Uganda Love this Post

 On the street with the neighborhood kids. The buildings on the side are stores. 

Typical to see natives carrying things like this

 We were always greeted by the kids on our way home. 

 These two stole my heart!

 First time seeing picture books! (They didn't know how to hold them.)

 Chalkboard

 My students. I sure miss them!

They will get in any and every picture.

These chickens are still alive!

 Cutie

Boda-boda ride

King of the Jungle

Murchison Falls

We were taking selfies and he kept saying"there's Kennon!" and he'd giggle. MELTED my heart!

Someone told me that it's hard to love other peoples' kids, yet I find myself doing it everyday.  

Last night, I woke up at 3:30 and had a feeling I needed to share my experience in Uganda with anyone that would read this. 

I want you to imagine for a minute...What would your life be like without your car, smart phone, and even Netflix?  I know you're probably thinking I'm pretty crazy, no Netflix? 

Now imagine your life without clean running water, a shower, paved roads, clothes...

Imagine as a child never seeing a book.

Over the summer I was able to spend two and a half weeks in Uganda, Africa to teach some of the most beautiful kids I have ever met.  

Ugandans live without these things everyday.  Now of course some do have these things, but most do not.  

Things are pretty rough there. 

Uganda is a beautiful jungle with luscious green trees, red dirt roads, beautiful wildlife, and remarkable people.  God truly is good to have blessed us with such a beautiful land and people.  Most of the roads are dirt roads and it is necessary to take  a Boda-boda, which is  a motorcycle, up to the village.  When were were on the main road we'd cram into a taxi.  

Old storage units (like a POD) are made into small stores, salons, etc. Malaria, Typhoid, and HIV are common there.  Some children walk around without clothes and are quite dirty. 

I learned a lot form the people of Uganda.  They taught me through their example of gratitude.  It made me think of the talk President Uchtdorf, a leader in the LDS church, gave in the April 2014 conference, "Grateful in Any Circumstances".

I feel that just about everywhere I went in Uganda, the people had an attitude of gratitude, which is what President Uchtdorf taught in his talk.  

He says that we need to be grateful, not just for things, but for everything and all the time.  

While I was in Uganda I was able to see this among the kids.

I brought them beach  balls to play with and they went crazy when I brought one out.  It was amazing to see about 70 kids so excited to play with a ball.  Of course it popped, since there were so many of them.  Most of the kids moved on and played different games.  One day I saw some kids kicking an empty Coke bottle around.  They were always happy and grateful that we were there.  

Everyday, as we were walking home, kids would run towards us yelling "mzungu, mzungu!" (which means white person.  They were just excited to see people visiting their country.  

President Uchtdorf said "True, it is important to frequently "count our blessings"- and anyone who has tried this know there are many- but I don't believe the Lord expects us to be less thankful in times of trial than in times of abundance and ease.  In fact, most of the scriptural references do not speak of gratitude for things but rather suggest an overall spirit of attitude of gratitude."

I was able to get to know a young lady, Carol. She works at Quality, which is a grocery store similar to Wal-Mart.  Every time we went in she was so excited to see us.  She acted as if we were her best friends.  She always asked us about our day, thanked us for being her friend, and asked about the Unite States.  She was such a wonderful example to me of having an attitude of gratitude. 

President Uchtdorf goes on and says:  "It is easy to be grateful for things when life seems to be going out way.  But what then, of those times when what we wish for seems to be far out of reach?  Could I suggest that we see gratitude as a disposition, a way of life that stands independent of our current situation?  In other words, I'm suggesting that instead of being thankful for things, we focus on being thankful in our circumstances - whatever they may be."

"We can choose to be grateful no matter what."

In the Book of Mormon institute manual it quotes Elder Dallin Oaks and he said "Mos of us experience some measure of what the scriptures call 'the furnace of affliction'. Some are submerged in service to a disadvantaged family member.  Other suffer the death of a love one or the loss or postponement of  a righteous goal like marriage or childbearing.  Still others struggle with personal impairments or with feelings of rejection, inadequacy, or depression.  Through the justice and mercy of  a loving Father in Heaven, the refinement and sanctification possible through such experiences can help us achieve what God desires us to become."

President Uchtdorf taught that gratitude is an act of faith.  

He said "Being grateful in our circumstances is an act of faith in God.  It requires that we trust in God and hope for things we may not see but which are true. By being grateful, we follow the example of our beloved Savior, who said, "Not my will, but thine, be done." True gratitude is an expression of hope and testimony.  It comes from acknowledging that we do not always understand the trial of life but trusting that one day we will.  

