The Messy Joy of Our Mission
June 20- July 5 2026
Silverback Mountain Gorilla
BUT FIRST
We prepared to depart Gulu on Sunday, June 21, but first we had a few last responsibilities and connections to complete the Saturday before. We had the last missionary preparation class on Saturday, June 20, which turned out to be the same day as the wedding of our friends Fatiki and Constantine. The bride and groom were to be married at the Bardege chapel. We had a solid plan, and were prepared for the day as we got into the truck to drive to the chapel. Then the truck struggled to start. We got it started but thinking long term, were concerned about our upcoming drive to Kampala. Our morning just got complicated.
Sister Kaiser dropped Elder Kaiser off at the chapel and went to pick up prospective missionaries from Pece building. She dropped them off near the chapel then drove to the mechanics shop. A mechanic got in the truck and we drove back to the Bardege Chapel. Sister Kaiser described the issues and explained why we were afraid to turn the engine off despite just getting a new battery a few days before. Sister Kaiser gave the keys to the mechanic with a prayer in her heart that the engine troubles could be discovered as he took it back to the shop.
Sister Kaiser taught mission preparation class with the help of 2 friends, both are capable returned missionaries. Elder Kaiser was a witness for the marriage for the sweet couple. The truck was brought back just as class finished and the wedding ceremony was wrapping up. No changes were made on the truck, we prayed for a positive outcome on our drive the next day. Now, each time we start the truck we have to encourage it to stay started by warming up the engine.
Fatiki and Constantine, a very happy couple!
Moving to no where
The rest of the day on Saturday we packed the truck, cleaned the apartment and went to bed a bit sad. We attended church the next day, June 21, at the Bardege building which was perfect. We were there to hear Anthony Oweka's testimony before he left on his mission. We love him and know that he is going to thrive as a missionary. We were also asked to share our departing testimonies. The newly married couple also bore testimonies on marriage, it was all bitter and sweet!
Saying goodbye to Innocent.
Unfortunately, Anthony was not available for a photo.
We said a few goodbyes after sacrament meeting got in our truck and drove towards Kampala. We were silent for a long time, just holding hands. Sister Kaiser said she would not miss the dusty roads surrounding Gulu but would especially miss the people. We love them with all our hearts.
We stopped at Calvin and Eunice's home one hour outside of Gulu. They weren't there. They knew we were coming but went to "church" with the community members who are waiting for the missionaries to come and teach them. We had to leave without saying goodbye to Calvin, Eunice and the children.
It was another quite drive after that. We arrived in surprisingly good time at the Mission Home in Kampala. We were able to meet Sister and Elder Howard, who arrived a week before but couldn't move into their apartment because it wasn't ready. The Bell's warmly welcomed us as always. We transferred our belongings from our truck to the Howards truck. We arrived at a very complicated time for the Bells and Howards. The Bells and Howards would be moving to their new places the next day. The Bells should have also been moved well before we got there, but their home wasn't ready.
We ate dinner with the Bells, including Ethan their son, and the Howards. Sisters Bell, Howard and Kaiser worked on using the last few things in the fridge and pantry to make a meal for 7 people. It turned out great. We brought homemade chocolate chip cookies to share with everyone for Father's Day, the Bell's provided the ice cream. Elder Kaiser and I both stopped and gave each other a long hug before the day was over. Our time in Gulu was over and we were going to miss our people there.
Trekking Silverback Mountain Gorillas
We received permission to schedule and go on a very exciting trek to see the Silverback Mountain Gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the South Western region of Uganda. This was all scheduled long before the Bells and Howards were delayed in getting into their homes. Once the appointment was set for our trek there was no option of shifting it to another date. We had to carry on.
One of the Equator markers, this one was found in Kayabe in the Mpigi District,
72 kilometers SW of Kampala,Uganda
We left Kampala in the early morning hours of June 22 and drove 9 1/2 hours to our lodging 5 min from the entrance of the national park. We stopped at the Equator at 8:35 am, long enough to take a couple of photos. It was a long drive, the last 22 kilometers were the hardest part. We drove on rough dirt road but we were blessed twice with guidance by 2 different men named Matthew, who helped us and made sure we were going the correct way. We thanked the Lord for those 2 kind men in our prayers that night.
