MozamWeek

On the way out of England, we sat at the Heathrow Airport gate drinking coffee and nibbling leftovers that I thought suitable for breakfast - raisins and dried cranberries, leftover cereal crumbles and nuts and a handful of chocolate chips. Finally, there were 3 fortune cookies dumped in that Ziploc bag. I opened mine:  "You will succeed because you are not easily impressed." I didn't quite know what to think about that, but it stuck in my head. Maybe that was a fitting note for my departure from England. I think I owe the country an apology. I was a prejudiced little American snob about England. I didn't think it could really be that special. I know, many of my compatriots think England is an epitome of culture and beauty. They think the English do things "right"... even if upon closer examination, we find some things to be just plain "un-American"! I thought the houses would be drafty and somewhat lacking in modernity and that the weather would...

Where old school desks go to die...  Even simple, sturdy materials don't last forever. What happens when desks break? Who's responsible for fixing them? Apparently there just isn't extra money to buy the planks needed to fix the desks. They apply for money from the state and don't get it. So, the pile grows. This classroom block was built in 1957!  A renovation was done in 2007. How often are they allowed to repaint? There is no schedule. There is no money. So, years of passing students leave their mark. Cleaning is done by people who sometimes can't physically handle the heavy job. People recovered from TB, for example, just can't stand to be around dust!   Maps, protractors, visual aids... In the teacher's room, the walls are hung with materials that are used in the classrooms. I asked if there was enough to go around and they said it is adequate. With 10 usable classrooms, I guess you don't need many posters anyway. The well... ...

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...

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...