June 21 - Iganga Childrens Hope Center Orphanage

Today was an AMAZING day in Iganga. We went to an orphanage school called Childrens Hope Center. It was so fun! I helped with a bit of the women’s conference in the morning talking about natural contraceptives and the female hygiene kits – they are so neat I am going to make a million when I come home for these people. Then I played with the kids. That was a BLAST!!!! All the kids at this school save a few are orphans because their parents have died from AIDS. They are some of the cutest kids you have ever seen. I was tickling them and they just started tickling me back. They would follow me around and just “get me” so that I would chase them and get them. I also played a game I have heard so much about here in Africa called “Net Ball.” Very popular game. It’s basically team keep away. It was so fun. They were all yelling out each others names to get the ball so I started yelling “To Jen, To Jen” they loved that I wanted to play since I am a buzunga (white person) so I got the ball, I threw it to someone, and it came back to me… LOL so I had the ball so much! They started to yell, “To Jen, To Jen…” I think some of them thought that was my name. Some realized it was just Jen but the rest called me, “To Jen” the rest of the day. Oh it was so fun. I can’t tell you how much I grew to love those children in just one day.

We took a lunch break in the middle of the game and then when we went back I was in charge of talking to the women about business. Jessica was there to help, so was Violet and John. They were doing so good I just said, “I am going to go play with the kids.” They were happy and I was happy. I loved that they all knew me and wanted to hold my hand and be with me. I played more Net Ball and got completely worn out from running all over the place chasing the kids tickling and getting the ball. Whew. I loved every second though. I took of my shoes and socks tonight and I have a pretty definite line from dirt. It’s bad.

When we left the children sang and danced for us and then they followed us to the van. They stood at the door (with the exception of one trying to climb in) and waved saying, “To Jen, To Jen” the others just waved and said, “Bye Jen.” I was so sad that I will most likely never see these children again. Although I didn’t test eyes or teach about business I felt like giving love and time to those children was very worthwhile and it was an AMAZING INCREDIBLE day!

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY DAD!!!!! Thanks for everything that you do for me and for all of the time and care you put into my happiness! I love you!

June 20 - Ride to Iganga

Today a group of us traveled to Iganga. It took 4 hours, oooiii, I was so sick while we were traveling, my head was killing me. I took 7 different pills to try to feel better, and everyone knows how much I DO NOT like taking pills – so that was big. I was sick and the van was full of people and luggage, not a comfortable ride but oh well, we made it. I think my head hurt because of the lack of sleep we got last night. Our hotel was by a Pentacostal Church and they have all night worship services. I believe they start at 9. People in our group were asking if they were fighting because that’s what the service sounded like…

Here in Iganga we are visiting an orphanage – performing eye tests, having a women’s conference (teaching about women’s health issues and answering questions), starting a women in business group (helping them learn how to make money), and… PLAYING WITH THE KIDS!!!!! I am very excited! Iganga seems less rural than Masaka and our hotel is more ghetto. It’s kinda gross for someone who doesn’t like germs.

I helped make ‘pads’ for feminine hygiene kits to hand out tomorrow to the women. I am really excited for tomorrow; I am happy to be here and can’t wait to see the orphanage tomorrow!

June 19 - Last Day at Byana

Today was my last day at Byana Mary Hill with all the children I love so much! It was a hard day and I almost debated staying there instead of heading to Iganga. However I figured that whenever I leave, whether today or Tuesday I will have to say good-bye to the kids. SO HARD!!!!! I tried to spend all day with the kids and did as much as possible for the time given. I spent all morning interviewing orphans on their lives and what happened to their parents. I hated that job. It was so sad and I tried so hard to not let myself cry because the children looked like they were on break point as it was. I felt like a bad guy stirring up bad memories. These children, for all the love they have in their hearts have definitely had theirs broken more than I could ever imagine.

(I will upload pictures and stories later…)

I played with the kids all afternoon, tickled as many as I could. That’s one of their favorite things that we have done this trip – tickle torture. They all come and stand really close to me and say, “Hello Jen…” and then when I turn to them they start laughing and running so that I will follow after them and catch them to tickle them… SO FUN! I wish everyone could meet them and love them as much as I do – hear their voices and laughs… It’s to die for!

I handed out lots of donations today – school bags made by the Logan Cache Stake Relief Society which were completely loved by all of the kids, candy donated from my mom – every child got a piece just like she wanted, and other bracelets and trinkets I had brought along with me.

I love love love love the kids at Byana Mary and wish I could bring them all home with me to give them love and hugs and tickles every day. It was so nice being there and NOT having a broken leg!

June 18 - Byana Mary Hill Mud Fight

Today we arrived at the school and the children were emptying the fish pond so that EWB members could clean it out and create a more thriving fish pond. It was pretty much a process that lasted ALL DAY long! Here are some highlights of the day though…

- Having the older girls take me around the whole school yard to show me every type of beautiful flower imaginable

- Recording the kids singing and dancing to make a CD

- Reading with the kids

- Handing out Article of Faith cards to each one (Thanks mom)

AND… fishing with the boys in the pond. It was very nasty and slimy and gross but I got in the pond and caught fish with my bare hands! Whoa! Got into a mud fight, got COVERED with slimy clay all over my body, my pants came off they weighed so much and the kids & sisters loved every minute! It was a fun playful day! (Oh and Sister Rose let me use the nun’s shower afterwards because I was so nasty – that was an experience… After showering I didn’t have any spare clothes but I had taken some airplane blankets to donate and I made a dress for myself out of them. LOL. It look “artistic” as they told me.) I hauled corn with the kids and talked with the girls and boys… yet another – AMAZING DAY IN AFRICA!!!!!

