Arrival in Uganda...

Elder O'Hagan arrived at the Mission Home in Kampala, Uganda this morning.  See if you can find him in the photos below. He is standing behind President & Sister Collings and with his fellow missionaries upon their arrival.  (*Photos courtesy of Sister Collings)

Elder O'Hagan will only be in Uganda for two nights. SURPRISE! He and his companion, Elder Driggs will be departing Uganda at 3 AM Thursday morning for their new area in Kigali, Rwanda. That's another flight to a new country!

Late last night, I received a message from Elder Driggs' lovely mother.  She reached out to me after learning from Elder Driggs about his new companion, Elder O'Hagan and their transfer to Rwanda on Thursday. I am so grateful for the kindness of Missionary Moms who are able to mentor me.  I need all the support and insight I can get!  So, wonderful news...Elder Driggs has been out for a year and a half and sounds amazing. He entered the mission field from Texas, but his family is from Utah.  Elder O'Hagan was born and raised in Texas until he was nine, then moved to Utah, so they have both States in common. Together, they get to discover and experience Rwanda for the first time.

I am surprised that Elder O'Hagan will be starting his mission in Rwanda. I already shipped out his first package to the Uganda Mission address.  Unfortunately, it's due to arrive the week of October 16th.  So, he will miss it's arrival.  I heard that it might be delivered to him at some point, or I may offer it up to the Mission Home in Uganda to use as they see fit.  It's full of delicious ProBar Protein Bars, Peanut Butter, Pro-Biotics and vitamins.  Who doesn't love vitamins?

Kigali appears to be a very nice Capital City. Apparently, the common language in Rwanda is Kinyarwanda. Even though English and French are "official" languages.

Learn Basic Kinyarwanda Words Here...

I found these "fun facts" about Rwanda online at http://africabusiness2020.com/2015/07/21/10-interesting-facts-about-rwanda/

In July, during a Frontier Investors Dinner with His Excellency Williams Nkurunziza, High Commissioner of the Republic of Rwanda to UK, AB2020 was presented with 10 interesting facts about the ‘land of a thousand hills’. 

1. You can start a business in 48 hours in Rwanda. It takes 11.1 days on average in OECD high income countries.

2. Rwanda is leading Africa’s digital revolution. The Smart Kigali initiative will create access to free wireless internet on public buses, in hospitals, taxi parks, commercial buildings and restaurants, while a partnership with Korea Telecom is creating access to 4G for 95% of the population. 

3. Between 2001 and 2012, real GDP growth in Rwanda averaged 8.1% per annum. According to the Fitch rating agency, Rwanda is experiencing ‘rapid and inclusive economic growth driven by credible economic policy’. 

4. Rwanda has the world’s highest representation of women in parliament. 64% of Rwanda’s members of parliament are women. 

5. A dramatic improvement in healthcare delivery and health outcomes has seen life expectancy in Rwanda rise by 10 years in the last decade. Over 90% of Rwandans have access to medical insurance. 

6. Rwanda is one of the few African countries on track to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Net primary school attendance is at over 91%. 

7. One million Rwandans overcame poverty between 2006 and 2011. Innovative homegrown development solutions have reduced poverty. For example, the Girinka programme, which provides every poor family in Rwanda with a cow, has reduced malnutrition, increased agricultural productivity and created small business opportunities. 

8. In 2007, Rwanda became the first country in the world to legislate an outright ban on plastic bags. It is estimated that the EU produces 3.4m tonnes of plastic bags in a year, creating carbon emissions and dangerous waste. 

9. On the last Saturday of every month, every Rwandan, starting with the President, participates in Umuganda, a day of national community service. Through Umuganda, Rwandans have built schools, medical centres, hydroelectric plants, and rehabilitated wetlands to create highly productive agricultural plots, and cleaned their cities, towns and villages – making Kigali one of the cleanest cities in Africa. 

10. According to the Ibrahim index of African Governance, Rwanda is one of the only two countries to show consistent overall governance improvements since 2000. It is ranked number one in Africa for Gender, and is one of the top five most improved countries since 2000.

