Dreaming of Christmas... in Mozambique!

 It blows my mind every once in awhile that it was in 2008 that I first felt called to spend Christmas in an orphanage. Now for my 2^nd year in a row, I will celebrate Christmas in an orphanage… who cares that it isn’t on December 25^th. I’m happy to celebrate the birth of Jesus any day of the year and so are the kids and staff in Mozambique!

As if it’s not enough work to raise financial support for myself, I’ve been busy collecting money and gifts for the kids in Mozambique. I have to say that it’s a really hard balancing act… since I don’t have all of my financial support raised I should probably be focusing more on that, but I really want the kids & staff at the Center to be blessed this Christmas!

It thrills me that people are so generous and it’s so awesome to see how faithful God is with carrying out the crazy things he lays on my heart! I also love that God has given me the gift of giving and I get to put it to such good use!

This Christmas God has given me big ideas for the kids… well maybe the ideas aren’t big but when you are trying to buy gifts for 15 – 40 people and then travel 8000 miles with them… it’s a big deal! I’m planning to take as many water bottles, headlamps, pairs of underwear, watches, coloring books, crayons and key chains over as my bags will allow! I’m also excited that I will be able to buy bigger things like shoes and soccer balls in Maputo (the capital city).

Here are a few specific things I’ve been doing to gather donations for the kids & staff this Christmas...

Two weeks ago Genesis: the Church held it’s annual Hope for the Holidays market. I sold items hand-made in Mozambique and also collected donations for the things I plan to purchase in Maputo.

I’ve also had an amazing opportunity this year at Barnes & Noble (in Grosse Pointe, MI)… I’ve been wrapping presents for donations! I love wrapping and I love that the donations will help us to buy Christmas presents in Pemba this year!

I’m such a planner when it comes to things like this. I’ve budgeted out everything from a low to high figure and how many each dollar amount allows me to buy for. Also as the number goes up it allows me to splurge a little more and buy good shoes for each child and a few fun things for the kids to share… like a few remote controlled cars =) Who doesn’t love a remote controlled car?!

I’m happy to say that I’m right around my low figure and I think after wrapping gifts this Friday and Saturday I will have enough money to buy all the kids (in the house) new shoes! And these are just my efforts alone! 

So I guess that means it time to get back to my own fundraising.

But one last thing… I’m featured in the Christmas video this year, so be sure to check it out, it's only 2 minutes long.

The Dream Project Christmas 2011

Support Update:

I’ve raised 68% of the funds needed for my trip in January and 21% of my goal for monthly support for long-term ministry.

Prayer Requests:

-  With 20 days before my trip, I’m starting on some of my final preparations. Just that I wouldn’t feel overwhelmed with all that I need to accomplish in 20 days.

-  I sent my visa application off on Monday (passport included). Join me in praying that I filled everything out correctly and that I will get everything back in a timely manner.

-  That God would continue to give me peace and direction about the role I’m in. That He would give me more ideas than I know what to do with and the resources to see them through!

Official Countdown Clock!

One Month from TODAY!!!!

One month from today… I will be leaving for Africa!! I’m excited and nervous.

My trip plans are coming together slowly yet surely. I still need to apply for my visa. I just need to go over all my paper work one last time, go get a money order and then I will be all ready to mail it off to the Mozambican Embassy in Washington.

My plans as of right now are to fly from Detroit to Washington… where I will meet up with my friend Karin. She is spending the year in Lesotho and so we are flying from Washington to Johannesburg together! This is a 17-hour flight and so I couldn’t be happier to have one of my best friends on it with me! We will arrive in Johannesburg Friday night and spend it in a hostel with some friends… before Nunu and I take the 8 hour bus ride to Maputo!

When I’m in Maputo, I will be staying at a guesthouse for Missionaries. Nunu and Sumate (national missionaries who work up in Pemba) will also be in Maputo visiting family. They will be about 1.5 hours away but have agreed to show me around and help me buy Christmas presents for the kids… things like shoes and soccer balls. I have a feeling I won’t leave the guesthouse unless I have someone by my side.

Nunu and I will also be traveling to Ponta de Ouro for a few days. The Dream Project has 6 acres of land in Ponta. My hope for the trip is to be able to document the land by taking pictures and measuring anything possible so that one day when The Dream Project is ready to build, I will have a good sense of the land and be able to do some architectural drawings for them.

The final leg of my trip is to Pemba, to celebrate Christmas with my boys! I’m going by bus and I’ve heard this trip can take up to 3 days! I feel like this is going to be a whole new experience for me and I’m hoping I will have lots to blog about… or maybe I should be hoping for the opposite! I think I will be up in Pemba around February 1^st, but it will depend on when Nunu’s work in Maputo is done. I’m surly not brave enough to take a 3 day bus ride alone in Mozambique!

It is hard not having exact days, but this is life in Mozambique and it’s good for me to get used to being laid back about things. I’ve heard the bus to Pemba doesn’t really run on a schedule… I mean I’m sure it’s supposed to but just because the schedule says it goes on Wednesdays and Saturdays doesn’t mean much. When Nunu & Sumate were looking into their bus rides from Pemba to Maputo, one of them was telling me that there are no buses at the station and so they couldn’t find out when the next bus would leave until a bus arrived from Maputo.

I’m trying to learn to go with the flow and not build up my expectations… as I realized on my last trip that if you don’t expect much, you’re never let down.

Support Update:

I’ve raised 66% of the funds needed for my trip in January and almost 21% of my goal for monthly support.

Specifically a few of my needs are:

1. Financial Support – You could personally support me or you could host a book party or fundraiser of any sort.
2. Communication Support – I have a few people on my mailing list that don’t use email and I’m hoping to find someone that would be willing to mail them an update or two while I’m gone.
3. Logistical Support – While I’m gone someone that would be willing to follow up with some of my contacts and arrange book parties or speaking engagements. 

Prayer:

- Visa preparation and approval.

- Keep my focus… as I was challenged last week in my small group, remembering the Gospel everyday.

- Not getting caught up in the details… going with the flow!

- I’m collecting Christmas presents for the kids. I’m trying to keep things organized… what’s been donated… what do we still need… how much money has been collected… what can I buy with that in Maputo… and of course will it all fit in my suite case!

- Support raising!

Wedding Bells are Ringing!

I’m not really sure where November went?! It was a busy fast moving month for me! For the first two weeks I was in Chicago.

