Mozambican Natal

Christmas Day we were invited to a Kenyan friend’s home. Her son just went through initiation into manhood and they traditionally have a big party to celebrate. Since it was close to Christmas, she combined the two events and invited lots of others Kenyans and some of us westerners.

When we first arrived we found the kitchen full of women cooking and the men outside preparing a goat. This was quite a process and the source of much interest on the part of the young American women who were there. Steve gave us all a lesson in anatomy. Soon we were being called to dinner but we thought it a bit curious that there was no goat. There was chicken, rice, lots of salads, fruit cake, ice cream etc. We ate our fill and sat around talking for a bit. Then everyone went outside again and started grilling the goat. At that point we were told that what we just ate was only the beginning. Now the real feast began with lots of goat meat. They mentioned xima (corn meal) also but we never saw any. Probably because no one was hungry enough! We went for a walk in the neighborhood to make some room for meat and then returned to eat a bit of it. They were still grilling when we left at 6 p.m. It as quite a social event, and we made some new friends.

On the way home we saw this Mozambican skinny Santa!

Christmas video

Here is a link to a Christmas video with footage of Mozambique taken last October. We hope you enjoy it and that you have a wonderful Christmas! http://christmas.15four.com

Crossing Cultures

This past weekend we attended a leaders' retreat for our church. Among many topics, we discussed schedules and some of the cold climate folks were keen to emphasize how important it is to start and end on time. "It is a matter of courtesy," they said, and "the kids can't take such long services," etc. The comment by the pastor was, "And what if the Holy Spirit is moving? Do we just cut Him off because it is time to end?" Another warm climate person said, "Nowhere in nature or science are things regulated down to the minute. It's just not natural or human!"

So there you have it, differing views with some truth in each depending on your perspective. These are the kinds of things we face regularly as we cross cultures.

Zambia in November

Steve and I both traveled to Zambia for two weeks this November. It was great for me, Rachel, to go along this time as it is becoming a regular visit for Steve. The first thing I learned is that greetings involve a clap, shake of hands and clap, clap while slightly bending the knees at the same time. In the past when greeting someone older they would actually get down on their knees although this isn’t as common now, especially in the cities.

Another fun thing was to speak English and be understood by most people, even in the villages! However, we did discover that our American accent wasn’t always understood. In the microenterprise training that we did I was talking about adults. One woman gave me a puzzled look and said, “Are you talking about a door or a dog?” That’s when I realized that they pronounce it adults! There are many words in which we emphasize different syllables than they do.

The training of trainers went really well with about 19 attending and people seemed to appreciate it. Steve was able to relax more than usual during the week as we put the trainers to work teaching the lessons themselves so they could get some experience. The participants really seemed to appreciate the training. One older gentleman said it awakened things in him that he had studied long ago, but many had never studied these topics. Another said, “I woke up this morning thinking how different I felt today than I did on Monday before I started the course.” At the end we found out that several had altered their plans for the week just to attend.


The town of Mongu where we were reminded us of the old West a bit. It’s built on a plateau next to a plain that runs 25 km on each side of the Zambezi River. Four months of the year this plain is flooded and people who live there have to move. This includes the king of the region (it used to be a kingdom). He makes his entrance into Mongu in March and people flock from all over for the festivities of the king coming to town. There is a guesthouse on every corner because of this.


The king’s cousin was part of the training and occasionally someone would call her “princess” (in the white blouse in the center of picture). Her sister is the Zambian ambassador to the U.S. and they are a well educated, influential family.




To get to Mongu we drove through a game park and saw these elephants along with some foolish people who had gotten out of their car to see them better. They seemed to forget that these are wild and powerful animals. We’ve heard more than one story about grouchy elephants. We also saw herds of various kinds of antelopes.


In some ways Zambia is different than Mozambique and in other ways it is very similar. There are some African customs that transcend country borders. Colonial powers have influenced the countries but many times I saw scenes that reminded me of Moz. I do appreciate Maputo’s shoreline and ocean views. Landlocked cities just aren’t the same. There is lots of room for improvement in Maputo but I am thankful that we live here for now. Speaking of living here, we found out that we need to move in December so we’d appreciate your prayers for locating our next apartment. We have had a roomy, furnished place for lower than average price and it may be hard to find something similar.

Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving.

Moz Wedding

When we first started working with chickens we needed to find a source for chicken feeders and waterers. We saw people selling them along the road and stopped and talked to a couple of them. We weren't very impressed with the guys that wanted to charge an extravagant amount even though we told them we would be buying these regularly. Then we met Nato. He gave us a fair price, had a great attitude and was willing to work with us.

We've related to him over the years and gave him enough business for him to take a driving course and hire a relative to help him. We heard his dad tell someone that we gave his business "força" or strength.

A couple of months ago he invited us to his wedding and even had us over to his house ahead of time so we would know where to come. Saturday was the big day.

The invitation said the civil ceremony at the wedding palace would be at 9:30 and the church service at 12. We were quite sure it wouldn't start on time because things get backed up at the palace, so we left home at 12. We were too optimistic. We should have left home at 2. But we're learning that when we attend an event like this it's best to just leave the watches at home.

The junior bridesmaid and groomsman were at the head of the procession followed by the bride and groom who walked in with their godparents. Then came the four bridesmaids and groomsmen. They all sat in the front rows and it was good they sat because the Brazilian pastor talked for at least one hour (but who's watching the time!). After the vows and rings they went to the platform and signed the license along with the godparents and parents.

They didn't have a western recessional, but stood up front and some folks greeted them. The rest of the people just walked out. But you should have seen the wedding party earlier when they sang and danced/stomped. They really got into it! I had a glimpse of what Mozambican weddings were like before western ideas were introduced. I'll bet they didn't walk in to the "Wedding March!"