More fun facts:

• Rwanda is also known as the Land of a Thousand Hills because most of the country is covered by rolling, grassy hills.
• The Karisimbi Volcano (4,519 m high) in the Virunga Mountains, is the highest point in Rwanda.
• Mount Karisimbi is an inactive volcano in the Virunga Mountains on the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
• Lake Kivu, Lake Muhazi, Lake Ihema, Lake Bulera, Lake Ruhondo and Lake Mugesera are the main water bodies in Rwanda.
• Rwanda is one of the smallest nations on Earth with size of 26 338 square kilometers.
• Rwanda is the 4th smallest country on the African Continent.
• Rwanda is only one of three countries in Africa where you can visit Mountain Gorillas in the Wild.
• Rwanda is largely a rural country with about 90% of the population involved in agricultural, agro-processing and mineral work.
• The head of the state of Rwanda is its president who is elected every seven years by its citizens. The President has been conferred great constitutional powers such as creating policy along with his cabinet, exercising the prerogative of mercy, negotiating and signing treaties, commanding the army, and declaring war or a state of emergency. The president also appoints the prime minister and the cabinet.
• Kigali in Rwanda is Africa’s cleanest city because they have a consistent schedule in community cleaning days which takes place every last Saturday of the month.

LDS Church in Rwanda Stats

First LDS Church presence in Rwanda: 1993
Rwanda dedicated for missionary work: 2009
Rwanda is legally registered: 2012
Current Church members: 390
Number of congregations: 3

History of the LDS Church in Rwanda

• 2002 : Nelson and Sapna Samuel move from India to Rwanda and hold meetings in their home.
• 2006 : The Samuel's meet another member, Stuart Jackson, and start having meetings together. By the end of 2007, 11 official church members are attending Church meetings, all of whom were baptized in other countries.
• 2008: First branch was organised by President Edward Christensen, Mission President for the Uganda Kampala Mission. 
• 2008: First baptism within the country takes place.
• 2009: Elder Jeffrey R. Holland dedicated Rwanda for the preaching of the gospel.
• 2011: Church meetings are halted by the Area Presidency to resume when the Church becomes legally registered in Rwanda.
• 2012: First missionary from Kigali Branch begins missionary service.
• 2012: In July, the Church is legally registered for the first time. Elder and Sister Renlund visit Rwanda and preside on the first Sunday that the congregation met again.
• 2012: In September, the first full-time missionaries are assigned to Rwanda.

Elder O'Hagan was able to send a brief email letting me know of his immediate travel and he said that he will offer all of us a detailed, personalized update next Monday.  I can't wait to hear all about his last two weeks.

Please continue sending email and keep Elder O'Hagan and all of our missionaries in your thoughts and prayers for safety & success.  

Please consider joining our family as we celebrate Umuganda Rwanda National Day of Community Service...the last Saturday of each month.

So the African Adventure Begins...

Second Email from the MTC - South Africa

Sent at 2:29 PM (SAT)
Received at 5:29 AM (MST)

Teaching, Studying, and Doing the Lord's work! Oh My!

Hello Everyone! 

As promised, this week is better. I actually know where my brain is and I'm adjusted to African time. Everything is great here and the people are so great!! One of the coolest things so far in addition to teaching is finding hidden talents. For instance, I'm apparently in the choir now, and I'm going strong in Volleyball and Four Square (you laugh, but it's intense man!) That and I'm having tons of growing experiences in faith and as a person. 

Wednesday: This day I learned a lot about being patient with myself and with others. It's super important that things take time and to not stress out over what you can't control. We also had Safety Briefings all day that were really helpful. 

Thursday: I couldn't sleep the night before, so I did what anyone would do. Yoga while studying the scriptures. It actually really helped me feel better and ready for the next day. I'm getting much more natural at teaching investigators and I'm so happy to be out here. It gets even better when you get to visit the Temple here in Jo-burg! It was way cool and the drive to and from it gave a lot of insight to the world over here.

Friday: The Holy Ghost has been very strong for me over these few days. I'm beginning to remember things that I normally wouldn't and I can vividly see what I'm reading in the scriptures! Which is really epic! We also had transfers today and Elder Burnham is my companion now. He is from Arizona and wants to work at NASA when he gets back. He is a great missionary.

Saturday: Same old same old

Sunday: Sacrament meeting was waaaaaay awesome and I sang "If You Could Hie To Kolob" with the choir accapella. I also really thought about being in the field next week and I am way anxious and excited to be out there!

Monday: I've had a lot of humbling experiences both spiritually and temporally and they have been eye opening. As for the rest of the week, I'll be having proselyting experiences in the township of Soweto and I'll be getting ready to ship out next week!