I spent part of the first week working in my old Architecture firm! It’s defiantly not the same without my co-workers, but it was nice to have a “real” job for a few days. I’m now able to work there remotely… so anywhere that has the internet! I haven’t been able to do much as of yet, but I’m going to start putting aside 1 day a week for this. As my Christmas list is long this year (living in an orphanage will do that), I’d better start logging some hours! Seriously it really is a blessing to be able to make a good hourly wage with a completely flexible schedule.

I had two weddings this November… my brother and good friend from High School. They were the reason for the lengthy trip. My brother’s wedding was really nice, but I think the best part was that people got to see a side of him they didn’t know existed. The way he looks at Priscilla would melt many hearts. I couldn’t be happier for them.

One of my oldest friends, Erin, whom I met in 8^th grade also got married… 1 week after Josh. I’m equally excited for her and Ryan! The wedding was very Erin… Elegant with a hint of pizazz… that’s my girl!

The nice thing about my "job" or the position I'm working toward, is that I can do much of it from anywhere. I always love my trips to Chicago and being able to spend time catching everyone up on my life and the ministry I'm working with.

Support Update:

I’ve raise 63% of the funds needed for my trip in January and almost 18% of my goal for monthly support. 

Monthly financial support is still my greatest need. Click here for more information about giving and my other support needs.

Prayer Requests:
- I'm gathering Christmas presents for the kids and national staff, pray that we would raise enough to provide a great Christmas in Mozambique!
- Visa applications
- That I would be able to build a solid support team. Click here for information about support.

Wanna go on a short-term trip to Moz!?!

After spending a week at home, I headed off for Atlanta! I arrived and 3 hours later was presenting my videos and sharing stories about my trip to Mozambique! No rest for the weary…

Many people don’t know that I graduated from High School in Dacula, GA and my mom and step-dad still live there. They were kind enough to set up two different opportunities for me to share about my book and plans for Mozambique. It was also nice to meet so many of their friends who I hear so much about.

 

Saturday my friend Taylor came to visit. Taylor and I volunteered at Campus Life in Downers Grove, IL for 3 years together. She moved to Charlotte, NC about the same time I moved to Detroit. We daydreamed about organizing a short-term missions trip to Moz… aahhhhh what a lovely thought. I wouldn’t be part of the short-term, but I would get to host them!

Speaking of short-term trips, two guys from Indian River Methodist Church went on a short-term trip to help with a building project. They got a great start to a new home that will allow us to house short-term teams and long-term missionaries. If you are interested in taking a team to Mozambique please e-mail me!

Support Update:

I’ve raise 57% of the funds needed for my trip in January and 15% of my goal for monthly support.

Monthly financial support is still my greatest need. Click here for more information about giving and my other support needs. 

Prayer Requests/Updates:
- Julia & Adriano are getting ready to travel to Brazil.
- The boys semester just finished, they are on there summer break. Many of them just took finals and will find out their scores in a week or so. In Moz not everyone has finals each year, only certain grades.
- Support raising! That I will meet my goals =)
- I'm hoping to book a one way flight this week! I'm hoping to fly over with my friend Karin, who will be serving for a year in Lesotho. We're looking for good connections and cheap flights!!!

Thanks to all who read. Your support means the world to me!

Rock Bottom Deals!

It seems like each month is full of new experiences and feelings. October has been no exception. It has been a hard and exciting month. I spent the first week or so in Chicago.

I went into Balsamo, Olsen and Lewis (my old architecture firm), because they were kind enough to let me use a computer with AutoCAD to work on some drawings for The Dream Project. I hadn’t been back to the office since my trip last year. I ended up showing Sal (my former boss) my book and he bought 2 books! Not only that but he asked if I could come in and work for him for a week. He also joked about setting me up for remote access so I could work from Africa!

Judy was also excited about the work I’m doing and she told me about this place called Rock Bottom Deals. She asked me to create a wish list of items for Africa…

I checked out the site and it’s pretty cool. You are able to buy things in bulk at a discounted price, for example you can buy coloring books that would cost $3.00… for $.60 the only thing is you have to buy 12. But what a deal!

The best part is you can make wish lists for others to fulfill =). So I created a Dream Project wish list and Judy hooked us up! I’m excited to say I have 2 boxes full of things like puzzles, coloring books, hand-sanitizer, and cups have arrived for Christmas!

The day after I got home from Chicago, I didn’t move. My whole body ached and my throat was starting to hurt. I never realized how exhausting this would be. I love sharing. I love talking about my passion for these boys and Mozambique. I guess I just never realized how mentally and emotionally exhausting it was.

Support Update:

I’ve raise 50% of the funds needed for my trip in January and 14% of my goal for monthly support.

Where did September go?

On September 24^th I was asked to share at the American Baptist Churches of Michigan annual pastors meeting. They had a panel of short-term missionaries all share about their trips and give advise about short-term trips. Here is a little of what I shared…

Even though my trip was only 7 weeks long, I began looking for an international group to serve with 2 years before. Watching door after door close or not even open was hard, but I just knew this is what God was calling me to. As I was preparing to leave for Mozambique I knew that I was going in God’s perfect timing. Time and time again on my trip I was reminded just how perfect the timing was. I have a friend who likes to say “nothing is wasted in God’s economy,” many days in Mozambique I found comfort looking back over my life and thinking God was preparing me for this day, nothing has been a waste.

September ended with a book party. My friend Leslie was kind enough to open her home and allow me to sell my books and share the passion that has been laid on my heart for the beautiful country of Mozambique. Thanks Leslie!

For the first time I also sold pictures and purses. I’ve had a few people ask if they could buy pictures and so I’ve created a book to show which prints are for sale and what they cost.

When I was in Moz I bought about 10 or 12 yards of fabric convinced I would do something cool with it when I came home. On my trip to Mozambique I carried a fabric purse. I took it with me everywhere and it was awesome but I remember a few times wishing it was a little bit bigger. About a month ago I decided I would sew myself a bigger purse out of my Moz fabric. I loved it so much I decided I would keep sewing bags and try to sell them to raise money.

I've got a few more book parties lines up between now and the end of the year, but if you would like to host a party at your home, church, school or anywhere you can think of please email me at amanda@thedream-project.org.

Support Update:

I’ve raise 41% of the funds needed for my trip in January and 14% of my goal for monthly support.

Prayer Requests;

- My health

- Building project in Pemba. Walt and Trent arrived yesterday and will begin building tomorrow!

Can you sign my shirt?