The reception was held in a different place, a large court at a high school with a roof. Sides would have been nice too as the winds picked up and it got chilly. It took awhile for people to collect. The wedding car arrived and then left and then returned. We just sat and wondered if people visiting the U.S. are as curious about our traditions as we are about these.


There was a table up front and we noticed that the chairs beside the bride and groom were for family, not the wedding party. And then first thing we knew, the groom's father was escorting us up there! We felt a bit strange, but he introduced us to an uncle as very important people to Nato who have helped him in his business. We enjoyed the rice and chicken, beef and shrimp and eventually the cake.


I had heard that people in Moz like to dance their presents up and it was fun to watch firsthand. It was usually a group that would sing and do a little dance/march to the bride and groom and hand the present to them along with kisses or handshakes. It was really nice and made it very personal and special. Some gifts were wrapped, some were not. The wrapped ones were not opened there.

To complete this picture you must imagine a couple dozen neighborhood kids doing cartwheels, running around, squealing during the whole reception. No one seemed to mind and they even got some food.

On Sunday, the festivities continued. The couple attended church in their wedding clothes and then there was another feast at his family's home. We didn't think we'd attend, but they are quite insistent, so we went. Once again we were escorted right up front. There was even more food and Nato told us he raised 100 chickens for the event. He also disclosed that he is pretty much penniless after paying for all the wedding, but he will start saving again. His friends can't understand why he would go to all this expense, but he shared that he wants to do things God's way and be responsible.

Nato gives us hope for Mozambique. He and his family are quite industrious and find things to do or go out and get someone to teach them a skill. Nato said he learned how to do sheet metal work from a relative during a vacation. He has a good heart and we believe God is raising up many more like him. It was an honor to spend such a time with him and his extended families.

October come and gone

Wow, October has gone like a flash and we have both flown the Atlantic Ocean twice in 30 days.

Rachel headed home in Sept to help Joanna prepare for her wedding to Keith Lowe. Our exchange student from the 99-00 school year, Christine, came from Norway with her baby about the same time as Rachel. It was great to reconnect with her. We also found out what it’s like to be around a baby again! Sofie really is precious.

Steve traveled 10 days later and with much less success on flights excepting that he eventually made it both directions. Of the 8 planes he took, only one was on time or the scheduled flight he was supposed to take adding 8 hours coming to the States and 24 returning. (At least he got to sleep in a bed twice during the 78 hour stretch.) The good thing in all of this was meeting some amazing people working in Zambia and Swaziland. Who knows, maybe someday we will cross paths again.

The wedding was outside and we were most thankful for sunny weather and 60 degrees, after all it was the middle of October. It was a bit chilly during the ceremony as a stiff breeze picked up and the clouds came out but we all survived, even Joanna with her sleeveless gown. As soon as the ceremony was over, Keith gave her his coat. It was great to celebrate with friends and family that have had an important part in our lives. Many people commented that now all our children are married. It’s true and we’re happy for all of them.

We both went to Baltimore for the WR Congregate meetings October 17-20. It was a good time of connecting with new people, reconnecting with people we have met since being with WR, planning for the future and learning from others who have done development more than we have. We had the wonderful opportunity of staying with Rick and Sandy plus family, getting to know them and feeling like long lost relatives. Steve met them during an earlier trip to Baltimore. We didn’t get to spend enough time with them as the meetings kept us out until nearly 10 each night. Our favorite quote from Sandy after giving her some coconut oil: “I have a problem with this coconut oil. I like it too much!” She is one of three people we met who would love to distribute the oil for us in the U.S. Maybe in the future, but for now we will concentrate on selling in Mozambique and S Africa.

Saturday after the conference we caught a ride with one of the speakers to DC where he dropped us off at the doorstep of David and Janelle’s apartment. We slept on the futon and ate their food, including lunch in the park just across from the White House where Janelle sometimes eats as it is close to her work. We saw some new sites such as the WWII memorial and walked way too far on Monday trying to see all that we could in the shortest time possible.

It’s good to be back in Moz. The first week or so always involves some readjustments and getting back into the swing of things. Rachel is working in the new area (for her) of church development. The first thing to do is to hire a national director which will hopefully happen in the next month or so.

Thoughts on Poverty

What is the best way to help the poor? I (Rachel) have been thinking a lot about this lately. First of all, what exactly is poverty? It is more than a lack of money. I read this week that a person can be broke but not poor. There is a difference. Spiritual, emotional, physical poverty are all involved in a poverty mindset and worldview.

In the U.S. we can be cushioned from having to deal with the poor if we choose to. We can go about our daily routines without having anyone ask us for money, or food, or seeing any street people. Living in Mozambique is a different story. At many stoplights there are old women, or street kids, or the maimed coming up to our windows. And there are the con artists. One woman has an obvious abdominal tumor and says she needs money for surgery. However, she never gets the surgery because the money she collects goes for drugs. Others have figured out that people like to give food more than money. So they tell you what kind of food they want you to buy them as you go into the grocery store. Sadly, most of this is resold and the money used for drugs. And there are those who would rather beg on the street than work, because they make more on the street.

And then there are the people we are getting to know. A couple with three children moved here from another province to find jobs. But they have found nothing. He is South African so it is even more difficult. He has dreams of selling items on E-Bay but does not have a computer and internet café time is too expensive. They found a place to live rent-free in an unfinished house with no electricity or running water or furniture. It is better than the reed hut they had before. I’ve tried to encourage her to crochet small items that people need and can afford and have given her yarn and hooks and ideas. She hasn’t really taken my advice but made some handbags that she’s having trouble selling. So she is asking me for help with marketing. How can I really help her in a sustainable way? I could bring in lots of yarn from outside the country (the varieties are very limited here and expensive) and then buy everything she makes, but is that the best thing for her? What happens when I leave? She was a star student in the microenterprise course and is a trainer. So I encouraged her to hold a course with her neighbors and charge something for it. But the answer was that people think she is too young and doesn’t have the authority to teach them anything.

