Titles

As I awoke this morning, while still lying in bed I looked around my room and saw one titled given to me recently and another title that I have always had. The “Doc Davis Brother of the Year” titled brought a smile to my face and great memories of my fraternity brothers. The other title was not written, but came as I caught the gaze of the picture of Christ I have in my room. That title, although not written with the picture, is written in my heart—I am a Child of God. It is in the reflection of that title that set into motion a wonderful teaching session of self-realization and prayer.

I have been given many titles in my life. I was first of all born a twin to my brother Bud. I am the younger brother of Sonny and Sara. I am the son of Tim and Laurie. I once was a North Park Owl, an Alice C Harris Husky, a Bear River Bear, a Utah State Aggie and now a Texas A&M Aggie. I was a Cub Scout, a Boy Scout and now an Eagle Scout. I have been called a friend, a colleague and at times a team member. I was once the Utah FFA State Vice President. I’ve carried the Ambassador title for Utah State and even the ASUSU Administrative Assistant. I now have my name outside this office titling me as a Graduate Assistant. All of these titles, and many more, are very important to me and have helped shape me into BTM, but there are others that are more important and carry a much more importance to me.

For two years, I carried the title of Elder Munns as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the south of France. It was there that I truly came to understand my title of Son of God. In the countless hours of prayer, scripture study, knocking doors and missionary service, I began to understand what it meant to be a Child of God. I reflect often on my mission and there is literally not a day that goes by that I do not think about my mission and the wonderful things it taught me. In an essence that I do not really understand, it was on my mission that my life began. It was there that the spirit taught me truths and filled my heart with an understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This past summer was the closest thing to my mission that I have experienced since my return five years ago. I was taught by the Lord more truths and had many moments of true realizations. I have tried to capture those experiences in this blog and share them with my family. In reflecting both on my mission and summer in Uganda and recent events, I know now more than ever I have the sacred responsibility to live up to a couple titles I have let slack in recent years. First, I am a Child of God, and as his Son, I hold the holly Melchizedek Priesthood. I must stand and be true to the light that has been given to me. I must “be thou an example of the believers.” I recognize that in my mistakes, I may be given other temporary titles, but the Lord is shaping me into what He has planned for me. I apologize for those moments in my life when I did not live up to these most important titles in my life. I want to start anew, and live each moment truly understanding who I am. I know that I will struggle from time to time, but I also know that this gospel I strive to live is a gospel of forgiveness.

Writing in remembrance of 9/11 President Thomas S. Monson stated, “Tragedies are not merely opportunities to give Him a fleeting thought, or for momentary insight to His plan for our happiness. Destruction allows us to rebuild our lives in the way He teaches us, and to become something different than we were.” On this day of memorial, I am committing to rebuild my life in the way that I have been taught, as a Son of God.

Selfish

Wow, I was so ready to come back to College Station this past weekend. As I visited with several friends in College Station during my 24 1/2 hours drive, I grew extremely happy and excited to see everyone, but as I arrived this excitement seemed to change to discomfort and feeling out of place. After the welcome back party at my house and everyone had parted, I felt out of place and not ready to be back in College Station. I think these feelings were stemming from the thoughts of being selfish. In Uganda, I was able to envelope myself into serving the people of Keyo and I had invested my whole self into it. Here at school, I was having extreme feelings of selfishness. Thoughts of schooling being all for my gain and not having opportunities to put my whole self into serving others around me made me a little depressed. I remember wanting to be back in Uganda so badly. Being at home in Hansel Valley was so perfect to reflect and truly digest my experiences in Uganda, especially putting on a fireside of what I had learned. I want so badly to just serve people and live for others. But, being back in College Station I felt so lost.

I cannot wait for my little teaching gig to start up again here in a couple weeks. I love working with my GED students and honestly, I am just as excited to see my students, as I was to see all my friends. It will be great to be with them again and be able to help them.

I am happy I was able to experience some of the feelings I did coming back to Texas. I recognize now that I am not being as selfish as I was feeling that first night. The schooling and training I am receiving now is preparing me to be a better servant in the future. What I am learning here is preparing me to be a better husband, father, teacher, public servant, etc. in the future. The Lord has blessed me with this opportunity and I hope to make the most of it. He is teaching me daily and I am recognizing more and more that if I take time to listen and reflect on those teachings, He is blessing me tenfold.

I am looking forward to serving my classmates, my professors, my students, my fellow ward members and my Lord throughout this season of my life.

I once was blind, but now I see

So on our early morning ride to the airport Monday morning, Amazing Grace by Leann Rimes came on the radio. As I listened to the words, I realized that upon arriving in Uganda innocence shaded my gaze, but in that departing moment I realized that I was beginning to see. I wept as the flood of memories came back of the people and their impact on my life in just the short 6 weeks. I am not sure yet how to describe what it was I saw, but I know my heart has seen it. I wrote this post as the plane took off from Entebbe. I am pretty sure the flight attendants thought I was a baby, but I am so thankful for the other teachers as we came together during this emotional flight to London. Love you all!

I once was blind, but now I see.

I saw it in the gentle hands of Evelyn,

I saw it in the watch full eye of Michael,

I saw it in the early breakfast hours with Carol

I saw it in the love Denish has for his munu brother and sister,

I saw it in the hands and the feet of the hardworking people traveling the airfield road each morning,

I saw it in the beauty of the Acholi soil,

I saw it in porridge with Patrick Joska and the other students,

I saw it in the early morning sunrises on the road to Keyo,

I saw it in the village women both in the field hoe in hand and on their knees washing my hands before a meal,

I saw it in the loving embrace the Reverend Zachariah has for his family, school children and us,

I saw it in wisdom of knowledge of Alex and Silvio,

I saw it in the loving care Mzee has for his family members,

I saw it in the tears Angeline shed our last day,

I saw it in the son of Grace

I saw it in the welcoming greeting of each staff and faculty member of Keyo SS,

I saw it in the laughs and smiles of my students at Keyo SS,

I saw it in the strength of the men, women and children working in the rock quarry,

I saw it in the song and worship of the members of the Gulu branch,

I saw it in the smile and visage of Richard

I saw it in the longing anguish of Richard’s parents,

I saw it in the multitudes of boda drivers,

I saw it in the eyes of the war affected citizens of the Northern Uganda,

I saw it in the numberless children calling out “munu bye,”

I saw it in the faces of the hundreds of orphan children at Mama T’s and St. Judes,

I saw it in the employees of Invisible Children

I saw it in the caliber of the other North Americans I was able to teach with

I saw it in their homes,

I saw it in their markets,

I saw it in their streets,

Even though my mind does not quite understand what it is I saw, my heart is full and has complete understanding. I am changed. I have a renewed found-ness in my life. My testimony of God’s greatness has received new light in my gaze. I’ll forever be a bettered person because of my experiences with the Acholi people.