The second Matthew actually rode in the truck with us, he needed a ride to the National Park and we needed a reliable guide. It worked well for both of us. He took us right to our Hotel, Ride 4 A Woman. We got out of our truck, a bit roughed up and tired but as we stepped from our truck we were greeted kindly and guided inside as our luggage was taken to our room. We sat in the coolness and stillness of the main room. There were large plants moving in the breeze in a kind of living wall created on two sides of the room by a barrier of plants. We were given cool wet towels to wipe our faces, neck and arms with. They brought us freshly made cool juice and let us alone for a while before expecting anything from us.
Reception area at Ride 4 A Woman
Once we were ready, they checked us in and told the interesting history of the hotel and it's name. In short, the hotel was created to help women with employment opportunities and gain skills and education and so much more. We were guided to our room to find a very sweet surprise. They had arranged white towels and red leaves to create a sculpture of swans on the bed with a 40th anniversary message. It was very thoughtful. After getting cleaned up we had dinner and ordered our early breakfast for the next morning.
Gorilla Trekking
On Tuesday, June 23 after breakfast we drove our private vehicle into the park, unlike most guests, who came with a hired guide. After checking in and having our temperature taken, we watched local dancers entertain then listened to instructions and were divided into groups and told which Gorilla Family we would be going to see that day. We were assigned to hike to the Katwe Gorilla Family.
The beautiful view we had as we parked the truck, before we started hiking up even higher.
The mountain people terrace farm.
The guide for our group, Omax, rode with us in our truck. It was our pleasure to have him join us, he was very nice. We drove up and up and up the rough dirt mountain road then got out and were given an opportunity to hire a porter to carry our back pack. Hiring them means they earned money that day. They are mountain people and used to the climbing. We hired Jackie to be our porter. She was nearby if we needed anything from our pack.
Elder Kaiser, Jackie and our fellow trekkers.
We got to know our fellow trekkers as we hiked. They were from Fresno CA, Gilbert AZ, Texas, and Germany. We had rangers and porters also hiking with us. It was a large group. We hiked up and up, rarely did we have flat areas. Then the scenery changed and we were on a narrow, one person path through dense tropical vegetation with more lush plants than before. The roots and vines required that we stepped carefully. We wanted to stop and look around but we were on a purposeful mission.
Suddenly our line of people stopped when we saw some new rangers talking to Omax who had not been trekking with us. We knew we must be close and we were. As we gathered together in a group, we saw a male silverback gorilla down in a valley all by himself. It was almost as though we took collective breath. We started grabbing our cameras and moving to photo-taking position but Omax stopped us and gave instructions. We were not to take water or food with us. We were to stay at least10 meters away from the gorillas and to move slowly and talk in soft voices or whispers. We would have one hour there. No flash photography. Everyone had to put a mask on. The gorillas can catch human sickness. Then, to our surprise we started moving toward the gorilla. We got close. Surprisingly close. The male gorilla did not like the people cutting him off from his family and pounded the ground and made a threatening noise. We all stood very still and let him move. He was fine after he got closer to his family.
We were told there were 7-9 of the gorillas in the family. The females were shy and hard to see up the hill hidden in the vines. There were some young ones hiding in a tent of vines nearby. We knew they were there because of movement and munching noises and occasionally we saw a glimpse of a little arm grabbing a leaf or vine. The focus was on the male at first until the others started moving and became comfortable with us being there. He just ate plants, that's all he did. He was very solid and probably weighed as much or more than 2 men. Sometimes he stopped and rested but he kept his eye on us, never sleeping. Elder Kaiser saw a man pick away a leaf or vine to allow for a better photograph. A ranger told the man to not pick the plants or it would anger the gorillas. They might think that he was taking the gorillas food. All of the rangers had machetes for clipping leaves and vines. The machete is less threatening to the gorilla, they don't think their food is being taken when it falls to the ground.