I started off September with a trip to Missouri. My dad, Linnea and I drove down to Neosho to visit family. We volunteered for a day in Joplin, tearing out the floor of a home. Joplin was hit by a huge tornado in May. The tornado tore right though town, not only taking out one of Joplin’s hospitals, but also the majority of it’s school and killing over 160 people. I’ve been going to Joplin my whole life and I lived there in 2005… it was surreal going back.

Google's picture 1220 Roland... pre-tornado.

1220 Roland post-tornado... crazy.

Dad & I pulling up the floor.

Yep... I wore my TOMS =)

Almost done!

On our way home we went to Kansas City, Missouri so that I could speak at Paxton School. I was asked in as a guest author by the Librarian, Jennifer Day, to speak to the entire school of 4^th and 5^th graders (just under 400 students). I hadn’t spoken to Jen in probably 10 years when she reached out to me on Facebook. She asked if I could come share how I wrote the book as well as some of my experiences in Mozambique. I was both thrilled and honored that she would ask… and was very excited for this opportunity!

I was given the choice of speaking to small, medium or large groups. I went with small and so I shared eight times in two days! The students were so amazing though! I wasn’t sure what to expect, but they paid attention and asked really good follow up questions.

I showed part of my trip video and asked the students some questions while pointing out similarities and differences from USA to Moz. I walked them though my writing process as well as my picture taking process. I also brought in some fabric from Moz and showed how woman would wear it and how they would use it to carry their children and babies. I used volunteers for that and let the students carry around baby dolls. In conclusion I challenged them to dream big… and think of how they can help others.

The funniest thing was being asked if I could sign their shirts or their arms… I said no =) The coolest thing was that two girls came up to me afterwards and asked “If we give you something will you bring it to Mozambique?” I said, “Sure.” They took their headbands off of their heads and gave them to me. After school the same two girls came in and gave me a ponytail holder and pair of glasses with no lenses. I was so touched. It’s not about how much you give, but about giving of what you have. Kids are just so amazing!

September has been a great kick-off to my fundraising. As of today, I’m 39% to reaching my goal that will allow me to go to Mozambique this winter, but I’m only at 7% of my overall monthly support needed. Which means I’ve gotten a good amount of one-time donations (including book sales) and have just scratched the surface of monthly donations.

My goal is to reach 50% of my monthly support by the time I leave this winter and raise the other 50% after I return in March. Lots of goals I know, but I’m a detail person… most of your eyes would cross if I showed you the Excel Spreadsheet I’ve put together to track donations and sales!

If you would like to host a party at your home, church, school or anywhere you can think of please email me at amanda@thedream-project.org.

Prayer:

- Trip to Atlanta – October 19^th – 26^th.

- Helder (one of the boys) was hit by a car last week. His injuries were minor, but he had a few stitches on his head and scraped up his arms and hands.

- Fundraising =)

- My health… as I’ve been feeling a little under the weather this week.

Missionary Author... how did that happen?

Many days I am in disbelief with my life. I don’t know what is more surprising… moving to Mozambique (essentially) or publishing a book?

I’ve been phasing out of my role with U.S. Operations and started preparing to head back to Mozambique as a full-time Missionary. I don’t know about you, but when I hear the term Missionary my mind is flooded with thoughts. Some negative and some positive, but I don’t really feel like many of those thoughts describe me.

I’m still getting used to the idea of being an author. When I think of authors I think of people that can spell and have a large vocabulary. Neither are my strong suit =) I was thinking the other day how hard English class was for me in High School, but then I remember that the one thing I was good at was descriptive writing… who knew all these years later I would use my descriptive writing skills to publish a book!?!

As far as my plans for the future, I’m planning to head back to Mozambique for Christmas and stay for another 3 months. I know when most people become Missionaries they go into the field for at least a year… well as usual I do things different. I’m still making the year long commitment, but I really feel like I’m being called to go for a few months and then come back to the States for a few months to share how TDP is changing lives of people in Mozambique. Not just to report back but to really give supporters an idea of who lives and works at our Center.

I’m also really excited to get to visit Ponta de Oruo, Mozambique! The government has given The Dream Project 6 acres in Ponta and we hope to eventually have a ministry there as well. I was unable to visit on my last trip, partially because I didn’t know anyone in Ponta. This winter TDP is going to be doing a small building project in Ponta. I’m not sure what just yet, but a national worker (and possibly another American missionary) will be in Ponta overseeing the project. It looks like TDP will be sending Namorado, it will be nice to have a friend who speaks English (and Portuguese) and knows the area.

We have another building project going on up in Pemba. We are currently trying to purchase a piece of land that will connect our two existing properties. We have a team coming in October to build and if we are able to purchase the land we will be able to enclose all of our land in one fence. This will help a lot with security. The team this fall is building a few new dorms and bathroom. It will allow us to repurpose some of our rooms, so that we have a space for storage, an office and a true common room (meaning no one’s bedroom) for the boys. All are much needed and so this is really exciting! I can’t wait to see the changes!

As always thanks for reading!

Please be praying:

• For my trip plans
• Building in October, that the neighbors will sell to us for a reasonable price. Also that we are able to get the permits in time =)
• Building in Ponta. From filing for permits to finishing paperwork after the build.
• The house mom’s son is in the hospital. Keep his health in your prayers.

Chicken & Mashed Potatoes

For weeks now I have been thinking it would be fun to cook for the guys and Michael. I think it's because every time I look at Sheema (flour cooked with water) all I think it mashed potatoes… from there I end up thinking about Thanksgiving! My favorite meal is a typical Thanksgiving meal. 

I head to town with Nunu and I'm surprised to find how empty it is. We wonder all over trying to find what I'm looking for. The best part was when we were at this little shop buying chickens I was going over what else we needed out loud… butter, bread, potatoes, etc. I look at a box and it says "Amanda!" Why is it so exciting to find things with our names on it?! I ask Nunu to find out what it is and it's butter! I was planning on buying it no matter what it was, but I even needed it.

I get to the house and start thawing out my birds. The water is off, so I have to go to the well to get water and I have to boil it so I don't get sick. I get everything going, my birds in the oven. The kitchen is 109! I step outside and I feel like I'm walking into air-conditioning! My potatoes only need a little bit longer to be done and I'm gonna have to watch the birds, since the stove setting are just low to high. 

I glance at the stove and realize that the flame under the potatoes had gone out. I try relighting and get nothing. It takes a minute for it to click that the stove is hooked into a gas tank that sits under the sink and it must be out. I search the garage, there are other cans but they all appear to be empty. 