As I arrived in Uganda, innocence blinded by understanding of what lied ahead, but now leaving I see God’s love and grace embracing the Acholi people. May God bless them till we meet again.

Speaker Richard

So, I know this one is incredibly long, but I needed to include details for my own purposes...please bear with me.

It is the beginning of my last week here in Uganda, and I can already tell that it is going to be so hard to leave this country and the Acholi people. Tonight I had a very sobering experience. I have made mention of a certain Richard at Keyo. He is the newly elected speaker and a great student. He was one of the first students to come up to me and greet me my first week at Keyo. Anyhow, last week I made mention that I would like to visit him at home and meet his family. At the time I did not have any idea the profound influence the event would have on my experience here in Uganda. Since we traveled to Murchison Falls this past weekend I was not able to visit him on the weekend when he would be home in Gulu town. We decided that we would travel home and meet me tonight, Monday evening, at his home. As soon as I arrived I could see that conditions were not well at his home. Their hut we loosing its mud and had not been redone for quite some time, the garden did not look healthy and even his father and mother were appeared to be very weak. His mother couldn’t be much older than forty some, but she had the appearance of something like seventy. His father appeared to be a bit older, but the hard work which he has completed in his life has also added twenty some years. There are six children in his family, but I was only able to meet two others. His younger brother Francis and hi youngest sister Grace. Francis is thirteen and unable to attend school because the family is not able to afford to send him. Grace is only 2 years old.

We sat outside and visited for a while. I was able to learn more about his family and also his school situation. I learned that his oldest brother is living in their village and working in their fields. They raise cassava and beans. This brother was abducted by the LRA when he was only sixteen. Thankfully he was able to escape a few weeks after being abducted. Richard said he told him that he was mostly used as a messenger boy, but was required to kill some people. When Richard was eleven he and two of his brothers were sick with the measles. His younger brother, who was five at the time, did not survive. He has another sibling that died before he was born, but because of their traditions he has not been told the cause of death for that one. I do not know much more about his other family members besides that most of them have not been able to complete schooling. His mother did not attend school, but his father was able to complete some schooling. I would have liked to get to know his father a bit more, but he did not talk much. I asked if it would be okay to take a picture of his family and he agreed that it would be okay. He told his father and mother and they entered inside the hut. I noticed that they were changing their clothes. I did not expect this, but respected their humility and desire to look their best even though the clothes they changed into did not appear to be any different. Although they do not normally smile in pictures, I was able to see each of them smile during my visit and they each have the same smile as their father. When the Acholi people smile, it is as if a light is turning on inside of them. One of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.

I asked Richard how his day at school went and he said, “not well.” I figured because they were testing that the test did not go well, but learned that he almost was kicked out of school today. He has only been at Keyo this term and had not yet been able to pay his school fees. They were starting their midterms today and if hey were not current on their fees they would not be able to sit the exam and kicked out of school. I am not sure where he got it, but he was able to pay something like 90,000 schillings today and remain in school long enough to sit the midterm exams. If h doesn’t pay the balance soon, he will not be able to stay for the rest of the term. The total cost for A-level (senior 5 and 6) is 127,000 schillings/term.

Normally Richard would ride his bicycle back and forth from Keyo to home, but because of the late exam today he would not have made it back on time to meet me and so he had taken a boda. When learned of that I was very upset because I know that it would have costed him something like 5,000 schillings to come home. I didn’t say anything to him at the moment, but I knew I couldn’t allow him to pay for his boda back to Keyo. He made mention that he needed to return back to Keyo soon to study for his exams tomorrow, but made motion for us to enter into the hut. Inside, his mother had prepared some food for us. In their tradition, only the invitee and the invited guest sit I the hut to take their meal. So, his mother came in on her knees and washed our hands and then left the food (cassava and beans). The portions were small and I knew that the rest if the family would not be eating. That is when I began to become very aware of my surroundings. I maintained myself, but wanted to cry I was so emotional. I took one bite of the cassava and couldn’t take any more. I could not stand the thought of his sick mother and the rest of the family not taking super. I explained my feelings to Richard and thankfully I do not think he was offended that I did not eat more. His little sister came in and he gave her some little bit to eat and then left the remaining aside (probably for the others after we left).

We washed our hands and then went outside the hut to say goodbye to his family. We walked together to the trading center to catch bodas. Again, we had more time to just visit walk slowly. He became very nervous and upset to learn that I would be leaving soon and questioned how we would be able to remain friends. I ensured him that we would be able to remain in contact. He informed me that he has recently gotten email, though I don’t believe he knows how to type. At minimum, I will be able to call him and he can call me if he needs. As we reached the trading center I informed him that I would pay for his boda and gave him enough for his transport to and fro. He said the very familiar Acholi “sure,” and I ensured him sure. Acholi people do not show emotion, but for one instant I could see in Richards eyes a very heart felt and understood thank you. We said our goodbyes and I told him to let me know when her had reached Keyo safely.

On my way home I was very quiet and did not carry on the normal conversation with my boda driver. In deep reflection of the evening I became very emotional and enlightened on what had just taken place. I witnessed probably the most humbling experience of my life. I saw a family that was struggling to not only to educate their children, but also to just feed themselves. Richard does not even eat while he is at Keyo. He cannot afford food and so he just takes drinks such as tea or mango juice. The realization came that what I had spent earlier that day on souvenirs for my family and friends was more than an entire term of education and food for Richard (127,700 schillings = $50). I started to think back of the different times I have wasted or misspent $50...countless. I very quickly was humbled to recognize the many blessings and fortunes I have been blessed with in my life.

