Glad I'm Not On That Bus!

I woke up this morning around 4:00. Sometimes when I have a lot on my mind I have issues sleeping. I notice that my stomach feels a bit strange, but sometimes when I over think things I get nervous knots in my stomach. I try to relax and go back to sleep. I sleep for an hour or 2. What’s really strange is that I’m cold. I don’t really get cold living in the Midwest, how am I cold in Africa and it’s might be 72 degrees out? After that, I wake up thinking hours have gone by but when I look at my watch it has been 3 minutes. This happens over and over till about 9:00am. I finally decide to get up, but I just lay in bed. I feel weird.

I go down stairs a little before 11 and I bring some instant oatmeal with me. My stomach still feels a little off and I think maybe eating this will calm me down a bit. I make the oatmeal sit down and take one bite. It hits my stomach funny. I get distracted and end up talking to someone. I feel my whole entire body go hot. I instantly feel clammy and like I’m sweating. I throw my hand over my mouth… I feel sick! I sit a few seconds longer… the one bite of oatmeal has no business in my stomach… I run to the bathroom.

I instantly feel worse. I lay on the couch, but I ache all over and the couch is hot. So I keep rotating myself, and then I get a chill… which is so much better than a clammy sweat.

I’ve never felt like this before. One hour ago I felt a little funny, now I’m experiencing every flu symptom I’ve ever heard of and then some. Not to mention my stomach has never felt like this before in my life.

I stop. My heart races. I stare. I think. Could this be Malaria?! All I’ve ever heard about Malaria is that it’s different for everyone, some get flu symptoms for others it’s more like common cold for some a little of both.

I go upstairs and fall back asleep. Unlike last night I have no problem falling asleep. I sleep hard, really hard until 3 or 4. When I wake, I just lay in bed. My stomach still feels weird, but now it’s different. My stomach is cramping, or at least that is the only thing I could think to describe it. Maybe a good way to describe it is like contractions of the stomach. It’s not an ongoing feeling… it hurts bad for a few minutes and then I feel fine.

I decide to go eat some bread. Success.

I decide to eat dinner. Success.

But still the strange cramping in my stomach comes and goes.

Yesterday when Nunu and I were talking about what needed to be done we couldn’t decide if I should come along or just wait and meet with him after he’s run around town to gather information. This makes the decision easy. I text him saying he should just come to the Casa when he is done.

Being sick away from home is hard. You want someone to check up on you and bring you Sprite and pretzels. Today was the first time I have ever felt homesick in Mozambique. Most days at the Casa I feel alone. I only leave in the company of Nunu and Michael. It’s hard that they are the only people I know in Maputo and they are both men so neither are allowed in my room (house rules). It all makes me want to be in Pemba even more, but I hardly have the energy entertain these thoughts. 

As hard as this is, it would have been much harder on a bus. I will go to bed tonight counting my blessings and thankful that the Lord has kept me in Maputo. It’s hard when we don’t understand why things are happening… big or small it’s hard. Sometimes the Lord works in mysterious ways. He keeps us from things for our own protection. Maybe I haven’t gone to Pemba yet to avoid getting sick on a bus, maybe the reason is much more than I could ever understand. I guess it’s all about having faith that God knows and He is in control… and I don’t always need to understand. 

A New Day...

As promised I wake up ready to tackle the task at hand… all of them. While falling asleep last night, it dawns on me... before I left Detroit, I had been working for my old architecture firm in Chicago via remote access. Maybe I can get my remote access to work here?! I have to use my PC laptop for this and it doesn’t get a very good wireless signal here at the house. I call Nunu and ask him if he could take me to this place that I’m told has good wifi. I tell him we can also talk about what we need to do here in Maputo and I could also really go for a coke.

When he arrives we are asked to run an errand to go get some painkillers (apparently similar to Tylenol with Codeine, but purchased over the counter). We go to 2 Pharmacies and are told they don’t have it. I feel bad as the person who has requested this is in a lot of pain. I ask if there are any hospitals or clinics close and so we head to a clinic. At the clinic they said no they don’t have this, but the man points to his left and tells us to look at a Pharmacy just up the road. We walk more. We go in, the man says no, but points to his left and tells us the Pharmacy just up the road should have it. We walk more. We go in, the man says no, but points to his left and tells us the Pharmacy just up the road should have it. This repeats 3 more times! What I found crazy is that they all pointed to the left… even if the place to the right would have been closer.