Elder Kaiser getting photos with a ranger nearby.
The rangers were always nearby, making sure we were safe but also making sure we were having a good experience. They helped position us and used their machetes to clear our view. We were often within very close range of the younger gorillas. Their fur was soft looking and Sister Kaiser wanted to touch it, but she did not. They have brown eyes and ebony fur and are very peaceful. They stay as a family, one dominate male and several females and young ones and babies. The males weigh between 300-485 pounds. The females weigh around 200 pounds. A baby weighs about 4 pounds at birth. These animals are the largest primates on earth but are endangered. The males get the silver saddle of hair across their back when they mature between 12-15 years old.
At one point people were asking others to take their photo with the silverback gorilla behind them. Sister Kaiser took a couple of these photos for others then someone offered to take a photo of her and Elder Kaiser. Just when the photo was being taken the silverback got up and moved with his backside towards us. It was funny to have his behind in our photo but we also got to see his silver saddle and capture it in a photo.
Gorillas have a unique nose print like a human fingerprint, no two are alike. They live for about 40 years and there are about 1,100 living today which is an increase from 250 in the mid 1970's. The largest number of these gentle giants can be found in Uganda in the Bwindi National Park.
It was not lost on us that we were having a unique, once in a lifetime experience. After a while there was a natural unspoken agreement that we had invaded the daily events of these beautiful peaceful animals long enough. We were feeling done and it started to sprinkle so we moved quietly back up the hill to our waiting porters, thanking them for being there. We put on our rain gear and started our trek back through the dense forest in the rain. We all exclaimed what a cool and amazing experience we had just had. We were all smiles. After we left the mountain rain forest the rain stopped. There was no evidence of any rain falling in that area. Further down we stopped at an open area and sat on logs to eat our lunch around 2 pm. Wow Just Wow!!! That was a great way to celebrate our 40th Wedding Anniversary which will probably never be topped with such a unique and special experience.
Long ago in our marriage we set a standard of travel that we take on activities with no regrets. When we looked at the cost of the gorilla trekking experience, even with all of the perks of being a "local," it was expensive. When Elder Kaiser asked Sister Kaiser if we should proceed the answer was clear to both of us, "No Regrets."
After Jackie our porter was thanked and paid and we headed back down the mountain in our truck with Omax. He started asking us questions about religion. He shared how frustrated he is with his job, he has to work on Sundays with no opportunity to go to church to worship. He spoke of not being able to be around his son because of sudden assignment changes. He said he just feels empty without having something to anchor him. We had a good conversation that hopefully left him uplifted to knowing how to connect daily with the Savior. In the end he was given some pamphlets and a Book of Mormon and we exchanged phone numbers. He is such a nice person, it made the end of our day feel pleasantly finished.
Surprises Await
We didn't officially watch our steps or altitude gain but our iPhones in our pockets showed that Sister Kaiser, who has a shorter stride, walked 8.8 miles and climbed 158 floors, about 10 feet of elevation gained is one floor. We did well, considering the intensity of some of the climbing we did with meager preparation required for a hike of that nature. The trek left us tired upon arrival back at our hotel room. We cleaned up and rested. Then a soft knock came on our door.
These dancers had a lot of energy at the end of their day!
The dancers were waiting for us. So we went to see the dancers, we were the only guests who came. In the end Sister Kaiser danced with the women and Elder Kaiser stayed put. It put a smiles on our faces. After the dancing our host took us around the compound to see all that the women work on each day. They gather and have a prayer meeting each morning in a large room. We were asked to give the prayers and message the next day but we planned to be gone before the women had assembled. It was such a nice gesture to ask us to join them. Other classes offered are teaching traditional outdoor cooking then guests eat the food on an elevated pavilion among the tree tops. They also offer basket weaving, sewing classes and bike ride tours of the area.
