Kicking off our Public Affairs assignment

 

We had our first Public Affairs Council Meeting on Saturday, August 24th, to plan for our Helping Hands Handover Evening this Friday.  We met at the Kampala Stake Center (for my non-LDS friends, a Stake is like a Diocese) where our handoff will take place.  We will have a press conference and explain to the media what took place at each Helping Hands site and recognize each benefactor.  Many of the Church organizations ( Family History/Genealogy, the Women's Relief Society, Humanitarian, Public Affairs and Perpetual Education) will have displays showing the attendees the many church programs available to the community.

 

Stake Center

 

Girls from the PA Council

 

Sarah and Richard are on the committee but also work at the Mission

Office

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Views of Kampala and open market

Yesterday, August 23rd, we had a meeting at a restaurant near Mandela Soccer Stadium. It was a "tasting" of foods to be served at the Helping Hands Handoff next week.  All the branches have completed service projects for hospitals, orphanages, and homes for handicapped.  They cleaned and trimmed the grounds, painted, and spent time with the patients.  The projects have been completed and are now ready to be "handed over" to the benefactors and media.  This was a wonderful opportunity for our members and many non-members and families joined in when they saw the work in progress.  The following photos show the stadium and much of the poverty that is so prevalent in Uganda.

 

 

 

Notice the little tin huts the military live in.

 

 

On this same day we had an opportunity to visit a local market.  This is not your average street market as it is about the size of two football fields with everything one would need from shoes to live chickens. There are aisles of fruits, bananas, vegetables of every kind, legumes, blankets, and meat all sold by very poor people.  Notice how beautiful the people are.  They are engaging, happy and most of the time want their picture taken.

 

  

 

 

 

Just so you know, this market is where most Ugandans shop.  This street market is a small one compared to the one in the center of town that is 10 times larger. We personally did our shopping at a large supermarket, much like Krogers or Albertsons.

 

 

 

 

 

 



  

We're here and we love Uganda!!!

We arrived Tuesday evening, Aug.20th, after traveling for 2 days. Everything was better than we ever imagined.  Our apartment is delightful, 2 bedrooms and 2 baths, living room, kitchen, and dining room.  We went grocery shopping and found many of the same foods we enjoy at home.  The people are so welcoming and friendly and recognize our name tags when they see us.  We live in a gated apartment building where all apartments are occupied by mission couples or single Elders and Sisters.  The weather is 75 and holding. We got our 4 wheel drive pick-up today but we would prefer it stay parked for awhile as driving in Uganda is hazardous to our health.  No rules, no laws, total anarchy.  To follow are our first posts...we are amateurs but promise to improve.

  Susan is standing on the deck of our apartment.  

 

Here are some photos of the inside, showing our living room, dining room and our king size bed under mosquito netting.  The bottom photo shows the non-paved street we live on.  Notice the razor wire on the top of the fence.