It’s hard to think about them when I go to bed with a full stomach and wonder if their children are crying themselves to sleep because they haven’t eaten for two eays. Then I had an idea—why don’t they at least grow some of their food? They have a large yard in front of their house and even though it is sandy, they can mulch and water and have something to eat. So I sent books on gardening and composting but then got the word that the owner does not want them growing anything in the yard. Hmm, can you find another plot of land? Or grow tomatoes in containers? Or …?

I’ve found that many Mozambicans will just accept these obstacles as their fate. So then they sit and wait for something to get better. I cannot really put myself in their shoes because I’ve never been in a place where I can’t find a job or a market for things that I make. I haven’t been part of a system that feels hopeless and weak. When I’ve had a need, I’ve had family with resources to fall back on. So I can’t really relate, but I can imagine what it must be like. I can pray that I will have compassion on the poor as Isaiah says. I can reach out and give with discernment. Jesus gave regularly to the poor and had a special fund set aside just for that. Never mind that he didn’t even own a pillow or a bed. So I know it is important to God for us to be generous and share. And I will continue to do that even though I know I will be conned sometimes and people will take advantage of me. I cannot write everyone else off because of them.

It is some consolation to know that our work is providing jobs for people who had none before. Granted, they don’t make a lot of money but it is a place to start. But we can’t give jobs to everyone and so I keep coming back to the questions of how I can really help my friends climb out of poverty. I’m learning that there are no easy answers. But I will continue to do what I know is truly helpful and trust God to guide me.

Zambia, here we come

I (Steve) arrived in Zambia August 13 to the welcome of Wiggan, our agriculture director. He took me to a hotel on the outskirts of town as the ones in the city center were filling up with delegates to the SADAC conference held in Lusaka. It was a quiet more out of the way place. My suspicion is that only thing that keeps it afloat is the outdoor small bar. The room was clean and outside of the usual, (you have to turn on the water heater before using it), the only real surprise was that there was only a bottom sheet on the bed. With no top sheet what do you do? Sleep under the blanket I guess. Well it was a wool one, doubled over. It felt good since it was cool, but during the night I warmed up considerably and ended up sleeping just under the top spread. I couldn’t help but wonder, is that what everyone else does too?

For supper we ordered the T-bone steak for $5. Wiggan asked if it was tender and the guy said yes. As we waited, we heard someone in the kitchen really whacking at something with a wooden hammer. We looked at each other and I asked, is that what makes the meat tender? Apparently it was supposed to, plus it was cut about as thin as you can cut meat to cook quickly and make it less of a glob to chew. I still had to mince it up to get it anywhere near chewable.

Travel to Mongu is along the only tarred road heading west out of Lusaka. Roughly 200 Km out of the city, the road enters a national forest/animal reserve that is one of the largest in Zambia. We passed though another 200 Km of reserve land seeing lots of varieties of deer, a few impala, monkeys, multiple groups of warthogs with this year’s litters, (little guys in batches of 4-6 and about 10 pounds), a couple of elephants, and new to me were ibex, a black Onyx and something that looked like a shaggy cow with a donkey-like head, plus one more long-haired shaggy thing.

For breakfast the next day they brought me a hot dog, 2 eggs, baked beans, cabbage and two pieces of bread somehow pre-moistened and scorch-pressed together. I don’t know if they have a device to make it or what, but it was unique.

We spent our day discussing the potential income generating projects that the team here might be involved in and got to about number 10 on our list of a potential 16. We took a lunch break and the pepper steak sounded tempting. Well, no fancy pepper here, they just loaded the gravy up with black pepper and that was it. Tough too, so lots of little pieces again. One plus was that I got plenty of vegetables for the first time since Sunday. It will be chicken from now on. At least the chickens weren’t out pulling a cart last week.

It really felt like it was time for a change of dietary scenery so I asked to go to ShopRite thinking I could find something with cereal or even dairy. Was it ever out of the way. The town store owners protested that ShopRite would cause them to lose business, so the council gave them a piece of scrub land at the edge of town. The sad part is that the many people who want to go there have to pay extra for transport, so it hurts the small consumer, who could probably benefit the most. People go there and buy up all the eggs that are brought in from Lusaka, 6 hours away and resell to the public by the piece (business opportunity with egg laying hens here!).

On Thursday we did some community visits and met the ambassador’s sister who is organizing the school for orphans in her community. Our donor/partner has asked that we see what we can do to help the teachers with some kind of support, either through helping them start a business or having profits of a business we start help sustain them. It looks possible, so we will see. The school itself is a house that was never finished as a house and is in very poor condition. They rotate 500 kids through every day. There is a new one under construction, but the American designer has taken a western contractor view of construction and this has added to the cost, complexity and time to achieve the desired results. It will be nice when it is finished.

Overall the visit met my goals and expectations and we are planning a trip for November when we get back to Southern Afica.

Pictures of Maputo

Recently we met a couple from Malaysia. A cell phone company recruited the wife to set up their billing process on a short-term assignment. The husband is freelancing and volunteering. He may help us market coconut oil. Here is a blog he set up with pictures of Mozambique I thought you'd enjoy. Keep in mind he has only been here a couple of weeks and has not seen all the sides of Maputo. www.beautifulmozambique.blogspot.com (Sorry, the link feature does not want to cooperate.)