As we walk into the 6^th or 7^th place I say this is the last one. We have walked in the opposite direction of the place with internet, and I feel like we have done all that we can. So we start going to the internet place. My heart sinks, a little as we walk back past so many of the Pharmacies we had just gone into.

We arrive at the internet exhausted. Nunu has been pretty quiet today, he is the one processing now. We get our cokes and I try jumping on to the remote access site. I get on for a second but then my internet goes out. I try not to make a big deal. We have been walking for at least 2 hours now and we have a 30 or so minute walk home.

So instead we sit back enjoy our ice-cold cokes, I even pour a little into a glass and drink it with ice. We get a little snack and discuss what we need to be doing and how long it might take.

The walk home doesn’t really seam that bad. The air has cooled off and compared to all the walking we did earlier, it’s nothing!

At dinner, the sisters ask if anyone could watch the house so that they can go to church. I volunteer. I was planning to watch a podcast, so I said I could just bring my laptop down in the morning while they were gone.

I go to bed feeling so much better than the night before. Sure I’d rather be on a bus to Pemba, but I find peace knowing that the Lord has laid these steps out before me. All I want to do is be where I’m needed. I’ll see how the next few days go and if I need to fly to Pemba alone, then that is what I will do.

Change of Plans!!!!

Yesterday, Nunu and I went and purchased our bus tickets to Pemba! I don’t know much about the trip, only that it take 2 – 3 days. Is much cheaper than flying (especially when you add in the cost of all of my luggage!). As all thing Mozambique, this was a new experience. I knew we needed to go to the bus station, and so I imagined that we would be going to a shop at the bus station.

As we approach this vast dirt parking lot of buses, Nunu points to a maroon bus and says, “this is the one we will take to Pemba.” Well in a matter of minutes we are walking aboard the bus to purchase our tickets. There is a man sitting in the drivers seat and another man in the back of the bus, he comes forward and asks to help us.

He shows us a chart of seats that already have a few hand written names. Nunu talks with the man to find out the price and purchase our ticket. I go off looking to check out the bus. The first thing I notice is that it seats 5 across and has windows that slide open (no A/C on the bus). I go on a hunt for seats that would give me the ability to open my own window. As I make my way further back, I notice that the seats in the last row look much more comfortable than all the others. I quickly check and see that I would be able to open my window.

I plead my case to Nunu and he is fine with the back row. We were hoping to take a bus on Saturday afternoon, since it takes Nunu 1.5 hours to get to where I’m staying at the Casa. We find out the only thing they have leaves at 5am! I guess it’s common for people to arrive at the bus the night before, since public transport doesn’t run at 3am. So we decided that we will head to the bus around 9pm. Which means we have a lot more to do tomorrow than we had expected!

Things get a little sketchy and the man tells us that he doesn’t have receipts for us, we will need to come back and get them tomorrow. I’m concerned but he assures us (well Nunu in Portuguese who then tells me) that our names are on the hand written roster and he will have our receipts waiting tomorrow. I’m not sure what to do, so in the end we get the mans name and cell phone number. We test the number and his phone rings… I guess all we can do is trust.

Fast forward to Friday… I can’t tell you how excited I am to leave Maputo and see the boys in Pemba! Everyday for the last week (maybe longer) all I’ve done is think about the day I get to go see my boys! Nunu calls me to say that he picked up our bus tickets... we are ready to GO!

If you recall I have about 210 pounds of stuff. Nunu has 1 backpack. The bus only allows 22 pounds per person to be stored below the bus and each of us can take a backpack on the bus. I will have to pay for the extra 170 pounds, but I estimate it to cost me less than $75. In an effort to save money, Nunu and I decide that it will be best to put some of my electronics into his bags and his clothes into my bags.

