MozamWeek

In about one year, we will be heading back to the US and Sweden for our "furlough" or "home period" as it can be known. Our lives have this rhythm of living years in Mozambique and then a year or less in one of our "home countries." Each time we come home, we are faced with a reassessment of our roles in Mozambique. Do we fill a role that is a need? People want to know. WE also want to know! One question I have faced each time we come home is, "What do they really need in Mozambique?" People want to know what ONE thing or KIND of thing is most needed in the country where we work. In the past I've had to respond, "Everything! Just pick something and they probably need it!" I understand this isn't that helpful to someone who wants to seriously make a difference. It isn't helpful to us either. BUT, to be really honest, there is a lot of need in many areas. How can we know if we make a difference? Today I received a link...

I had a very good trip to Botswana. At the Pan Africa Reading for All Conference it was good to see positive things happening in literacy, libraries, teaching, mother tongue education and language development in Africa! I presented a pretty simple study of "The literate environment in Tete, Mozambique." I am now responsible for following up on all those great contacts I made with interesting people doing interesting things all over Africa! The list of things I hope to accomplish in the next year isn't getting shorter! There are interesting possibilities all around and it isn't easy to decide which ones are likely to get results. I have a few opportunities to train local writers in Mozambican languages, so I'll start there. Who knows? The experience from this stage will probably lead to something useful later on!

I'm going to a conference tomorrow. I'm going to miss the plane that my friends kindly begged, borrowed and went out of their way to book for me! BUT I'm going to the conference! I was able to change the date on the ticket without charge, thanks to a very kind and patient lady on the phone in Johannesburg. I'm not going anywhere near South Africa where her office is, but her branch office was the only one that I could actually connect with! She was the one who could help me. So, I'm going to the conference! Since I'm leaving on Monday, I can be happy for the ride on Saturday... that might or might not get to Harare in time for take-off (of the flight I'm no longer booked for.) The person I'm riding with is a friend of a friend. I'm thankful for my friends for sure! Because without them, I wouldn't be going to the conference. I'm going to have a weekend in Harare, unplanned, but fine. I have friends there to repay for kindnesses. I have ...