As I reached home, I bought some airtime and called mom. I really needed to share with someone how I was feeling, but the tears just a started a flowing. It is very difficult to words the feelings and thoughts I was experiencing. I was just overwhelmingly grateful for the blessings I had received in my life and so conscious of the hardships of Richard’s family. Even before sharing with mom my decision to pay the rest of Richard’s school fees for this year, I was very touched to hear mom bring it up as something we could do. I am very grateful to her and my father for the example of giving they have always been in my life. What is so hard about my decision is that it is only helping one of how many other students? I know well that Richard’s story is not unique and there are many other students and families who are suffering under the same circumstances.

Skipping to the next day at school and visiting with Richard about my decision.

Richard was on his way back to his hut in Keyo center and so I decided to accompany him. While walking I was able to visit with him about what I had witnessed at school this morning. While I was working on this entry, one of the teachers brought in a girl and her mother. The girl was thrown to the floor and I knew that there was going to be a caning. As the teachers started joking I decided that I could not handle it and closed my computer and left the room. I sat outside the staff room, but still could her the strokes and cries as they caned her. At the time I was visiting with Daniel and I had to even leave away far enough not to hear what was happening. At that time, I was able to visit with Daniel a bit about caning. I asked if he had ever been caned and he told me about his most severe caning. He was a senior two student here at Keyo and one of the boys called a teacher a name. All of the senior two boys were lined up in front of the staff room and caned. What made this story more horrifying was that they were caned nigh a senior four boy. There were over 150 boys that were caned that day by a fellow student. I asked Daniel why the student was chosen and if he was forced. He said that he was not forced, but that the boy enjoyed it and that the teachers thought he would hit the other boys harder. Daniel said that the other students and teachers were all watching just laughing and provoking. I could not believe the words he was telling me. He said that it hurt so bad that time that he even cried himself. He said he never felt more embarrassed in his life. I felt so bad for him.

So I was asking Richard why they do it, because I know that it is outlawed by the government. He said that it is allowed when a parent is present and gives permission and amount of strokes. It made since why I saw the mother and the severity of this mornings beating. He told me of his most painful caning experience. He was in primary seven and had just went to the relieve himself at the toilette. The teacher that spotted him thought he was skipping and did not allow him to explain. He was taken into the staff room and caned by a man described as from another part of Uganda (another tribe). Richard explains he was beaten so badly because this man was not of the same tribe. He said it was not discipline, but abuse or tribalism. I just don’t understand really. I understand that parents at home may use caning for discipline, but I don’t believe it has a place in the schools. I guess it is just shocking to know that it is illegal without a parent present, yet it continues to happen.

Anyway, back to supporting Richard. We arrived into Keyo center and he needed to grab the goats and go and tie them to graze. It began to rain a bit and so we sought refuge in his hut. There we had a chance to visit more about the circumstances when he was supported financially during his senior one and two. I asked about what was expected of him and such in return. He told me about the work he would complete for the man and the expectation he had to provide him with his marks from school. Once I built a good base, I told him that I would like to finishing paying for his senior five year. Again, it is hard for them to show their emotion, but the calm-humble look on his face I could see that my offering was something heaven sent. We talked of what I would expect of him in return and I asked him to write up a letter-contract sharing with me what he would do as well as his personal and professional goals in life. I am very happy with my decision and the added support of my parents. I know that this will change his life and that his entire family will benefit. As I sat there I came to truly understand the hymn, “Because I have been given much, I too must give. I cannot see another’s lack, and I not share. My glowing fire, my loaf of bread, my roofs safe shelter over head...” I am very thankful and look forward to friendship/mentorship that I will share with Richard.

Remaining amount for term 2: 30,200

Senior five term 3 fees: 125,200

Supplies required by school: 44,600

Total: 200,000 schillings

Experience that will change my life: Priceless

Yesterday I decided that I wanted t make some new friends and that I wanted to go and see the dorms where some of the students stay. Keyo is not a boarding school, but many parents have arranged to have some of their children stay here at the school. Well, needless to say their dorms are a little less than par. There are any where between 35 - 60 boys staying in one room. If there are bunk beds, they are stacked edge to edge with no space to walk between, only across the end. If there are no bunk beds, then the foam mats are just placed on the ground. Some of the boys will sleep two to one bed. It was fun to visit them in their dorms. They were excited o show me their area and their belongings. I took pictures and just sat and visited with them for some time. I met Patrick there. He is a senior four student and is the 2^nd of eight children in his faily to be able to go to school. We passed the primary school on our way back and saw them preparing for a cultural dancing competition. As we walked back, he told me about his family and educational goals. We then talked about their breakfast they take each morning. So this morning I came early to take porridge with the students. That was an experience! All the students had huge smiles and laughter on their faces as they saw me standing in line with them for porridge. It turned out to be really good actually. Yesterday, the girls described it as mixing wheat flour with water and then pouring that mixture into boiling water and that was it. It turned out to be just like cream of wheat an even had sugar in it! I actually really liked it and I am going to see if Carol will make it for us one morning. We go our porridge and just sat and visited again. Patrick seems like a great student and I really enjoyed visiting with him. He shared with me that after school at 5 they will return tot he dorm and change. At 5:30 super is served back at the school and at 7:30 they begin their prep period till 10:00. They then return home and he says he will sleep till midnight and then he will wake up and study for a couple of hours and then sleep again only for s few hours before he rises around 5 AM. He says that he is studying like this to get ready for the big exam next week for all senior fours. It was drizzling a bit after breakfast and so they did not have morning parade. So instead I was visiting with James (the teacher on duty this week). I asked him if all students were like Patrick and he shared with me some disturbing news that I don’t really believe. He says that some students may, but he has something out against Patrick. He said that he was one of the most undisciplined students at Keyo and that he was on a list to be dismissed soon. James told me that Patrick was lying about waking up to study as he thinks he is one of the lowest performing students. He says that he is often caught infringing the school rules and has immoral problems. It really was so saddening to me to hear that from James. I don’t blame James, but more the system. There is very little teacher to student relationships. I feel bad that that is the way he feels about Patrick. If he truly has those problems, then I look at it as an opportunity to help him and provide mentorship and counseling, and Ugandan teachers see him as a problem that needs to be dismissed from the school and indirectly denied access to an education. These students would really benefit from a guidance counselor and the mentorship that occurs between some students and teachers back home. I would be nowhere had I not received the mentorship and counseling of many of my teachers and professors.