All week I’ve been trying to get a hold of Julia, but she just had a baby in Brazil. So it isn’t until about 7:00pm on Friday that I have all of my bags spread out and I’m trying to pack and resituate all the luggage that she calls. First she talks to Nunu. While she and Nunu talk I put the finishing touches on packing, but then I start to pay attention to what he is saying. I don’t speak much Portugese, I’m able to pick up on some things. I give Nunu a thumbs up and he shakes his head from side to side. Uh-oh.

I talk to Julie next. I find out that there has been a huge miscommunication! And we can’t leave Maputo. Well I guess technically I probably could have gone, but there is no way I’m taking a bus for 2 – 3 days with 210 pounds of luggage in a country where I don’t speak the language. Julie basically tells me if I can help Nunu then I should stay.

To be honest I’m just in shock. In one hour a taxi is supposed to pick us up to take us to the bus. I just want to see my boys and I estimate flying with all of my luggage to cost around $700! I also didn’t budget to spend more time in Maputo. My heart is breaking but all I can do right now is think of the practical issues... I’m going to need to spend to either stay or to go.

I cry. All I want is to go to my room, curl in a ball, next to my fan and fall asleep. But I can’t. All of Nunu’s clothing is spread out throughout all of my bags. So one by one I unlock them and start pulling his clothes out. I can tell Michael and Nunu both feel bad for me and they probably aren’t really sure what to do. I assure them that I’m okay, I’ll be fine tomorrow… this is just how I process things. 

Prayer Requests: I'm so behind on my blogs that it's been hard to make many requests, because they wouldn't make much sense. 

- I'm still in Maputo. Depending on how things go tomorrow and Sunday, Nunu and I will leave on the bus on Monday. I'm hoping and praying that we go no later than Wednesday.

- Tomorrow we are meeting with Pastor Felipe from Ponta de Ouro. I'll explain things better in more detail but just be praying for our time together tomorrow (Saturday). Also, be praying that his church would come along side of us in Ponta in many ways, but our biggest need now is volunteers to build to keep cost down. 

- Finances. I'm pretty sure that I am fine with money. I've even had a friend email not knowing any of this saying... let me know if your in a pinch, I could send you some money. But so my prayer would be that in addition to provision... that I would find good deals and my budgeted money would stretch far.

What's for dinner?

In all of my travels the thing I’m most curious about is how people live. I always wonder what the inside of people’s houses look like and how what is life like. How do they cook, do laundry all of the daily tasks.

Nunu’s is from the “suburbs” of Maputo and he is staying with his parents while we are working here. He asked me if I’d like to come to his house one day and I jumped at the chance!

Sometimes I’m even surprised at my own reactions and this was one of those occasions…  when Nunu asked, my actual response was, “can we kill a chicken?!” I’m not a hunter and I’ve never killed anything and then eaten it. This is the way of life here in Mozambique and something I’ve been really curious about.

Buying a live chicken is 100 MTN ($3.50), I think last year when I bought frozen chickens in Pemba they cost like 300 MTN. Chicken is a luxury and not often eaten because of the cost… to a local they would probably think I was crazy if I brought over a frozen chicken.

We arrive at the house just after 1:00. While the house is similar to many that I’ve seen in Moz, the land is different. It’s obvious that someone has a very green thumb. Even the “fence” that surrounds the property is of shrubs. As you enter there is a path with little plants on each side. The tour includes which fruit grow on the trees. If I remember correctly there are mango, lime, orange and palm (coconut) trees. I even notice a new tree that is encircled by cinder blocks, for protection. There are also various plants in the ground… sweet potatoes are the only one I can remember.

Entrance Gate

Entrance path, with house in the background.

Protected baby tree =)

The house itself is very simple. As you are walking in on what we would call a porch is the kitchen, or at least the part of the kitchen that all of the cooking is done in. It is entirely to hot to cook inside here in Moz. It’s a three room house with one master bedroom, one spare bedroom (which is also used for storage of some kitchen items) and a living room/kitchen. The kitchen half has a freezer, counter and storage bins for fruits and vegetables. The Living room half has 2 (leather looking) love seats and one matching chair. There is a small tv sitting on top of a big chest.

