An African Intellectual

June 3, 2015

   Today was enlightening. We worked through the morning and then ate lunch at a traditional restaurant. The food was… very bland. I probably used more than a tablespoon of salt on my plate of rice just to make it seem like I wasn’t gobbling up minced cardboard… and I only ate a third of my meal. I guess, when in Uganda…!

  Then we took an exciting trip to the cultural craft village. It is a little grassy knoll in the center of Kampala filled with little, red huts. The huts contain shops displaying hand-crafted souvenirs and collectibles. Brightly colored necklaces and wood carvings decorated with cow bone were strewn across the dirt floors. I loved talking with the people. However, it was difficult to have genuine conversations with them when they were so intensely focused on haggling for a price for, at least something, in their shop. I was pleased with my two purchases (cool salad tongs and a gift for Chris) and felt I had jumped back into my bargaining skills. I didn’t want to buy much, but I am determined to go back to visit one particular store. It was an art shop filled with the most beautiful, original African artwork. I kept staring until I found a few exquisite pieces that I nearly drooled over. They were block-work, or a carved piece of wood used to make a stamp print. Incredible. When I asked how much they were, A graceful African man at the other end of the store lifted his nose (and reading glasses) from a book. In an elegant, African voice, he asked me what picture I wanted and described a few options in the area. He was too far to see where I was pointing. I named the image and he gave me a price. Somehow, we began a conversation. He had visited Minnesota once on an art tour and knew of the Mall of America. Charming.

   We then began talking of politics and development. I shared my interest in Chinese and he enlightened me on the Chinese presence in Uganda and the rest of Africa. Fascinating. His views were very balanced and detailed… He had done homework and an impressive amount of it.

   Soon our conversation turned to history. He knew President Nixon had visited China and recited some of the repercussions of the visit. He also knew the US election system and joined me in an in-depth discussion of Mitt Romney, Obama, religion in the US, and current presidential candidates. I was absolutely flabbergasted. I knew very quickly this was one of the most naturally intelligent people I had ever met, a brilliant, well-read, interpersonally charming individual.

When I asked him where he had been educated, he simply smiled. “I read, I watch and I listen”. Unbelievable. My thoughts returned to him many times during the day. My conversation with him was an unforgettable lesson on human potential and the power of will. Incomprehensible knowledge of the gospel and the world is accessible to us, even in Africa. How often do we choose to absorb it, to understand it, to seek it out. If my new friend in Africa knows more about the US electoral system than I did a few years ago, I can be inspired to learn more richly and deeply than my previous expectations restricted me to. God designed us to do and become wonders. This man in Kampala, Uganda is a wonder to me. While he is probably imperfect and has many things yet to learn, he striking displayed an intellect that I will never forget.

In the evening, we ate dinner with other students here for the summer. They had many questions about LDS missions and experiences we had seen abroad. It was a wonderful missionary opportunity and a time for me to express gratitude for such a sweet, selfless time of my life. Interesting people are drawn to Uganda. One woman spent a year in Kazakstan, another has been to Africa 3 times for work/research. Another of our friends is currently working for UNICEF. Great people, adventures really provide fertile soil for good friendships.

 I have many moments where I love Africa and the beautiful people I am meeting and the adventures… and I have an occasional moment where the darkness of it all frightens me tremendously. Maybe I’m just not used to it yet. The chaos and the dirtiness steam into the air like the red clay on the street. 

I’m learning so much here, and the people are beautiful. I believe in them even if they don’t believe in themselves.

Africa is amazing.