It was a pleasant evening and we took our time with our guide then went to get our laptops to catch up on a few emails before dinner in the main room where the wifi was. We had not been there long when Ruth, our host for the evening, came and told us that she needed to show us something. We closed up our devices and followed her across the grassy dancing ground to the elevated pavilion. Sister Kaiser was beginning to think that Elder Kaiser had planned something special. Elder Kaiser wondered what Ruth wanted to show us. When we got to the top of the stairs we were delighted and surprised to find the pavilion decorated with floral arrangements and messages sharing good wishes for our 40th Wedding Anniversary. The table was set for 2 people with a candle and nice dishes and napkins folded in the shape of a heart. Ruth said that she and her colleagues arranged all of it while we were away during the day. She said that they wanted to say thank you for our example of longevity in marriage. She asked for some marriage advice. We shared a few things. One thing that we tell people is that we are very different in some ways BUT that our eternal goals are in perfect alignment. That is what makes our marriage work.
Our lovely and thoughtful surprise!
Ruth brought us each course from the kitchen and we enjoyed a good conversation as the light faded. So so sweet!
We had better information from the locals on which roads to take. We still had 22 kilometers of rough road and some rough road where the highway was being developed. GPS is not accurate here but when we stayed on the tarmac the GPS the driving conditions were better. Our Google map showed us driving through the jungle a few times. Google needs to come to Uganda and drive around a bit. We got back to Kampala and stayed at the Bell's new mission home. They were in meetings so we hung out with Ethan and decided which pizza place to order from. Later Sister Bell and Sister Kaiser worked on organizing the kitchen things while President Bell and Elder Kaiser went to pick up pizza.
Meeting Our New Mission President
The next day, Thursday, June 25, we worked with the Bells and the Howards to get the house in order then went to the Uganda Kampala West new mission office and saw the hang out spot for Elder and Sister Howard for the next 2 years. It looks great and we know that the Howards will make the best use of the space and all of the nice new office supplies and furniture. They have 2 elders staying in the office to help them get acclimated. It's a BIG job they are taking on.
The reception area at the new UKWM Mission office.
We waved goodbye and made a very slow tedious trek across Kampala to get to the Uganda Kampala East Mission Office. We met with President and Sister Balilemwa and also met their children. We know that we will be led by a faithful disciple of Christ. They are great people. We were officially given our assignment to work in Mbale and drive to Busia 2 times a week to support the district in that area as well. At the end of our visit we were asked to share our testimonies. It was a Spirit filled room after all 4 of us had shared.
Elder and Sister Kaiser, Sister Balilemwa, their two children, President Balilemwa
We picked up dinner at CJ's, which is the preferred restaurant by the Bells and all the missionaries. The food is good, has large portions and has very good service but most important, it is clean! Much of it is Mexican/American influenced. We had the not-so-fun task of driving back through town for over an hour to get to the Bells. We enjoyed dinner together and Elder Kaiser tried to help President Bell set up the new dryer. Sister Kaiser taught Sister Bell some shortcuts on her iPhone.
Mbale
We left the next day, Friday, June 26, for Mbale. It was a hard drive. We weren't expecting that. It took us 2 hours to get out of Kampala. The roads were full of big slow trucks. We will be much closer to Kenya. The trucks we shared the road with were taking supplies across the border. It was fun however to pull over 2 times to introduce ourselves to the missionaries in the Mbale Zone once we were close to Mbale. They were happy to know that we were staying there. One of the Elders was trained in Gulu while we were there, that was fun to see Elder Gatua again!
We met the Landlord who had arranged to meet us at a hotel. We followed him to our new apartment about 3 kilometers away. We were grateful that he was attentive and made an effort to help us find our way but when we saw the apartment we were underwhelmed. It was not ready for us, at all. It's been a work in progress since we arrived. We are getting help but it has been slow going. We thought we were going to hit the ground running, instead we hit our knees to the floor more often than getting out to do the Lords work.
Church in Mbale District
We went to church on Sunday, June 28 and were introducing ourselves. People didn't know what to think of us but were nice, smiled and greeted us when we said hello. They seem to be doing great with Sunday services, the talks were on Temples and Family History. That impressed us.