This is something you can't just run out and grab, not to mention Michael isn't home. I tell the guys what is happening and they tell me to cook the stuff on the charcoal stove. I know you can cook a chicken on the grill, but not with the supplies they have here. 

Since I had just put the birds in the oven minutes before the gas ran out, I decide to just bag everything and cook it later. If we can get gas in time… if not I figure I will just let the guys cook it how they like.

I try not to ask much of Michael, because everyone asks the world of Michael and I know it's stressful. So I'm surprised after church on Sunday when he asks if I want to go get gas. I'm actually thrilled because the power had just gone out and I knew we would have to cook the birds today.

We get the gas. I cook the food and Michael, Sumate, Nunu, Santos, Ernesto and I sit around eating in the Kitchen eating chicken and mashed potatoes. We also had corn and bread but those are very normal here. It's fun to be able to share some of my life with them… especially cause they all love chicken! 

Dreaming of Mozambique!

I'm not exactly sure where the time has gone. Life is finally getting back to normal... or at least my new version of normal.

As far as The Dream Project goes... I've started the process to become a full-time missionary! I'm hoping to head back to Mozambique this December! I'm hoping to help grow the communication between the children in Mozambique and our supporters in the States! I really feel God calling me to this right now and I'm excited to see where it all leads.

I'm guessing if you are reading this you know that I used my blog to keep in touch while I was gone in Mozambique. When I got home my plan was to print them up and bind a few copies to share with people that never made it to this site.

Well to make a really long story short... what started out as my idea for a print out has turned into me self publishing parts of my blogs along with some of my favorite pictures from the trip. I have titled the book Dreaming of Mozambique.

Cover of Dreaming of Mozambique

Dreaming of Mozambique will be selling for $25. The proceeds from this book will help pay and prepare me for my next trip to Mozambique in December! The book is 65 pages and has over 120 colored images. I've gotten really good feed back from my team of proof readers and I'm excited to use this book to help people understand life in Mozambique a little better. 

The Proof Copy!

To purchase Dreaming of Mozambique:

If you wish to write a check please send it to:

Cost: $25.00

Cost w/ Shipping: $30.00

Amanda Nichols

309 N. Main Street

Royal Oak, MI 48067

Book: Cost $25.00
Pay with PayPal

Book + Shipping: Cost $30.00
Pay with PayPal

Robin Hood and the Market

Every other Monday we buy food for the house that will last 2 weeks. Maria, Joao and Izack are in charge of the bi-weekly outing. I didn't know much about it all I knew was that they went into the big Market a few blocks from downtown and it required getting a taxi for the ride home. 

As we stood waiting for the bus, I remember Maria noticing all of my bed bug bites. Sometimes I forget how different things look on my skin verses theirs. It was also really cute, Maria insisted that I stand in the shade of a electrical pole while we waited in the hot sun. 

We got to the Market and I felt like we were entering a club or something. All these times driving past and I didn't realize that there was more to this place than just the shops along the street. We walked down this narrow alley that was less than 3 feet wide and about 20 feet wide.The walls were lined with DVD's and CD's. Not like what we have in America, rather flat boxes in plastic bags. I didn't get a good look but the covers had more than one movie on them and I didn't get if the actual DVD was in there or if these were just display cards. 

Once we make it though this isle, things open up a little. The isles aren't any wider, but there are booths and items set out on short tables. The tables being so low to the ground make it feel less claustrophobic. Shops all sell different things. Right now I'm looking at underwear toward the right and coffee mugs, plates and other kitchen wares to the left. 

We take off down another narrow isle. Izack and Joao have both told me to follow close, but they keep looking back to make sure I'm still there. We pass wood furniture, I see an iron, and clothes. The sound is chatter with different types of music, but as we turn a corner I hear American music. Loud. We pass some potatoes and turn again. We arrive at a different booth that sells beans, potatoes and onions. Izack and Joao obviously know the guy. 

While they chat, my eyes wonder. We are directly across from a music booth. The music booth consists of CD's and a guy sitting at a computer with HUGE speakers. They are BLASTING the Eminem's song that came out just before I left… I think it's called "Everybody."

The only reason I mention the song is because since the day I've arrived I've noticed Pedro attempting to sing songs that are popular in America. I couldn't put my finger on the first one, like the lyrics were sitting on the tip of my tong. For a few weeks he was singing a Justin Bieber song, but the last few weeks he has been singing "Esteybody" and I've been wondering what song it was, case closed!

I watch as Maria and Joao snap the beans (raw baked beans) in half and examine them before eating them. Who knew this is how you buy beans… I sure didn't. Izack has a laminated list of what to buy, Joao has a calculator out. I'm sure they are figuring what we can afford based on the going price. Potatoes are next and I notice right away the the biggest potatoes are in the front, but that the guy grabs from the back. I think Maria comments, because he pulls some of the small ones out. We buy two grocery bag full of beans and one full of potatoes.

We walk towed the way we came, but go straight rather than turning. This stop onions and garlic. One grocery bag of onions. We keep walking. The boys are carrying all of the items in their hands and Maria is carrying her own purchase on her head, which is the norm in Pemba. 

We wind our way back to the street while passing just about every miscellaneous thing you could ever want. From flip flops to plumbing equipment to mattress. Kinda like Target before they started adding the grocery sections to their stores. Well like an out door Target with a dirt floor, loud music, bamboo "department" dividers and the occasional cat. 

We walk down the street till we come to a big parking anchored by what I think is two stores. The only reason I think that is because there are two doors. Both store have mercy inside and out, it's apparently bulk food. 

I wait with all the food in the parking lot while everybody else goes in. They come out a few minutes later with 3 gallon sized containers of oil, 3 50 pound bags of rice, and a few small boxes. Neither Joao or Izack are great English speakers, but they communicate that they are going to get a taxi and a few more things. Maria grabs broken down boxes for us to sit on and we wait with the food. While we are sitting there a guy comes from behind us and grabs 2 of the bottles of oil. I'm not sure what to think. Do we know him? Is this the cab driver? Maria is putting her shoes on and goes after the guy. I'm still not sure what to think, because she isn't running. Also, now here I am left with ALL this stuff just waiting. 

While I'm waiting a woman leaving the store says something to me in broken English. She says something like, "Not safe for you and all this food, trouble." Whatever she said I remember feeling like she was implying that I was asking for trouble, almost inviting it. 

