ear drums had burst and it lasted at least 10 minutes. Then once the game was over oh man, it was a bit too much. My anxiety level was already THROUGH the ROOF from all the noise and now there are 5 million people all walking in the same place and since we are a huge group of Mzungu's they are taking pictures with us and shoving stuff in our face to buy. We just had to laugh or we probably would have punched someone! haha and I am not a violent person...I can't even believe some of the things that people were selling...and the noise and craziness got worse as we walked into town.
Our country director had her Iphone out taking a video and a guy came up and stole it out of her hand! Like 10 people chased him down and started beating him up, but he had either passed it off or thrown it by the time they got to him. She was WAY mad...
It took us SO long to get a taxi because first off the whole city was just in chaos and second our African friend Freddy who was sort of our guide kept trying to barter down the price, but all of us were at the point that we didn't even care how much we paid!
So we are all just standing on the corner in Kampala as it's getting dark and we are all super grumpy by now. Finally after like an hour and a half we agree on paying 20,000 shillings each for the taxi. So then we got to ride for 4 hours in my favorite taxis!! Luckily it was just our group and they didn't pick up any more people, but we were all way tired and hungry and just ready to get home!
So we are all just standing on the corner in Kampala as it's getting dark and we are all super grumpy by now. Finally after like an hour and a half we agree on paying 20,000 shillings each for the taxi. So then we got to ride for 4 hours in my favorite taxis!! Luckily it was just our group and they didn't pick up any more people, but we were all way tired and hungry and just ready to get home!
Let's just say it was my first and last Uganda soccer experience...it was WAY fun, but I don't think I ever want to do it again! A little too much of everything for me. Remind me to show you some of the videos when I get home.
Then on Sunday we of course had church...it was fast and testimony meeting since last week was district conference. It was way good! I love hearing everyone's testimonies...especially the people here. They are amazing!
Then for Sunday school I was asked to sit with an investigator in the gospel principles class. I loved it! And after church there was a new member baptism from the missionaries!! It was SO neat to be a part of. The spirit was so strong and the guy was so happy :)
On Sunday night we invited the 4 missionaries from our branch over for dinner. Our fabulous homemade dinner was french toast, pineapple, juice, and no bake cookies :) haha
As missionaries though they were just happy to have food! And I am sure they loved being with 13 Mzungu (white) girls and only one boy! Luckily we had Josh here otherwise they wouldn't have been able to come!
So Bunabuyoka is the name of the village where we are building the health clinic and finishing the school and everything. I usually go up there with most of our group Monday-Wednesday every week, and then 4 people in our group go to another village and teach classes at Secondary school (jr. high & high school age) so me and Jan decided to go here this week since it's the last time we can and then we could have a chance to teach some of our leadership classes!
So we went up there yesterday morning and lucky for us....we came on the week we were teaching SexEd! It was definitely a new experience teaching sex ed to 14-18 year olds...especially when 75% of them are sexually active!
It's SO sad though because all the knowledge and facts they have about sex are basically from trying it out themselves and they are SO naive about a lot of important facts. We give them pieces of paper to ask questions on each class and I am BLOWN away by some of the questions they have....I won't mention them in my email cuz I know not all of you care to know, but if you're interested remind me to tell you when I get home!
So it was actually a way needed and necessary class..and I was glad I got to be a part of it! So we taught that twice yesterday and then today we taught a goal setting class, and then did a follow up of our SexEd class from yesterday with the older class. It was a neat experience and I was glad I got to go there before I came home!
Then we came home today because tomorrow morning me and Jan are leaving on our SAFARI!!!! :)
I am SOO excited. A little nervous that's it's just me and Jan...haha but I'm sure we'll be fine. Pray for us! :)
So we leave in the morning and ride the bus into Kampala and spend the evening and night there. Then Thursday morning we wake up and drive to the place where the safari is and then hang out there for the evening and have a camp fire and stuff. Friday morning we leave at like 6:30 out on the safari jeep things and go for like 6 hours and see all the animals. Come back and have lunch...then go out on a boat for like 3 hours and see hippos, crocodiles, and any other animals that are buy the water. Then hang out that evening and Saturday morning we go on this hike/walk to the top of the waterfall...and then head back to Kampala (3 hour drive) then take a bus back to Mbale (4 hour drive). So Saturday will be a LONG day. But I am so excited I seriously cannot wait.. I can't believe I am finally going on an actual AFRICAN SAFARI!!! :)
Well I better get going...but I will hopefully get an email out on Sunday and let you know how it went! Because Monday is the grand opening of our clinic (Thank you SO much to anyone who has donated...) so we'll be in bunabuyoka all day that day...and then Tuesday we'll be packing and getting ready cuz we leave that afternoon for Kampala....spend the night there then Wednesday morning we are going GOLFING!! yes, golfing in Africa I am SO excited :)
Then I leave from Entebbe airport on Wednesday night...fly 2 hours to Kenya (1.5 hour layover), 7ish hours to Paris (5 hour layover), 9 hours to Dallas (4 hour layover), then FINALLY land in SALT LAKE on Thursday night at 8:45!
I can't believe it is coming so soon :( I am way excited to see family and friends and ESPECIALLY my cute nieces and nephews, and I am stoked to go to Lake Powell next week!! :)
But I am SO sad to be leaving :( I feel like it has gone by way too fast and I am going to miss everyone and everything here so much....
I don't know how missionaries ever go home....after 2 YEARS!! It would be so hard...
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