All these things shall give thee experience...
New area, new challenges
July 6- Aug 1
We have figured out several reasons why we were sent to the Uganda Kampala East Mission, one reason has been to get the apartment ready for the missionary couple that is coming after we leave. There have been several things that have needed attention and after many visits from multiple repair people we now have a washing machine that functions properly and doesn't dump water on the floor and rock and roll. The toilet still leaks but we will keep after the management on that one. There is a new stove and refrigerator which is very nice. The yuka device, which monitors our electricity usage, is hung properly on a wall and plugged in. The broom and mop have a home and we have WiFi but are pushing for a better service level. It's a work in progress but we feel good about where we are at.
"If you would know strength and patience, welcome to the company of trees."
Hal Borland
The church facilities group came and hooked up a water filter. We are happy we do not have to buy bottled water any more. They also put in the battery back up system. This is important, if we lose national power the batteries will kick in and our things will continue to work, almost seamlessly, we simply hear a click when the power changes over. They also brought our mattress topper from the Gulu apartment. Our bed is more comfortable and we are happy to have a better nights sleep. We had asked for a picture of Christ while in Gulu for the apartment, they brought that too! The picture reminds us of who we serve and why we are here.
Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many; but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days.
Doctrine and Covenants 24:8
Despite all of the housekeeping distractions, the missionary work which we have been assigned to do is moving forward. We have been asked to train and support the leaders in both the Mbale District and the Busia District. We started by meeting with the District Presidents of each district to see what their needs and priorities are for training. From there we have begun to set up and do the training. We stay in Mbale but Busia is a 2 hour drive and close to Kenya, the route there is always full of big shipping trucks.
Mbale
The members in Mbale have a good understanding of the gospel and how the church operates. There are a nice number of English speaking members and their meetings have admirable participation and gospel knowledge. In Mbale there are four branches and two Groups. The Mugiti branch is a 15 minute drive from the Mbale building. Tororo and Malaba, the other two branches, are over an hour and an hour and a half away. Malaba is actually in Kenya. Travel presents challenges for the people who need training from those branches. Both of the Groups also require travel, Namisindwa is an hour away and Sironko is a 40 minute drive in a car, longer on a motorcycle or even longer on public transport.
Namisindwa
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| Moving from one appointment to another in Namisindwa |
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| We never know where the young Elders will take us each week. |
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| Getting maize kernels off of the cob |
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| The entire room is covered with maize |
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| President Jackson's Grandparents, Rosemary and William |
Training Leaders in Mbale
We have held training for the District Young Women's Presidency, the District Young Men's President, the District Relief Society Presidency and spent time with the Mbale District Presidency. We have met with the Mbale Branch President to discuss the as well as his branch. We have also trained the Mugiti missionary preparation teacher. We held, a special training for Branch Presidents to help them learn more about supporting prospective missionaries with their mission application requirements.
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| The Mbale District Presidency, and District Young Men's President |
It has been our pleasure to be able to connect with Jacob and Monic and their family. Monic spent some time helping us look for some items at and around the Central Market (see below) and then on another day we went to their home and taught them the Easter lesson. The Spirit was very strong which testifies of what a wonderful family they are. Their 20 year old daughter was just called and sustained as the Young Women's President in her branch so Sister Kaiser was able to provide a short training while in their home. They asked us to make sure that we return for another visit before we go home.
Busia
Busia is a border town. It is in both Uganda and Kenya. As we travel to the Sophia branch and district offices we get very close to the border and end up in a long line of trucks that are waiting to cross the border. This creates a challenge for us. We need to get around the trucks, so we, like everyone else in cars and on motorcycles, move out into the lane of oncoming traffic and hope that no one is coming towards them. When they do we have to try to create a third very tight lane so traffic can keep moving. Add to this the perpetual chaos of bodas, that have "no traffic rules," and pedestrians moving and limited space and the stress level rises significantly. We have had small openings appear in the right moments of situations that could have been very difficult. We do not feel that there are happy accidents, the angels are watching over us.
