"Mzungu how ah you?"

I AM IN AFRICA! I can't believe it. It is AMAZING here. Seriously, the most beautiful place I have ever been. We've almost been here for a week in our little town of Lugazi. We have done so much I dont even know where to start! I will summarize the highlights. First of all, I love where we live. Our home is perfect, all 28 of us can fit. I have gotten used to geckos running around in my room, and cockroaches; I'll be so tough back in the states! We haven't had running water in the home so we have to use this pump outside to "shower", brush our teeth, etc. Also, there is an "outhouse" in the back aka a concrete hole in the ground. We dont have much here, but we dont need any more. Wherever we go, whether it be in our little neighborhood (we live on a hill in like the jungle surrounded by huts) or in town all we hear is "MZUNGU!" or "OBAMA!" haha. Mzungu=white person. The kids get SO EXCITED to see us, its really funny. They really love Obama here too, they have necklaces of him sold in the market, it's great. We went to the source of the nile and rode in a little boat down the river; it was really cool to actually be IN the nile, since ive learned about it since I was a little kid. I still can't believe were actually in Africa! Sometimes were just like "guys....we are in Uganda" haha it is surreal. On Sunday we got to go to church. Half of us went to an LDS branch in Mukono and half of us went to a branch in Jinga. I went to Jinga and it was amazing! It was held in this nice little church building; it is so awesome how the church is the same wherever you go. The people were so happy to see us, and they were so kind to us. They said they needed help in primary so my friends Aly, Lizzie, and I went in to sit with the kids (or so we thought) but we walked in and they handed us the manuel and said "teach". We were like uhh okay! So we tried to teach a lesson about the priesthood, but the kids really didnt seem to understand so we just ended up singing and playing games for a couple of hours. It was really fun! This week we've just been getting exposed to various projects we can be apart of. Some people will be working in the hospital, some will help build adobe stoves and square foot gardens, some will be doing teacher training in schools, some will be doing public health and education, and the list goes on. The past couple days I have been helping to build some adobe stoves. It is such a simple and effective project! It cuts the price down, it is a much healthier oven than an open fire because the smoke goes out a chimney instead of in the room, and it cuts down on the time to cook. Its been really fun to just get dirty and help with the manual labor. Weve been going to the same neighborhood to build them so ive gotten to know a couple kids and I just love seeing them! They are so sweet. Last night a couple of us decided to walk up past our house to see what was up the road. Little did we know, about 4 minutes up the road is a lookout point with a 360 view of Lugazi. It is AMAZING. Seriously, so so beautiful. I feel so blessed to be in a place like this! On one side it is just green rolling hills, and the other side is our town of Lugazi. I took pictures, but they do not do it justice. I am so happy to be here to serve the people in Lugazi! Thank you so much again for all your support in helping me to get here! Hope all is well in the states! and ps Happy Belated Mom! Love you all!