Life moves on

Life moves on and the blog has been ignored for awhile. We just wrote a newsletter so that should be posted here soon or coming to your mailbox so you can catch up with us that way as well.

Some big news that you may or may not have heard is that we have another wedding coming up soon. Joanna and Keith announced their engagement and will be married in Oct. at Winona Lake. We are excited for them as they make plans for their future together. Our exchange student from Norway will come to the wedding and we are really looking forward to seeing her and her new baby.

Steve has been working really hard at marketing coconut oil. We got jars and labels (thanks to Keith and Joanna who designed them). The woman we got jars from wanted to know what product we had so Steve gave her a short spiel and she was sold! She wants to be our distributor in South Africa. Now we need to find out what the process is for taking it to SA and what taxes need to be paid etc. Steve is working with a Mozambican young man, Ricardo, who is doing the bottling and some marketing. They took a sample to a grocery store run by Indians and you should have seen them all passing it around, smelling it and smiling. But then they asked, "Has this been tested by the Health Dept? Has the label been approved?" Well, no because in our earlier research we had not been told that this was a requirement. Yesterday Ricardo and Steve went to the Health Dept with a letter and a sample but after much time and bureaucracy they were told to come back with a different letter that has to be stamped. Eventually we will jump through all the hoops but the process can be frustrating and we need the income from sales to keep the plant in operation in Maxixe.

We have enjoyed several visitors the last couple of weeks. I'm getting pretty good at stripping the bed just in time for the next person to fall in (usually exhausted from traveling). I've been reminded that visitors bring gifts, not just material, but spiritual and emotional as well. One of them has offered us his beach house in North Carolina if we are ever in the area! We have met some very interesting, beautiful people the last few years.

Steve will travel to Zambia next week to work with the agriculture project that is just starting there. Please pray for safety, stamina, good health to keep going and do all that needs doing. Thanks, we appreciate your support and communications.

Coconut oil production in Mozambique - first fruits in fulfillment of a 5 year dream

 

Last week I, Steve, made a three day trip to Maxixe (Masheshe) Inhambane about 300 miles north of Maputo to see the virgin, cold pressed, coconut oil plant that has been built and where operations started in June.  I could tell you of the packed bus ride on the way up that was uneventful except for the 7 year old two seats away who threw up the bread he had eaten all over his lap, and the guy that seemed intoxicated enough to sleep 3 of the 6 hours or the "express" bus back that took 2 hours longer than the non-express because it was not full and the driver stopped 50 times if he stopped once to pick up passengers or no one at all!  But that is another story.

 

Our vision for a coconut oil plant that would produce this high quality product started on August 20, 2002 (memorable since it was my birthday and the 30^th anniversary celebration of Zion Chapel, our home church).  During that meeting, a comment was made that we were praying about working in Mozambique.  Afterwards a first time, visiting family came up to us and said, "Have you thought about working with the coconut as a way to promote business in the country?"  Well no, we don't know anything about it.  So David and Kathy Hagen started to share. (Those of you who know them might imagine we were some of the last ones out of the building that day.)  However, we have no regrets as that "chance'" statement and encounter has led to a friendship and interest that will be lifelong if not eternal.

 

The next March we traveled to Mozambique for the first time and met Sam Grottis of WR and as I told him what I had learned over the last 8 months he said, "We could use someone like you to come and give us these kind of ideas so we can put them to work."  I think he meant "put you to work."  These two things are two of the key ingredients that started us on a path to serve in Mozambique with WR.  The rest is history and now for the rest of the story!

 

Our project manager, Romeu took me out to the factory to meet the staff and show me the product.  It was exciting to see the 60 liter (15 gal) containers full of oil in the warehouse and the 70 pound sacks of coconut press cake (what is left after extracting the oil).  In fact, they were running out of space to store things as the building is small.  The small size was intentional to keep costs down and move the product out so it can be sold. 

 

We went back into town with some press cake samples to see if we could find a place to sell it so we could get it out of the factory and get some money back too.  The ideal place to sell would be a bakery as when it is finely ground, it can be substituted for wheat and other flours, adding protein, carbohydrates and fiber to bread.  Since the bakery owner had gone home for the night, we went to an Indian owned store where they sell things in bulk.  The owners were quite skeptical at first since they had never, literally never seen such a product.  The closest their imaginations could come was the coconut you buy in the stores to put on top of cakes and pastries, "but you need a highly sophisticated and hygienic factory to do that don't you?"  They were selling "copra" press cake that looked like dirt or dried manure and smelled like well, worse  (hope no one has a queasy stomach today).  They agreed to take one bag as a trial.  When we put them side by side, the difference in appearance was like night and day.

 

The next day we had some ground in a fine sieve hammermill and took it to one of the bakery owners.  He and his wife were both impressed with the quality and saw the potential for making fortified bread pretty much right away and agreed to take a 40 pound sample for a trial run.  He was even willing to pay the same price for it as wheat flour, (8 cents more than we had budgeted in our plan) but it may actually be worth more nutritionally.  We would offer it on a fresh, daily basis for use overnight to make into bread for local consumption.  It should make softer, more nutritious bread than the water and wheat based product they have now (equivalent to pan de agua for those who know it).

 

It was so neat to watch as the coconuts were ground into a finely grated pulp, then put on the large stove top heated by the empty husks and shells.  After an hour of being turned continuously and drying to about 10% moisture, it is put into a cylinder and pressed, producing crystal clear oil worth at least $4 per liter on the spot, $10 a liter in a South African supermarket and more in Europe.  All this from about 60 cents worth of coconut.  Who said money doesn't grow on trees?  This could be Mozambique's equivalent of diamond mines only this is liquid, until it gets below 76 degrees.  That is what makes this so exciting for me as Mozambique has the potential to be one of the top 5 leading coconut oil producers again, to say nothing of making it high value, but there is tons of work to do before that will ever happen.