My friends in Uganda are very faithful.  They teach their students to praise God all day.  They pray throughout the day for snack, lunch, and after lunch before returning to class.  They even march and sing a song that says "We are marching in the light of God." We were able to attend a lesson by a teacher with the whole school, in a tiny room.  The kids were learning about their Savior and Redeemer.  I was quite touched by the example the Ugandans set for me.  

President Uchtdorf said "In any circumstance, our sense of gratitude is nourished by the many and sacred truths we do know: that our Father has given His children the great plan of happiness; that through the Atonement of His Son, Jesus Christ, we can live forever with our loved ones; that in the end, we will have glorious, perfect, and immortal bodies, unburdened by sickness or disability; and that our teach of sadness and loss will be replaces with an abundance of happiness and joy, "good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over."

I am so blessed for the example my Ugandan friends set for me and for the many life lessons I learned while I was there.  I know the only way we can truly develop an attitude of gratitude is to come to know andn understand the Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  through the Atonement, we can find true happiness, even in our darkest days.  

Life is hard, but it can always be harder.  I'm thankful for the example of my Ugandan friends and for their love of our Savior.  Their testimonies and cheerful countenance have truly changed my life.  The Atonement is real and I know through the Atonement we can be grateful in any circumstances that will come.  

Life is good!  If you want to learn more about my faith, please visit www.mormon.org  It's true!

Machu Picchu

Cathedral in Cusco

Breathtaking

We can't be sure,,,

On Wednesday, Alisha and I flew to Cusco, Peru to visit Machu Picchu.  Cusco is a cute town with cobble stone streets and beautiful cathedrals.  We stayed at Loki Hostel, which was the last place for two Mormon girls to stay.  They cater to the backpackers and have a bar open until 2:00 a.m.  Unfortunately, our room was right next to the bar (which plays horribly loud music), so we didn't get much sleep before visiting Machu Picchu.  On Thursday, we work up at 4:30 a.m. and left for Machu Picchu.  It was quite the journey to get there.  From our hostel, we took a taxi to a bus to a train to a bus to Machu Picchu.  (Hopefully that makes since.)  It was a bit odd, but we finally made it to the mountain at 9:30 a.m.  We had a guided tour for two hours and our tour guide did a fantastic job explaining the history of the ruins.  It is quite fascinating to see how people lived and the hard work that they put into the ruins. We were able to stay in the park for about six hours.  There was so much to see and so many pictures to take. (They don’t do it any justice either!)  It was a remarkable experience to be there and I am so grateful I was able to go.  There were many great people we met along the way, which has been one of my favorite parts of the whole trip.  If you have the opportunity to go to Machu Picchu, go!  It is an experience you will never forget.   

Andes

 Soccer Team

 Jorge, Alisha, and me at the zoo.

 Lahuaytambo, Peru 

 Living Room

 Kitchen/Laundry Room

 Bedroom

 I'm a little taller than Peruvians. 

Cute little neighbor

It’s been a fun and eventful week here in Peru!! On Monday, all of the volunteers and coordinators played soccer at the park, which was a blast.  A few ward members were kind and entertained us a few days this week.   One sweet family in the ward had us over for lunch and another member took us to the zoo.  Over the weekend we were able to visit a small village in the Andes.  It was, by far, the most humbling experience I have ever had.  We hopped on a bus Friday morning and five hours later played with the local kids at school.  We were put into groups and stayed with families.  These sweet people have only basic necessities.  Their house has dirt floors, no stove, no refrigerator, and electrical wire is wrapped round the beams of the house.  We were able to make a delicious dinner, (well, except for the goat hair.) with the family. I slept on a make shift bed with sheep skin patches for padding.  For breakfast we ate some goat, soaked in its blood (and of course goat hair), potatoes (one of which had a worm in it), and other vegetables.  Needless to say, I didn't eat much breakfast.  Later, we were able to help the family with their morning work, which was a long hike down a mountain to some trees and organizing wood so they are ready to load on the donkeys.  It is insane to think that people actually live this way and to see how giving they are when they don’t have much.  I am reminded on a daily basis that I have an abundant amount of blessings that I should never take for granted.  This was definitely a remarkable experience that I will never forget. 

Peruvian Life

Finishing the mural with the kids hand prints. 

I can't believe I've already been here a week! I am falling in love with the Peruvian culture.  Everyone is extremely nice and helpful.  Yesterday we went to the LDS temple, which is an hour bus ride from where we live.  As we were waiting for the bus, people asked us where we were going and made sure we knew what bus to take.  Thankfully, with the little Spanish we know we were able to understand them.  Peruvians are a very welcoming and friendly people.  We are always welcome with a kiss on the cheek and men almost always give up their seat on the bus.

