So It's good to be in Bundibugyo again...

Hey Everyone,

So it's been a week since we left for Sudan. I am happy to be back in
Bundibugyo. It was a strange feeling of familiarity when we crossed
over the mountains. I couldn't help but get excited to be back in this
crazy of the place. I am starting to teach this week at a primary
school. I can't wait. I believe that I am going to teach about dental
hygiene and also teach against a strange custom that the local people
have here. When a baby has diarrhea, it is customary for the family
to go to a tribal witch doctor (for lack of a better) word. The witch
doctor then proceeds to use a razor blade to cut the baby's gum and
remove the tooth bud. This is a horrible process because the baby then
doesn't want to drink after their gums have been cut up. Therefore it
is often that a baby then get dehydrated and often faces serious
medical dangers. One of the team doctors told me about this and said I
should teach against it. I think it is a great idea. I wish I knew I
was teaching about oral hygiene because I would have brought more
toothbrushes and toothpaste with me. Perhaps, I can send it when I get
back…there have been a few things that I wished I brought here that
would have come in handy. These things such as extra toothbrushes are
mostly for kids here and not for my own use.
This passed week we got to experience more of the cultural practice
here. Well at least sort of, One of the short-terms here had a
introduction to the team here for his fiancée who came to experience
this place. It was fun celebration and we got to see how some of the
marriage practice would work in this cultural. Of course we did not
take the usually amount of times for this celebration (3 hours) but
nevertheless it was a good insight. It was fun. The very next day we
had the goat distribution. This is part of the nutrition side of World
Harvest Mission. WHM gives goats to HIV/AIDS positive mothers. These
goats have diary blood in them so they will be able to provide
nutrition in a place that is hard to get protein and other nutrients
such as calcium. It was a blast and quite the experience. The
interns and the kids were responsible in wrestling the goats. We had
to put a rope on them and led them to the person who is need of some
goats. These goats can be very stubborn but I had so much fun. It was
quite the day. Yesterday I got to teach a lab to Christ School for
Science Club. I am so glad that my bio teacher blessed me with so many
different labs to choose from. I actually did the lab on how disease
is spread in a given population. It is a great lab especially for this
area that has HIV and Ebola in their past. The kids responded really
well and asked many questions about different disease. I hope that the
students will be more responsible because of this experiment. I
actually have a good amount of hope that they will.
Overall, this experience has been amazing. There are so many things
that I can't possible take the time to explain over this blog entry. I
truly had amazing time and I feel that God has really worked in me. I
am sad to see that this is my last week. However, I know that is
getting near for me to go home because I have duties and
responsibilities at home such as getting a college education. Ha ha
Well it is getting near the time for me to get off the internet. Hope
all is well guys.
Peace
-J