 

We are going back again this weekend with Janelle and David and hope to bring several large containers back to Maputo to start the bottling and marketing process here. 

 

 

Wedding Pictures

If you'd like to see Janelle and David's wedding pictures you can go to:
http://goodmiller.smugmug.com I will try to post some here later.

Return to our 2nd Home

We have returned to Maputo after our time in the U.S. The wedding was beautiful. I commented to Steve that it went off without a hitch and he said, “No, there was a hitch, just no glitch.” So true. They are properly hitched and in the process of moving to Washington D.C. In two weeks they will come see us and we can’t wait to show them around and be with them.

The glitch in our return was the airline forgetting to tell one of the crew they were on duty that day and we ended up missing our plane to Johannesburg. Three days of travel turned into four, but we got two nights of sleep in a bed, instead of one out of it.

Coming back felt like coming home in some ways. There were not many surprises and we’re back in our routines. Things at WR are shifting some so there are adjustments in the work we’ll do. But God has always been faithful to show us the way and I’m sure He will this time as well. Some greatly encouraging news is that a significant amount of project funding has started coming in from the team of potential donors we hosted in April. We had been asking God to provide them, and here they are, right on time.

We could tell of the bathroom saga-—of holes in the concrete floor and tile walls where they repaired some leaks, of dust everywhere, of plumbers and workers parading through the apartment, of workers who say they will be here at 7:30 amanha and never show, of getting to know our neighbor Abdul better as he organizes the work because it was leaking in his apartment below us. But I’ll spare you the details because I’m thankful we have an indoor bathroom with running water. Many people in Moz have “bathrooms” (more like privacy screens and not very relaxing) that look like this:

I’m (Rachel) in the middle of a challenging book that Janelle and David gave us—The Irresistible Revolution, living as an ordinary radical by Shane Claiborne. It reminds me of some reading I did in the 70’s on living in community, reaching out to the poor, being willing to leave our safe, comfortable lifestyles to follow Jesus, being committed to the Kingdom of God and not just having a narrow view and allegiance to the earthly kingdoms we happen to be born into, loving our enemies. Jesus really was quite radical. He was even killed for it! Am I willing to follow and obey his example?

Here are a couple of quotes by Mother Teresa that are thought-provoking:

“In the poor we meet Jesus in his most distressing disguises.”
“We can not do great things, only small things with great love. It is not how much you do but how much love you put into doing it.”

Steve here; it is Sunday afternoon and I am reminded that we are returning to a part of the world where soccer is king. There are very few sports here except soccer, unless you count seeing the highlights of Wimbledon and the occasional golf tournament as sports. Sometimes during the NBA season, they do show the occasionally game on Saturday. Right now they are showing a rerun from the World Cup last summer, Brazil vs. Australia. They sure like to feature the Portuguese speaking teams.

People sometimes ask us what do you miss the most when you are in Africa? Well, besides being able to sit down and spend time with family and friends, my list would be some of the things we take for granted like, soft water, water pressure, and the opportunity to work hard physically. It must be the farm boy still in me that finds physical work to be therapeutic. I just don’t have those kind of outlets over here and if other people see you working hard, they want to come relieve you of your burdens as soon as possible. After all, the boss/white guy/maybe old guy shouldn’t be doing the work.

Até a proxima (until the next one or next time)

Back home again in Indiana

This entry comes to you from Elkhart. We arrived May 3rd and have since attended two graduations, a conference, a seminar and are having good times with family and church. Here’s a picture of David and Janelle, the graduates. Janelle graduated with a BA in biology and David with a BA in mathematics and economics. Let me brag on them just a bit and tell you that they both graduated with highest honors. They are smart, hard-working kids! David will continue studying economics at Georgetown in D.C. and Janelle would like to eventually get a masters in sustainable agriculture.

We are settling into a routine of attending to WR work in the mornings (forget trying to get us by phone as we are online most of the a.m.), yard work and getting the other side of the house ready for new renters as the former ones just moved out, reading Ted Dekker books, wedding planning, meeting with people, relaxing. It has been a good change of pace. The tempo will pick up closer to the wedding and then we’ll return to Maputo the middle of the next week (June 20).

I’ll leave you with a quote from our travel home as we were landing in Johannesburg: “Sorry about the hard landing, folks, but there was a flock of guinea fowl on the runway.” Can’t say I’ve ever heard that one before!

Trying to catch our breath

It's been a whirlwind week and it won't get much better until we are on the airplane to the U.S. May 2. Last week we spent most of our energy on organizing an Ancient Paths facilitator's training and then a seminar. We had a group of five that came from South Africa to help us. We had most of our meals at Evangeline's guesthouse and it was fun to interact with the other guests. There are so many interesting people who come through her doors! We had some fascinating conversations with some folks from Texas and England.

The seminars both went very well. People really seemed to appreciate them and are asking for more. It feels like we've tapped the tip of an iceberg. The next training and seminar will be in August unless we find time to squeeze in another seminar before then. Next time I will find someone to coordinate all the purchasing of food and serving the teas, etc. I did have Yolanda, one of the facilitators that helped get meals organized. We went to the market together to get food for less. I had just come from exchanging money for all the seminar needs. We were in the car and they wanted some Rands so we were exchanging the money. We put the windows up for security even though it was sweltering weather. There were several sellers surrounding the truck waiting for us to get out and buy from them and they were all looking at us and all our money. Yikes, that didn't feel too safe. Some of these markets have a reputation for pickpockets. Even the Mozambicans that go there don't wear any jewelry and put their money in very safe places. I was thankful for Genesis, who accompanied us and served as bodyguard for the occasion.

