Luweero, Kampala (another weekend travel)

Hmm, Luweero was an overall good experience. It was much more mellow than many of the previous experiences, but full of interesting information. For a couple of our planned sessions we had meetings with a bishop for the area as well as a priest who works a lot with HIV individuals. The area we were in had a high percentage of 13% of all its inhabitants infected where as the rest of the country is relatively low around 7%. It was very touching to hear about how he brings hope to those who would appear to have none lying on their deathbeds. He told a story about a boy who was 4 years of age who was on his deathbed wondering why he had HIV since he did nothing to deserve it. How do you answer a question like that in a way that is just? However some people are tired of hearing about HIV in Africa due to its major publicity. However I am here in Africa and it is very relevant at the moment. The priest asked the boy what he would like to have before he “sleeps” and all he asked for was a sweet. Just a piece of candy. ..Any how it was moving to hear about how he connects and builds relationships with these people that society discriminates and rejects knowing they will just die off. Anyway something more bright for ya ☺ We visited a memorial in Luweero. This is the city where the current president of Uganda fought his garilla war for power. He started with just 27 men, raided a military compound for weapons, and eventually built up his campaign to take over power in the capitol city. The memorial was small but it was a grave full of skulls that we were able to observe as the man unlocked its heave door and lifted it up. Very interesting and erie to here about how the horrible past leader Amin murdered innocent civilians, children, women, and men in cold blood for no reason other than it was the area where the gorilla war was being fought. The site we visited had almost 3,000 skulls buried in it and there were 15 more just like it around the area. That weekend consisted of learning about these aspects in the area. Ofcourse we had our usual foods, and tea time everday! Bless you all!

Mt. Man

Kachorwa was amazing! Talk about living in the mountains. The area was beautiful and I had a great view from my home that stretched out over the plains. The mountain was very green and always had a cool breeze. It almost felt like summers back in Cadillac, Mi. During my state I was did not have any schoolwork to do so it was all about enjoying my time. I hiked all over the mountain. I hiked up and down to rock faces and caves. The first cave was the largest and we were followed by a drunk man who loved Americans I believe. The last weekend we hiked to Sipi Falls, which was amazing! I thought I was going to live in a mud house, like most of the other students did, but instead I stayed in a nicer home. I was very ok with that. You should look at my photos to get a glimpse of my living conditions and the surrounding area….One moment that was insane….I experienced killer bees! My dad and I were on our way back from the banana plantation when I could hear a cow screaming (if you could imagine such a thing). I finally asked my dad why is the cow screaming and he had a one word response…Bees…I am like BEEES! I really hate bees and have all the more reason to now. When we arrived near the back of our home I had full view of our neighbors cow that was completely covered in bees. I could hear them from a far distance away. It was devastating to see as it was steaked down and could not run away. It was rolling over the ground trying to get the bees off and eventually collapsed. Before it collapsed I did what any American would do.. I went to go fetch my camera to get it on tape, but soon as I stepped outside from the house a bee attacked me. I did not get stung the entire time, but for the next few hours one two or three bees would be flying around the house attacking people. So I stayed indoors until they were all gone. My dad saved the cow for the night by spraying this fuel on it while he covered himself with a blanket. He did not get stung either thankfully…probably since the cow had all the stingers in it. The cow grew very week and the next day they slaughtered it because it could not regain strength. Next subject…I now have my connections for coffee beans. Kapchowra produces some of the finest coffee beans due to its great soil and climate. I have connections with some sweet farmers for when I open up my coffee shop some day. I could even start my own farm here on the Mt. My dad said I could build a house on his land for free and he has much land to plant many coffee trees…Possibilities…Any how..anohter interesting thing was this lady gave me a unboiled egg as a gift. She also kept calling me mommy. People like to be nice to gets usually by offering tea and bread, but I was just passing by and she wanted to give me an egg..I ate it the next morning during breakfast. Also during the week I helped in feeding the cows and digging up sweet potatoes with my younger brothers. That was fun. The stars were amazing every night! And one night I watched as a storm was over the plains and not on the mountain. It was really unique. It is amazing to experience the nature here in Kapchowra. The pattern of the stars, the behaviors animals and insects, the growth of the plants. All of these are such complex processes and systems that truly can’t not be explained through scientific evolution. All knowledge its Gods knowledge and we will truly never know how big the universe is and how everything actually came to be unless we humble ourselves to believing in something greater than what “man “ can prove. If we put our faith in man, we will surely be let down. However what man does find through science only shows even more how much greater God is by discovering His wisdom on how He has created things. Thank you science for that…scientists…don’t take the all the credit ok.