One Month in Mozambique.....NO WAY!

This is for my children! Can you guess what it is?

This is for Kacey Perkins.

So we reached  our one month mark. There was a time I thought it would never get here.
Now I can not believe we have already been here a month. So much in so little time.
HEY! First off ! We Got Mail!  Yes . Saturday when we returned from our long fast drive up north we received a letter. A Christmas card. We never expected to get a letter. Wow!  It was from Lisa and Dan Hall. It is hanging on my fridge. Will someone please tell them how much we appreciate it. Because we told people to not send mail we just never expected a letter.

So I don't know how to tell you about the last 2 weeks except in the order of topic.  I know it Will be long and that way you can scroll down to your topic of interest.  I will include pictures at the end. OK? SO lets go to MOZAMBIQUE!!!!!!

First Topic:Mission work. Our responsibilities to our mission part of our mission are to run the distribution center, help the missionaries that are here in Maputo and look after the Maputo branches. So 2 weeks ago we were trained in Distribution Center (DC) by a portly fellow from South Africa. We also hired a sweet young lady named Vanessa to help us clean and organized the DC. We finally got it organized and boxes sorted to the different areas of the  mission and gone.(We had a truck load of curriculum that needed to go all over the southern and middle section of Mozambique. we took it Monday. There was no more room in the truck for us). The garments are now all put away and you can see the whole room . When I told Vanessa about the videos that play in the U.S. DC she thought that would be a way to sell them better. So we brought up the TV out of our Apt. and set things up. It looks really nice and people can see what they are offered at a very reduced rate for  Mozambique.
Vanessa is a very bright girl who has been a member 1 year but came to church total 3 years waiting to have her parents permission to join. She is 19 and is finished 1 year of university.

We also cooked food for Zone conference 2 weeks ago.. John thrilled them with Carmel popcorn balls, BBQ pork sandwiches and I made FROSTED sugar cookies enough for them each to have at least 4. We also served 2 pans of rice and a ton of carrot sticks. They cleaned house on everything. 26 Elders total.

We went to the Maputo 1 branch Christmas party Saturday night. Dad was a judge for the food contest.  He was a little nervous. IT was our first time eating the members food. He said it was pretty good. It was quite a party. I was in the Relief Society fashion show. We modeled Kapalanas to a new popular song in this region that you hear played really loud all over. They asked me to please wear some lipstick and dots around my eyes like them.  Well white dots on white skin just don't work. I think they learned that. The dinner afterwards  well we tried to get out of by going up to our apt.  Because they ran out of plates we thought we were in the clear. You see they brought their food at 3 and we ate about 6 or 7 so it sat on the tables till then. They love to serve you. Well when they ran out of plates  they were just waiting for others to finish and then they would rinse off the plates and get food for the next person. Not dry the plate...rinse it off only. So when they noticed we were gone they sent someone up to our apt. to tell us there was plenty of food and to come back down. We brought our own plates though and we are still alive so all is good.
It was so awesome to see the relief society sisters at work and The young women serving everyone. Just like home. kind of. I got a gift. A bread bag the YW President made for me by hand. The entire project she made by hand.  You see They buy their bread unwrapped on the street here and carry it home in a cloth bag. and keep it that way. I found out she makes all her childrens clothes by hand meaning needle and thread. No machine. She is one of the nicest dressed women in the branch.
The whole christmas event  really made us closer to the members of the branch. They are so kind to me.

Christmas Eve we will have the Elders for their Christmas party. The mission president said they could skype home. They are excited. We will have a joined dinner and fun and maybe a church video while they all skype.
Last on mission list Dad started today to make plans with Jaimie to change the whole water system in the apt. and Chapel. He was given permission by Mission Pres to get it DONE.

Travel: We just drove over 1000 miles . You have to know that 90 % of the people either walk or take a txappa (shappa) to get where they need to go. They get up early in the morning and start to walk to wherever they are going.There are hundreds of people doing this all up and down the highway.They use the major highway as a travel way. The road is not that wide. They also stand along the roadside  and hold out for you to see whatever they are selling that day. It may be Mangoes, bananas,pineapples, bird cages, with a bird, live chickens, dead chickens, goats, small dead deer, rodents large enough for Sunday dinner and anything they make.  There is only one lane going each way. Some people like to get your attention for their product and dance a little out in the road.
It makes for very tense driving on the wrong side of the road. Especially when a big truck or bus is coming toward you  half in your lane. Or two cars are coming because one decided to pass. The worst is that little toddlers just toddle down the road like no big deal.
We made it though and got our truckload of curriculum safely to its destinations.
We did make some nice purchases along the way so you can do window shopping. You just have to bring your own window. We bought 2 large bags of mango for about 6$, 12 huge pineapple for 9$ and a very large bag of cashews for 6 $. We also saw our first casualty on this trip. Not a fun thing.

