Friends,
I am sorry that I have been a derelict in updating you on life here in Uganda. I did not realize how much time had passed since my last update.
Life has been good here. I am really enjoying teaching the students. I teach religious education to P4 (4th grade) one day a week. I decided to teach them about Moses. After we learned about Moses and the Exodus, then I taught them the song "Pharoah, Pharoah." They love it! Especially the motions. Yesterday, Thursday, July 1st, Father Joe came to the primary school for an official visit. Hospitality is really important here and people love to make visitors feel welcome. Tabitha teaches religious education to P5. The headmistress, Sister Goretti, wanted Tabitha and I to have each of our classes present a song as part of the entertainment for Father Joe. So my P4 students (who just learned "Pharoah, Pharoah" on Monday) got up and sang for Father Joe. They did an amazing job! I am so proud of them. I have taught "Pharoah, Pharoah" to some of the boarding students and now other classes want to learn the song too. Hopefully before I leave I can take video of a bunch of the children here singing "Pharoah, Pharoah" to show you all (particularly my camp people) how I brought a part of camp here to Uganda. :-)
I am learning so much. Suzan and Natalia are the two women who work here at the parish. They are teaching me how they do different domestic duties here. Natalia does all of the cooking over a wood fire or a portable charcoal stove. Imagine cooking without a stove or oven. Suzan does all of the cleaning and laundry. I help Suze wash dishes and set the table for our meals. I have also helped Suze with the laundry. She washes all of the clothes for the 3 priests, 1 brother, 3 seminarians, and 2 Duke students here at the parish. And she does this laundry by hand. Imagine washing towels or jeans by hand. It is very difficult - trust me. I try to help Suze as much as I can because I know that the addition of 2 more people results in a lot more work for her. I have helped with the laundry a couple of times and I look forward to helping her some more before I leave. So I can now say that I have washed clothes by hand. I really admire how hard these women work. I don't think I will ever complain about doing laundry in America again.
Ugandans love to dance and they have many different traditional dances. I am in the process of learning these dances. Most of these dances involve butt shaking, hand motions, and different steps. The students at the primary and secondary schools are teaching me to dance. I am sure that I generate more laughs than anything else. Yesterday, for Father Joe's welcome at the primary school, I got to show off some of my dance moves. Some of the students were dancing during mass. Sister Goretti saw me dancing at my pew and she made me go up to the front with her and dance with the students. So I went. Then, after lunch, the school choir and dance group were entertaining Father Joe and the parents in attendance. Sister Goretti made me get up and go dance with the girls. Sister Goretti is one of those people that you do not say "No" to. So I got up and started dancing with the students. People in the crowd were shouting, but I was concentrating on the dancing so much that I did not know if they were shouting from pleasure or fear. Then, people from the audience (parents, Sister Goretti, and Father Joe) started coming up and giving the dancers money. Including me. Apparently, that is a custom here in Uganda to give dancers money in exchange for their good dancing. I gave some of the money I received to the other dancers, but I had received a bill of 10,000 Ugandan shillings (equivalent to $5). I could not split this money up among the dancers so later I bought some cookies (they are called biscuits here) to share with the boarding students. I had so much fun dancing and I think I surprised people with my talent. :-) Father Joe is celebrating his silver jubilee (25 years as a priest) on July 31st. I am supposed to dance at his celebration. I need to practice more. So when you think of me, know that I am here teaching the students, loving the people, working hard, dancing, and trying to soak up as much of Uganda as I can.
I will leave Uganda 1 month from tomorrow. Weird. In some ways it feels like I just arrived and in other ways it feels as though I have been here much longer. One thing is for certain ... I have never felt more welcomed than I do here. People here go out of their way to welcome you and make you feel at ease. I have received so much love and kindness from everyone. And while I try to love as many people as I can, I feel as though I am getting more out of this experience then I could ever give.
Love and prayers to you all.
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