With more teacher involvement in the lives of the students I think this would lead to less discipline problems. Take for example. Yesterday was the first day we returned to school after the lightning accident and I was shocked to see that they did not begin with an assembly or at least make mention of it at morning parade. No support or anything was provided to grieving students. Instead, all the late comers were sorted off before morning parade and required to slash the grass for the first period. There were only about 100 students who were lined up on time, leaving over 300 to be sorted off as late comers. I just thought it was ironic that on the first morning back they were punished instead of comforted. I was even more disturbed that the two teachers on duty did not see to understand or even ask why the students were late. I understand that boarding students have no excuse of lateness, but others coming from home may have a different story. Many of them have no parents and are raising their younger siblings themselves. Maybe something went wrong that morning doing the chores or getting the younger siblings to primary school. I know that some were just lazy and late, but I do not think that is the case across the board. I also recognize it is difficult to make that judgment call and punish some while not the others, but I feel that they could do more to understand the reasons of truancy here in Uganda. Another example of black pants. So, the student uniform includes blue slack pants, not black. Today, the teachers on duty went through the classrooms and any student wearing black instead of blue were removed form the classroom. Again, their punishment was slashing grass on the compound for over an hour. No inquiry was made to determine why the students were not in the required blue pants. Again, I do recognize that some are just being truant, but what of the others? I am sure they only own one pari and perhaps they had torn, were dirty, there was an accident, etc. There could be more done to understanding the individual student and their individual needs here in Uganda.

Village Woman

This poem describes what I see each and everyday on my way out to Keyo...love it!

Village Woman

Look at the woman,

Tired, hungry baby

Clinging to her back,

And she herself so tired

She drags her legs,

The firewood, bundled on her head,

Weighs heavily,

But still she trudges on.

Her skin, once smooth and lovely,

Is now muddied and dark

Her clothes are dusty and torn,

Her feet dirty and cracked.

The child cries.

With parched throat but gentle voice

She sings a soothing song.

She refuses to pity

Her aching, burdened back,

A back that has submitted to the hoe

For hours on end.

Neither old, nor ugly

She is gentle, tireless and brave.

When she reaches home

She fetches water from the well.

Lights the fire, prepares the food. There is more work in the fields

Till the sun sets.

Dear God! When will she rest?

~David Mwenga

Lightning

Friday night after the conference, we went out to eat at Cedars (the greatest Lebanese food ever). Just as we were finishing our meal, I got a call from the Reverend. Instantly I could tell from his voice something was wrong. Three of our students at Keyo had been struck my lightning. Two of the girls died there on the spot, and the third was being treated at Lacor Hospital. I guess the three girls (all close friends) had been out at the well behind the school and were caught in the rain. They were struck as they were venturing back to their dormitory. My heart just sank as the Reverend told me the news. I heart hurts for the their families and the other students at Keyo. I am very grateful for the knowledge I have of God’s plan for us on this earth and pray that the families and students will be blessed with this same knowledge and comfort at this difficult time.

The Road to Keyo

Each morning as I ride out to Keyo on the back of my boda, I find my self often in prayer and reflection. I love the opportunity to be out on the open road (trail) in the pristine serenity of the Ugandan country side. As we pass several primary schools, I am thankful for education and the empowerment it is bringing to these beautiful young children. As we pass women with their children on their backs and their farming hoes on their shoulders, I am thankful for the strong work ethic these women have and their desires to pay the way of their children through school. I think of my own mother and the work she does on our farm and I am grateful for her example. As we pass the Mzee (old wise man) sitting under the tree, I am thankful for the life he has had and recognize the excruciating hard work of his life that is evident in his worn face and hands. As we reach Keyo, I am grateful to see the children at the well. I am grateful to see even they have a crucial part in the survival of their families. As we arrive at Keyo SS, I am grateful to see my students lining up for morning parade. I see their willing attitudes to obey their leaders and their devotion to God and their country. Heck, I am even thankful for Denis and the african aroma the entire way to Keyo!

Shoes

So one of the next disheartening things that has happened to me is a story of shoes. I finished early one day at school and I headed toward the center of Keyo to find a boda. To do so, we have to walk through the campus of the primary school. As I passed one of the little girls, she stopped me and asked me if she could have my shoes! I just looked at her with a distraught look and said, “I don’t think so.” It was so hard to refuse such a precious face. Couple thoughts on this experience. Damn those people who are handing out free things in developing nations. It is not sustainable! I mean, thank you for having a charitable heart, but give them something that lasts. I often think if the fish parable. “Give a man a fish, and feed him for a day, teach a man how to fish and feed him a lifetime.” The one thing that I have learned and witnessed here in Uganda is the importance of sustainability in development work. I look at a lot of things now through that lens. Don’t get me wrong, I am thankful for the many great NGO’s that are here doing great things, but when we hand out freebies, we create people who are dependent and not independent.

Discipline

Discipline

There are several things that I have been noting in my notebook (no pun intended) that I need to update on. First, the mode of discipling the students here in Uganda. It is called caning. Basically the student is brought to the staff room or out in the common area before the students. They are humiliated verbally, then commanded to get down into plank position and then they are whipped three times with a reed. I am not sure really how to process the whole thing yet. When it is done in the staff room, especially right in front of where I am sitting, I cringed with every stroke. What hurts me the most is the watching the face of the student being caned. There is no fear and no sadness and that is what scares me the most. Their sternness reflects the mentality that has developed in this country through the effects of the conflict. It is as if they do not feel pain nor do they acknowledge what is happening to them, but you can see the anger just fueling when you look in their dark eyes during the experience. One day that anger we explode and in no doubt it will be in form of opposition to authority. I think this is evident in the LRA and the past twenty years o conflict. I fear most for these boys future families. Will they express this anger against their spouses? Their kids? I don’t know. It’s scary. Morgan and I made friends with a boy in the street the other night and I asked why he was not at home with his family and he responded that his was scared to go home. His uncle was there and he had been drinking. Seriously the most distressful thing I have heard yet in Uganda. This boys home was not a refuge for him but a place of terror and fear. Again, I count my many blessings for the safe home, church and community in which I was raised. There is limited help here. Students and people in general have not place to go where they can have help understanding-expressing their anger. Counseling is not available in schools nor in public settings. It is sad. The large majority of the public is practicing Christian and I hope they are receiving the adequate relief and hope in their places of worship.