The thing that gets me the most about this is I feel like lots of people have that Robin Hood mentality. I'm white, therefore I must be rich, so stealing from me because you are poor is okay. Don't get me wrong theft is an issue here, but as I stand there in that parking lot I wonder… "did this guy steal from us because I'm here." Did he look at me and assume that I could just buy more oil. The oil cost 300 MZN, which is about $9.60. Sure I could have spent $20 to replace what was taken, but I didn't bring money here to replace stolen goods. I decide to buy one oil. As if it was my way of taking some sort of stand and showing that white people can't fix everything. Probably crazy thinking, it's not like the guy was even there to watch me not buy 2 things of oil.

Once the shopping was done, my plan was to go to the internet place. I thought we were going to the middle of town, so it all made sense to me. Well I didn't realize that we were going to a market just before town. It wasn't a far walk and it was broad daylight. I think I would have been fine walking, but the boys insisted that I didn't. Joao and I took a cab to the internet place, Joao got out of the car and walked me the 15 feet to the door. I tell you these boys are amazing. I never have to ask about things. They all just take care of me as if I'm the child in need. 

One thing about all of these boys is they do have so much respect for their elders. You can tell by how they speak to people. They always add either "Mano" or "Mana" to the beginning of the Missionaries and workers names. I'm Mana Amanda or there is Mano Sumate, Mano Michael and so on. The other thing I've noticed is that when an adult shows up and there are no chairs the kids will automatically get up and give the adult their chair or go find one for them to sit on. 

Pass the Kleenex...

Ok so here we go again. I guess I should mention that I will do my best to keep things in chronological order, but when I stopped blogging I wasn't journaling either. Also it is easier for me to recap the story as if I was there, so that is what I will do.

Game on...

As if my little buddy Juma Pequeno doesn't have enough to deal with by being small for his age from malnutrition and having AIDS/HIV, the poor kids gets sick a lot. This time he has a cough and runny nose. I find myself in all these strange situations. I know what to do in America, but just cause it's what we would do doesn't mean it's what I should do here. When his nose is running do I wipe it? What do I wipe it with, the don't have kleenex. When he is coughing while he is trying to sleep should I do something, should I wake someone up, will he just fall back asleep? Before I am even done having the conversation in my head he does fall back asleep. 

I decide not to do much, but only to ask Juma P to cover his mouth when he is coughing. Every time he coughs I say his name and cough using my hand to cover my mouth. I realize that I probably should have used my elbow, but decide to just be consistent. He is pretty good about keeping his mouth covered, but like all children he needs constant reminding. One day Juma P and Helder were standing right in front of me watching me work on something and Juma P starts coughing. At that moment I know I will too have a cough and sure enough a few days later I am officially sick.  

Apparently something is going around Pemba and so it's not just me and Juma P. Now that I'm sick though it really get's me thinking. In a week or so I go though 8 travel packages of kleenex. They are 3 ply and so when I notice how fast I'm going through the beautiful, soft, luxurious kleenex; I start pulling the pieces apart and using either 1 or 2 ply(?) at at time. Sure I have toilet paper but I think I could blow a hole though it from across the room. I'm sure it's similar to what you have to use with a septic here in the US but my guess is it's thinner. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, imagine really natural looking recycled paper. Then look at how thick it is and cut it in half.... so basically really really thin recycled paper.

So anyways, all this nose blowing has me wondering what everyone else is using to blow their nose? Ask and you shall receive as soon as I started wondering I got my answer. WARNING THIS IS GROSS… I saw a guy blow the nastiest snot rocket (when you push one side of your nose closed and blow with all of your might to get everything out), I mean yuck! All snot rockets are nasty, but this was nasty based on quantity... ugh there was just so much snot!

I don't think I made a face when I saw the snot rocket, but I definitely though YUCK! No one else even flinched, it's times like these I wonder am I thinking like this cause I'm a girl or because I'm American? Do the girls here blow snot rockets in public? Aah the life one lives when surrounded by males 24 hours a day 7 days a week for 4 weeks (cause I had Julie for the first 3). Sometimes the norm here is just so strange to me. I even thought should I offer these guys kleenex or some toilet paper, but they probably would have put it in there pocket and saved it for the bathroom and thought I was nuts for suggesting that  they blow there nose in it. I mean snot rockets are free?! So in a town where a days wage is $3.20 a little more than some boxes of kleenex, you do the math.

The other really funny thing about all of this is that with ALL of the medicine I brought… I didn't bring one thing for a cough. Another one of those little lessons that any planner hates learning. It's humbling knowing that I will never be able to prepare for everything, at some point I just have to be ready to hand it over to the Lord… even the little things like having a nasty cough in the middle of Africa. But man what a blessing the day I found Halls cough drops in one of the little grocery stores. It really is the little things here in Pemba... 3 ply kleenex and a package of orange flavored cough drops.

Juma P these were taken before his cold set in.

Juma P and Amido... they sure love posing for the camera!

Let the debriefing begin...

For those of you who haven't heard... I'm back in Detroit.

I'm not done blogging about my trip, but I just couldn't bring myself to spend any more time in front of my computer while I was there. I will try to finish writing the last 2 weeks of blogs, but my computer either has a nasty virus or the hard drive is about to crash. Yes all of my pictures are on there =( They think they will be able to transfer them over, but that requires me getting a new laptop... which I don't exactly have the money for after my little adventure!

All this to say I'm home and more stories and pictures about my trip will be coming soon!

I would appericate your prayers while I try to face the reality of being back in the US and what life looks like now. It is shocking for many reasons, but the biggest is being alone for the first time in 2 months and dealing with the silence. Sure I listen to music, read and watch tv, but the noise of the House in Mozambique has become my norm. 12 hours of a keyboard playing 5 feet from my door, constant knocking on my door at all hours of the day to ask life threatening question like "can I use your soccer ball?", kids screaming, laughing, crying, asking for hugs, wanting to sit on my lap, wondering if I'm going to the beach the list goes on, but that is what I miss.

A day in the life...