Humanitarian: For our humanitarian part of our mission we have been sending lots of communication and meeting with people to get projects set up.
We also had 9 wells to inspect half way up the country. There were 3 electrical pumps with 3 water stations each and 6 hand pump wells to check. These are in Homoine. It is by Maxixe. You can look them up on google earth.
So that experience was something else. We did not know exactly what we were to do. We met with our well monitor in Maxixe and followed him up a road to this little village way out in the bush. Red sand and beautiful tropical area. This village had a horrible massacre during its civil war and many many people were killed. The community leaders are interested in getting the village rebuilt and so this is one reason they were involved in the well project. We first met with the governor of Homoine and he told us how grateful he was for the water projects there. We then went with him out to inspect all the electric wells and stations. He showed us that he is constructing buildings to house the parts for the well so that they can keep the wells running. He was so proud of this fact. It was fun to see the people excited about the water being close at hand.  Maria and Paldino went with us. They are the Hygiene specialists for that project.
We then went back to Maxixe for the night and the next day we drove back out to Homoine and got in BEN'S truck and REALLY went out into the bush. We inspected the hand pump wells that were way out in the villages. It was an experience and one day we will tell you more about Ben's truck. They had closing ceremonies at  most of the hand pumps. The people were all grateful for the water. They would dance and sing and make a funny sound with their tounges. Look for pictures. They would tell us about the dirty water they used to drink and how it would make their white rice brown. They would ask us to see if our church would bring more water for their neighbors.They loved us to take their pictures and then to show them the picture. They were just so cute. Especially the older people. There are not many old people here at all.  We were supposed to give kind of a speech but didnt know that until last minute. We missed the closing ceremony training in the MTC. So we actually felt fairly inadequate but we made it and got better with each one.
You will have to check out the pictures.

The other part of our trip we had to go check out possible well sites in Chimoio. It is north and west of maxixe. It is very close to Zimbabwe. You can see the mountain of the Old Man Lying Down. It is called the fruit capital of Mozambique. They grow everything and Leitche. or how ever you spell it.  good. Well we delivered our curriculum there and stayed with the cute young couple elder and sister Banks from Chino California. Side note:They are doing MLS and are living in a chapel also. So they are never alone. The night we were there was their English Class and the Young people are the ones who came.They attend the branch which is really a group. About 12 to 15 people were there at the class. We had a blast. Then it started to rain and the power went out. Well  in the dark all those youth sat around and sang at the top of their lunges the hymns for about an hour. Not many are members as the missionaries try to get whole families but they are very active youth. Boy are they awesome.
P.S. This mission sure needs many more senior couples.

We went to look at 3 possible well sites . The people were very poor. They had hand dug wells about 30ft and a problem with cholera in rainy season  as their latrines are very close but they had clean water source very close by. They didnt want to go 1000 yds for water or in one case get their community together and pay to have the city hook them into the city water. Our goal also is to help peolple learn ways to help themselves. We are going to keep looking farther out in the bush for more clean water projects. They are going the farthest distances for  water in this case.

Today we met with Dr. Jim Ricca who is working here in Maputo for MCHIP. He is also associated with UNICEF and is who we will work closely with to initiate the next Helping Babies Breath training(was known as neonatal resuscitation). It was a great experience for us and an opportunity to meet a wonderful man.


Food:Things we have learned to like are Peanut butter on wheat crackers. Jungle oats.With Apples. They really have good carrots and potatoes here. They are so sweet. We do wash and sterilize them. The fruit like pineapple and mango and papaya are really good. Bananas are really sweet. almost too sweet. We have both eaten prawns now and the are good.
The best food is what we cook ourselves and for a price we can find almost everything. Even 'Carol Oertli' (Karo)Syrup.