June 11 - London, England

The flight to England was a good one. Carlie and I both had aisle seats which meant that we weren’t sitting by each other. Boo. There were two seats between us and we decided to ask the people in between to switch us. Who wouldn’t want an aisle instead of a middle right? Plus then they could sit by each other and then so could we… perfect. Well something even more perfect happened… the people that were supposed to sit between us never showed up for the flight!!! Yeah! The flight attendant said that the plane was sold out/booked so they would be coming but they never did. All the way to England they never showed up. LOL. (I figured when they weren’t there at take off that we were pretty safe.) It was nice for us to lay out and sleep and just to be able to stretch and have extra room. I wish that could happen on every flight!

We went around London today and boy it was expensive! Oii oii! We went on a double decker bus tour and although I wished that we could have gotten off and looked around much more (we were with a group and had limited time) my favorite part was when we got separated from our group (although I did feel bad about that because we had this guy named John’s train pass) we went on a boat ride and we went underneath the London Bridge. You know… the one we sing about… lol. It was really fun. We also had fish and chips for lunch, it was good but the fish was fried with the skin still on – so hard to eat. We looked very unfashionable heading to Africa while everyone else looked very nice and dressed up. However, here are some things you should not do:

1) Wear a thong when you are wearing low riding pants and a belly shirt. (It looks funny when it is just resting in the middle of your back visible to all.)

2) Wear a jacket and bra with your jacket hanging off one shoulder (and down to the elbow) making your bra very visible for all to see.

3) When you are 40 (or any age) don’t have your boyfriend give you a hickey on your neck that is as big as a fifty cent piece, it’s just ugly.

I'll add pictures from London when I get home (sorry Internet is TOO SLOW here)!

June 17 - Blessings of Joy (Day 2) with pictures!

This trip has been a lot different than the last trip. Last trip there were 10 of us, this trip there is 20. We have more people and more projects. It’s crazy but it is also nice. Today Carlie and I visited Blessings of Joy again to perform eyeglass tests. It was a hard experience. The villagers were waiting for us when we arrived at the school and as soon as we got there we began setting everything up. Blessings of Joy is a very very poor school and the villagers are very poor with their house very far apart. I am not sure how far they have to walk to go to the school but it has to be a nice distance because there were no homes close to it at all. We get to the school by driving over a small dirt walking path (there isn’t even a road). It is a very very very poor school and their name fits them perfectly.

None of these people speak fluent English so we had to get an interpreter to speak to them. We set up the eye tests and the villagers began coming in one by one, then ten by ten. One of the first men that we treated had been beaten up by a gang and was as far as we could tell blind. Through the interpreter I learned that he could only slight shadows. After asking questions for a while and trying some different tests I had to tell this man there was nothing I could do for him. I started to cry and cry. He was the sweetest old man and I was so devastated thinking about how he walked to the school without being able to see, the hope he must have felt, how he sat and waited for us to come, and then how he waited in the room until we could help him – knowing Americans were here to help him see, and then how in a few short minutes I burst all of his hope and told him there was nothing I could do and sent him right back out the door.

Last trip I really came to appreciate my freedoms and blessings of being born in America. As I cried I realized I hate that I have been given so much and that others have been given so little. I hated that I could do nothing for this man to see again and I hated turning him away. I tried to get back to testing eyes quickly because I knew that there were some I would be able to help.

Others came who I could not help, but there were some I know I did help. Those moments are what made it worthwhile. All the people that I saw were so sweet and gentle and sincere and loving. After helping someone and giving them a pair of glasses they would get down on their knees and grab my hand and bow their head and say thank you. What a humbling experience because I really feel like I should be thanking these people for what they are teaching me and for the love that they exemplify.

Although I didn’t get pictures of every happy and sad experience, here are a few:

This lady was finally able to see…

This man had an infected eye and it was swollen to his temple and forehead and infection was leaking out a hole in his eyebrow…

This 16 year old boy began to see spots and slowly lost his vision all together. One eye is deteriorating away, the other has no pupil.

This man caught some sort of disease and the skin was being eatin away from around his eye…
This one – is self explanatory right?

June 10 - My bags are packed...

This summer was going to be pretty chill, relax at home, work, try to save some money and find a new job now that I am graduated, and take one trip (yes only one) to Washington. However, about a month ago those plans changed and I am now on my way to Uganda, Africa; London, England; and Dublin, Ireland. I am in Atlanta now and am on my way!!! Whoop, whoop.

So, I will keep you updated the best I can. I'm gonna miss everyone and can't wait to come back home and catch up!

Wind Cave Hike

One reason why I love Cache Valley is because of all the awesome hiking trails! Here are some pics from the Wind Cave hike.

I think that the Wind Caves may be one of the easier hikes in Cache Valley. I would say it is a fun family-friendly hike. Not too hard and not too long. The view is amazing and it is just an all around pretty hike!