Week 52- Mbale, With Elders Hall and Asare

The tent is my CHURCH and then the bushy pic is my actual AREA! I left Kabowa this week and got to my new area in Mbale. This place is so amazing. I keep thinking that I'm in the most bush area in the mission and each place beats the last. This place takes the cake for sure! I'm in a threesome with Elder Asare and Elder Hall. They're both super cool, and Elder Hall is helping us get to know the area. When we got here, we went to a dinner appointment and we got fed some pretty good food, played with the little kids and then I just unpacked. The next day we went out and taught. The people here are incredible! The first lady we went to see is really old and we kinda played a joke on her and told her Elder Asare couldn't talk and she totally believed us and then when we started the lesson he prayed and she realized we were messing with her and it was sooo funny, she fell on the floor laughing so hard. We ended up having a super spiritual lesson with her. She is originally from Gulu and it made her happy that I knew her local language. She hasn't been able to speak Acholi with someone in years. Also got to meet all the other people we're teaching and they're just incredible. They're super spiritual and smart. They are some of the most faithful people. The branch I'm in is about a month old, it was just barely formed. This is the Mugiti branch. It is the second branch in Mbale but it is outside of the town. It has been referred to as Palissa, Kabwangassi, Kamonkoli and Mile 5. There might be a story about these people on lds.org if you search for mile 5, Mugiti branch in Mbale. And church is in a tent just out in the bush on a member’s property. There were animals in sacrament meeting mom. It's so wild I can't even believe it. The people here though used to walk three hours to go to the other branch in town, they're soooo faithful. It's a lot of work here but it's fun. So now let me tell you some crazy things about this place. It's kaddodii season, which means circumcision season. Boys become men somewhere between 12-21. We were invited to a tribal circumcision ceremony. Pretty wild. Elder Hall is from Lone Peak/Lehi and we get along super well. We both like to tease and its super fun. In fact, we're going to set up a humanitarian project together when we both get home, He'll go home at the end of August. Elder Asare is from Ghana and is super chill, I really like him. Today was a fun P-day, we went on a little hike and went to these water falls. Visiting this place would be fun. To get to the falls we asked some little kids to take us up, they were like tour guides. How fun would that be to do with the family? I think this is my favorite area, we have mountains here! The apartment is heaven, I shower twice a day with HOT water!!!!!! I haven't taken any pictures of the house yet, but it's so nice I love it. Mbale town is actually quite nice, that's where we live. But every day we drive about 25-45 minutes out on this dirt road to our area in the bush. But Mabale town is nice, all the roads are paved, and they have like 2 or 3 stop lights. Over all everything is good here, I'm happy. This Friday is MLC. Mom your birthday is coming up! What are you going to do for it? I wish I was going to be able to give you a birthday hug!