Lessons Learned Thus Far

So here's just a little bit of what I've learned in my time in Uganda:

1. The children love us. But they think you have sweets. Lois, our cook Edith's daughter, came and sat on my lap during Sacrament meeting, and she eventually got bold enough to ask if I had any sweets. I had to disappoint her but she seemed content with drawing in Lexi's journal. We are greeted all the time with choruses of "Hi, Muzungu (white person)!" and kids wait outside our compound waiting for glimpses so they can shout, "Muzungu, come and play!" When we speak to them in Luganda, they laugh and laugh. But back to Church. It was so so amazing. I love the Mukono ward. The members are so friendly and happy to have us here. I love being called Sister Brooke; it's good prep for the mish.

2. Fried grasshoppers taste like popcorn. But with eyes. After building adobe stoves, which entailed throwing adobe with all our might into the cracks between the bricks so it would stick and seal, we were fed a yummy, large beans and rice and posho lunch topped off with fried grasshopper. I am proud to say that I partook. They are crunchy and buttery. Like popcorn.

3. We make poor workers. Though we have hoed fields and planted maize (putting those Zollinger farming genes to use), mixed cement and adobe (some with their feet), layed bricks with splattered adobe, and dug trenches for the bricks, we really are not that helpful. They do us more of a service by letting us help and gain the experience. But they do benefit because they get to watch us. And they get quite a laugh. When I was shoveling cement and missed the wheelbarrow, you'd have thought I told a really good joke. They just died with laughter, especially the children.

4. Hauling water is the worst chore ever. Except when you have to fetch it from... THE NILE! Yes, the cradle of civilization. I have hauled water from it. You see these small children carrying two buckets or women holding it on their heads, and you just have to give them props. With the heat and the humidity, and the fact that water is really heavy... basically, it was intense. A funny thing happened when we went to get water by the Nile though. A guy in our group was taking pictures of us and then started to head back up to the building site. A woman shouted at him, "You forgot me!" and then struck a pose to be photographed. So funny... But when you think about it, who knows when she will have the chance to have her picture taken again.

5. Embrace the sweat/dirt.

A few more details:
The password to our compound is: "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," in case any of you want to come visit.

And I am teaching piano lessons. Yes, mother, I know you cannot believe it but those lessons are coming in handy now.

While I am figuring out how to post pictures on my blog, check out our team blog for some.