Since getting here I have been meaning to write about what a day is like for the boys. So here is my best attempt at doing that.
On weekdays the boys are up no later than 5am, but sometimes as early as 4am. They start there day off with a time of singing and prayer. After that they all have chores. They sweep the yard, their rooms, do any dishes left over from the night before and do their laundry. For breakfast they eat bread and drink tea.
School here operates in half days. Some kids go from 7am till noon and others go from noon to 5pm. The kids that aren’t in school get tutored at least two days a week by some of the workers or even the older children. All the kids eat lunch at the center, either before or after school. Lunch is usually beans and rice.
The music teacher, Daniel, comes a few days a week to teach the kids to play the piano and the guitar. They all have time slots and get lessons each week and then practice when the keyboard isn’t in use. Some days the keyboard is played from sunrise to sunset.
The art teacher, Zito, comes two days a week and helps the kids make cards and necklaces. It is amazing watching the kids and Zito create the cards with such simple tools.
Dinner is usually sometime between 5 and 6pm. Dinner is usually a starch and a protein or salad (if a large serving of protein was served at lunch). The starches are rice, spaghetti or sheema. I just found out that sheema is basically flour cooked over the stove with water, no wonder it tastes like nothing. The protein varies each day from beans, fish, or goat meat. Salad is cabbage and cucumbers and sometimes a banana or other seasonal fruit.
At 7pm the boys all gather to talk over their day. They all sit in a circle and one of the Maputo guys goes around asking them to share about their day. They usually say things like “my day was good, I went to school.” Sometimes they share about how something bad happened to them or a funny story. Last night Latino shared that on his way to school his pants split open and riding his bike made the hole get bigger and bigger. He ended up stopping to ask a taylor to fix his pants. He explained to the man that he didn’t have any money but wouldn’t be able to go to school with the hole in his pants. The man fixed his pants while Latino waited in his underwear… everybody got a good laugh out of that story.

The kids start making their way to bed around 8 and lights go out at 9. All the boys share one shower and so there is usually a line for that and others try to do more laundry.
On Friday night the kids get to watch a movie. They have tv in the common room and a DVD/VHS player. They mainly watch movies in English and they talk though the whole thing, but they love to laugh at the funny parts. The tv is locked up during the week and only gets brought out for the 3 or so hours of watching. Bedtime is extended to lights out at 10pm and the kids get to sleep in until 6am on the weekend.

Depending on who is around is what shapes the weekend. When Julie was here the kids went to IRIS ministries for church in the morning and then we all went to the beach in the afternoon. Now that Michael is here the kids have the option to attend the church of their choice but we also have service at the house.

Hopefully I'll have more pictures next week, but I didn't realize that I wouldn't be able to get the ones I took last week off of my camera...
 
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2020325&id=102500461&l=51b516af63

The foot Doctor is in?!

These kids constantly think they are sick… especially Pedro. He has gotten so bad about my “medicine” that I’ve had to cut him off from band-aids and I’ve started telling him that he can’t have pepto bismal tablets unless he lays down… I mean if your stomach hurts laying down makes sense right?
The funny thing is it isn’t just the kids. I gave Michael some nasal decongestant and when I left his place 4 adults were grabbing their throats asking for medicine. I’m also apparently the local foot doctor. Ugh I hate feet! With all the walking and poor shoes here it makes sense that there are a lot of foot problems. I’m just like I’m no doctor people but they think I have medicine for everything. I do my best to clean the cuts and put Neosporin on them, hoping they don’t get infected. The “best” part about being the local “doctor” is that most people come to me days after getting cut… so yep things are infected. Amido had a cut on his leg and we had to poke it with a needle to get the puss out before I could do anything. I looked away for a minute and he grabbed a rusty nail off of my floor and went to poke it… I was like “NOOOOO!!” The Juma G came to me with a cut on the bottom of his foot and there was so much dirt in it that I had to try to cut it open enough to attempt to clean it. I was using a needle for that too and Pedro brought me this rusted up exacto blade and I was like “no dirty!” In total I’ve clean 6 feet, 2 shins and 1 elbow. I’m sure glad I brought gloves.
It pains me to tell you that my mouse problems aren’t over. I noticed more poop and set my trap near the door again. I woke up this morning to really weird screaming noises, but the boys run around right outside of my window… so it’s normal. I usually lay in bed trying to figure out who is making the noises until I fall back asleep, as I was listening to this noise I noticed that something was scratching/sliding on the floor. I popped up really quick, put my glasses on, grabbed my flashlight and looked at my trap only to find a mouse screaming and trying to escape the sticky glue!
The funny thing about this is that modesty is big here and so for me to go running out of my room first thing in the morning isn’t ideal… so I’ve altered my pajamas keeping that in mind. It was a good thing too, because from the safety of my mosquito net I leap of the bed put my shoes on and am out the door looking for someone to help. These kids sit on the porch all day but when I need them they are nowhere to be found. Luckily I found Momade and he came and got the little sucker. I got a good look at this guy and he looked more like a little rat than a mouse, about 4 inches in length. It gave me the chills thinking about his screams.

The boys all think it’s hilarious that I don’t like mice, so they got a good laugh while I was sitting out on the porch at 7am trying to work up the courage to get back in my bed. I finally make it try to carry on like it is any other morning. I start out by listen to my ipod the first song is always “Lead me to the Cross” by Francesca Battistelli. I had my eyes closed just trying to relax and take in the words. I was about 2 or 3 songs in when I opened my eyes and saw a mouse climbing up my window!!! I screamed and he fell onto my bed! The only thing that separated us was my bug net. I flew and I mean flew off of my bed and went running out the door yelling for the boys to go find it.

They went in and I got the dogs (who like to eat mice). The kids and Daniel took my room apart looking for the little guy, but they didn’t find him. Sumate was out there when I went flying out of my room and I don’t think he will ever let me forget how I reacted. All day every time he sees me he starts laughing… ugh. Apparently girls here aren’t afraid of mice.

I probably stood on the porch bare knees without shoes on for an hour. It’s just funny and hard because no one relates… it’s a strange cultural difference but it definitely is a difference.

Uggs?

