Schools Out

It's that time of the year again.  And to be honest I'm not sure that the kids enjoy this time very much.  The end of the school year!  In the western world ..... school is only a .... well - 'that time during the day where you just have to get out of bed and drag your feet to another educational ... nightmare.'  Perhaps ... or maybe I am over-exaggerating .  In Mozambique schools are the one place where you find hope.  A light in a dark educational tunnel.   Specially if you are in rural Mozambique where there are not a school around every corner (or bush).  You have to walk far to get there!  And even if school do close down for the academical year .... kids still gather there daily ... just to hang out.  Or as I asked a student:  "So why do you actually hang out if school already closed?"  He frowned ... as if he was wondering why I would ask such a dumb question in the first place.  "I belong here and I like it here!"  There is something hidden in our African schools - maybe it's a place of dreams and hopes yet to be fulfilled.  Nobody wants to leave ... just in case the school doesn't open next year.  And I like the fact that kids like school.

With all of that said .... our closing ceremonies are always a blast.  Saying good bye to our preschoolers was a joyous occasion as they are getting ready to continue to "the big school", as they call it.  GRADE 1!  We called in the cavalry (that is our primary school headmaster) to hand out certificates for preschoolers and ended off with a prize giving party.

We captured ... as usual ... the day with a few photos:

Photo 1:  Before you can get your certificate as a preschooler you have to prove to the headmaster of the primary school and your parents that you actually can read and write your name.  Little Abraham wrote his name and was very chuffed with himself in the process ... thus the grin, I think!

Photo 2:  Little Joao also getting into the act!

Photo 3:  Senhor Almeida, school headmaster of our local Primary School in Mucombeze, was our guest of honor.

 Photo 4:  Kids and parents waiting with anticipation to receive their certificates and prizes ... but first a few words.

  Photo 5 & 6:  Jeanette Stone helping us to bring more smiles to the faces of our preschoolers.  Simon Nicalao was our pre-school teacher for the year.

 Photo 6:  Time to pose proudly with their certificates.  "We are starting our careers!"

Photo 7:  Some of our students and parents with Simon!

 Photo 8:  Party time .....!

Celebrating EYE awareness day!

We decided to hold our own 'EYE Awareness Day' at the base a few days ago.  We received enough sun- and reading glasses to help at least 100 + people.  Needless to say we have no optometrist in the bush and if you do get to down make sure you get a bank loan before you can afford a visit to the local optometrist.  The day started with our very qualified nurse, Lynn Lagore who presented a lesson on eye care and diseases that is quite common in our area.

One of our own workers who has been with us for nearly 9 years is Fernando Casseni.  He had an eye problem and was used as example during the lesson.

After the lesson and some quizzes the patients were ready to receive their bonus gift as Francois Rauch explains beneath with great detail.

Charles Sixpense was one of the first to receive his special UV tested Brazilian sunglasses.  Everyone had much fun as they never owned their own sunglasses.

 And so everyone of the mission staff received their own pair of glasses.

And yes ... our mission driver got a special pair for the long road.  We even took the mirror out to make sure everyone was happy!

 One of our teacher got a special pair of those too!  Looks like model on a cover magazine ....!

And yes .... even our pilot was caught up in the occasion and borrowed a pair for the day to show off!

There is something in a name!

Now I can get all philosophical about the value of a name.  I mean it's that one thing you received at birth which everybody gets to use ... except yourself ... well occasionally  at least when you have to sign away whatever the bank throws at you.

There is something else in a name too ... a lot of sweat as Andy (our Swiss pilot) and two Canadian nurses found at when they literally embedded the new runway with its own name.  At least now everyone flying over our base will know where we are!  Please pray for our final inspection and paper work to come through and be released so we can actually start using the new runway!

Jen Sanders cementing the stones before the painting starts.

I should maybe add that it was 40 degrees Celsius out there as Janette Stone finishes off the last bit of painting.  Not bad at all!

Even Andy Kuret offered a little help ... (well a lot .. as he might read this posting)!

WOLA ... the runway has its own name .... and will soon become an international airport by the looks of it!

Week-in-a-Box

As temperatures are slowing creeping up to the 40 degrees Celsius (in fact today 41 degrees Celsius) under the trees there is a never ending hustle and bustle to get things done.  There is the sick, snake bites, blood transfusions, eye problems, orphan care, school exams, runway mechanics and even a nursing team working with all of us currently.  It feels hectic and the pace relentless as everyone on the base run around like red ants seeking rucksacks full of food for the rainy season.  But it also shows that the Kingdom has not only come in heaven ... it is very active on planet earth too.  Thus the ..... running ... I think.

