Things Change...

When we arrived it was very humid. With all the excitement of arriving, I don’t remember noticing it until we were dropped off at the Center. The air feels so thick like you are in a cloud and able to cut your way through the moisture.

The rain has done more than affect the temperature, or rather what I perceive as the temperature. It has continued to erode the streets, while the block we live on looks good. The main paved road is so much scarier than I remember! Right near our house there is a divot from one side that must be a 5 foot or so drop off and it’s marked by a thin stick with a little piece of material a the top waving in the wind. A few days later the spot is fixed with red dirt… what can one do but shake their head, because it’s going to rain again.

When we entered the apartment we live in we found small puddles on the floor and most of our walls looked like that had just been hosed off. I have to say I was bracing myself for worse.

A walk around the property and I can tell the ground level is inches lower than last year. I also see that the church has been fighting more than just spiritual battles, it most recently lost it’s bought with Mother Nature. The heavy rain caused the roof to collapse.

It just couldn't hold off the heavy rain. 

After a few days of looking around trying to see which kids have changed and what new faces have appeared. I realize that I haven’t seen many of my itty-bitties, so I start asking the kids about them by name. As I go down the list I get to Eddie, who is the one I wanted to ask about first, but try to play down my favorites… who knows if it works. I find out he and his family moved. How sad is that?

I think I will try to find out where he lives so that I can go visit at least once. As tradition I print off pictures of the kids and bring them back, the picture I have is of Eddie and one other child, so I meant to print 2 of them. Instead I printed 22.

 

The pic I printed 22 times... Eddie is on the left.

I guess that’s the hard thing about coming and going, is the change. You always expect things to be just the same as you left. But the reality is things or rather people never are just the same, life continues to shape us all each and every day.

We Have Arrived!

Well after about 23 hours in the air and 31 on the ground (layovers), all things considered we made it safe and sound to Pemba. We even got picked up at the airport despite me telling our friend the wrong date twice for picking us up!

During our first layover in Doha, we were given a hotel voucher by Qatar Airways. It is part of their policy that if you have a layover longer than 8 hours, you can apply. Well not only did we get the hotel room, but they also gave us meal vouchers and so we got to eat from a buffet the night we arrived and got breakfast the morning we left and the hotel provides a free shuttle to and from the airport. I think I figured it valued $150! So thankful!

 Click to see our Doha layover pics

Then onto our next layover of 18 hours! Because Qatar doesn’t partner with the airline into Mozambique we were unable to check in when we left Chicago and instead had to wait until we got to Johannesburg. When you arrive in Joburg you are given 2 options, go through customs and get your bags or go to a connecting flight and miniature customs desk.

If you are able to check your bags through to the final destination often you can avoid excess baggage fees as flight from the US allow you a great weight than from Joburg to Pemba. Nunu and I slowly made out way through the connections flight route only to be told that they couldn’t check us into our flight because it wasn’t until the following day and that we would have to claim our bags.

Because we had to leave the terminal, we decided to look for a hotel. I found the help desk and ask for a cheap hotel, with a shuttle to and from the airport because we have lots of bags (4 large 50 lb duffle bags, 2 rolling carry-on suite-cases and 2 backpacks). The guy says he found us a room in our budget and so we sit and wait for the shuttle.

A man shows up to get us and all our things, I wave at the guy at the Information desk… as if just to double check that this is the right guy… and we are off. As we are walking out to the shuttle, I’m noticing that there are some cars, SUV but not to many shuttles. We eventually walk up to a VW hatch back that is probably from the 1980’s?! Uh obviously the guy didn’t mention all our baggage!

With 3 bags filling the entire hatch back (even pushing our seat up a little) 2 rollers stacked between us, a back pack on our laps and another duffle on the hotel managers lap sitting in the front, we are off. I have to say, it’s moments like this that confirm for me that if I was a single lady or traveling by myself, I would never even step one single toe out of that airport. I start thinking of all the placed these guys could be taking us… letting my mind wonder, could the guy at the Info desk be in on this? Sleep depravation + Creativity = Weird Scenarios.

But luckily all is well and we eventually arrived at a Guest House, sort of like a Backpackers place. Aaaahhh that’s right Joburg has lots of these and they are probably way more cost effective than an actual “hotel” with “shuttle.”

We met Heidi Baker on our flight from Joburg to Pemba, she is the founder of Iris Ministries and they have 10 plus large orphanages in Mozambique. As Nunu grew up in one of them, I nudged him to say hello. Success stories are always fun, right? I looked back as he was talking to her (we were walking through the airport to change flights) and it was such a touching moment. Nunu had his arm wrapped around her shoulder and as he spoke she smiled and hung on his every word. 