The house... I love this kind of stuff!

From the outside I can see where the window openings were blocked up and there is just small spaces at the top. Windows in Moz are a luxury item, because you can’t just have a simple screen (people would cut it open). You at least need steel bars and a screen, glass to keep the rain out is nice but not necessary… and I think the local would get cold at night if they had to always have windows open. Anyway, not many people have windows in Moz because they don’t want their things to be stolen.

I sit on one of the couches and I just feel the heat. I ask if we can move outside. The yard is so beautiful and offers so much shade AND a beautiful breeze.

Yard to the left (as you enter) of the entrance path.

I offered to pay for our meal… I figured chicken wouldn’t be on the menu except since I requested it. Maria heads out to the market and before I know it she is back with the chicken. She corners it in a small area in the kitchen and gets busy getting the fire and a few other things going.

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WARNGING: Stop reading now if you don’t want read the details about the chicken. Skip to the “WARNING OVER” below.

Nunu eventually tells me it’s time to kill the chicken. I don’t actually want to kill it, I just want to be part of the process. Nunu takes the chicken by the wings but he is waiting for the knife. I think this is the part that would be hard for me… he affectionately strokes the birds belly. When Maria comes out with the knife, he looks up at me and says, “I haven’t done this in awhile, this is the hard part.”

One last belly rub.

I’m surprised I’m able to watch. There isn’t much blood but the bird did poop on Nunu’s shoe! As soon as he is done Maria comes over and takes the bird. She sticks it in a large plastic bowl and using a kettle full of boiling water, she starts cleaning the bird… it’s body reacts to the water. That was strange, I’ve heard of a chicken running around with it’s head cut off, but to see a headless chicken moving is just strange!

I wanted to help some with the preparing of the chicken, but I always forget how hard a language barrier can be. So I just sit and watch Maria stand bent at the waste plucking the feathers off the chicken. But she must get how curious I am… she tells Nunu to tell me to come help AND I think she even tells him to take pictures!

Once again I surprise myself and dig right in pulling feathers, Maria is a little intimidating… you can tell this isn’t her first rodeo, but she is encouraging and we laugh and enjoy ourselves. She makes it all looks so easy and the bird is naked within 10 minutes tops.

Plucking feathers with Maria... and I'm still smiling!

When we are all done, I look at the bird in the bowl… if it didn’t have feet it would be no different than what we are used to. She cuts the feet off, I find it kinda interesting and think to myself, “oh now that looks like a chicken leg.”

WARNING OVER

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At this point the bird in the bowl looks no different than if we had bought him at the store. Next Maria is on to make a marinara for the bird. I love to watch her work… all her movements are so rhythmic and precise.

First she cuts a coconut in half and she lets me drink the milk. It’s better than I recall coconut milk being. She then sits on this little stool with some sort of a contraption sticking out of the side. It’s like a spoon gone wrong, or better yet like a spork (spoon/fork). She starts scraping out the inside of the coconut. She is like a machine, only stopping every once in awhile to see if she has scraped to the brown.

Maria shaving out the center of the coconut.

She picks about four limes from the tree and cuts them in half. She squeezes the limes into the coconut scraping using her left hand like a strainer to catch the seeds. She also dices up some garlic adding it to the mixture. With her hands she mixes the coconut scrapings, garlic and limes. Mashing all the ingredients together. Then she picks up the coconut and starts squeezing out all the juice.

The chicken has been cut so that it will lay flat in a pot. Maria also makes cuts deep into the meat. The juice is poured all over and some of the coconut scraping and juice are put in the cuts. With this the bird is ready to be cooked.

Chicken cooking in the coconut/lime/garlic rub.

After the bird was cooked through, Maria put it in this
contraption over the store to grill it a bit. She asked me if
I thought it was browned enough and so I flipped it.

With precision, I watch as Maria peals and slices potatoes. She also peals a carrot and cucumber. She is persistent in asking for my help, not that I really do much, but I appreciate her efforts. And it’s interesting seeing how much goes into making a meal.

Potatoes cooked in a little oil... so yummy!