In Busia there are three branches, Sofia, Buchicha, Kisenyi. They are all in Busia so travel is less of an issue for them within the district. The members in Busia seem strong in the gospel, some have been members for over 10 years. They speak English, Swahili and the local language. While sacrament is in English, Sunday School can be interesting as they switch back and forth between languages. We have been able to train the District Councilors. the District Relief Society Presidency, and the District Young Women's Presidency. On our next trip we trained the district Sunday School Presidency and we also trained the Branch Presidents and Clerks on how to support prospective missionaries with their applications. Again we are impressed with their desire to serve and their humility to learn.
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| Pascal from Busia |
We had a fun discovery while in Busia. Two of Sister Kaiser's favorite prospective missionaries which she has worked with are in the branches in the Busia District. They were happy to meet us and take pictures with us. We were able to go with Pascal to visit his family, who are not yet members. We shared our "Easter Message" with them and enjoyed being with them. His father has been attending church for the past 6 months and wants to be baptized. He will soon get married to his "wife," who is also interested in baptism. Pascal hopes to baptize them before he leaves for his mission to Tanzania in September. Pascal is great, he is always helping somewhere, has a great smile and positive attitude. He went through BYU pathways and now has his own business as a tailor. He is industrious and working on becoming self reliant. He will be a wonderful missionary.
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| Pascal, Jehosaphat and the Kaiser's |
Birthday in Uganda
Sister Kaiser celebrated her 60th birthday on 21 July. People here are amazed when they find out her age, they usually guess that she is in her 40-50's. On her birthday, we invited our neighbor Caroline, who is originally from the UK but who has lived in Uganda for 15 years, to come over for a visit. We offered cookies and juice. We always get a Ugandan cultural lesson each time we visit with Caroline.
Later, we had ice cream for lunch, it was pretty good! Elder Kaiser must be wearing off on Sister Kaiser, one of his favorite foods is ice cream. Next, we met a member, Sister Monic at the chapel, she showed us where to look for some Maasai sandals. Maasai sandals are made with glass beads to create a bit of art worn on a shoe made with real leather and souls made from recycled tires treads. Unfortunately no one has the real product here, only knock off ones. While we were shopping we got caught in a torrential downpour and drove Sister Monic home through the rain and mud. Later that evening we went to dinner at a nice hotel. We had a delicious, well prepared meal of steak, potatoes, and vegetables while enjoying soft music and a pleasant atmosphere. We ended the meal with ice cream and then went for a walk around the grounds. Sister Kaiser would never have guessed that she would spend her 60th birthday in Uganda, but she knows that this is where she is supposed to be.
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| 2 Birthday ice creams to share |
Sipi Falls
On preparation day we drove to Sipi Falls, which has three waterfalls which are some of the largest and most popular in all of Uganda. The tourism division claims that Sipi Falls accounts for 10-20% of all tourists that come to Uganda. We drove about an hour to get there and then hiked a total of 6.5 miles to get to and back from the three falls. We had a good guide who taught us much about the local area. The products that are grown in that area are coffee beans, green onions, broccoli, bananas, tomatoes, and maize. The coffee beans are what they are known for. We were impressed that they actually use irrigation systems and have the water pressure from the falls and rivers to use sprinklers to water their crops.
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| Sipi Falls is the largest at 328 feet tall. We started our hike by looking down at the falls from above. |
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| Simba Falls at about 250 feet. There is a cave that allows you to go behind the falls and enjoy a different prospective. |
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| A new friend |
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| Ngasire Falls 265 feet. |
After the hike we ate a nice lunch which we ordered before the hike. We enjoyed the view and serenity of our surroundings.
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| Lunch spot |
After our respite we drove with our guide to the base of the largest waterfall. It was impressive! It was also a nice change of pace. We loved the chance to be in nature and to see the beauty that God has created for us. Our lives are much like the water that we have seen recently, at times it is like the pleasant stream that brings us near with it's enchanting sound and life sustaining ability, and other times it comes crashing forward with power and unharnessed beauty and we just hang on and hope for the best. All in all it is a joyful journey, and even when the waterfalls of trouble come, if you look hard enough you can see the rainbow which is a covenant promise from God of His love for His children here on earth.
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