I’ve never met her before, but found her to be so hospitable and welcoming (which might sound weird as we were at the airport). She welcomed us to their Wednesday night worship. And made a point of speaking to us again as we were waiting for our baggage in Pemba.

We arrived in Pemba tired, but clean (one bight side to hotels). Our friend, Estefano, picked us up from the airport… I was so relived to see him and felt so stupid that I kept confusing our dates. I said to him “I’m so glad you are here, I’m so sorry for all the confusing messages!” His response, “It’s okay Amanda, I’m in logistics!” What are friends for?

He drove us the few short minutes to our street, but couldn’t take us to our door as the road has been washed away. Again with the insane rain! Nunu ran around the corner to the Center really quick to ask people to help us with our bags. Who rounds the corner first... Abracos, the littlest guy in the house. Who probably weights less than each of our bags... well at least the checks ones.

This was the entrance to our road.

Boys and staff helping us carry our bags to the house.

So we are here. Nunu couldn’t possibly have a bigger smile on his face. We have a roof over our head, running water and internet! What more could a girl ask for?

Please keep us in your prayers:

- Health is always a big one.

- The rain will bring mosquitos, which carry Malaria.

- The rain is washing away roads, our buildings are leaking, the church has completely collapsed because of the heavy rains. 

- We are hoping to purchase land. It would not only to build a house for us but would also be the hub of our further ministry. With all of the oil companies here the prices have sky rocketed (Owners on the major roads are trying to sell small 30 x 30 lots for about $35,000 when 5 years ago it would have cost no more than $3,000). Prayers the God will make a way and provide not only something we can afford but something in a good location for our ministry.

Ice Ice Baby...

The month of June is a special one in Mozambique, because it is the month that celebrates Children! This special month is kicked off each year on June 1^st with Children’s Day… second only to Christmas!

We were told by Social Services to be prepared with a description of what we were doing should they stop by. So our staff spent the weeks leading up to Children’s Day preparing games and other creative activities. We also planned a special menu and put together gifts of underwear, toys and a few other fun things. In short, we spent countless hours getting ready to celebrate our children!

Our boys also spent the weeks leading up practicing a dance that they were going to perform in a larger orphanage in town. Those who weren’t dancing would participate in a parade through our city.

When Children’s Day arrived it was full of excitement. The kids were off and the Center was quiet with remaining staff running around decorating, preparing food and games for a day of fun. (Also, did I mention that Nunu and I leave in 3 days, so in addition to making sure all is well with the day, I’m trying to pack all of our belongings away in buckets!)

Video of the very tail end... but still cute! 

Boys dancing

 After the dance, we got a call from Social Services saying they wanted to take some of our children out to lunch (a very big deal!). Upon their arrival they took all of the children who had shown up to celebrate with us (the kids who live with us, the kids who we help with school and the kids who live on our street)! We were left with Children’s Day plans and decorations and no children!! After one month of preparation!!!!!!

I just stood in the yard blinking and quickly shaking my head… did that really just happen?!

By the time we were ready to serve lunch, a few small children had shown up and we sent them out to gather their friends. In the end we had a table full of children (very small children)! Some of whom have probably never eaten at a table, nor have they ever had so much chicken or pop to themselves. After lunch our staff played games with the children who came. It wasn’t exactly the day we had planned, but the important thing is that we celebrated these children!

Kiddos praying before lunch.

One of our new staff, Justino, teaching the kids a game!

The group that went out to lunch with Social Services returned a few hours later with smiles plastered on their faces! I felt silly asking if they had fun, as it was beyond obvious. It was a special day!

But the day wasn’t over yet…

A few days earlier I had filled up two 18 quart Rubbermaid storage boxes with water. About a inch from the bottom of each box, I had frozen a spoon.

Why? For a game! After things settled a bit, we gathered up all of the kids again and explained the goal of the game was to melt the ice and the find the spoon! At first the kids were looking at me like I was crazy and a few were even acting like I was making them clean the toilets. But just as the ice melted, so did their hesitation.

Abracos and Marcia trying to melt the ice. 

Moda and Calmo

Genial and Salena

Neighbor lady (holding Nicky) wondering what we are up to.

Some little kids checking things out with Maria and Timido.

Cara always looking for hugs!

Arms were flying, feet went rubbing, a few kids kept trying to rub dirt on the large cubes. I kept trying to convince the kids to rub their stomaches on the cube, but no takers. That is until Teclado jumped on and began spinning in circles on top of the block.

