Getting Settled

Time is flying and it’s making Blogging harder than I had thought. I’m still trying to figure out just what normal looks like here in Pemba… this is going to be the first time I’ve had a schedule and some objectives each week.

My schedule has been created but I won’t be starting it until the middle of August. Julia arrived just about a week before I did and so she has been meeting with all of our staff. She has asked that I sit in on some of those meetings so that I have a better understanding of what is going on, so that has taken up part of my time.

She has also asked that I join the Leadership team with some of the nationals… one of them being Nunu. Part of me would rather not be on this but mostly for the wrong reasons. I usually like to let others lead and then if I notice they can’t handle the situation that is when I’d rather set in.

A few weeks before I left for Mozambique I had a Missionary assessment done. It covered more things than I could even remember to mention but everything from Meyers-Briggs to a Physiological exam. One thing that I walked away from the assessment with was that I need to be stepping up more as a leader. So rather than shying away from Julie inviting me to join this team, I’m sitting in on meetings and praying about it.

Another chunk of my time has been taking up by trying to get settled in. Up until the day before I left for Mozambique, I thought that Nunu and I would be living in the house I was in on my last trip. While the room is small, there is an attached kitchen and lots of cabinet space. Because the price of renting a house has gone up so much, Julie and Adriano have decided to live on-site… in the house. So Nunu and I are in the room I stayed in on my first trip. I like the room, it just doesn’t have the storage the other one does, nor does it have an attached kitchen.

Basically the only things that Nunu and I registered for on our wedding registry was kitchen things. So it’s a little bit of a bummer, but we are trying to use part of the office as our kitchen… minus the sink. Eventually we will get it set up with a small electric stove and hopefully a gas fridge (if it works).

Another reason I won’t be starting my schedule until later in August is that we have many visitors coming in the next few weeks!

We have a couple coming on July 28^th. Ben will be overseeing a soccer camp as well as helping Adriano out with many of the repairs at the Center. Julie (not to be confused with Julia, who I often call Julie) will be teaching some of our kids and staff about basic medical care and help Julia prepare for two PA (Physicians Assistant) students that will be coming out in September. On August 1 another couple will be coming John and Laura (friends of mine… yeah!) are coming to see what life is like for our kids in Pemba. John will also be filming his time here and creating a video for TDP. Laura will also be giving us a little insight about how trauma effects children. On August 11 we also have to visitors “swinging by” on there way through Africa. They are coming to learn more about what we do… let’s hope we can squeeze it all in during their two days with us!

So in 22 days we will have 6 visitors, from 3 groups! As things move a little slower here in Pemba some of the preparations take time… and our plates are a bit full right now. But I couldn’t be more excited to host visitors… especially friends!

Prayer Requests:

- Preparations for all of the visitors… that things go as smooth as possible… for both us and them.

- Safe travels for all. I imagine Ben & Julie leave on Thursday and John & Laura leave on Monday.

- As always continued health. Even thought it isn’t rainy season, I’ve noticed more mosquitoes in our room.