During the week I was able to work with some girls ages 10-13.  I brought sidewalk chalk, so we spent the morning playing games and drawing pictures.  It's fun to see how loving they are even if I don't speak the same language. I was also able to volunteer at another orphanage that has kids from new born babies to 9 years old.  I was able to help a "mama" with babies from 5-8 months old.  They are absolutely adorable.  One of the orphanages had their 20th anniversary celebration on Friday.  Peruvians definitely celebrate big!  The kids put on a show, they had singers perform, a lot of dancing, and lots of food.  We were able to help clean up the yard and playground equipment prior to the celebration.  A few other volunteers painted a beautiful mural on the wall, which we will finish with the kids' hand prints.

I'm loving life in Peru!  The church members have been more than kind to us! A brother and his mom walked us all the way home, even though we don't live near them.  Another brother invited us over for lunch this coming week.  I tell you they are amazing! I'm exciting for what this week has in store!  

  

Hola!

Here we are with Camilla after church. 

                      San Miguel is the district we live in.

                                  Miraflores

La Punta

On Friday, I flew to Peru with my roommate, Alisha. We are volunteering at an orphanage for four weeks. We are staying with a host family and 18 other volunteers. Our host family has been so kind and welcoming. We were able to go to church with them on Saturday night. It was quite different from what I’m used to, but it was great to see how others worship. They dedicated the first hour to fathers and had them play soccer, in honor of the World Cup. I swear I can hear a T.V. or radio with it on at all times.

When we left the airport I spotted an LDS Chapel, so we walked down there on Saturday to see how long it would take us to get there. Luckily we ran into the Elders and they told us when church started. When we got to church on Sunday, a sweet sister, Camilla came right up to us after sacrament and invited us to Sunday school. During Sunday school we met George and he translated the whole lesson for us, which Camilla also did during Relief Society. I am amazed how kind and loving they were to us. It makes me realize that I need to be better and serve others more quickly. It was also amazing to see that the church is the same where ever you are! I knew it would be, but I was able to see it for myself.

Today, we had orientation and toured the different orphanages where we will get work. It was exciting, but also heart breaking to see the condition these children live in. I felt like they were all in prison. They were beyond excited to see us and ran over to welcome us there. There were a few orphanages with children and adults with special needs. They too were so excited to see new visitors. We also got to meet some girls that have been victims of abuse. They were so sweet and wanted to get to know us, even though we don’t speak Spanish. I’m excited to start working with them tomorrow!

It has already been a humbling experience meeting the few kids we met today. I am truly blessed in a tremendous amount of ways.

Aunt Beverly

Photo from: Beverly Jean Carter Wood : Utah News from the Daily Herald Newspaper


In January my aunt was diagnosed with a brain tumor and on May 16th she was called home.  When I found out that she had passed I couldn’t help, but feel joy knowing that she was reunited with my sweet Uncle Ben.  This past Friday I attended her funeral, which was such a wonderful tribute to her.  She was a remarkable woman and an excellent example to me.  There was never a dull moment with Aunt Beverly.  Even at the hospital she was still witty as can be.  While we were there she said “who would of thought a brain tumor was going to kill me off”.  She always had a braved face and never looked or acted scared.  She has always been that way.  My uncle was in a motorcycle accident about 30 years ago, leaving him mentally and physically challenged.  She took care of him until he passed away 10 years ago.   She also had seven children to raise.  Her testimony of the gospel remained strong and she never gave up.  She was the life of our family parties and was always there for us.  I will always cherish our sweet memories with her.  I am so blessed to know that I will see her again. 

Trials Make Us Stronger

April was a crazy month for my family.  My dad was in the hospital and we just about lost him, thankfully he pulled through and is getting back to his normal self.  The day he was released my grandma passed away.  I wasn’t able to be with my family during this time, which made me a little bit of a mess.  A week and a half later I was able to go home for my grandma’s funeral, which gave me such comfort to see my family.  These trials have reminded me that the gospel and my family are the most important things in my life.  I love my dad with all of my heart and can’t imagine losing him.  My grandma was a remarkable woman and such a great example of a leader.  I will miss her in this life, but I know she is busy working on the other side.  It is so comforting to have the gospel in my life and to know that I will see her sweet smile again. 

On a lighter note, here are some laughs for you.
One of my students came in from recess and said “Miss Wood, there were some college boys (sixth graders) outside and they kept looking at me.  I’m pretty sure they thought I was cute.” It was so hard to  not laugh.  Oh to be seven again. 
Awkward moment at church today……During the sacrament hymn the entire congregation messed up on the same note at the same time and rest of the verse is everyone laughing….way to kill the Spirit, but pretty funny.