My visa was only for 30 days and so I had to go apply for another 30 visa. Michael also needs to renew his Dire (similar to resident visa), so we’ve made several trips to immigration. My visa only took 3 trips but I was so afraid that they were going to keep telling me to change the text in my letter explaining why I was here. The Dire on the other hand… I’ve lost track as to how many times Michael has gone to immigration. You go and they tell you go get this document translated at an official office. You come back and they then tell you one more thing to go do. It really is a strange system. I had to give them my visa for a week, which is also nerve wracking but at least I have copies of it =)
If you checked out my Facebook profile picture then you’ve already heard part of this story, but it’s cute. Juma P has become my little buddy. Even though he is 7, he like a 4 year old (if not younger). He usually takes an afternoon nap where ever he gets tired. He comes to my door a lot in the afternoon while I’m typing and so I’ve started inviting him in to sit in my other chair. It’s crazy how such a little gesture can put a smile on a child’s face. He sits down watches me type for a few minutes and then he passes out. Sometimes he sits on my lap and one day I asked him if he wanted a hug, but he speaks no English so of course he had no clue what I was asking. I hugged him a few times and would say “hug” while I was doing so.
The next day when Juma was standing in my door as he often does I said “Hug?” to which he put his head down, smiled and shook his head “yes.” Later that night I ran to Michael’s place to grab something and heard Juma talking to me while I walked over there. I was in a hurry and didn’t really pay attention because I never have any idea what he is saying. When I got inside he waited on the steps for me and when I came out and was locking the door I heard the cutest little voice say “uggs?” My heart melted and I looked at him and said, “do you want a hug?” and he shook his head “yes.” This has become a daily thing for us and has expanded into him taking a few of his daily naps on my lap.
Some of the older boys think it’s really funny and some of the middle kids try to be cool about asking for hugs and even tease me about it by chanting “hugs.” The ones who tease are of course the ones who want hugs themselves. I ususally try to force a hug on them when they tease me about it. The other night we were watching a movie together and Juma P asked for a hug as he was going to bed and it started a waterfall effect where Pedro, Amido and Juma G asked for hugs. How is it that something so simple can impact my life and their lives so much?

Prayer |Requests:
- Continued health. I'm still taking my Malaria pills but some days I forget. I don't like them. They are suposed to make me more sensative to the sun but when I put sunblock on it stings... same thing with bug spray. Also if I don't have just the right amount of food in my stomach I get sick. On the bright side I found out that there are different types of Malaira and the type here just gives you the flu and you take meds to cure it. In other parts of the world you get it and have it for the rest of your life.

Go play in the STREET!

Last Monday some guys came out the dig a new drainage field for our septic system, because our current field leaks whenever it rains (stuff bubbles up). The hole is about 10’ deep and was supposed to be about 6’x 8’. The entire project was supposed to take 4 days. Well the one edge of the hole keeps collapsing which keeps adding to what they have to dig, by hand no less. The hole was finally dug and the guy doing the work went to cash our check to buy materials and it bounced and we didn’t get money wired till the following Monday. One night we got a really bad rain storm and when I work up there was about 7’ of water in the hole, which by now has spread to 8’x 12’. It took two days for the guys to remove all the rain water, using oil jugs with holes cut in the side and rope. One bucket at a time for two days. Last night I noticed that one of the guys was in the hole shoveling out some of the mud from the bottom of the hole, they had finally finished. About a half an hour later I noticed the most disgusting smell and I looked out and everyone was standing around the hole with their hands over their noses. Another chunk of ground had caved in and it opened up to the old drainage field. Yuck Yuck Yuck! For 30 minutes it was like Niagra Falls pouring into the hole and it smelled so bad I had to wet a wash cloth and put it over my nose.
We are now on day 11 with a big hole and huge pile of dirt right in front of the house and about 5’ from my window. Michael was able to find a sewage waste company to come out and drain our hole and septic tank, but that is an additional $250 that we didn’t budget. I laughed at the check bouncing, more than anything because I think it’s good for people to see that the ‘white’ people don’t have an endless supply of money. It is hard though because money is tight for the organization right now and even though someone stateside made a donation for the septic system repairs we have surpassed the donation. Where does the money come from then? Michael. I’m amazed at how many times both Michael and Julie have dipped into their own pockets to cover expenses that we didn’t budget for. There is always something and none of it is cheap.

Yesterday the guys pulled 4000 Liters out of the hole, they came back to finish the job but their truck wasn’t working. They were supposed to come back at 7am today, but I think it was raining. When I looked out my window this morning the hole was full again because of the rain last night. With all the rain we’ve been getting how is this hole ever going to get filled?!

The hole has made life interesting at the house. It was about 5’ from the door when it started and now is probably less than 3’. I brought a few soccer balls from the states and laugh every time a kid asks to use it and I say “Go play in the street!” Of course no one here thinks that is funny but I laugh every time.

Prayer Request:
- Please continue to pray for Pedro, I still don't know what to do with him most days.
- My computer... it is still having problems and now 2 of my memory cards aren't working right either. So I am not able to get the pictures off of them. I'm hoping that I will be able to get a mini usb to usb to try to pull them off the camera that way.

Just say no to bugs.

I'm happy to report that things have slowed down here. Not a whole let has been happening, partly because I"ve spent so much time in my room writing blogs!

The biggest adventure of this week was taking the shopa. It's their version of public transportation. It cost 5 MZN (less than $.15) and you basically get what you pay for. When Nunu told me how cheap the shopa was I commented how cheap that was and it's times like this I feel like a spoiled brat. His response was "Not for most people." They range from the 'nicer' (nice only cause there is more room) bus that seats 3 across to a van that has seats for about 10... the thing is they pile as many people in as humanly possible.

Nunu also showed me around town, not that there is really much to see, but you just get such a different feel for an area when you walk it.

I've also been hanging out with Nunu, Santos, Sumate and Ernesto a lot more. I'm not sure if they just decided that I don't bite or if it took them some time to warm up to me. I've said it before, they are all amazing and I love to watch them interact with each other. The other night I was in there room (which is about half the size of mine) to watch a movie. There room is very small it has room for 2 bunk beds and 2 storage shelves and that is it. The fan basically takes up the rest of the floor. Anyways it's a tight fit and I was sitting on Santos' bed and the other three guys laid/sat on the other bed. Correct me if I am wrong, but I just don't think to many American guys their age would have done so. It was just one of those moments were I have to convience myself not to smile.

After a few hours of watching movies with the guys Santos decided to tell me that something in his bed has been biting him at night... I was like great. Sure enough the next day I had red marks on my arms and I went to see if that is what he was talking about, but of course with the difference in our skin color we couldn't compare.

Sure enough this morning I have more bites and more than likly I have bed bugs!

I've also had some funny conversations with them trying to explain Sunburn and why I have to wear Sunblock and what aloe is for. It is hard to explain what a sun burn feels like, but I ended up putting aloe on Santos' arm and sticking it in front of the fan to be like this is the only thing that makes it feel good after you get burned.

So more on the bugs, my computer is also having issues. I have a memory card that isn't working right and so I haven't been able to pull pictures off of it. I'm pretty sure it has a bug.