This week was supposed to be a calm week in the office but now Steve is planning a 2-3 days in Maxixe (6 hrs away) to work on the coconut oil facility and I am making a quick run to Macia on Friday to talk with the chicken growers. Next week Steve will be with the group of VIPs coming to look at business in Mozambique. They include the CEO of WR and his wife and the president of the Ntl. Assoc. of Evangelicals. There has been a lot of preparation for this trip and still lots of details to arrange. They will cover a lot of ground, going north to Nampula, to some villages around Chokwe and to Maxixe to see the coconut process. I will be in Beira all week, working with some women on their business plan for a sewing business and training them in the MED course. I plan to spend a day or two with Tanneken also.


We are feeling encouraged, although we have our days when we wonder if we are really making a difference. But we know that God is the one that changes hearts and we need to rest in planting the seed and letting Him bring in the harvest. The Parable of the Sower makes more sense now and there is hope for those who will produce a harvest of one hundred times what was sown.

Here's a picture of the view we see from our rooftop veranda at work where we eat lunch sometimes.


A shot of the Maxixe oil "facility" (in process).

This is the drying table(below). It will be topped with a stainless steel sheet.




We're looking forward to seeing some of you soon!

Quote of the Day

Here are some quotes we have heard lately:

 

As I was planning a menu for a seminar with some folks:  "You can have a tomato, cucumber, onion salad or a tomato, onion, lettuce salad.  But you can't have a tomato, cucumber, onion and lettuce salad.  That is not the Mozambican way."  During the same planning session, "We can't serve beans and rice.  Beans are heavy and will make you sleepy."

 

"If you have two wives you are not sinning."  Said from a pulpit.

 

"We will give you your refund."  Said several times but with no results.

 

"If you have a business without challenges, it is not a real business."  Helena, the chicken project manager

 

"You need to tell a Mozambican something seven times before you get a response.  By the fifth or sixth time he says, hmmm, I've heard this before."  From one Mozambican to another who was wondering why he hadn't heard back from him.

 

"Where is the miner?  He didn't return because of AIDS."  "Where are his parents?  They died of AIDS."  "Where is the driver?  He crashed into AIDS."  Billboards for AIDS awareness.

 

"Today I need to learn how to say in Arabic, 'You are a beautiful child.'"  said by a short-term missionary in Morocco regarding some children who were making fun of her.

 

"You can't plan for a disaster until it happens."  Heard in a meeting shortly before the floods and hurricane came to Moz.

 

From a wisecracking friend:  "They have computers in Africa?  But only powered by bicycles, right?" 

 

"Me, Me, Me" a Renault billboard with a picture of a new car

 

"We have sinned and God is angry with us."  A comment by Alda, the vegetable lady regarding the floods, hurricane, drought and arsenal explosion in Mozambique this year.

 

Given as an example of self-control:  "Sometimes I am very hungry and I want to eat other people's food, but I have to use self-control and not take it."

 

On the wall of the WR office:  "Meekness is not weakness, but power under control."

 

And we'll end with a joke Steve heard:  A South African, an American and a Mozambican were bidding on a job.  The South African bid 9,000, the American 10,000 and the Mozambican 12,000.  The guy who wanted the work done said to the Mozambican, "You were supposed to underbid the others!"  "No," he said, "I'll just hire the South African and we'll split the 3,000!" 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bombs Bursting in Air

Bombs literally were bursting in air over Maputo yesterday. This is the way a news agency described it: "A series of powerful explosions rocked Maputo on Thursday afternoon, as once again obsolete military equipment stored in an arsenal of the Mozambican Armed Forces (FADM) in the outer suburb of Malhazine blew up."

Helena and I were sitting in the office and suddenly we started hearing thunder. I kept looking at the blue sky and wondering where the storm was. Then we saw a cloud of smoke in the distance and Helena got a call from a friend who said the arsenal was blowing up because of the heat. A couple of loud booms rocked the office and rattled the windows and people decided it was a good time to go home.

At home I watched TV and saw many people walking away from the noise. Some were looking for their children who just left school, others were just walking, they didn't know where. Most looked afraid. I wasn't too worried because the arsenal is pretty far away but then I heard that the bombs have a range of 30 km. We had two loud blasts that rattled our windows and the second one shook our 5-story building. All I could do was pray and trust God to be my strong tower.

TV footage started showing the injured and dead being taken to the hospital. As of this morning they are reporting 72 dead and 300 injured although I'm sure that number will increase. Many houses have been damaged or destroyed. I just got a call from Amelina whom I wrote about in a previous blog. They are asking people to evacuate Zimpeto because there are still unexploded bombs there. So it looks like she and her family will spend some time with us.

Steve is on his way home from Zambia today. The airport here is closed until they remove debris from the runway. If his afternoon flight is canceled he will come back with a WR driver who is taking a group to Jo'berg today.

It's time like these where we really know we need to depend on God. I'm extra thankful today for His protection. Your prayers for Maputo and Mozambique are appreciated.

Greetings around the world

Since we’ve been here, I’ve seen several different kinds of greetings.

Of course, you know the American way—stand and look at each other and say Hi. Every now and then you give a handshake or if you’re close to someone, a hug. That’s it. Well, the rest of the world is a bit different.

In Mozambique the standard is two kisses on the cheeks. Actually, it’s not really a kiss, it’s more like cheek to cheek. Sometimes I need a towel because some people really sweat! And there are a couple of different kinds of hand shakes that are a bit hard to describe, I’ll just show you sometime. If the hands are dirty, then you grab arms. You always ask how they are: “Como esta? Estou bem, obrigado or graças a Deus.” If they ask you how you are, but you forget to ask them, they will just tell you “eu tambêm” or me too.

