Whew...what's new?

I'm writing from our new broadband connection. It's fast! I'm still working on getting the wireless working, but this is better than the last connection.This is another sign that we are moving forward. Last year was really tough in a small house in a bad location... all very temporary. In January we moved to a better area of town for work and school.We are happy for this house, but it needed lots of work to get it in shape. There weren't ACs, the yard was a real mess, plumbing and electricity needed an upgrade, inside we needed to paint and even the floors had patches of cement that crumbled when we cleaned! Since each step of the process involves lots of mental and physical energy, we've spread it out. We want to be done by the end of the year. Some of the changes are painful, but some, like this internet thing, are a pleasure.


Here's a list of the past month's changes:

• Air-conditioners. With temperatures around 100F/40C for about half of the year, AC is the norm in Tete. We have lived here for about 12 years. We have always had air-conditioning in at least part of the house until this term. It took about 2 months to upgrade our electricity contract to 3-phase so that ACs would run. Now both bedrooms have working air conditioners! We sleep better at night, and our computer is happier. Buying and installing took about 2 weeks. 
• Fixed phone and broadband... very straight-forward process. Done in about a week... with a few pending issues they say are due to rain.
• Bookshelves: we have lots of books, but have a shortage of shelves. Yesterday, the planks handed over to a carpenter were successfully mounted in my hallway. That's 8 meters of space for books and doo-dads that have lived in boxes for more than 2 years! It only took a week.
• Painting kitchen cupboards: in USA you have DIY. Here, almost no one does their own painting or anything. I had paint and brushes, so I spent a few weekends sanding and painting while preparing meals... multi-tasking. Not done yet, but it feels good to have it going.
• Yard work: we have clay... sticky, gray clay. Patches of grass... two kinds that are quite different. During the rains, we have floods in the yard. The plan is to bring in dirt to raise the yard over street level, plan walkways and drainage to the street and plant grass. A friend recommended a guy... "Pensar Ricardo" (his name is "to think?") So I have Mr. Thoughtful ripping up my yard with his buddy during a quite rainy season in Tete! Think mud and muck! Ooo... and my kids are out of school! Well, we are hoping for a quick change once they start planting grass. It will be so nice when it is done... when? Whenever.
• Floors: I decided to tear up the cracked and flaking cement before installing air conditioners. Cement dust is bad... I didn't want to gunk up new machines with cement... plus all the pounding... Anyway, I had a crew come in and demolish my floors in hallway and 2 bedrooms. Had to move out all the furniture, etc. One day moving, one day breaking... now we are walking on floors that resemble rough sidewalks. BUT we have air conditioners, and tiling isn't very messy compared to demolition.
  

None of that requires full-time attention. It all requires dealing with unknown workers in the home... contracting, contacting, scheduling, paying and follow-up. Negotiating prices is no fun. There are culture and language issues behind everything. Even after 12 years we are still learning the ropes! I just have to keep in mind that usually people are being fair. I might not understand their reasoning, but I'm in their world. I can learn to work in this system. If it doesn't contradict the Bible, I can't call it wrong, can I? So I hope I'm becoming more patient. I hope they see Jesus' love in me even when I'm questioning their actions and decisions. I hope they are more blessed than bothered by interacting with my family here in Tete, Mozambique.