Official taste tester of the day... Maria insisted I sample
everything to make sure it was cooked to my liking.

In the end we feast on chicken, potatoes (fried in a bit of oil, not quite a French fry, but close), rice, and salad (cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, and oil). I’m surprised by the chicken, while it tasted amazing (I love lime!) it wasn’t quite as tender as I would have imagined. I thought if anything the chicken would be more tender than what I’m used to, since it was so fresh.

When I asked to kill a chicken, it was one of those things where immediately I wished I could take it back. I’m not a very adventurous eater and I really didn’t know if I would be able to eat something that I had seen killed. I think so much of it has to do with where I am. I can’t even imagine trying to explain no I can’t eat that because it used to be alive. It would be like if you went to a lot of trouble to prepared a special meal for a guest and when you all got seated at the table the guest told you that they couldn’t eat it because you bought it at the store.

I’ll tell you one thing thought, I was beyond thrilled that there were no gizzards or livers served… cause this story may have ended on a completely different note!

Prayers and such:
My blog is way behind, almost 2 weeks (I was sick for 4 days and without the net for 5 days before that, so I've been playing catch up). So to catch you up to speed. I'm still in Maputo. I'll be blogging shortly to explain why, but the short version is that Nunu and I are trying to get some really important paperwork turned in. I'm really, really, really hoping we can leave this Saturday to travel to Pemba. Above all I want to be where I'm needed and where God wants me, but I'd really love to be up in Pemba.
- If you could be praying that we would get all the documents we need, to get the papers filed, and that we would be in front of the right people at the right time (as for one paper we've been told 4 different thing about what department it needs to be filed at, different department in different building in different parts of town).
- Nothing here is easy. So I don't even know what to ask for other than that doors be opened and that God prepare the perfect path for the documents we need to turn in.
- That Nunu and I would be on a bus to Pemba on Saturday.
- As always for continued health.

Bobble Heads

Today I head back to Maputo. I check out at 11 and make the 15 minute walk to where the schapa’s pick up in Ponta. There is a schapa waiting. A woman and her two children are already inside. After a half an hour, I ask Nunu if we will have to wait for the schapa to fill up before it leaves. He says no. At about 12:45 we leave with about 6 people and the back seat filled of bottles for return. Nunu and I are in the front row this time and I have a window! I’m thrilled beyond belief about how much space I have! I can't believe how empty the schapa is, and I think "This is gonna be the best 3 hour ride!"

"Downtown" Ponta - The store with frozen water is just to the left.
I saw one other cluster of stores in a different part of town, but
this is center of town where locals go to buy things and catch a schapa.

About 20 minutes later Nunu points and says, “This is the border to South Africa.” I’m instantly confused… we aren’t going to South Africa? Why are we here? What? Turns out that the schapa goes from Ponta to this border stop to get more people! We pull in behind another schapa that is also going to Maputo. Apparently that schapa is waiting to fill up (it only has like 1 or 2 spots) and then once it’s full then our schapa can fill up and go to Maputo. 

We park under a shade tree and there are about 10 small buildings. Not only do they sell food and drinks but I also notice that one building has a pool table. I ask if there is a bathroom inside… this guy tells me, “No” and then points at this bamboo outhouse. He goes on and on about how great it is, how clean things are. I honestly thought I was just going to have to go outside, so I was happy there was an outhouse, but this guy just kept talking.

I didn’t go immediately, I only wanted to go once and so I was waiting till we were about to leave. So then people felt they needed to convince me to go… that and I’m pretty sure they were convinced I was scared so they were laughing. I eventually went… would I call this outhouse clean… not really… but hey it was 4 walls… I’ll take what I can get.

I think it was around 3:00 when our schapa finally left for Maputo. Before the trip even begins we’ve already been sitting on here for 3.5 hours! My neck pillow doubles nicely as a seat cushion. This time around we only had 16 people (and 2 were small children) in the back of the schapa. 


As we drove I kept thinking about bobble heads, I’m sure that is what we all looked like… a schapa full of life sized bobble heads.

Heard of cattle, the rest were off to the right. It's REALLY
hard to take pictures while on the schapa!