With that, it's going to be a while before I email again due to travel and such, but you will hear from me eventually. I'll also be sending the first batch of photos home at the beginning of October. As for you guys, Stay strong and keep being awesome!! 

A few scriptures that have stood out to me this past week are Jacob 6:12 and Alma 18:17 and 22. In verse 22 it uses the term "wise, yet harmless". I really like that and I think it applies to everyone in how we can all be kinder to each other. 

Before I go, here are some fun facts:

• Ketchup is Tomato Sauce 
• Calories are Energy measured in KiloJoules
• Instead of something being a trainwreck, it's a trainsmash
• And Napkins are Serviettes, because Napkins are diapers (and that's awkward)

I love you all and I hope that all is well!!

Elder O'Hagan

First Email from the Mission Training Centre, ("MTC") South Africa

Sent at 1:18 PM (SAT)
Received at 4:18 AM (MST)

Hello from the Outstanding South African Missionary Training Centre!!

Hello Everyone! 

The MTC experience has been crazy and awesome and I have so much to say in about 20 minutes! So, I'll start with the flight here..... It was one of the worst leg room experiences of my life, but I and the other elders and sister managed the whole 18-20 hours pretty well. OH! I apologize for this, but you won't be seeing any photos from me for a while due to the internet here.

Anyways, there has been a lot of things to get used to, and all of them were things I didn't plan for.

1) The Metric System. What on earth! I went to lift weights and had no idea what was what, and talking about distances and mph has been really hard to do with the local elders here. 

2) South African time (S.A.T.). As you may know I am writing this at 1pm here, but that is about 4am where you are. So I probably won't respond to your emails until next Tuesday. Thanks for your patience  with that.

Now, on to the MTC. It has been great here! Our Mission President is the son of the Apostle Marvin Ashton. So that's pretty cool! He and Sister Ashton are wonderful people and I love them a lot! The second day was when we got companions, and I was put into a trio with Elder Mtolo and Elder Barnum, who are both really neat people. Elder Mtolo is from Durban and used to box in school. Elder Barnum is from Las Vegas and he likes to get things done. Sadly, however, we had a missionary leave the MTC for family matters and so Elder Mtolo is with a new companion. So now it is elder Barnum and I with our own room! 

As for classes and investigators, we have been doing pretty well! Being in a trio made it difficult at first, but now I am confidently teaching and I'm sure that I might have a baptism soon! (Granted it's with a teacher as an investigator, but that's all tiny details) 

I am now realizing that I'll need a new format for my letters because I'm almost out of time, but expect next week's to have more details about people I've met here and experiences I've had day by day. 

The gospel is always true brothers and sisters!!

May the Spirit and its love and comfort be with you always,

Elder O'Hagan

South Africa Bound...

Today is the beginning of an amazing journey for Elder O'Hagan. We dropped him off at the Salt Lake City Airport this morning and watched him go through security. It was as if he was walking through a magical portal into a whole new world filled with promise of grand adventure.

We were happy to share our precious final farewell moments with the Martinez family and Soren Barker (Emily Barker was there in spirit!). They each became an extension of our family when Connor transferred to Alta high school.  It's obvious to see how much they love him and for that we are grateful.  There is no such thing as too much unconditional love.

There were many Missionaries in the airport preparing to start their respective journey.  Grandma Huls introduced herself to most of them, asking each where they were going.  As soon as she met Elder Winn, who is also headed to Uganda, she brought him and his family over to meet us.  It was wonderful meeting his parents (exchanged contact info.) and I LOVE it that Elder Winn is a few inches taller than Elder O'Hagan.  Connor finally has someone he can look UP to.  They actually look to me as though they could be related.  

I was able to keep it together relatively well, until the last big hug when I didn't want to let Connor go. It's difficult to express everything I am feeling right now. Yes, I am filled with sadness and my heart seems like it has a huge "hole" in it. However, when I focus on the feeling of this "hole"...its not an empty hole in my heart.  It's as if my heart is expanding, making room for an increase of love that will definitely come as Connor grows and develops further into a truly remarkable man of God. His capacity to love others is incredible now. I look forward to witnessing it exponentially multiply as he serves his companions, leaders and the people of Eastern Africa.   

I hope with all of my motherly heart that Connor will have at least one photo similar to this one taken in Zambia during my visit (2013). Again, there is no such thing as too much unconditional, pure love. Love is the answer and it's the foundation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We love you Elder O'Hagan and we celebrate your decision to love and serve others.