Denis my Boda

Tonight I am again overwhelmed with a feeling that I do not know how to described in words, but I have to write down my feelings. Denis, my boda boda driver, invited Lauren and I over for dinner and o meet his family. Lauren was not feeling well and so I ended up going by myself to his home. Hi lives with his wife, Jane, and their two kids in a small hut in a compound with his extended family. Denis took me into his home and we just sat and visited for a few minutes and then his wife came in. She immediately knelt down and greeted me. It was so sweet. Her voice calm and quiet, but with a smile that was priceless. She came back a few minutes later with Judicia (6 year old girl) and Johnny Evan (1 year old boy). Seriously the worlds two cutest kids. We had a beautiful dinner of chicken, malaquin, rice, boo and other Acholi specialties. After dinner, Judicia sat in my lap and fell asleep. Soon after, Dennis put her in her bed and we stepped outside. Jane was bathing Evan and it was so funny to watch him scream and play in the little bathing pale. Afterwards, we just sat and took it all in. We visited and Jane began to wash the dishes and some clothes. It is all done just there in the dirt using washing pans and water brought from the well in jeri cans. There life is just so simple and easy. I almost came to tears as I sat there holding Evan asleep and watched their family carry on with their lives. I felt fear for Denis’ children. I felt fear for Denis and his efforts to provide for his little family. I then reflected and said a little prayer and was comforted by the spirit to know that they would be watched after. Even though they have nothing and Denis can hardly pay for Judicia‘s schooling, they are happy. They are together as a family and surrounded by the ones they love. After spending several hours on the front step of hi hut, Denis walked me through their village towards my home. He was grinning ear to ear as he greeted his neighbors and others in the center of the village. He was so proud to show off his mazungu friend. I am equally happy to have friends like Denis in Gulu and really can not wait to bring my wife back here one day and introduce her to everyone. Francis also lives their in the same compound as Denis. I guess they are brothers/cousins. He is the one that I found originally, but when he could not take me early in the mornings he referred me to Denis. He is awesome as well. I took a picture with him and his daughter and then I asked where his wife was. He pointed across the compound to a woman and I told him to have her come over for a picture. She came over and said hello, but did not want a picture. A few minutes later, another woman came strolling up. I asked who she was and Francis is like, “ah that is my other wife.” I looked at him with a grin and just said, “m’kay.” It was a lot of fun and I am so happy I had this opportunity tonight.

Bacterial Infection

Note to self: try to avoid bacterial infections when visiting third worlds. The last two days have been a bit miserable. Yesterday I felt like I was buried alive again under 12 feet of sand. I say again, because I felt a lot like I did when I had dengue fever in Thailand two summers ago. Pablo and I paid a visit to the clinic yesterday to have a blood test to make sure it wasn’t malaria and thank goodness it is not. The clinic actually turned out to be very nice and clean. To draw blood, the technician used a fourteen gauge needle to poke my finger and then just dabbed the glass slide to my finger. Not going to lie, made me a little nervous for staff infection. At least Pablo and I both got clean (new) needles! Anyway, not a lot new this week except for being sick since Monday. This past weekend we visited the rhino sanctuary which was awesome! We only got to see three rhinos, but it was really neat to see them in the wild and the fact that we hiked for like thirty minutes to see them made it really feel safari-ish. The sanctuary was started by a South African family in he mid two thousands and is the only location throughout Uganda that has rhinos. The last wild rhino was poached in 1984 during the conflict. Today, the sanctuary has 11 rhinos. Next weekend is our actual safari and I am so excited to see giraffes! By far my favorite African animal. Teaching has been going well the past two weeks. We have our READ conference this weekend and I am excited for Silvio and Alex to come and network with the other North American and partner teachers. I have to say North American now because we have three Canadians now with our group who came with group 2. So we are now 30 teachers in 11 schools. Seems small, but it is a pretty significant impact on theirs and our own ideologies of teaching. I can’t believe we only have two and a half weeks left here in Uganda! This summer has definitely gone too fast. I am excited to spend some time at home before going back to Texas, but I will be super sad to leave these amazing people. The Ugandan people are much like the Thai and I feel like I have made another home here among these people. I can’t wait to return one day and share my experiences/friends with my family one day.

Reali(s)ations of the First Week in Uganda

Over the course of the week, one of the things that has impressed me the most is the camaraderie and community that exists between the teaching faculty at my school. The students are divided into their grades and remain in the same classroom all day, thus the teachers spend their non teaching time together in the staff room. Secondary teachers here do not teach the whole day like at home, but teach classes at different time through out the day and week, much like college professors back home. So, teacher spend a lot of time together in the staff room. I think this is great. There is a lot of collaborating that happens and cross-curriculum support. ALL of the teachers are friends and express freely thoughts and expectations of each other. So at the end of the week I was very impressed, but something shook this ideology. On Friday the senior 4 students had a agriculture practical to help prepare them for their state exam coming up in July. Silvio and Alex (my two erg teachers) were in charge and I was helping them. We needed extra help to monitor the different rooms, but we were unable to rally up support. All of the teacher who were not teaching their own class (around 10) were all sitting in Boys Club (under the tree) and no one was willing to step up and help us monitor and run the practical (this was much like an FFA field day and you can imagine the need for extra supervision of students). I was so disappointed. It appears that the teachers are not willing to add to their own schedule or to their “contract.” I am intrigued to continue to observe this phenomena and see if it was just a fluke or if this attitude is common.