Almost 2 hours into our trip, we stop in the same area as on the way. For the first time I get out of the schapa. I'm not going anywhere but a stretch is much needed. Almost immediately after I get up the little boy, Juma, sees my purple neck pillow laying on the seat. Juma picks it up, everyone here has me so worried about people stealing my things, my instinct is to gesture that it's mine and ask for it. But I quickly realize he isn't going anywhere with it... I'm surprised that he knows what it is. Even though I've been sitting on it, he puts it around his next and a smile instantly spreads across his face. Some people laugh, I think his mother asks him to put it down, but I just stand and smile to show that I'm okay with him playing with it. He didn't even do anything with it, but he thought it was funny and so did everyone else... it was a nice comic relief. Either that or people realized I was sitting on it and maybe that gave them a good laugh, who knows!


About 15 minutes before we arrive at Catambe, I realize that Juma is throwing up. I feel so helpless, I want to do something, but don't know how to ask if I can do anything.  The mom came prepared and she had a big plastic blow. She asked the driver to pull over and with the quick rinse of her bowl she dumps it's contents out the window and we are ready to go again. I offer Juma some toilet paper to wipe his eyes and mouth... poor little fella. 

It's a Blue Gatorade Beach!

I didn't spend much time at the beach during my stay in Ponta, but it feels wrong to come to such a beautiful beach town and not speak of the ocean. Also just a quick few random things about Ponta.

Ponta de Ouro means "Tip of Gold" in Portuguese. It is known for all things ocean... diving, dolphins, fishing and surfing. It's only a 20 minute drive to the South African border, but 4-wheel drive is a must. Most of the visitors to Ponta are from South Africa and for that reason many of the restaurants except the SA Rand. In one place I paid in Metical to use the internet and they said they could only give me change in Rand... okay. 

Indian Ocean

The backpackers place I’m staying is like 100 feet from the ocean. I can hear the waves as I walked up to check-in. I love listening to waves as they crash, so I’m instantly happy. 

Yum!

My favorite gatorade is Glacier Freeze, it's a beautiful light shade of blue. The first time I went to Cozumel, Mexico I started telling people the water looked like blue Gatorade. Blue Gatorade has become a standard of how I describe a beautiful beach (well mainly the water). I love nothing more than looking out and seeing the light shades of blue as the sun shines deep into the water. The picture below doesn't do the beauty justice, but hopefully it helps (that is why I made the pic so big, be sure to scroll right to see the blues in the center of the photo).

Beautiful Blue Gatorade Water!

I go to stick my feet in the water expecting bath water (as in Pemba), but I’m shocked that it’s cool and refreshing! The waves are huge! One minute I’m standing ankle deep the next moment I’m knee deep. The other thing that surprises me is just how strong the pull of the waves is back out to the ocean.

Aaaahhh, so fun!

I love playing in the waves at the Cottage in Sawyer, MI, but these waves are crazy and I don’t have an inner tube. I’m a strong swimmer, but I’m not a stupid swimmer… I don't go out past my waste but have fun playing in the waves.

You literally get thrown around like a rag doll. One wave pushes you down and kicks you out to shore, as you try to stand another wave comes crashing on top of you. I have so much sand in my swimsuit I could give a three year old a run for her money after she's spent 8 hours playing in the sand! I die from laughter as I try to rinse my suit out in a wave but end up with more sand in my pants than I started out with.

I quickly find that playing in Ponta is just as exhausting as working. I make a note to myself that sturdy inner tubes and four-wheelers could solve my “problems!” Ahahahaa maybe next time!

Agua Gelada... Agua Gelada...

This morning we are meeting with the Luis, he is the son of one of the pastors in town who has been helping The Dream Project (TDP) with the land. I’m told it’s like a 45 minute walk from town to TDP’s land. So that morning I fill up my water bottle just like any day and I figure since we will be outside I should wear some sunblock.

When we meet up with Luis he mentions needing to fill up his water bottle. It’s in this moment I start to wonder just how bad of a walk we are going on… no matter where I’ve gone or what I’ve done in Mozambique no local has ever brought a water bottle.

This would be like the suburbs of Ponta.