I made the mistake of thinking all Africans kissed. Once I kissed a Malawian guest and felt him stiffen up. I think in Malawi they just hug or shake hands. South Africans are more about hugs and shakes also.

In France it’s three kisses. Two is plenty for me …

In a tribe in Nigeria they get down on the ground like they would be doing a pushup. I’m trying to imagine that as you walk down the street and see several people you know.

Then I saw two Congolese men who bumped foreheads. I’d heard of rubbing noses like the Eskimos, but foreheads? I think they did it three times, left, right, left.

I found a website that has lots of other greetings from other cultures. It’s fun reading if you’re interested - http://www.brucevanpatter.com/world_greetings.html

So, hugs, kisses and shakes to you all.

Tshembeka - Faithfulness

Today my work included interviewing some folks involved with World Relief for a story that will be sent to our church partners in the U.S. I thought I'd share one story here as well.

Luisa Vilanculos, pastor of a 300 member church in Maputo (in red at right), is grateful to be a member of Tshembeka, the WR HIV/AIDS program in Mozambique. The community used to only hear about AIDS. Now they learn, they are open, they know what is dangerous and what is not. Her home and church have changed. She accompanies people for testing and supports them if it is positive. Luisa tells people, “You need to know if you’re well or not, not to live in the dark.”

Pastor Vilanculos shared that in Tshembeka they are like a family. They visit and help each other. Before Tshembeka came to their community they used to only visit believers. Now they go to any house, any religion. They have good relationships and sometimes serve as intermediaries in families. Some of the people they visit come to church now. The Tshembeka volunteers in the church care for 56 orphans and at least 60 people who are HIV positive. AIDS is increasing. Many are in denial and don’t want to be visited in their homes, but will go to other homes. Young people listen but don’t change. The pastor says, “Their spirits are dry. God needs to open their eyes.” Luisa talks about AIDS from the pulpit and tells the congregation that this is serious, it’s not a game.

Children are victims of youth and men. The rumor goes around that having sex with a virgin cures AIDS. So the church teaches their Sunday School children to be careful, and not take money from any men. The volunteers accompany them, they help them cook, clean and sometimes sleep there. Then the community knows that someone is looking after these children.

The pastor applied for a grant from the Mozambican government and it was granted for six months. With it she furnished clothes, food, school fees for orphans. She reapplied but was told she needed to have a project to make a profit for a revolving fund. They have not figured out what to do and so they are without funds once again. They have the will to help, but not the means.

* * * * * * * * * *

This is where we come in with ideas for microenterprises. Sadly, we can't reach everyone who would like a loan to get started, but we do what we can. We were very happy to learn that at least 11 chicken-raising groups have paid off their chicken house loans and are well on their way to having a sustainable business.

Finally Bilene

I felt like a math whiz last week during the microenterprise training course I taught at Iris Ministries. When that is the case it must be because other's math skills are really elementary! We were working on finding out how much a woman with a batik business spent per meter to get her finished product. It involved some division, addition and figuring percentages to come up with her final price. Some got it, but there were a lot of glazed over eyes as they tried it on their own in groups and then as I worked it out on the blackboard.

Sadly, this says a lot about the Mozambican educational system. Most of these people have at least a 7th grade education and they should have learned this by 4th or 5th grade, but apparently it wasn't learned or it didn't stick. But then, how much can you learn in only three hours per day? That's how long the average child is in school in the public system. On the news this week they reported on a school up north that was scheduled to be finished in 90 days but is still a shell with classes starting next week. They are planning to have 3,000 students sitting under the trees as their classroom. All the books and materials are stacked from floor to ceiling in the director's small mud room office. Somehow, I don't think much learning will take place in that setting.


At training I met a woman named Amelina (in center of picture). She was always there early, eager to learn and a good teacher as well. She told me she loved to crochet, so I gave her some thread and she showed me her handiwork. It is beautiful and she uses no patterns, just looks at things to reproduce them. She and her husband have three small children and no jobs. She says things “are bad.” She would love to crochet all day if she could find a market that would pay her what it is worth. If anyone reading this is interested in having something made, contact me or e-mail me a picture of what you’d like done and we can discuss it. I could bring things home in May when we come for meetings, graduations and Janelle and David’s wedding.

This week we spent time with the leaders of WR. First we made some home visits. The home my group went to was a family with six children 9 and under. Both parents have AIDS and the mother was just sitting under a tree and hardly able to move. His mother lives 1 km. away and they have no one else living with them. WR volunteers come by most days to check that they are OK. I couldn’t help wondering what would happen to these six children when they are orphaned. They will receive some help with food, but who will train them, parent them and love them, see that they get their homework done, protect them? Nine is awfully young to be the head of a household, especially with a sickly infant. It’s hard to even imagine what it will be like for them.


We then traveled to two villages. In one village several of the WR leaders met with community leaders to talk about the model village that is being set up there. A large donor from the U.S. has designated money for that village and now the challenge is to use it appropriately with their input. We slept in tents and reed houses and I even saw a rainbow overhead from the roofless outhouse. That’s not an every day occurrence! It was also nice to see the field that is being prepared for an ag project. Some of the volunteers were out digging a trench for the irrigation pipes. Most jobs are done together in community, whether it’s carrying water, preparing food or digging.

The next stop was Bilene for our meetings. It is about a half hour off of the regular route we take when we go to Chokwe. (Rachel has always wanted to go there.) It is the slow season for tourism, so one of the hotels gave us a good deal. It is on a lagoon that felt like a big bathtub, with great Indian Ocean breezes. Each day after strategic planning (which sometimes got a bit long) we played beach volleyball with a soccer ball and now we have sore hands and arms, but it was a lot of fun. It was a good break from all the mental activity and sitting.


