Loves and Firsts

Today was my FIRST Sunday here in Uganda.  The ward members are insanely kind and welcoming.  I got into missionary mode when I entered church for some reason.  I kind of got anxiety when I entered the chapel because my mind went crazy with thoughts like, "Who should I sit by?"  "I need to meet someone new and get to know them."  "I cannot sit by a white person."  haha Josh, that came with us for the program, asked how long I'd been home that I still feel that way....umm..2 years. haha Hilarious.

I sat by a cute girl named Esther. Before sacrament meeting even started, a bunch of members came through the aisles and shook hands with all of us.  They're sooo friendly.  It's darling and we felt so welcome in their ward.  It's a pretty tiny ward.  Today a senior missionary couple bore their testimonies because they're going home.  They've been here since the branch started--just two years ago.  I was in awe of how many guys that I met were baptized within the last year and were already planning on serving missions.  They're some of the most kind people that I've ever met.  I just love them so much.

I met this girl named Esther.  I sat by her during sacrament meeting and I think she adopted me a little bit. She wanted to show me all of the rooms in the church and she wanted me to go to young womens with her. haha She's darling and she thinks I'm funny even when I have no idea why. haha Though, she is teaching me Luganda and Lugisu.  I've been trying to pick up those languages and I'm doing okay for how long I've been here.  They're pretty cool languages.  I'm excited to keep learning.

ALSO after the young womens lesson, the Young Women's president came up to me and said, "Oh, Mallory will you teach for us next week?"  haha So yeah...my first week in uganda and I'm teaching young women's next week.  Guess what the lesson is?  Preparation for Eternal Marriage.  Hilarious.  Their eyes always get wide when I tell them I'm 25.  They think I look so young...which I haven't and won't complain about.  

FIRSTS...

I had my first rolex this week.  It's chipati with eggs and vegetables inside.  It was really good.  Apparently they're really cheap on the street but I probably shouldn't eat them too often because I think they make me a little bit sick

Boda boda ride.  I've been nervous about the whole boda boda thing.  Essentially, the streets here (if they're paved) are soooo beat up.  Pot holes the size of moon craters and the sides of the road are deteriorating.  Boda boda's are like the taxi's over here.  They're rickety motorcycles with Ugandan drivers that may or may not have been through driver's training.  You can bargain with them for a price and the women usually ride side-saddle here.  I pull my dress up and straddle the motorcycle because my own safety is more important to me than maintaining dainty status.  I hope I don't offend the Ugandans.  It's not as scary as I thought it'd be but..I've never taken one super long distances before.  We'll see if I have to take one into a far away village if things change.

Bucket shower.  So we're only supposed to have two showers a week.  But if we take a BUCKET shower, then we can shower every day.  And since I want to be jogging every day, a daily shower would be favorable.  So I fill a bucket up half-way with water.  And somehow strategically clean my whole body with it's contents.  And as a grand finale I dump the rest on my head and try not to make any shrills with how cold it is.  It was awesome.  I loved it.

Anywho...I can't remember what else I was going to tell you.  I'm sure you appreciate a shorter post after how much I've been slamming you with how much I love my life and everyone in it.  haha Til next post!