There were a few other things I realized Friday. I thought that Silvio trusted me, but as it came time to monitor the practical, he bluntly stated that I was not capable because I am a mazungo (white person). I was a little taking back considering the great respect he had shown me through out the week. I know that in his culture that is not rude, but it is a cultural difference that must be understood. Trust is something that is very hard for the Acholi people. Considering their past, this is understandable. They have spent the last 20+ plus years in war with rebel and government forces. As a result, it appears there is little trust between teacher and student, boss and employee, neighbor to neighbor, etc. However, I have found a few exceptions. Our cook, housekeeper and handy man at the house are so so so trusting and amazing. Also, one of my boda boda drivers. Saturday there was a sport competition at Keyo. I called Francis to give me a ride out there. He picked me up and we started on our way. As we were still in Gulu town he asked me, “do you know how to ride?” At first I did not know what he was talking about, but he wanted me to take his motor cycle and drive myself out to Keyo and that is exactly what happened. I dropped him off in town and took myself out to Keyo. I was amazed that he trusted me to take his boda, the one possession he owns that makes a living for his family, puts food on the table and pays for his daughter’s schooling. I seriously was taken back. But I’ll be honest, it was so much fun taking myself out to Keyo and riding through that countryside. It is such a beautiful drive! Another example of great friendships-trust I am building is with my more regular boda driver, Denis. Denis takes me to school each day. We normally we talk the whole way out there. He will tell me about his family, his life and also teaches me Luo along the way. I tell him about my family and farming in the US as well. Friday on our way home he asked me for my full name. I told him and asked him why he asked. He said he wanted to know so that he could name is son after me. Namesakes are huge here and I was so surprised that he considered me such a friend. I am going to go and meet his wife and son soon and am so excited to build that relationship.

I am making some really great friends here in Uganda. The IC staff we interact with at the house, my boda drivers, random locals and the teachers and students at Keyo. Richard is one of such students. He is a senior five student and has only been at Keyo for less than a month. Since day one, he has been willing to approach me and visit with me (many will approach me and shake my hand, but few will carry on conversation. So richard has become my friend. At Keyo, they start each morning with parade. At 8:00 AM, all the student line up to sing the national anthem, school song, school prayer and also receive necessary announcements. I love that they are able to sing the national anthem and also pray at school. America is a little ridiculous in that realm, but that is for another post. Anyway, I asked Richard to teach me the national anthem the school song and the school prayer. During our sessions, I have learned a lot about him. He is 20 years old and comes from a hard working-laboring family. Both of his parents are farm workers and spend their days out in the fields. His parents cannot afford to transport him back and forth from their home to school each day and so he just stays in a hut close to the school. They cannot afford a lunch card either and so many of the days he goes hungry. He is amazing though. Like I said above, he has only been at Keyo for a month, but already he has been elected as the student speaker at the school (equivalent of SBO Pres). He is articulate and leads other students so well. I am excited to teach him and the other student leaders public speaking Tuesday nights during club time.

I have the greatest respect and admiration for all the students here at Keyo, but in the end many of them are your classic shit-heads. I think I lived in denial-innocence the first week and did not want to see that at times they can be just as disrespectful and rude as American students. I believe this could be addressed if the teachers took a more vested interest in the personal lives of their students. Many of the teachers (including Silvio) do not even know any of the names of their students. It is incredibly sad that they don’t put forth that effort. It seems that the role of school here in Uganda is purely academic. There does not appear to be any counseling-mentoring at all happening. When students get mad or upset they revolt, as witnessed by their rioting past. They need attention and I hope that we (the American teachers) can share with them ways and reasons why teachers need to feel that role in their lives. It is certainly not happening in home either. It is hard to think that a civilization will improve if the adults do not invest and respect the youth. This needs to happen in social institutions as well as at home. How thankful am I for the up-bringing I had in a school where I was a person (not a number) and a church where I was empowered with knowledge of God and myself.

Speaking of church, it was amazing this week! Even from last week I knew that it would good because the mission president was going to be here. Unlike last week, the chapel was nearly full as we arrived at the church. I greeted the missionaries and then several of the members that I had met last week. The sacrament meeting began with a few testimonies. The branch president announced that two elders from the ward had received mission calls and they both were able to stand and bear testimony of their experiences of preparing for their missions. They both will be serving in Ghana, but in different missions. It was pretty amazing to see the excitement both of these young men had to serve the Lord and inspiring to know that they will the first two missionaries to ever serve from the Gulu branch. The next lady to bear testimony was Lisa. Lisa first came to Uganda a year ago to build huts in a small village outside Gulu. She brougt back a group again this year to do service and also a film crewe to make a documentary. She had an amazing-piercing testimony that was so simple and sweet. It was easy to see that she truly understands and lives a charitable life. Both President and Sister Jackson’s talks were amazing. Sister Jackson spoke on developing and maintaining a personal testimony. President Jackson spoke a little on the history of the Gulu branch. One year ago he was here and there were 12 members. There were over 200 this week! They have already moved buildings in the last 6 months and they will move again soon to accommodate the great growth. There were 8 baptism after church and there are that many or more every week! It is amazing to be here and witness this great work as it roles forth to ever corner of the earth.

taking care of business!

And these are the restrooms! The first picture shows the pit latrines in the middle (used for long call) and the bottom picture is of the boys urinal. It is kinda fun to just pee in the middle :)

the Kitchen!

So these are pictures of the kitchen at my school here in Uganda...Keyo SS. As I saw it and entered in and visited with the cooks, I couldn't help but think of my grandma kate and georgia at north summit. How would they like cooking here? I will say though that the food is great. It is the same everyday! We have posho and beans everyday for lunch. Posho is a rice based mush and beans are just boiled beens. On Wednesdays we get the treat of also having meat served with the posho and beans. The cooks also prepare a scone like bread and local tea for us everyday at 11 AM for break. They are supper nice ladies and it is fun interacting with the whole community at Keyo.

Pics of Keyo SS

This is my school...Keyo SS! The building to the left is the administrative offices and a couple of classrooms including a small primitive computer lab and a lab. I teach tractors 101 in the lab.

