Feb 8th

Wow, lots and lots to catch up on.

So as you've probably guessed, our internet situation didn't get much better. An electrician accidentally cut our Uganda house internet cable, saying he would "fix it eventually." In other words, it will probably take a couple months to get full fledged internet. In the mean time we are doing a service that is per minute/broadband.

Let me start were I left off:

We stayed in Florence for three days, the first of which we spent in driving around Tuscany. Even with the drab winter flora, there were some stupendous vistas and castles. We stopped at one owned by the Italian cartographer Verazzano for a guided tour (apparently there's a famous bridge in NYC named after him). Expecting the dialogue to be centered on the history behind the castle and the man who built it, we were surprised when our tour guide spent around 90% of the time explaining the wine making process. Of course it quickly surfaced that our family didn't drink alcohol. Nope, that's right, we wouldn't even taste the wine produced at the castle. The tour guide concluded that we were ignorantly passing up his culture, and continued to explain the fermentation process.

I finally convinced my parents to let me go on a run! Liza and I ran something like 6 miles on hills draped with olive orchards. I think I probably pushed her a little bit hard, but it sure felt good.

The next day we went in to Florence. We found that our GPS was broken in the midst of a city filled with tight one way roads and no parking. Stress to the max. "Turn left in 100 yards... Turn around when possible... Turn right.... Turn around when possible." Again and again. Needless to say our family loved the street corner pizza shops and the ancient buildings.

After Florence we drove to Siena and Assisi, both of which are tied for my favorite Italian towns. As we were touring in the winter, we had them all to ourselves. Both are impressively constructed on fairly steep hills, with narrow cobblestone roads and grandiose cathedrals.

Next we went to Rome, staying in a flat literally 200 yards from the Vatican. Along with loads of Roman temples, we saw some more churches. Sunday we went to three hours of an Italian ward and walked along the Tiber towards a magnificent sunset.

All throughout Italy I was kicking myself for not learning enough Italian. I felt stupid asking for things in English and not being able to read street signs. I wanted to connect with the people and learn about their culture, both of which are impossible to do without knowing Italian. Very frustrating.

Now on to the good stuff, Uganda.

We arrived 2 AM Wednesday. As we hauled our luggage down the stairs onto the airstrip, we were welcomed by a swarm of mosquitos and a wall of heat. I got to freshen up on Luganda during the ride to Mukono, when I talked to our driver for nearly one and a half hours. It was SO much fun! I forgot how awesome these people are. Conversation is simple and carefree; you laugh at nearly everything. I told our driver: Ndi omumerika mwauvu (I am a poor american). He laughed for probably 2 minutes without talking. We both knew that was a huge contradiction.

Our first day on campus I showed my siblings around the facilities. The university was having elections for leadership positions in the student organization. HUGE deal. Hundreds showed up to cheer and cajole candidates running for office. Even a few small-scale fights broke out. Of course that terrified me. This was for student body positions! Can you imagine the real deal, a presidential election next friday?! Then I talked to some friends from church. They assured me that they won't be scary. "If there would be violence, it would have already started," my buddy Martin assured me, "We all know the current president will either win by vote or by corruption." If I'm not mistaken this guy has been in for two or three decades.

I took Liza to the fruit market yesterday. You walk past all of the shops on the main road until you reach a hill over looking a valley filled with metal roofed shacks, a place filled with poverty. I'm pretty sure she was shell-shocked. However she was happy when she found out how much we spent (in dollars) for our fruit: only 2 bucks for all we could carry back home.

I'm in love with these people! Talking to them makes me SO happy! I love striking up a conversation with some random person walking next to me on the street and trying to see how long I can last without speaking English (4-5 questions). I feel like you don't need to prove anything in Uganda, people will love you unconditionally. Since I memorized my testimony last time, I can break awkward pauses by saying "I know God lives," and other one liners like that.

Dad just got called as Sunday school president, Mom as Primary something, Hannah as a greeter in the primary, Cariel as ward pianist, and Liza (13) as Beehive advisor. Liza's excited to see what Ugandan YW advisors do (probably not what American ones do), and tell her teacher back home that she has the same calling. Funny. I think Mckay got a calling but I didn't catch that one. Maybe assistant greeter in the primary or something.

Tomorrow I am going out with the elders all day. The missionaries walk a lot (maybe 12 miles a day), so I'm planning on getting destroyed. I did learn how to invite someone to church today in Luganda, so that will hopefully be useful.

I'm thinking about diving into humanitarian business after the elections, hopefully starting next Saturday. I am somehow going to have to make a new Powerpoint for first aid and malaria with our limited internet. I'll find a way.

Best of luck,
Eric Reuben Smith