I guess all of my prayer requests have to do with bugs right now =) If you all could pray for my bed and my computer I would really apperciate it!

Amanda

The Beach & The Breeze

I typed this blog while I was still in Moz... it should have posted between "The Market" and "Just say not to bugs" not sure why it didn't post, but enjoy. More blogs to come soon!

Julie and Adriano left today. Everyone went to the airport to see them off. We packed as many people in the truck as we could and then the rest of them made the 10 minute walk to the airport. Now it’s just me and the boys, I’m the only female sleeping in the house. It will be good though, because I will be able to get to know Michael better and see what he does here and I will have more time with the boys.

After the airport I walked to the beach with Ernesto, Joao and Mack. It was probably a 30 minute walk, but it’s nice to get out. I was also really excited because when I was cleaning out the garage I found a Frisbee, so I brought that along. As we walked the beach we saw a few of our kids running around and eventually we came across Nunu and Santos sitting talking, so we joined them. We eventually got up to play Frisbee and it made my day! The funniest thing was that Nunu was near the water and there were big piles of dried seaweed, so depending on the throw he would have to jump up on one. I threw it to him and I thought he tripped, but everyone was laughing so hard. Well I finally realized that he split his pants and then I could barely throw the Frisbee I was laughing so hard.

I think I like walking so much here because there is always a good conversation, with Joao and Ernesto other days and with Nunu today. Every day that we are out I see two guys holding hands, so I asked him about that. I guess it is a cultural thing and the norm to walk down the street holding your friends hand. Not that I wondered if there were homosexuals in Africa, I just wondered more about them being Muslims or if they were ostersized from the community. He just said yeah there are homosexuals and you see them more at night. I also found out from him that a lot of Muslims in Pemba still have arranged marriages.

The power had been off all day probably about 12 hours by now. When we go to the house I was praying that we would have power, but we didn’t. I was now hot, sticky and sweaty from the walk back from the beach. I was trying to work myself into taking a bucket shower, when poof the lights came on and at the same time the most amazing heavenly breeze started blowing. Even though I wasn’t praying for those things I really feel like God has been using the strangest things to communicate with me here. This time it was with the most beautiful cool breeze on a hot day and the restoration of power.

The other night I was talking movies with the guys and they were telling me about this movie that they like about all these famous painters… the movie may have been called Magliano. So we watched that together. It was good, not the best movie I’ve ever seen. It just makes me mad that I forgot to bring some movies with me. I guess there is always next time =) 

Picture Link:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2020325&id=102500461&l=51b516af63

Thanks as always for your prayers!

Amanda

The Market

Saturday afternoon we went to the market so the kids could buys some clothes. They were each given 150 MZN, about $4.80. The market we went to was the one near JP’s house and the roads were even worse than the other day. We had to drive through two sections of moving water and the erosion was insane. We got stuck in the second one and as always the community is there to push you out, granted they want money for their work but still it’s an event when we get stuck.

I’ve come to realize that the House or Center is like a bubble. Yeah it’s Africa, but it’s this safe little place that feels like home to me. When I’m in places like this village that is when I realize I’m really here! Julie loves to take Mack with her on our adventures, so today was no different. Mack is the nicest yellow lab, but the Muslims in the area believe that all dogs have venom in their teeth and so they are afraid of him.

When we got out of the truck this little girl picked up a handful of dirt and threw it at Mack and then she acted like she was kicking him twice. As we would be walking people would look at me and Julie kinda curious, and then they would see Mack and there expression would change. They would take two steps to the side, some kids would even turn and run. Also, while we were standing still I noticed kids inching toward me and when I would turn away I feel them rub my arm. By the time I looked back they would be running away rubbing their hand on their face. I started sticking my arm out to let them touch or to shake their hand but I think they were all sure I would rub off on them. 

Eventually when we started walking they wanted to hold my hand. So I walked though the market with as many as five kids holding my hand, wrist, finger… whatever they could. This one little girl kept peering in front of me to my other hand and giggling, by the way they were reacting you would have thought I was famous.

We had to wait for some kids so we sat on this cement step for a bit with our entire entourage there must have been 25 or 30 kids, some of them ours, some we met in the market. My little hand holders sat and stood all around me, including a few girls behind me. Just like with my skin they kept sneaking touches at my hair. I pulled it down for them to play with. They really didn’t do much they just kept smoothing it down and trying to tuck it behind my ears. I just remember being that age and how much I loved playing with hair.

We had a long walk back to the truck and we were escorted most of the way by out entourage.  Once we got out of the market two kids from the house came up and grabbed my hand out of the village kids hands. Not in a mean way but kinda like they were saying “okay, you’ve had her long enough… it’s our turn.” They eventually let go of my hands but I like to walk in the back of groups, not sure why I’ve just always done that. I guess Amido was concerned that I was gonna get lost, so he kept coming back to grab my hand.

I’m so glad that I’m able to be here for so long. I feel like some of the kids are ready to open up the second they see you, while others take weeks to let you in even the slightest bit. A few weeks here just wouldn’t have been long enough, and it breaks my heart knowing that my seven weeks will eventually come to an end.

The older guys have been harder to get to know. I’m not sure why, we just haven’t talked as much. The tides are however changing. Ernesto wanted to make friendship bracelets so the two of us set out to do so and before I knew it the other three joined us. We talked about the funniest stuff too, Sumate has a girlfriend and so we got on the topic of marriage and it was just funny to listen to these four guys tease each other and fill me in on the ongoing jokes. Who would have thought I would have bonded with these guys over friendship bracelets and a marriage discussion. It’s funny how often I forget that these guys are still in High School. They act so much more mature than any 18/19 year olds I know in the states and they have so much more responsibility. They work at the Center, while going to school full time. They discipline, love, care, encourage and live life with these boys. I asked once if they thought that too much was asked of them and they were all looked at me strange and were like “no.” They have all chosen to be here and they actually moved from Maputo (the capital) to work with The Dream Project in Pemba. 

It's funny how many times I think... oh my timing here is perfect! The Maputo guys are just another reason. They arrived late December early January so we would have only crossed paths and they are working on writing support letter and so I have been able to help them with their typing/grammar and add in some pictures. I'm just remembering that when I was talking with them and Julie about their letters and we were talking about how much they are trying to raise... they thought that $200 a month was to much. It was hard to try and explain to them that $200 isn't much to most Americans and that they weren't asking for to much money!