What we've noticed:It doesn't smell outside like it used to. People really will help you when you try to speak their language. It always brings a smile. The youth that are members are really sharp. They try to teach themselves things. Especially Piano. Many like to come in and practice the piano.There are quite a few Albino Mozambique people. Or you really notice them. It seems like There are a lot of people in this country.Maybe there are just so many in Maputo.  This country is 2 times the size of California but with only half the people. So we think many live close to the roads.


Miracles we have had this last week: We made it to our destinations with such a loaded down truck and we made it home without killing anyone. We are thankful every time we return home safe.
Yesterday I was really missing my family and friends. I just kept crying. Well this morning when john and I were at our excercise park we found a lady kept running next to me. I would slow and she would slow. I would speed up and she would speed up. So she finally started to talk to me. Just asking me questions in portu.first and then she started using english. we had the best visit and to spare you our whole conversation as I asked her what her work was she said she works for an Italian NGO here in Maputo. Well then we could talk about that and the church and how the church tries to find NGO's to work with . We exchanged numbers but mainly so we could visit more as friends. She said I will be back on wednesday and we can run together. I know the Lord heard my cries yesterday and blessed me with that little miracle this morning.
Every day, all day is a miracle here.
We also have the wonderful Elders who seem to pop in to need something anytime we or I feel any kind of blue. They are our 6 miracles. The church in Chimoio is a miracle of it's own. It is not the only small GROUP  in this country working quickly to be a branch. In Maxixe and other Groups and Branches the Elders are the Branch President or leading and teaching the group how to organize. It is amazing to me. They need so much help here and especially senior couples with leadership skills or any skills. 

D.C. Before we organized.

John,Vanessa straight accross and Albertina in DC.

cooking carmel corn

TaaDaa!

Along every roadside....

walking on the Road

Governor of Homoine and kids and Maria and Paldio on right

They all use their heads.

They start so young and remember they are full of water...and they don't spill!

1 electric well serves 3 big fountain stations.Notice building going up on right of building.

Houses in Homoine

I just love the children. The moms watch every minute in this village.

They are at a fountain from an electric well.

Women (and a man) at the well.

Waiting for clean water. They were walking miles for dirty water.

Kids at another fountain.

Babies for Nora and Mandy.

Houses in villages outside Homoine.

This woman collects 1 MT for water use for the well committe for upkeep. See yellow can.

These ladies were afraid of us.

Full to the brim.

And this is us driving into bush area for hand pump wells. See how far the road goes?

First ceremony of people for hand pump well.

The women dance and sing and clap.

2nd ceremony children bring us scissors to cut ribbon to well.

I loved these men. They gave great speeches to us. Not many old men around.

we always had to pump it first so we invited this little girl to help.

people are singing and dancing and doing tha funny noise with tongue the whole time.

Joao in Red. He is our well monitor or finder.

In the villages the women all sat under one tree.

And the men sat under another.

Bebe.

I love this guy and his shirt.(Take things Easy)He came at slow time.

I think this is ceremony 3.They decorated around the pump.

The lady with book gave us a talk and a very important paper. I need to have t translated.

They gave us a chicken.

I wanted to bring it home to Janis Nielsen but couldn't.

See! Different village same tradition.

They use their Kapalans for wrapping and carrying their babies in so many ways.

 It is the african Baby Bjorn.

Everyone loved getting their picture taken. They loved for me to show them after. They would just giggle and laugh. It was fun.

See?

we never tired of the singing and dancing.

Children in Chimoio.

Houses outside chimoio. They have hand dug wells.

Chimoio

Chimoio. Notice Mountain in distance.

Now you can see it.

Chimoio

Mom in Chimoio loved to see her and her children's picture.

Donna and nellia modeling Kapalans.

Branch Presidency

More Fashion dance.

Relief Society at work.

Sisters in Zion!

Sister and their food.

So proud of their food. They tried to bring enough dishes.

Don't ask me what it is.

We have some short videos but I may have put too many pictures on already. I may send later. Anyway.....

It is good we are busy as we miss you all very much. We hope you are having a very Merry Christmas.
Just remember how much Heavenly Father loves EACH one of his children. He sent his Son so that we might all be able to return to him again. We love you all Very Much.
We will try to figure out Christmas day. We might just have to stay up late that night so we can talk to you all. Until then.  Chao!