It's gonna take a lot to take me away from you

It is a little sad to end my Uganda posts, it means I really am home for good.

But the thing is- studying maternal health in Africa those few months has sparked my interest beyond what I imagined it would. So what will come of this interest?

MY MASTER'S THESIS!! (well hopefully)

I hope to be starting my Masters in Sociology this coming fall at BYU. I plan on taking all of my Africa research thus far and turn it right into my thesis. Hopefully that means I'll find a way to return to Africa next year, But until then I have a lot to do. Maternal healthcare in Africa is a bleak topic, but I hope my research can shed some light on what has worked for them and what changes will make the difference.

Because these women deserve so so much more.

And even those short three months in Uganda- I felt like I gave them a little piece of the security they deserve.

So until I return,

Thanks for everything Uganda. I hope to never see the world the same again.

This is the Solar Suitcase we evaluated. It is giving women light that otherwise delivered by the light of a candle. 

The Solar has been installed in 20+ places like this near where we stayed. Otherwise there are hundreds all over Africa.

One night we got to see it in action. There was a women in labor in that very dark room. She said that now she does not have to fear the night. 

The Solar Suitcase includes a fetal doppler that allows the mother to hear her baby.  This technology did not previously exist in rural Uganda- so the mothers faces would light up knowing that they could hear their babies heart.

They even installed a Solar Suitcase bulb on that large light, giving the operation room light in case the power shut off during a surgery. 

It was truly an honor to be involved in such a life changing program. I saw these women deliver babies without medication, blankets, sanitation, and support. There was rarely a husband or family member by their side to welcome the new life into the world.

I heard women talk about giving birth by candle light, until any wind or movement would blow it out. Leaving them in the dark, and still in labor.

These women delivered with the things they brought. If they were able to buy a blanket, then the baby would have one to be wrapped up in in the cold night. If the women could afford a sheet then she could deliver on a sanitary surface, otherwise she was left on a metal table left from the mother before.

These mothers would often walk many miles to the nearest health center while in labor. Or if they had some shillings to spare then they could get a motorcycle ride. Or they would deliver at home by themselves, often resulting in death of the mother or baby.

To me this was so sad, because I know the amenities and technology that are in the world but denied to them. But to these women this is simply life. And if I can help that life even the slightest bit, then by all means...

...count me in.

This Time for Africa

Uganda wasn't always dirt floors, birthing babies, weeks without showers, and solar power.

There were times when we got out and explored a little...it even included an occasional warm shower!

One of our first weekends in Uganda we went white water rafting on the Nile. Needless to say Jonathan wasn't too happy about it after seeing how many times we flipped over...

Most weekends included venturing out to find some fast(er) internet for skyping home. This was done by staying at a hostel about an hour away. Good-ish internet plus a warm shower?! Talk about Uganda HEAVEN

One highlight was for sure the safari. You can't go to Africa and not go on a safari right?? And not post pictures of almost every animal?

Yes, we did see a lion. And it was amazing. If you notice he only has three legs, I guess he was caught in a trap near the Congo boarder. He told me so...

Another day we were able to go to an orphanage that had received some small solar lamps from WE CARE Solar, one of the organizations we were with. They sang to us and we played some games, one even tried to teach me to drum until we both realized it was a lost cause. 

But one of my most favorite parts of all was our short trip to Rwanda. I will never forget the genocide sites that just sank right into my heart. The stories I heard are ones i'll never forget. 

Plus an impromptu swim in an exploding lake. 

Then we came across a group of kids playing music and dancing on the edge of a cliff overlooking what seemed like forever. As the sun was setting we watched these kids play the drums and dance. Simply beautiful.

Doesn't he make you melt?

DSCN5009 from Hayley H on Vimeo.

You are my Sunshine

Back to some summer posts!

Uganda was hard. I cannot lie and say that every second I wanted to be there. Sure, I was always grateful for the experience. But I cannot say that every night I would go to bed glad to be surrounded by a mosquito net in the outskirts of Uganda. And I cannot say that every morning I would wake up ready to tackle another day of interviews, dirt, sweat, and Uganda.

But I sure had some people that made it easier on me! And I thanked my dear Heavenly Father for them every day and night, because without the sweet faces of the children that greeted me on my morning venture to the outhouse (glamorous right...), I don't think I could have done it.

There were these two sweet families that lived behind our toilet. I never really met the fathers, were there fathers? Pretty typical of Uganda I guess. But holy cow did these families amaze me. They worked so hard, every one of them. One of my favorite memories was when Rachel and I woke up and they ambushed us into cracking g-nuts with them. One of those moments I felt a little at home.


This was easily my favorite thing. I have always loved Little Rascals and so I taught them their club sign. So that became our morning wave.

They surely were my sunshine. And I pray for the day when I will see them again.

This was the day we left our little town in Iganga :( we gave these two families everything we could leave behind. I've never seen anyone so grateful.

They were watching us pack through our window. It literally hurt to leave them.

Most of these sweet, young children don't even go to school. Their Mother's would do anything to give them that opportunity but it is just too expensive for them. 

The second I begin to whine about school I hope these faces pop into my head. Because I am getting an education that most would give anything for. 

And these mothers really do give EVERYTHING to send at least one child to school. I watched it. I watched a 10 year old son slowly read to his mom who has never learned how to read even a word of English, let alone how to speak it. The pride in her eyes as her son read to her was priceless. 

