Day in the Embassy

The children have been out of school for a week and it has been nice. We went and worked in a bakery. It was a great experience there were no health department that is for sure and we just joined in with the other workers. Very different than in the states. We went to a waterfall and saw a moving plant that the children loved. Then on Friday we were going to a croc farm but first needed to go to the embassy to get some papers sorted out. I had wanted the children to see the embassy so we all went in. Moses a man from our ward was taking us to the farm so he had to stay in the car. We went in an just as we had passed security an announcement said that because of riots we were to stay inside. We did our paper work and then another announcement stated that it was lock down there was no way to get out. We could hear gun shots and began praying for our friend in the car. We found the Cafeteria and watched the royal wedding for 3 an half hours continuing to pray for our friend. The Ambassador finally called us all together and said that we were able to go home right now. Our way to Mukono was still alittle bad but we decided to head home. The road was bad with cut electric lines and fire and rocks. It was so sad to see such a poverity striken people just do more harm to their country. That night there was singing and praying until 5 am in the morning at the church just across from us. I did not sleep much. They seem to need little sleep here.
The next day we had a ward party that was so fun. About 80 people were there we played soccer, basketball, danced and ate. The relief society sisters cooked food over a fire for all of us. It was lots of fun. We also got to see the king of Buganda in a parade. It was such a difference from the riots yesterday. The people love their king and you could tell he loved the people. African people are just the same as people everywhere. They need to feel love and be heard. I LOVE THESE PEOPLE HERE.

A missionary

We found out Eric was to leave 5 days before he left so we ended up taking family photos and visiting 2 orphanages. We read stories from the bible to them and colored and played games. It was so fun. We attended stake conference in Kololo with Elder Watson there to preside. It was great to see so many saints there. Eric and I went shopping for last minute mission items at the market. I loved to watch him interact with people that he has grown to love. He speaks lugandian very well and the people love him for that. We then rode a motorcycle home together it was a fun last memory with him. When we found out that he was leaving I really had a hard time, I was crying everytime I saw him. Tim said a pray after three days and it was an amazing experience after he prayed the spirit came to me and I got up and was fine. I am grateful for a husband that has so much faith what a blessing in our lives. Eric was set apart by our stake president here. There is only one stake in Uganda so we went to his house and they fed us dinner and then we had a small testimony meeting and then he set Eric apart with a beautiful blessing. After the blessing they brought out a cake with the letters RWH and stated that it meant Return with Honor. It was so sweet . There was no electricity but the spirit was so strong. The next morning we left at 4:30 am and dropped him off at the airport. I had always imagined dropping my missionary son at the MTC not sending him from an airport in Africa. I had wanted to buy a bright pink shirt for him to wear on the missionary field so I could identify him, but the Lord works in different ways and I know that it is for the best. WE are a missionary family now trying to be the family that Eric thinks we are.

Africa TImes

It has been an eventful week with finally watching general conference on Saturday and Sunday. I love the messages. And especially loved Sister Allred's talk and the videos that were shown with saints that were not all whites. It made me realize that as these people around the world watch they must think that this is only a white persons church. I have learned alot about being loving and want to help these sweet people here. I loved Bishop's Burton story about President Mckay as he stated one lady saying Will this book buy me a loaf of bread. We live in a place that we are surrounded by poverty. So many needs that at times it is overwelming. We have had riots here. The children rode home with another family and there were rocks on the road and tires on fire. They were fascinated with the commotion. We live in a very safe place but travel can be a bit tricky. We had the missionaries over and love having them in our home.

HIV Testing

Today Eric and I went into the village and helped at a rural clinic. Eric help see patients and I help with the HIV testing. It was an amazing experience. They are very somber about testing and sit quietly waiting for the results. We tested 70 adults and 12 children out of that group 12 adults were positive and 3 children were positive. It was a somber moment as a young very beautiful woman about 24 tested positive and then they tested her baby. It was so sad as the children get it from their mothers either during birth or through breast milk. i cry for the children here. The life expectancy with HIV is 20 years that is if they get medication everyday. Which almost never happens because of travel to get the medication and then when they get there the medication is gone. They need one wife and fidelity to keep them safe from this disease. The people here need the gospel so badly to help them with their issues of poverty and health. We saw woman at the clinic that were my age but looked to be 25 years older. The woman work hard here usually without a man by their side so they provide for their children by themselves. Eric spoke lugandian to them and they love him for that. He took lots of vital signs and talked to the people to find out why they were sick. They gave him some avacodos in bag. At the end of the day some children came and looked at me so I looked in my bag and all I had were some carrot sticks. I gave them one and they tasted it and threw it on the ground. The man we were with said that I had betrayed them because they thought that I would give them sweets. We laughed and laughed about that. they are use to white people giving sweets. We came home to Tim trying to make pizza (adding yeast instead of flour) with a man who was going to propose to a girl in the ward with pizza and some spiritual thoughts(so sweet to see how childlike they are with relationships. Also had a 23 year old woman over who wants to marry a white because she does not like the african culture of men making the woman do everything. Change will come but it will be slow here.

Sundays

I love Sundays here they are very busy and we seem to always feel so welcomes here. I serve in the nursery they have a very different idea of what a three year old should be doing that we do in the states. THey expect them to sit in chairs for two hours and just listen. It has been interesting as I have come in and let them play and sing and move around. Last week I made homemade play dough and brought it. The children about 9 just sat and looked t it. I had to teach them what to do with it. Once they understood what it was they played with it for 45 minutes. Cariel is the ward pianist and plays for everything. She does such a nice job. We had a baptism last week and right before the baptism started they asked if I would give a talk about baptism it reminds me of mission times. The people here have a strong love of the Savior. On Tuesday we had about 10 men ages 21-30 in our home to watch the Testaments and it was powerful to see all of them moved to tears as the movie ended.
Home teaching here has struggled and they are finally trying to get it going. Tim has worked very hard to have this happen. We had our first visit last week and one of the men had only been a member a month. It was sweet has he gave us a scripture.