Mujjebale!
“Hello! ”
And greetings from Kampala!
Today I’m headed downtown and will take my first boda- boda (motorcycle taxi) ride around the area with Steven- a designated and trusted boda driver.
I enjoyed an exploratory walk yesterday evening into a neighboring village called Mbuya to find a church to attend tomorrow, as well as practice a few Luganda phrases with passerby that I studied with Joann earlier in the day. Perched on a hilltop with views of Kampala’s rolling hills and lush tropical valley I discovered “Our Lady of Africa” Catholic Church. Services are held in both Luganda and English- with traditional and charismatic services offered. The church is 200 meters from a UNICEF office and adjacent to a couple of outreach ministries serving locally infected HIV- AIDS community members. As is customary in Uganda, I was given the warmest welcome by a staff member and thanked for coming to Uganda to serve with BeadforLife. Greetings are an essential part of any conversation here- and to skip over them is considered impolite. I will fit in just fine – a native mid- westerner…. When asked how we are doing, think of the old Beer commercials and the exchange at the bar— you will often get more info than you planned!
A Luganda word I love: “Bambi” (pronounced like the Disney film) Means Please… How sweet!
Attached is a photo of a precious group of children I encountered while leaving Bugolobi hill where I stay. They approached me with wonder and curiosity and greeted me with the most proper of British English accents ” hello ma’am, how are you today?” My heart melted and we stopped to visit and take a photo together. These moments are pure joy and pure bliss!
Stand In Love 