Animals, Slashing, and Mission Week

I must apologize ahead of this post to all of the animal lovers in my life, but I am not really an animal lover. I grew up around horses, cats, dogs, etc., but I have always enjoyed having an animal-free (and insect free) environment except for the occasional dog. My roommate, Joe, thinks he is a zookeeper, so in the house at home we had a cat with the hopes of getting several other animals.

I have never actually seen a bat in real life. They were always bats flying around the trees near our house in Puerto Rico and I have seen them dead, but I have never actually seen a living, breathing bat until now. They are creepy and disgusting. They have beady, little eyes that seem to follow you when you move. I am scared of them and really want them removed. Yes, I am thankful for the wildlife here, but I would be okay without the bats living above my door.

In my opinion, "slashing" grass has to be one of the worst jobs in the world. I have to admit that I have not mowed grass in several years. There has always been a man around to do it or I lived in a place where it was done for me. There are three ways to cut glass here: push lawnmower, weed wacker, and a tool called a slasher. I have seen tractors, but they seem to haul things instead of cut grass. Slashing grass seems to be the most tedious of all jobs here. I tried to get pictures of one of the workers cutting grass on my way to class, but I didn't want him to know I was taking his picture. Although kids love having their pictures taken, most adults are a little less enthusiast, especially while working, so I usually try to hide while taking a pic with my cell phone. This guy was cutting grass near one of the new dormitories. These guys are normally paid very low (about $2-3 a day) and the job is very dirty. They sling grass everywhere, but the campus looks nice when they are finished.

We have community worship every Tuesday and Thursday from 12-1in a chapel-like structure on campus. The worship is amazing and the services are usually very crowded. All of the services are led by students and the chaplains officiate. This week is Mission Week, so tents were set out and a speaker was invited to speak during the special services. I didn't really catch the information about the speaker, but I know he is a reverend from Nigeria. He preached for a very long time, through the rain with many in attendance. I don't really enjoy the yelling-type of preaching, but it was inspiring to see everyone in attendance.

 There were at least 3 tents with 2-3 smaller tents set up around to accommodate everyone and it was difficult to find seats! It started raining halfway through, so we all had to squeeze a little closer to stay dry.

Today (Wednesday) is a public holiday and Uganda is celebrating it's 51st year of independence. I have enjoyed my day relaxing with friends and cooking. So far, I have made potato soup, but I plan to make some chicken, rice, and beans for dinner. Sarah comes tomorrow, so I am looking forward to getting my house cleaned and laundry done. I am participating in a workshop in Mbale next week with lecturers (professors) and secondary teachers, so I will probably post about that next week. Have a great rest of the week!