Field Day and Mud Mansions

Shorts that Fit
During training, I ordered a Peace Corps Uganda soccer jersey. I had no intention of playing on the PC team, I just wanted a soccer jersey with my name on the back of it. I finally received my jersey a few weeks ago to find that it came with shorts as well! I was super stoked, since I didn’t bring but 1 pair of athletic shorts with me. After cutting out the underwear-ish lining, something white caught my eye. It was a tag. The size tag. XXXXL shorts…I wish I could say they were too big, but they fit wonderfully. This little fact does wonders for my self esteem.


Sermon Tag Team
So, I am in my usual restaurant in Mbarara where I come to work a couple times a week. I met a man who I have seen here many times but never spoken to. He is a pastor outside of Mbarara and wants me to come talk to the women there about quilt making. He went into a big to-do about God providing (a muzungu), praying, and his vision for his place outside of town.

Then, another man walks up and says, "Sista...do you want me to beat him for you? Is he talking too much?". He was joking, introduces himself to me, and he too is a pastor. This man goes on and on and on about God, trying to "save" me. I think that if I show him my bible in my bag, that he will know I'm a Christian and leave me alone. Nope. Wrong. He takes one look at the bible and says, "That's good, but it won't help you. The only thing that can help you is your relationship with Jesus Christ, because he wants to be your father. You have your father in America, but he doesn't love you.". Great, I'm thinking. Here we go. 30 minutes later into his sermon directed at me in the restaurant, he grabs my bible, gives it to me, and says, "turn to Psalm 139 and start to read at verse 13.". I do, because I don't want to screw up whatever roll he's on. I turn and start to read aloud, conscious of everyone in the restaurant looking at my table. After every verse, he repeats the last few words with emphasis, and then explains them in his own African-English way. After. Each. Verse...Until the end of the chapter. When I finish the last verse, he shakes my hand and leaves. Then the other pastor looks at me and says, “Jane…you pay for my tea.”

Field Day with my Organization
My organization recently had their annual ‘field day’, where members get together for lunch and an afternoon of trainings. This was my first field day with my organization and it was great! There were short speeches, long speeches, tree planting, banana management trainings, locally catered lunch, dancing, songs of praise for the organization, and much more. It was fun to see the excitement that these people have for my organization, RUHEPAI (rural health promotion and poverty alleviation initiative).

When it was over, I was standing by the tent waiting for my work colleagues to gather their things to leave. I noticed that there was a girl standing a short distance away from me, slowly inching closer. Then, all of a sudden, she was gone. This happened a couple times. I noticed that none of these people were actually looking at me, they were just scooting extremely close to me, pausing, then walking away. I finally caught on. They all wanted pictures with me, and were doing it “Say Anything” style. They were getting close enough to me for the man photographing the event to snap a picture. When they saw that I had noticed what was happening, they started asking me for a picture. So, the photographer found a good spot, and took my picture with a woman. Then, another woman came up and took her place, and another picture was taken. I look to the side, and a line has formed. I stand in the same place for about 20 minutes, with an overly enthusiastic smile plastered on my face, while person after person comes and gets their picture taken with the Muzungu. I even had a baby thrust into my arms at one point.

Sisters Coming
T-minus 2 days until my sisters arrive in Uganda!!!! Except for you, Laura. Sorry.

Mud Mansions
When the rains come, the kiddos get together and see who can make the best mud mansions.