We have just added a comment line to our blog so you can interact with us! Now you can say hi or ask questions without writing a separate email.

Coincidences? and more

When we went to South Africa we were asked to share a bit at the church we were visiting. Steve read the passage from Acts that tells of the Macedonian call and that we were looking for someone to come and help us start Ancient Paths in Mozambique when we were put in contact with their pastor. Later the pastor got up and said that when he got Steve’s first e-mail he wasn’t sure what to do with it. But he prayed and got the distinct impression that this was a “Macedonian call” that he should answer.

Sunday we visited the Tembe’s church outside of Maputo that we talked about in our last newsletter. They have been wanting help with the church as they have been involved in a mixture of Christianity and traditional religion and now want to drop the traditional religion. Steve had prepared a sermon from I John 2 that talks about little children, young men and fathers. He talked about spiritual maturity and that we start as little children and then grow into maturity. Later a letter was read and presented to us that in part said that they were “young newborn children needing the milk of the Word” and that as children they need the strengthening of the Reverend Pastor and Pastora (new titles for us!). The letter was prepared well before we arrived.

Later they set up a table for us and the leaders and served Coke and crackers. One of them looked at me and said, “You could come and share with the women during the week.” He went on to describe almost exactly what I had thought of the first time we visited—doing a small Bible study, praying together, teaching some skills or crafts or maybe teaching some to read, just relating together.

So are all these coincidences or is God working behind the scenes? I choose to believe the latter.

On Friday morning I, Steve, got up early and went out to the local hatchery where we get our chicks. I took our driver and project manager to orient them on loading the truck to carry 3000 plus day old chicks. When we arrived I could tell immediately that they were not ready for us. There were almost no chicks and none were in the proper shipping container that we normally use. After some inquiry, they told us they didn’t have enough chicks because the heat from earlier in the week had damaged the hatch. We could only get 600 of the 3100 we had scheduled to transport and they were going to have to hand sort those 600 while we waited. We thought not!

It had been as hot as we have had it for two days--100 F. Rachel was out doing microenterprise training in Zimpeto both of those days and found that using a hand fan, made her feel hotter. It was adding insult to injury by pushing more hot air around - kind of like standing in front of a furnace!

On the way back to the office we drove by the dump. Since I was driving, I almost didn’t catch it, but there were a bunch of day old chicks that some hatchery had disposed of. They had been dumped on a tarp and people were sorting through them to find the “living among the dead.” They looked like they had been through a mud puddle. Instead of being all yellow and fluffy, they were reddish brown and all matted down. I can only suppose that the people collecting them will either try to sell them or take them home and raise them for food. Who knows, some might even make it to a dinner plate. I am still shaking my head.

Today is the deadline for the submission of a grant proposal for a coconut project to the Gates Foundation. Our colleagues have been working around the clock and Steve has put in lots of extra time as well. There have been many Skype calls to Indiana and Nicaragua but thankfully the end is in sight. Now the praying begins!

South Africa - a land of many contrasts

We've just come back from a wonderful break. The WR office was closed for the holidays. The first week we stayed in Maputo and did some work as well as relaxed. Then we went to South Africa. We stayed at Mercy Air, a missionary aviation ministry that has some extra housing. They are in the country with beautiful grounds and mountains in the background.
We were greeted by a troop of monkeys climbing through the trees. We were also entertained in our apartment by a toad just as we were getting ready for bed. Hmmm, Steve took that one out but then I saw another one hopping behind the kitchen cupboard. We decided not to pursue him. The next morning I was keeping my eyes open for him but he was nowhere to be found. I went to straighten a sofa cushion and who should be looking up at me but Mr. Toad! I was surprised to say the least. Good thing I didn't sit on him.


Our apartment was built around a big rock which protruded out of the wall--a bit unusual. Here's Steve trying to rearrange the furniture.


We spent a full day exploring waterfalls, canyons (the Blyde Canyon is the third largest in the world), and just enjoying some of God's incredible creation. They say pictures are worth 1,000 words, so here are a few.







Friday we went to visit some folks that we met through Ancient Paths, who live close to Johannesburg. We drove through corn fields and it all looked like the Midwest. It was very strange to think that we were still in Africa. Then we began seeing what looked like nuclear energy plants. Later we found out they produce electricity, liquid fuel, fertilizer and chemicals from coal which is mined in the area. The strip mining doesn't look so pretty. I guess some of the mines are like underground cities with roads and street lights.

We've heard about all the crime in Jo'berg but in this community there is not much besides petty thefts and carjackings. (Yeah, watch out if you have a nice car.) We found it interesting that people don't have guards like they do in Maputo. In our hosts' big yard and house, it really felt like we'd been transported to the U.S. But then sometimes we'd be driving along through the countryside and there would be a mud hut, or a township with houses/shacks made of tin. We were reminded that we were still in Africa and that S Africa is a very complex country. The rich are getting richer and the poor are still poor. Apartheid hasn't been gone that long and though they have come a long way, there is still evidence of some attitudes and separation between the races.

Saturday we watched the videos of Level II of AP without the small group part. We'll do it right later, but it was good to get the lecture content. It will take more than one time through to really grasp the concepts.

Sunday after church we took off for the other world we live in 6 hours away. We were happy to sail through the border. Going into SA was another story as many miners are heading back to work. It looked like they would have to wait many hours.

Now we're back to reality with plenty to do and a WR staff member from Malawi coming to spend the next several weeks with us.

I'll leave you with one last picture of one of the strangest flowers I've seen. I'm constantly reminded of how creative and imaginative God is!