After visiting the UN and Unicef offices yesterday afternoon for the purposes of doing some exploratory research for a project proposal that Brittany and I are working on, we accidently found the local market. We were thrilled as we finally found green vegetables which we have not had in over a week! Here we bought our own traditional Ugandan paring knives used by those who peel their potatoes and cassava etc. so that we might have approprite knives to cut out mangos, tomatoes, onions etc. with. After being out for most of the day we ventured on towards home. Along the way two beautiful younger woman who were peeling potatoes and cassava next to their hut motioned for us to come over to them and we did. We began a dialoge which turned into an entire evening long visit. It was absolutely delightful!

First we were invited to peel the foods with them. Excitedly I piped up, "We have JUST the tools for that!" and Brittany and I each pulled out our knives and began peeling away throughout the course of intense and good conversation. After finishing the peeling we were invited to go into their home for tea and African cakes - small fried breads. The was a typical 8 oz. coffe mug of water tea leaves and the minimum of three tablespoons of raw sugar with the option to add more if needed...

We began to ask how to speak specific words in the Luo language (Languaeg spoken by the Acholi people) - this ended up with a three hour language lesson where we wrote words/phrases out in English and the translated and shared with us how to pronounce each word. We wrote it all down in our notebook and are now continually practicing. Brittany is absolutely amazing with languages and can speak very well already.

I, having difficulty hearing the conversation felt the need to explain to the group (by now there were two sisters, a beautiful, strong and powerful 23 year old married woman, mother of 5, her 5 children, the neighbors and their children as well as a few other unidentified individuals) why I continually had to have Brittany explain to me what they were saying. In doing so I took my hearing aids out and showed everyone these little magical mechanical devices which help me to hear so well. By the end of the evening nearly everyone recievd the opportunity to put a hearing in and try it out - they were so thrilled. None of them even knew such a device existed. In fact one person asked me if I was the only one in the world who had this problem!

Soon dinner was served, they washed our hands for us with water, and handed us bowls, motioning for us to serve ourselves. They eat with their fingers here, I fit right in! Dinner was the boiled cassava and potatoes with a g-nut and simsim sauce with dried eggplant and meat in the sauce. First I chose my piece of cassava and then some potatoe and poured a scoop of sauce in the bowl. Using my fingers I squished off a piece of potato and schmeared it in the sauce and promptly filled my mouth and licked my fingers. It was absolutely delicious! For desert they gave us FRESH honeycomb. They shared with me that for income they have a bee farm out in the village where they produce honey and market it. I sat and chewed the nummy sweet waxy honey comb as I observed the children taking photos of one another throughout the remainder of the evening. By close to 10 PM we finally had to leave as the gates of our hotel closed at 10 PM. Our new friends escorted us home by flashlight as the city power was out. We hugged and laughed and said good nights and thanked them immensly for the wonderful African hospitality, food and friendship.

Brittany and I each showered for the first time in a few days due to lack of water in Gulu, laid down in bed and did some very good girl talk until 2:00 in the morning. It was the best conversation we've had yet!

We continue to have many opportunities to invest in, experience and share. We aim to make the most of every minute. I only wish I had a little more time every day to write more. With that asid internet time is up and I must press send.

With all of our love,

Apiyo and Achen