We're on African time - think Mormon time and add 1 hour

Monday

We were up and at ‘em early. Got through the crazy traffic on Gaba Road, navigated the exciting turn-abouts, and 3 minutes after Brad proclaimed that “It sure isn’t very rainy for the rainy season”, on onslaught of rain began that continued throughout the morning. The roads we had driven on two days earlier were now 50% a raging river coming down the side. It was amazing to watch the passengers on the backs of the boda bodas stick their legs straight out so that their shoes wouldn’t dangle and get carried away in the swift current. Four-wheel drive vehicles were a necessity to negotiate through some of the streets, like the one by Lugogo Mall, where Shoprite and Game are located. The water appeared to be 12 – 15 inches deep.

Tuesday

Today was the bleach challenge day, as we mistakenly washed our whites with some new towels, resulting in pink and green clothing, depending on the fabric. We made all sorts of concoctions of OMO laundry detergent and regular bleach to try to salvage our clothing. It is interesting to note that the types of tasks that would take just 30 minutes with our appliances at home, take 2 hours to accomplish here. For example, I am to make 3 dozen cookies for the missionary zone conference on Friday, but using the wooden spork as my main mixing device takes a lot more muscle, and a lot more time.

Another first for me was soaking beans since yesterday in order to boil them and mix them up spices and such in order to make an edible dish to eat with rice, resulting in a protein dish. I would never have chosen to go to all that trouble, but beans and rice are easy staples to come by here, so I think we’ll be incorporating them in our diet regularly. I was used to the easy way of driving to Costa Vida for my beans and rice with sweet pork. Speaking of pork, there is a “restaurant” on Gaba Road called Hakuna Matata Rhino and Pork Place. I could probably endure the entire 18 months here without trying that establishment!

What a great day of missionary work. This was a day I will call “White Glove” day because we had to visit the missionaries in our zone and go over a checklist of their food storage. The second reason for the visit was to do a cleaning check. I would have to say that the majority of them knew we were coming, because their apartments looked suspiciously tidied up.

We drove up the hill to an area that had several storefronts, and walked down a dirt alley to a humble little abode to find Rachel, one of Elder Daly and Elder Valois’ investigators. She happens to be a woman I sat next to in Relief Society on Sunday. I later came to learn that, although she has been taking the discussions with her husband, Dean, that was her first Sunday at church as well.

The elders took the lead on teaching her a lesson on the 10 commandments, and Brad and I joined in whenever they asked or when there was a moment to comment. Her apartment was probably 10 feet x 10 wide, with cement walls, and an adjoining room that was separated from ours by a curtain. There were 2 upholstered chairs and an upholstered couch, a small coffee table, armoire, buffet, and short refrigerator in the corner. Rachel covered the seats with embroidered linens that covered the springs and seat bottom, as there were no cushions. She was a gracious hostess, and left the room to walk around to the store fronts and had a young man bring 4 cokes in bottles, which he opened for us, and left 4 straws.

We spent all of the day with missionaries, and finding their tucked away apartments – all most interesting, indeed. We will find that we are the first point of contact with these elders, and the go between in helping them get things fixed in the apartment, deliver and pick up mail, help them with health issues, and participate in teaching and reactivating members. It was a good day, and we were hungry for our leftover beans and rice from last night. Yum!
Elder Daly, Elder Valois, Rachel

Oh yes, the other part of today that was fruitful, is that Brad discovered the Jacarinda Internet Café across the street from our gate. So we spent an hour there this morning, reading and sending emails, and will find that very convenient for that purpose. It was that, or fight 30 minutes of traffic in order to get to the mission office.

Brad outside of his discovery!!! The Jacardina internet cafe - we live just to his left - I'll have to take a picture of the entrance sometime.