First Day of School @ Keyo SS

Today was my first day at Keyo Secondary School. It was great. We left the house around 10 and arrived a little before 11 at the school. The ride on the boda boda was amazing. Basically we take off from Gulu and head off through the valley towards the mountains. We passed the airport and then also the water treatment facility for Gulu. There were all sorts of activity going on the whole way out there. Most of the farmers (both men and women) were out in their fields with their hoes. There was one farm that had four cows harnessed together and using a one bottom plow to turn over the soil. As far as I can tell, it takes a while to get a good seed bed ready. After they clear the trees and shrubs, it looks as if it takes again some time to get the grasses cleared out and ready for planting. Again, it appears that each farmer only owns a few hectares each. As we arrived into Keyo all I could see were huts for homes. (Remember Keyo was camp for refugees from the towns around Gulu during the conflict.) Basically the only buildings in the area are the schools (primary and secondary). Keyo SS sits on the bench looking over the whole valley. It is a breath taking view. As we rolled up our boda drivers dropped us off and we headed for the teachers room, there we were greeted by al the teachers. Everyone was was so incredibly happy to have us there to teach with them for the next 5 weeks. After meeting everyone, we headed to the library for a round table meeting. Joe and I meet with Lindsey (from IC) and our cooperating teachers. We went over expectations and goals for the program. After, it was break time and we were served a tribal tea and a scone like bread. I then met with my two teachers and we created a schedule. Looks like I will be teaching all four secondary grades. I will be teaching soils with Silvio to the S-1 group and vegetable production with Silvio again to the S-2 kids. With Alex I will be teaching the S-3 kids cattle production and the S-4 group agriculture economics. Oh, and also tractors with Silvio to the oldest kids, S-5. I also will be paring up with Ms. Grace to teach KOBS (Knowledge of Behavior and Self) one day a week. We next were served lunch-pocho and beans. Pocho is a rice paste stuff that reminds me of sticky mashed potatoes, but tastes like rice. Needless to say, that will be my lunch for the next 5 weeks! After lunch classes were canceled and the students had student leader campaigning. It was classic! Even though I am in a 3^rd world, election campaigning is the same. Students were obnoxious, showy, cocky, etc. It was fun to observe the students and see them interacting with each other and the staff. There is no assembly hall, and so we all just met under a couple of big trees in the shade in the middle of the campus. It was just as you imagine when you see African documentaries. I made to like 4, but then I had to pee. I leaned over to Alex and asked him where I could go short call. He turns around and points to a small tin shack behind us. Well that was all fine and dandy except the fact that it was right behind us and all the students were already facing us anyway. Well, they all watched me head that way. Luckily there were two sides divided with a little wall, so I went to the side opposite the audience. I cracked open the shafty door and it was like a flock of bats coming right at me (actually flies, but just as dramatic). I decided that I would just stan at the door and aim for the little hole. It was nasty and I have decided there is no way that I will ever go long call while at school. I came home and told Lindsey about it and she simply decided last year to dehydrate herself in order to avoid the pit latrines at the school. The boda ride home was just as surreal and beautiful as the ride out.

Carol made an amazing spaghetti and green bean dinner! She is a amazing cook and I am so content to have someone here that prepares great breakfasts and dinners. Around 8 it started to thunder and lightning and the down pour began soon after. Since we have not had power nor running water in the house for the past 3 days I have not taken a real shower. So, I grabbed my loofa, shower gel and shampoo and took a shower in the rain gutter! It was cold, but oh so worth it!

I am so loving my summer so far. I know that it is only the fist week, but it has been such a great experience so far. I am very excited to continue to learn from my Ugandan teachers and students. This culture is so rich and I have a lot to learn.

Church and Momma T's

Sunday

Today was yet another amazing day! I know I say that almost every single day, but they just keep getting better! The rain started here at about 3 AM...and when it rains, it rains! Wow, we live under a tin roof and I used to love that sound, but not when it persists loudly all night long. It seriously was pouring cats and dogs. When I rolled out of bed around 8:30 it was still coming down hard and I was nervous we would not be able to make it to church. After a short prayer, it stopped around 9 and we were able to get a boda boda (we probably would have been better off with a canoe!). I say we because there ended up being a few of us Mormon's on this trip. Christina is from Las Vegas and has been a member now for a few years. Joe is from Kansas, but grew up in Logan and did his freshman year at Utah State. Small small world! Anyhow, we made it to the church around 9:30 and the missionaries were just pulling up. There are 3 companionships (6 elders) here in the little village of Gulu. Church doesn't regularly start till 10, but they tell everyone 9:30. The Acholi people are notoriously late for everything! So with the rain storm, everyone was running behind even more. There is one elder from the CONGO! It was so much fun to talk in French with him and learn more about the Congo. Pretty sure I should go there next. The elders say on average there are 160 people at church, but at 10:15 we started with only like 15 of us! By the end of sacrament, the building had filled right up! They also told me that 90% of their membership has only been baptised in the past year! They had 17 baptisms last week! It is going to be so much fun to see them grow and be a part of it for the little remaining time I have. We also met another Moonau (white person). Her name is Morgan and she also went to Utah State and graduated in 2005. She worked in DC for a while teaching and then decided that if she was going to be a good steward she needed to see the world. She is a manager here for a company that makes paper bead necklaces. I am excited to get to know here more, we're going to try having FHE tomorrow with her. Church was just great! It is so amazing to me that where ever I travel in the world, whether it be France, Thailand, Cambodia or Uganda, the gospel is the same. The same wonderful spirit can be felt all over the world. Since they are so new, they were just taught about home teaching/ visiting teaching today. I love to see their enthusiasm as they begin this great responsibility. After church we grabbed a boda boda home to get ready to the Mother Theresa Orphanage. That was an amazing and humbling experience. As I visited with Sister Helen I learned that there are over 250 children at the orphanage and about 70 of them are deaf or hearing impaired. Most all of the children have learned sign. We got there and they instntly grabbed a hold of our hands and would not let go. We played games, sang, talked and at times, just held there hand and gazed at each other. It was moving to see their lives. They had meal time while we were there and it was literally the saddest thing I have ever seen. It was not bad, but just made me realize how blessed I was as a child to have parents who loved me and a home to live together in. They all lined up with their bowl/bucket/tin, really whatever they had. They received a scoop of rice mush, beans and some meat. It was all prepared in a hut over a camp fire. They have no utensils and so they used their fingers to eat. Some did not even eat because they only wanted be with us. After their meal they taught us how to dance and then performed a dance for us! It was so much fun. I haven't smiled like that for a long time. Again, I am just very thankful for the life that I was blessed with, but also that great blessing I have to be here and live and learn from these people. I am so so happy to begin teaching tomorrow and meet the others that I will be working with at Keyo. This is going to be an amazing summer!