Let the adventure begin! 

Packing...Packing...and More Packing!

Two years of essentials is A LOT of stuff when you consider the things that may or may not be available in Uganda.  We were very grateful to receive a letter from Connor's Mission President that included a list of "Things Missionaries Wish They had Brought, and Things They Wish They had Left at Home".

Oh, and the fact that all of this stuff needs to fit into one large suitcase and one carry-on suitcase is crazy!  Assuming that the checked back might get lost, we're trying to pack "true" essentials in the carry-on. However, our discussions are, "let's put all of his toothbrushes in the carry-on, since TSA won't take those away", "TSA will definitely take his two year supply of toothpaste and deodorant. That has to go in the checked bag." Everything is taped shut and double zip-lock bagged. Don't want the shampoo leaking all over those beautiful new slacks.

A few months ago we visited Mr. Mac, the best sourcing of dress clothing for Missionaries here in Utah (nice discounts).  I am so glad that we did.  They took his measurements and made a list of the brands that best matched the climate of Uganda and his mission clothing requirements.  They broke it down by price for us so that we were able to budget and save up what we needed.  I created a spreadsheet and added all of the other items.  Most of these we found on Amazon.com (love Prime)...and our local Costco and grocery stores.  One of our biggest challenges was determining the best way for him to shave. Assuming there won't be electricity or hot water, we came up with the traditional brush and disc soap bar and bowl.  Since he can't take a safety razor with blades, he'll just use disposable razors.  He has a wind up alarm clock that we hope he doesn't forget to wind daily! Fortunately, he has a new wrist watch (very modest one) that runs on batteries (extras packed). Hoping he remembers to wind up the clock on the day his watch battery dies.  After months of planning and shopping, I think we got it all and it all makes sense.

One thing Connor has been talking about for years is how he wants to be "that companion" that everyone wants, because of his mad cooking skills.  He does love to cook and he enjoys creating new recipes.  We found a few Ugandan recipes that were deemed good enough to take with him. So, I printed, reduced and laminated them.  We also picked up some small travel bottles and a bag from the Container Store for seasoning and spices.  It was determined that beans and rice will be relatively affordable but spices tend to be pricey.  We labeled the containers, taped the lids shut, and then put the case into a zip-lock bag.  We really hope these make it through customs.

Today was the day that Connors' tailored slacks were ready to be picked up from Mr. Mac.  Now that we have all of his clothing, its time to coat it all in permethrin!  That's right. Insecticide. We picked up two 24 oz bottles of permethrin spray and coated ALL of his clothing.  This will be an ongoing task for him throughout his mission.  Our initial coating should protect him from nasty disease carrying insects for a few months.  Spartan Racers...please note the shirt above Mark's head in the second photo below.  Connor will be representing strong with his "Super" shirt he can wear while working out.

Since Connor will be arriving to Uganda during thunderstorm season, we thought it wise to scotch guard his satchel, rain coat and umbrella.

This brings me to one of the coolest aspects of some of the "Mission Gear" that Connor is bringing with him.  These items are; his shoe shine kit, his mission book bag (containing the four required books) and his mission messenger bag (satchel).

Connor & his best friend, Cheyenne at his farewell

These three items were used by my sweet husband while he served his mission in Santiago, Chile from 1989 to 1991.  The shoe shine kit bag was hand made for Mark by his mission land-lady.  She noticed that Mark didn't have a bag for his shoe shine items, so she made this one for him.  It is a cherished gift. The red book bag was made specifically for Mark's four mission books by Kathy Brown, a woman very dear to Mark's heart and the mother of his childhood best friend.  The messenger bag satchel served Mark very well during his mission. He received it while serving on Easter Island from his sister Lisa. She was replacing his broken backpack. All three of these items lasted throughout Mark's mission and will now be serving Connor during his two years in Eastern Africa.
 
It has been truly fun watching Grandma Huls' excitement build this last week. Connor is her first and only grandchild missionary, so this is a really big deal for her.  She spent a few days teaching him the basics of hand sewing. He mastered the seam stitch, sock darning stitch, and hem stitch. She also taught him how to sew on buttons. We put together a very specific sewing kit (all thread matches his slacks and shirts) with extra buttons and hem tape.  So proud of this guy.

Well, that's the update for today.  We are about to go enjoy a family dinner at our favorite restaurant. The countdown is three days until take off.  It's starting to feel very real.