Video of the ice fun. At 22 seconds watch Telcado jump on. You can hear me yelling at him to 

lift up his shirt. Eventually he yells back, "FRIO!" meaning "It's COLD!"

Really quick I need to add in that you all must be thinking… your in Africa, isn’t this thing melting on it’s own. Well yes, that is what I thought too and that is why the cubes are so big. But it’s now dusk and not that warm at all (maybe 75 or so) and so these things were just barely melting… of course it didn’t help that some of the kids would only use a few finger tips as they thought it was too cold!!

As many things in Moz, the game didn’t end quite as planned. Teclado picked up the block to rub it on his belly and he dropped it and it broke in half! So that team was disqualified and the other team won!

Sometimes I do things and I can just tell the kids think I’m nutso! This was definitely one of them, but you should have seen how much they opened up and by the end our fence was lined with people watching. I even put out a smaller block for the Itty-BIttys to use and for the passer byers to touch.

Have no fear folks, I will do this again with the kids. I’ll just try to wait for a hotter sunnier day!

Toy Cars

Walking out of our door is always an adventure. Honestly, you never know who will be in our yard or what will be going on.

One Friday afternoon, I went outside to find Teclado and Nemo building toy cars! They build them out of pieces of bamboo, scraps of wire, tape from an old VHS, rubber-bands, flip-flops and whatever else they can find!

Hard at work!

Flip-flops cut out to make wheels.

Nemo, adding a light to the front of his car.
Not sure what the light was from, but it
was powered with a cell phone battery.

Telcado wrapping his car in with the VHS tape.

The One About the Ladder...

I can’t begin to tell you just how many times I think to myself, “I can’t wait to blog about this!” But at the end of the day, I only have time to write so many blogs. Nunu and I are still in the States, but for the most part our life he is very boring... well not boring, but normal. So I’m going to try to post some additional blogs that have been floating around in my head!

A few months back, Nunu and I headed to town to buy a ladder. I can only imagine what you are thinking... a story about a ladder? But yes, this is a blog about a ladder.

As we drove up to the store, we realized something was off. The store was under construction... there was nothing inside. After looking around a little, we realized that they relocated all of their merchandise to a shop across the street. There were no signs, we just saw all the items through the windows. The building had about 4 doors and as we approached them all, it was obvious they didn’t work because materials were leaning right up against them. So we just watched to see where people came out of and finally found the door.

We had gone looking for ladders a month back and found this store to have the best deal. And they had one of those 4 section ladders, that you can bend and use in many different ways. We have really tall ceilings and therefore, we needed this particular ladder.

4-Section Ladder Package

When we went to compare prices, the ladder cost $300. But today, it cost $285 and they gave us a 5% discount, which was another $15 off! This is very uncommon to get a discount without asking, but I’ll take it!

Stores here all operate differently. In this particular shop you go to a cashier and pay for the item and even if you have the item in hand, they take it from you and bring it over to the pick-up counter. Then you take your receipt to the pick-up counter where the item is waiting.

After speaking with one of the sales reps, we paid the cashier and then made our way to the pick-up counter. When we got to the pick-up counter they review our receipt and after much review and conversation they decided they rang us up for the wrong ladder and we needed to pay another $15.

So we headed back to the payment counter to pay the difference and then brought our new receipt to the pick-up counter. By now the ladder was at the door with Nunu and I could tell something was going on. The guy at the door was saying we had more than one ladder. I tried showing him the picture on the ladder package and explaining that it has 4 sections. I counted on the picture 1, 2, 3, 4 and then counted on the ladder 1, 2, 3, 4 but he still insisted that we had 2 ladders. So he opened up the package. I showed him the pictures of the ladder and how it bent in different directions, but nothing. He got the package open and was so confused that the “two” ladders were attached.

Is it not obvious that this isn't a typical 1 or 2 section ladder?

5 ways to unfold the 4-section ladder

After trying to explain again, I just stood back and shook my head. Seriously? There is a very clear picture of the different ways you can use the ladder right on the package. It’s now laying on the ground and these guys are playing with the ladder trying to figure out just what happened. I just stare at the packaging on the ground, knowing eventually they will catch on.

Eventually they let us go.

A million thoughts about this have run through my head about this. But as many of my stories, it just shows such a difference in cultures. I still can’t believe this conversation went any further than me showing them the picture of a 4-sectioned ladder on the packaging. It was as if they didn’t trust the package.

Culture is so much more than food or dress. It’s often mind set and way of thinking. Often times in Moz, we deal with a culture of distrust and it takes a long time to prove yourself trustworthy.