Beautiful, selfless Fawuza

This lady I speak of was our cook for our time in Uganda. Her name was Fawuza and i'll never forget her and all she did for us. One night she even brought me and Rachel her prized traditional dresses to try on. It was truly an honor.

But even more, it was an honor to be accepted by these people. They took us in and became our family for the short time we were there. And i'm grateful for the sweet sunshine they brought to those 3 months.

Life Is a Highway

From the wide open rice fields of Uganda
To the shiny temples of Thailand

I've been lucky to see more of the world than I thought I would ever see in a lifetime

Different people have different priorities in their life, that's what makes talking to and meeting different people so exciting. I'm not sure how- but somehow one area of my life priorities have become seeing the world and the people in it.

I'm lucky to have married someone with the same plan in mind


This is what we like to call our international wall. It still has a LOT of room for growth but I think we are pretty proud of it.

It includes things from:

Guatemala
Thailand
Costa Rica
Mexico
Uganda

And this years addition will be...

PARIS!!!!!!

(More about that later)

I am a lucky girl to have seen the things i've seen and I am more than grateful for everyone who has made it all possible.

I can't wait for the years to come- to keep exploring the highway of life and seeing where in the world it takes Jonathan and I.

As for now, I'll keep dreaming my Paris dreams and thinking about the day i'll see this little baby

It's Hard to Dance, With a Devil on your Back

This one's a little hard to write. But sometimes- in order to find my motivation in life, I have to get it all out there. Put it all on the line in order to motivate myself to change. So here it goes.

I have so much to "dance" about. But i'm quickly learning that it is hard to dance with a devil on your back. (If you haven't heard this song by Florence and the Machine, or remake by Glee, wow, you are missing out. It's called Shake it Out...Thank me later.)

I have the best husband who is willing to love me through anything.

I have the best family in the world, and I got to add the other best family in the world last August

School is going so well- a year and a half until I have my Masters!
It is almost Christmas, where I get to spend time with my family and friends.

Nothing to complain about here!

But for some reason I am stuck.

But like the song goes on to say... "it's always darkest before the dawn."

I think the devil knew how happy my life could be, so he jumped right on my back in order to ruin it the best he could. And for some reason I let him... but in the end that visual has helped me to get the motivation to SHAKE HIM OFF!

Or in my choice of methods...RUN him off!


In a moment of weakness, or as I have decided to call it...my quarter-life crisis...I signed up for a marathon. I've finished a few halfs in my life,

one
two
three

but every time I cross that finish line I think i've said something to the extent of, "I don't know how ANYONE doubles that."

But my motivation is this-

if i'm going to be running a few hundred miles in the next few months, i'm bound to find myself somewhere along the way right?

No more of this negativity toward myself and my body. Because if I am going to finish this marathon me and and body are going to have to be the best of friends right?


So it's time to love myself for what I am and run my little heart out.  BYE devil. You have no place on my back any more.


Devil- consider yourself SHAKEN OFF! as of...NOW


Side note: if anyone out there runs or knows how to run...feel free to give any and all advice cause I NEED IT!)

Days of Summer

I should be studying for finals.

Ehh...I should actually be studying for the GRE.

Not like my whole life of school and career is on the line or anything? All resting on this one dumb 4 1/2 hour test? That is in a week? Well shoot...

But Jonathan is gone at a final, the house is clean*, I made dinner**, and I can't find another distraction...which brought me to the revival of the blog. The distraction of ALL distractions.

*rare
**really, really rare

And thus we see. I am blogging.

Where better to begin?

the. summer. of. all. summers.

March- Engaged
April- Pick a dress, engagement pictures, get all addresses, last minute trip to Cali, say goodbye to Jonathan
May- Bridals, fly to Africa
June- Africa
July- Africa
August- Africa, fly home, see Jonathan, bridals, wedding, honeymoon, school.

Yep. that happened. And i'd like you all to notice that "plan a wedding" was no where in that list. I can thank my Mom and Sister for any and all things that were at that wedding. Other than Jonathan,  the rest was picked by my talented mom and sister.

So, let the unload of summer pictures begin!

Where better to start?

Down in AFRICA!


The place: Uganda

My crew:

The Cause: Put Solar power in maternity wards of health centers like this

In order to deliver babies like this

Now that i'm home I can sort of explain what we did there. It's one of those things that is hard for me to explain. But here I go...

Last December 2 non-profit organizations joined together to install solar power into maternity wards in Uganda. We Care Solar has created a "Solar Suitcase" that is made specifically for maternity wards, and Safe Mothers, Safe Babies has good relationships with people in villages in Uganda. So they paired up and installed about 20 of these Solar Suitcases into rural health centers and hospitals.

Us three students were sent there to evaluate that project. And not only that- we were supposed to evaluate our evaluation methods. You follow?

So we went to see how these Solar Suitcases were changing things for the health centers. Were more mothers delivering there because there was light now? Was there less maternal and infant deaths now that they have light to deliver the babies? Was there no influence at all? In addition, what is the best way to measure this stuff? Do interview work? Surveys? Etc?

So that was the cause. 3 months of interviews with health care staff that practically don't speak english, traveling between 10 health centers, seeing the births and c-sections of far too many babies, and trying to survive in a place far, far from home.


So with that- let the summer of all summer posts begin!