We start making our way winding around following sand paths. It quickly becomes evident that we are headed to the middle of nowhere. The sand dunes get bigger, up and down. I feel like a schapa driver, but I’m not avoiding holes in the ground… I’m going to where the shade is. I realize that I should have brought twice as much water.

Cooling off in the shade.

I don’t like to eat first thing in the morning, so I packed a peanut butter sandwich. We’ve been walking for about 25 minutes (40 since my hotel) I ask if we can stop so I can eat it. I’m not really that sweaty but I’m so hot… I imagine my face is beat read. When I ask to stop they walk for about 3 minutes more, it feels like eternity. Especially because we are walking up a dune, but when we get to the top and sit, I realize that because we are on top of a dune the breeze is amazing. We sit in the shade. I eat and reapply sunblock. For the first time I really understand why people take afternoon naps under trees… it’s a different world here under this tree.

The Land! I didn't do a thing to this photo... it's really this beautiful!

The rest of the walk seems to fly and we are at the land before I know it. It is marked by large posts in the ground. The land is on a rolling hill, it is covered in long grass with trees scattered all around. We walk from post to post and I do my best to take pictures to describe the landscape. There is a dirt road that runs through the property. I find a tree in that is near the center of the land and I climb it to try and take pictures. It’s not very tall, but it helps me to see a little bit more.

Wish I had a pic of the whole tree, cause it wasn't that big.
It'd probably look funny that I decided to climb such a small tree!

We take one more break under the shad of a tree before making the trip back. It’s about 11:30 and the sun is so hot on my skin. We stop again in the same shaded area. Walking in sand dunes is no easy task. We wind our way back to town. I like to look down when I walk, so I looked up and saw this huge dune in front of us, we get to the top and sit to take a break. I hear a really faint pop. I sit for a second and then take off my sun glasses. The plastic below the lens had snapped. They are black sun glasses, I probably got them at Target for $10… it sounds crazy but I think the heat from the sun snapped my glasses!

A little bit of the rolling dune trail on our way home.

I’m just about out of water, I’m so thirsty but all I want is cold water. I joke with the guys that I’m so thirsty I’m thinking of cold water in Portuguese… “agua gelada, agua gelada, agua gelada!”

Luis tells me that from his house to the land is a little over a 3 mile walk, probably 4 miles from my hotel. I think years from now I will be telling my grandchildren about the walk in Ponta… up sand dunes both ways, in the intense heat of the African sun.

We make it back to town and I run into the store to buy a large bottle of water. The store is about half the size of a 7eleven, there is a counter for paying and other than there there are three freezers along the right wall. It's so hot here that fridges can't keep up with all the opening and closing but freezers do the job well. Above the freezers are shelves with warm beverages, I dig to the bottom of the freezer and find a frozen bottle of water. I sit on the porch of the store and I embrace the bottle of water. I melt enough to drink and can't describe how amazing this cold water is as it hits my mouth... it puts me in a daze. I drink a bit more and just sit staring out.

Three young girls approach the bar next to were I'm seated. They are probably about 7 years old. They hand a woman some money and she brings out a pitcher of water and fills one glass. Each girl takes a turn drinking the entire glass until the pitcher is empty. I notice they have a small bag of mangos. I wonder, "were they sent to town to buy mangos?" and "how far did they walk?" I'm encouraged that they understood the importance of water. As I sit and watch them, I can't help but wonder about their daily lives and what is normal to them.

Prayer Requests:
- I've been sick for the last 4 days. I think I had a coke with ice in it. I was feeling much better yesterday but then I think I got sick from the medication I was taking. I feel great right now, prayer that this feeling continues and I stay healthy! (Praise God it's not Malaria!)
- I'm still in Maputo. Doing my best to help Nunu as we try to file some important paperwork. It's very confusing and nothing is easy. Pray that God would open doors and give us grace and wisdom as we collect and file paperwork.

I'll try to post more, but it's been hard not feeling so well. I'd love to know who is reading my posts, so please shoot me a message or make a comment. Thanks for reading, praying and thinking of me... it all makes me feel so loved and supported!