Wednesday

Wow! Today was amazing. We arrived into Gulu late last night and got settled into our home. We live at a compound type place that has two buildings. In the main building there are rooms for the girls and common areas and then the guys are in a back building that just has bedrooms and a shower room. Short hall (going pee) is just done outside behind the house and long hall (going poop) is done in the pit latrine (literally a whole in the ground). I am realizing very quickly the great caliber of the individuals I will be working with this summer--both American participants and Ugandan natives. I am so happy and so lucky to be here. I know I say this each summer, but I really think this truly will be the greatest yet. I am learning so much about education, development, social justices, cultures, agriculture and myself. Today we went on a tour of the Invisible Children (IC) offices here in Gulu. I’ll be honest, since taking my non-profit and international development courses at the Bush, I have doubted that there is actually an NGO that really does everything right and is legitimate, but IC is pretty dang close. There are a few things that I’d like to learn more about, but all in all, IC is amazing. I was most impressed by the people we met. They all were absolutely genuine and dedicated individuals. There are over 90 employees in country and only four are American. Their human capacity is by far the driving force of this NGO. The mission of IC states it is an organization focused on helping war-affected Ugandans by improving their access to education and innovative economic opportunities. There are four main aspect

s of IC: Legacy Scholarship Program (LSP), Schools for Schools (S4S), The Teacher Exchange (TeX) and Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA).

LSP gives scholarships and mentoring to roughly 750 secondary and university student from Northern Uganda. What I love most about this program is the mentoring that is provided to the students. This psycho-social counseling helps students who are orphans, heads of their households, formerly abducted returnees, students infected with HIV/Aids or child mothers. LSP also provides extra-curricular activities--sports clubs, debate tournaments, academic seminars and essay competitions. I really like the idea of introducing the idea of SAE’s to the ag students. I know that I was directly benefited from this mentorship and encour

agement in my projects at home.

More to come on the others.

Thursday

Wow! Today was another amazing day learning more about Ugandan education. Our first discussion we were taught some basics of the Luo language by Alex (Keyo) and Little John. It was amazing to listen

to Alex. He had a perma grin from ear to ear and just a light in his eye. He was so happy and proud to teach us his native tongue. The official language in Uganda is English, but their local tribal language here in the Acholi region is Luo. The next session was about school systems in Northern Uganda. There were several take-aways. Their primary sch

ool is 7 years long (primary 1 - 7), their secondary school is for four years (senior 1-4) and then there are two years of advanced secondary school (senior 5-6). Students do not advance tot he next grade if they do not pass their third term. It is possible for siblings to pass each other and for ages to vary even between ten years all in the same grade. Primary schools are subsidized by the government and so there are more students including girls. Secondary schools are less supported-subsidized by the government and there are less and less students, especially girls (pyramidal shape). I am very intrigued and excited to get into the classroom and see it first hand. The last session after lunch was about teaching and living through the conflict. This session was presented by Calistas, Jennifer and Katy. In 1986, the conflict began in Gulu with the first LRA rebel forces. Calistas tells of being in the classroom when he

heard the first gun shots. Jennifer was with her two boys when they heard the first gun shots. She knew that there was a threat in her small village and so she was working to prepare food for their departure. When they heard the first gun shots they were not ready and just had to leave without their food. She grabbed her two boys by their hands and starting run into the bush. After running for a while, another woman grabbed one of the boys and they were both able to carry one and run faster.

They ran through the night and when they stopped the boys would not stop crying. Jennifer went out and dug up raw cassava for them to eat. Katy was only nine when she heard the first gun shots. She was staying with her aunty at the time. Her aunty gave her a pack to carry that had sword in it and they began to run. Not to far into the bush, they were captured by the rebel forces. They searched everyone and found the sword. As soon as they discovered it, her aunty disowned her. They threatened her that anyone with a sword as such would be a collaborator with the government and be killed. They demanded her to tell them who had given her the sword so that they could kill that person. She said she did not know who nor what she was carrying. They continued to demand of her that she tell them, but she would not. They lined up all the women in the group so that she could identify the person. She looked right past her aunty and cried that she did not know. They told her the only reason they did not kill her was that she was a young girl. All three of their stories were moving and intriguing. I just cannot believe that I am her working with these people who have recently lived though a war of conflict against rebel forces. It reminds me so much of visiting Cambodia and the reality of the devastating affects that come from bad men.

Friday

Today we started with a discussion on the ethics of aid. It was a pretty amazing dialogue about several of the issues I have thought about since several conversations this past year at the Bush School. We looked at a couple of articles together called To Hell with Good Intentions and Serving with Eyes Wide Open. Many people come here to Uganda with great intentions and even the resources to make a difference, but there are many also that do not take time to truly assess the needs of the people and provide a sustainable service. After our discussion I had a chance to visit a bit with Catherine (the TeX director) about the idea of providing so much service/charity/relief abroad when we have so many disparities in our own country. I really appreciated her response. In her opinion, people have differing passions and desires and their interests lie differently. There are people (like myself) that are interested in travel and learning about different cultures, some are interested in the work that can be done within their own country. I am not saying that I am not, because I am, but my I am definitely so intrigued and interested in seeing the world and learning from different cultures of people. She kinda described it as some people are interested helping humanity out as a whole and others have strong nationality, passions and desires to help out within their own borders. You can’t tell someone who really wants to be a doctor that they have to be a lawyer and just the same you cant be pretentious about people who desire and prefer to interact on a global level. I am supper grateful that I have desires to do both. All I know that is I

must do something and if I have the ability and opportunities to travel abroad now, I can’t let it pass me by.

So the African aroma... (Ashton you know what I mean). It is amazing how quickly I have grown used to it and don’t even notice it nearly as much as I did when I first arrived. 45 minutes on a boda boda each way each day to my school may change my mind :)

Tonight we got to meet our Ugandan partner teachers!!! I am so excited! I will be working with two teachers in Keyo. One is an older gentleman named Silvio (Muze). He has been teaching for 35 years and pretty much is ligit. The other guy is named Ojera Alex. He is younger and was Silvio’s student back in the day. They both are very excited to have me teach with them at Keyo. Keyo is an IDP camp that has turned into a village. It will take us about 30 - 45 minutes to get there each day on a boda boda. I plan to do a video blog one day going out! It is going to be amazing to work with these two teachers and also the students at Keyo!

Oh yeah and I think I have received my new Acholi name...Ocen (pronounced O-chen). It means second born of twins, but has to be confirmed by the students.

I read this quote last tonight and I don’t really understand it yet, but I am excited to think on it and my experiences here.

Leonardo Da Vinci “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

It came from a talk by President Uchtdorf talking about the the Lord’s plan for us...the path is narrow and straight, but it is designed for us. Whether I am American or Acholi, the Lord has a plan designed for me and it is simple. Their lives are very simple and I am a bit jealous!