Anyway the week-in-a-box quickly through some photos.  Photos taken by Andy Kuret and Jen (one of our visiting nurses).
lol
1.  FIRES

 It is 'fire season' so it is a lot of running around by mission staff to control fires.  They come quickly and they come furiously ....!

2.  RUNWAY NEWS

 The 'last' work on the runway is finished .... at last.  Paperwork is all that needs to be completed before the Mucombeze runway is fully operational.

And of course ... a runway must have a professional name!  Mucombeze!

Workers putting in the markers for the runway.

Even the mission driver was put through his paces .... as he painted the runway markers in the scorching heat.

Teamwork is what is required to get the job done!

And there it is ..... prepared and ready!  And YES ... those are fires in the background heading our way again.

One of our visiting nurses, Karoline de Gier, getting ready to leave with the Mercy Air helicopter to Marameu to assist in medical nursing.

3.  DIRTY HARRY

Dirty Harry is always present at our river.  We seem to hunt them to make it safer for the community to get water from the river - but never get them ... only on a camera shoot like Andy is showing.  Great shot by the way Andy!!!  Many woman and children are constantly being attacked by crocodiles in our area.

Harassed in Zimbabwe as Christmas comes early

I have travelled 14 000 km after leaving Mozambique 2 months ago.  Loosing a prop shaft on the way and trying to remove a rat that got caught in my cooling system was luckily the only problems on the journey.  Well ..... my co-travelers did find the smell of the rat a bit overwhelming as we had to wait until someone could get rid of old "Nimrod" (as we baptized him or her?)!

God has been gracious as we visited many dear friends and churches on the long journey.  They literally flung their doors wide open and treated us like royalty - day or night.  The rest of the road continued as normal - long roads, scorching heat, smuggling more than 200 Bibles .... and then there were Zimbabwe.

Now Zimbabwe has a culture of its own.  A typical border crossing will take you anything from 90 minutes to 5 hours in the heat.  Bureaucracy get a total new meaning and even after crossing this border for 16 years gives me the chills.  It is simply just that difficult. Mmmmm difficult because we smuggle Bibles all the time.  It's the only way to get it through to Mozambique and with import duties nearly 45% per Bible ..... too expensive to follow all the channels.  BUT Zimbabwe has a few other challenges that we struggle with.  On our 650 km journey through Zimbabwe you will encounter about 15 various police stops in the Police State.  The normal greeting .... "mangwanani shamwari" won't get you far if the police official is in a harassing mood!

Now I always greet everyone with the biggest smile available.  Always!  But my smile was suddenly greeting at our 3d police stop for the day with a bark when the police official inspected every inch of my vehicle.  After I met all the requirement (including so many reflectors required by law that my vehicle actually became a hazard on the road) the Zim official asked me to produce my 'fire extinguisher' that needed to be present according to Zim Traffic Regulation 39 (a) of 1966.  And of course I did not carry a 'fire extinguisher'!  And no one else did that passed me.  After requiring about the fact that I must be the only one 'not carrying one' he exploded!  A US$ fine because I-am-a -mazungu-abusing-his-country type of explanation further and I were on my way.  That was after fighting to get my license back which they wanted a bride for too.  After a 'holy anger' took over I got that sorted out .... at last.  (To stay sanctified in Africa is a very difficult discipline to practice sometimes!)

But then again I was smuggling huge amounts of aid through Zimbabwe into Mozambique.  After our 15th road block we entered Mozambique with so much aid that I knew we were going to have a unique and early Christmas.  A faint 'halleluja' passed my lips as we exited the last border crossing.  And we were loaded!!  From sunglasses to clothing.  From food to Bibles.  From pipe fittings to training material, stationary for 3 000 woman .... and so the list goes on!

 

Andrea Lotz started a project in Stellenbosch Congregation to gather baby clothing for babies in Mozambique.  We got more than 15 'vacuum packed' bags of clothing that we had to re-arrange and fit in the tight space.  Alta carried some with her in the vehicle ....!  The project was so successful that I think I could provide at least half of the Mozambican baby population with something to wear.

Our friend and Mozambican missionary, Joao Benjamim, was the first to receive his first brand new pair of sunglasses donated by Anina Potgieter (optometrist) and friends.  Watch this space as many people with light sensitive eyes will receive more of these sun- and reading glasses within the next few week.  Truly ..... Christmas came early.

Special thank you to all who cared so much for their fellow human beings that they all left their comfort zones to make all of these donations possible.  A HUGE Mozambican HUG to ya all!

Simply phenomenal!

I know it's kind off a long clip, but if you do have the capability of watching this it will truly make you believe in what can happen if we believe in people and look a little bit further. It will take you out of your comfort zone and the way we are being taught! Enjoy!