MozamWeek

One of the occupational side effects of being a missionary is that even when I am home, I am still trying to process my experiences in Mozambique. In some ways I am always connected to the people there. I know that they are still struggling with the same issues they had when I left. They might not be thinking about me, but I am thinking about them! The past two weeks I've been ruminating on an idea to better the lives of Mozambicans in Tete. I'm ready to throw it out now and hear some comments. Problem: Not enough water in poor neighborhoods. Long lines at public water sources. People feeling the only solution is to wash clothes and bathe in the River. Many suffer crocodile attacks! This is documented by the local surgeon who sews up more than one victim a week. Idea: Keeping your family clean shouldn't be a matter of life and death! Starting a "laundry" may be an answer for some people. A place with a water source, shade, tanks for scrubbing, a safe place for kid

My plan was to update this blog weekly. I have failed. The week after I started this thing we traveled to M's sister's place in a subarctic region of northern Sweden. We stayed for about 5 days with 12 in the house. It was nice to see the kids with their Swedish cousins. K (who is 7) started to imitate her 12 year old cousin's dialect of Swedish. J (who is 6) played non-stop with his cousin who was born exactly a month before him. Little J (who is 3 1/2) enjoyed all the attention that the youngest in the family gets. We drove 72 Swedish miles... that is 720 km... that is about 500 US miles. We traveled through hills and valleys dotted with sparkling lakes. There is lots of forest in Sweden. (On the "globe" in my head Sweden was always green... even before I came here.) The dark green pine forest comes right down to the rocky shore of the lake. There are red cabins and vacation homes at the edge of the lakes. Church spires dominate in even the smallest community. I

M and I got married in Sweden in 1997. It was a cold and snowy winter. I remember the apricot light of the Nordic sky. I remember the crunch of the snow. I remember learning Swedish. I remember learning what to eat first when you are invited to "fika". Learning to live in a new country is a unique experience. It isn't like being a tourist. What you figure out today will make life easier for years to come. What you DON'T figure out, no one will tell you. What you do wrong, you will remember longer than they will. Trial and error. Forgiveness and a good sense of humor. Figuring it out, and then figuring out if you can really LIVE with it! Actually, learning to live in a new country is a lot like getting married... or being a parent... Nobody is perfect. You need to figure out a lot in the beginning. You make adaptations to your lifestyle accordingly. Some things are a relief when you discover that mysterious difference that caused so much anxiety. Other things you wish