Home Away From Home

Can I tell you something? I am so happy. I had this realization the other day on one of my long taxi rides home. Don't get me wrong, I have been happy here since the moment I stepped off the plane, but it just really hit me this last week how much I absolutely love being here. It's a big change to move from a cushy life in America to spending three months in African villages and slums. I don't feel like I experienced culture shock too much when I first got here, but I was definitely missing a lot of the everyday luxuries that I was so used to. The first week or so I kind of had the mindset that this would be a good experience, but that when August came around I would be happy to go back to America and stay there. That is definitely not the case anymore. Sometimes I think about what it's going to be like saying goodbye to this place and these people in August, and I immediately have to stop thinking about it before I start crying. I have been here a little over a month (can't believe how fast it's gone!) and I am already getting super attached. I can't imagine what two more months is going to do to me. Be warned...I may not get on the plane at all. I can't believe how comfortable I have gotten here already.

Love this place

 I realized how happy I am here last week when I was on my way home from Bududa. Why then? Because I was on my way home from Bududa. And that place makes me really happy. Bududa is the village where I am working with PDI to build a nursery school and start an after school program. And I just love it there. Bududa is kind of where everything clicked for me the first week I was here. We had been running all over the area meeting with lots of potential partners and figuring out projects, and that combined with getting to know a totally new culture was a little overwhelming for me. It was in the ridiculously long and crowded taxi ride up to Bududa that I had the thought "What am I doing here?" I was so happy to be in Africa and to have the opportunity to help people, but at the same time I just wasn't sure why I was here or what I was supposed to be doing. And then we got to beautiful Bududa. And met the Zaales. And learned about PDI. And saw the site for the new school. And played with the kids. And spent more time with the Zaales. And suddenly I wasn't having those concerns anymore.

The Zaales. I love them. 

It sounds weird, but it was almost like a spiritual experience. I just knew instantly that this is where I'm supposed to be working, and this is the reason that I came here. It was really kind of amazing. And I feel that same way every time I have gone up there since then. There is just a special feeling in that village, and especially at the Zaale's house, that just draws me to it. I'm not sure why. But I'm not questioning it. I just love it. Also, it probably helps that David and Elizabeth treat us like royalty every time we are there. They are just incredible.

Post-dinner dance parties also make the Zaale's house the best place ever

 Also, today we went to the primary school that Stephen and Sarah Butali run. The Butalis are the cutest little family that are in the branch, and have been since it was started three years ago. Stephen actually just got put into the branch presidency a couple of weeks ago. They are incredible. Like really incredible. I am teaching their daughter, Dina, piano lessons and she is just the sweetest girl. Their other daughter, Esther, is 19 and just the funniest girl ever. We have similar senses of humor (which you don't find often among Ugandans) and she had me nearly in tears from laughing so hard at FHE last night. It was so fun to go to their house today and see pictures of Christ, and the prophet, and the temple like you would see in the typical Mormon house in America. Sarah also asked that we said a prayer before we ate lunch and right before we left their house ("Baby Samantha, would you say a prayer for us?") It was so refreshing. I just love the church. They also showed us the framed certificate that they got when they took their whole family to the Johannesburg, South Africa temple to be sealed a few years ago. I may have teared up a little bit when I saw that. Such a big sacrifice, but such a big blessing. I haven't spent a lot of time with the Butalis, but I can already say that I love them more than I can even tell you.

 Uganda is incredible. I'm so beyond happy to be here. And that's my story.

Sarah. Love her sooo much!