At the end of Relief Society Sister Kaiser asked if they wanted to know why Elder Kaiser and she were there. The sisters all answered with a loud, "YES!" They are too polite to ask, so she shared about being assigned to support both Mbale and Busia Districts and that they will be followed by another senior missionary couple coming in September. They were delighted! Some told her later that they need the guidance that senior missionaries bring to a district.
As we left the church building we took a selfie. It was our 40th wedding anniversary that day. We spoke to our children that night for us, Sunday morning for them. We were able to wish Tessa a happy 9th birthday and shared some gorilla trekking experiences with them.
40 years ago we were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple.
We have both changed a lot since that happy day.
We met more people throughout the week as we went to the church building daily to use the wifi. All of our interactions were so encouraging. We had some great conversations with faithful people.
We went to visit the Mugiti branch in the Mbale District and met a prospective missionary that Sister Kaiser has been working with for a long time. Not all prospective missionaries have such hard experiences but Peace has been a tough one. She seems to have everything go sideways. It was good to meet with her and her branch president. There was good communication and hopefully the needed documents will be applied for and she will not be delayed in getting to her assigned mission area.
While at the Mugiti branch we volunteered to drive 2 elders and 2 young adult women to an area very far from the branch. The Elders needed to visit people, the sisters needed to talk to youth about FSY and youth activity coming up that is fun and spirit filled. Sister Kaiser sat in the back between 1 elder and the 2 sisters, the other elder sat up front. It was a very long way from the building. We passed through villages and rice paddies and forests and homes sprinkled here and there. We had to make our way back to the church without our guides and could not rely on GPS. We did great until the last turn but got it figured out quick enough.
We passed through a huge rice paddy.
They convert the swamps into rice paddys.
On Sunday, July 5 we left our apartment at 7:30 am and drove 2 hours to Busia. It was a pleasant drive looking at new scenery in the morning light. GPS worked just fine and took us to the chapel. We met a few members who greeted us upon arrival. One of our true delights was meeting Elder McFarlane, he was a key element in helping Geoffery to be able to listen to the scripture CD's. Elder Kaiser contacted Elder McFarlane when he was still at home in the USA asking if he could find a CD player and bring it to Uganda. We were glad to pay for it. He kindly agreed to bring it to the mission for us. Upon arrival, he was assigned to an area as far away as possible from us but through the passing of hands we were finally able to get the CD player and get it ready for Geoffrey. We had never met him personally until that day although we've exchanged WhatsApp messages. We were able to thank him for bringing the CD player. He was very humble about it.
Elder McFarlane and Elder Taimani
It was fast and testimony meeting and people had to stage themselves to "get in line" to bear their testimony. It was nice to see. The testimonies were sweet and there was no story telling, just pure testimony.
Sunday School started out with an English/Local Language translation but evolved completely to the local language. We did what we could to stay engaged. Later we met with the district president, President Michael Wandera, he is young, has a growing family and is a good man. We had a good discussion with him. The first thing he asked help with is training people musically, not really our area of expertise. We set a day and time for more training and were visiting about a few other things when 2 sets of tiny little arms slid under the door. Our meeting was over. His little daughters were waiting for him. The mother was at home recovering from a cesarian section delivery.
When we went outside we saw a mother and her children taking photos next to the truck that we drive. Elder Kaiser opened the truck and let the kids sit inside and the mother took more photos. Another boy came up to Elder Kaiser and kept saying, "Auto car, auto car, auto car..." Elder Kaiser also let him sit inside for a few minutes, but he cried when we got in the truck and drove away, he wanted to go for a ride in the truck.
Serving Through the Struggle
We spent a lot of time over several days after arriving in Mbale cleaning, waiting for repair people to come, and then to come back again, mopping up water, and putting our things in new places. We won't share more than that but missions are not always full of highs. They are there, but we will share the highs after getting to Mbale next time. We are happy to be here, there are reasons why we were sent here, some may be known only to the Lord but we discovered a few on our own.
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