A house made of sticks but full of love....

Jan. 10 Blog
The new team woke up on Monday morning and took their first drive out to the construction site.  We pulled up to a finished foundation with large wooden poles that will support the walls.  In the past two days, we have been able to complete the walls for the church.  Now when we pull up, we see a building that will glorify God!  How exciting is that!  Learning how kanisso (large reeds similar to bamboo) is cut and assembled into walls was a very educational experience for us all, especially for Mr. Ryle.  He filmed and photographed and made mental notes every step of the process. 

Brent and Jacob, being our only guy-power this week, worked alongside him in the sun tirelessly.  Again, without the help of Mozambicans who volunteered their time, we could never have done this.  The girls worked alongside the guys, hauling the bundles of kanisso to the site, cutting them to the needed length, and handing them to the guys as they put them up.  The girls also enjoyed fellowshipping and playing with the children who gather in greater and greater numbers at our site each day. 

Emily had the children laughing, dancing, singing, and snoring (yes, you read that right…snoring) with the greatest of exuberance. 

Sarah, Natasha, Tara, and Linda oversaw and managed creating bracelets of colorful string for them.This was no easy task.Once the first child received his bracelet, they all crowded around and , being typical children, wanted theirs too.

Sue Weidemann was impressive as she showed off her soccer skills with the boys.  Even the hot sun did not diminish her efforts.  And Mrs. Castelli continued to be the Mrs. Castelli we all know and love as she skittered about making sure that everyone was drinking and hydrated and using their sunscreen.

Yesterday we left the guys at the worksite to go to the Iris Matola-Rio children’s center.  After a tour of the center, the girls got back to making bracelets for the children and playing with them.  Emily took her hair out of her braid and the older girls got busy putting in small braids all over her head!  All of the educators and staff who work at the center arrived for a special training meeting on health and hygiene with Mrs. Castelli and another team consisting of a doctor and nurses who have come from Holland to serve.  The meeting began with a Spirit-led time of praise, worship, and prayer led by Mama Helena, the Mozambican pastor of the church there.  Mrs. Castelli then stayed for a long, long meeting held in a hot, hot cement church building for the afternoon.  She was a real trooper in sticking it out also because the meeting was held in Portuguese. 

The girls and I returned to the work site to have lunch with our guys.  When we got there, the guys had already eaten and were resting on the grass mats that were laid out for them.  A clue as to how tired they were from the morning’s labor was seen in the fact that Brent was using a cement block as a pillow! The Mozambicans treated us girls to a very special lunch.  They served our lunch on a small table draped with a capulana table cloth.  They brought out our lunch in their best dishes and served us.  They made an amazing brown rice, cabbage salad and fried fish.  I was impressed by the students’ willingness to try these foods.  They were very apprehensive at first, but those who stuck out their necks and gave it a try were surprised by how very delicious it was.  In fact, they came back for seconds!  Mr. Ryle provided after-lunch entertainment by having arm wrestling contests with the Mozambican men.  We all cheered him on as he held his own, yet in the end, a strong young man had the final victory.  Mr. Ryle hung on to the very end!

We were hoping to fully complete the roof yesterday as well, yet the time it took to get the wood and other materials to do this took up the rest of our day.  Tomorrow the guys will complete the roof while the girls assist with a medical outreach clinic that will be held on the property to bless the community of people who live here.

These kids are hanging in there....and enjoying every minute of it.

J-term Trip- Jan. 9

After a full week of back breaking physical labor in 90+ degree temps with little cloud cover, the Iris Matola-Rio team was more than ready for two days of rest and fun when the weekend came.  The team finished their work on the foundation of the church on Friday by completing the cement floor.  Before leaving the house, we received a phone call that the water at the site was not available - Welcome to Africa!!  So we had to scavenge for large containers of water to fill and haul over with us.  Afterall, cement cannot be made without water! When we arrived at the site, we were informed that 14 wheelbarrows full of sand and an equally daunting amount of stone were to be shoveled and wheeled over to the construction site.  We watched in amazement as the Mozambicans mixed this together with the water into a huge hill of cement.  Again, shovels, wheelbarrows, and muscles were put to the ultimate test when load after load of cement was hauled up a wooden plank and poured out onto the church floor.  At the end of the day, we were just shy of completing the floor when we ran out of materials.  So it looks like next week’s group will get a little taste of cement mixing after all!

On Saturday we met up with the Iris Zimpeto team to enjoy the day.  We had lunch overlooking the Indian Ocean and then went to a craft market. 

Here the kids had an interesting experience of bartering with the vendors and making purchases for friends and family back home.  On Sunday, we brought out team over to meet up with the Zimpeto team.  We worshipped together at church.  Church here begins with a fun time of singing and dancing.  It was great to see the kids get up front and join the children as they danced.  We were all hot and sweaty but had a fantastic time. 

We were also treated to several groups of children who danced and sang for the gathering.  The most touching part of a Zimpeto service is the capulana blessings.  Visitors who are leaving Zimpeto are called to the front to sit.  Children come forward and lay capulanas over them, lay hands on them, and pray for them.  There was not a dry eye in the church. 

The students themselves were so touched and broken by this gesture from the children.  Pastor Jose then preached a powerful teaching from the pulpit.  After closing prayer, the team enjoyed our favorite Zimpeto meal.  We call it “Triple Carbs”- rice, pasta, and potatoes in a chicken broth - Mmm, Mmm! 

After lunch, we gathered under the tree in the visitors’ center.  Each team shared their highlights from the past week.  It was rewarding to hear them share how the events of this trip have impacted them.  The main theme was that they have been blessed more than the people they have come to serve.  After the team meeting, the Zimpeto team took the new team on a tour of the center. 

Later, we all joined the babies who were playing out at the playground.  There was lots of introductions of everyone’s favorites whom the students had come to love during the past week. 

And of course, I had to introduce my beautiful 2 year old Igor to everyone there!  After we pulled everyone away from the babies, we went on to enjoy a Mozambican meal at Bussine’s.  The students have also been learning about what we refer to as “Mozambican time”.  We ordered our food around 2:00 that afternoon, arrived at 5:00, waited at least 30 minutes to get our drinks (which is a long time when you are hot and thirsty) and then waited another 45 minutes after that to get our food (which is a very long time when you are hot, thirsty, and hungry).  The Mozambican people are much more patient than we westerners are.  Yet it was a good cultural lesson too as the students learned firsthand the value Mozambicans place on social engagement with each other.  So there was lots of time for catching up and chatting as we waited.  And the food was worth the wait!  We enjoy chicken, steak, pork, fried potatoes, tomato salad, and shima (similar to dumplings made with corn meal) - all for the price of $150 for all 25 of us- tax and tip included.

As the sun set, we returned to the visitors’ center.  The new Zimpeto team had their orientation meeting to attend, and we had a new team of students to bring out to Matola-Rio.  The adults were having a difficult time making this transition after having spent a week with their students, but the students were bursting out the door to the bus with anticipation of their week ahead.  So we said goodbye, loaded up, and headed back to Matola where the team was very happy to settle into their air conditioned rooms.  Tomorrow, they will discover why they NEED this comfort!  Tomorrow, they will begin their work on the church.

Before I close, I must share with you all what a truly wonderful group of young people DC has sent to us.  DC is very near and dear to our hearts and we love the community of people who attend and work and support DC.  We know firsthand the quality of the DC community.  I was proud of them before they came and am proud to introduce them to our connections here.  The woman who is in charge of hospitality at Iris Zimpeto sees hundreds of groups come and go through their visitors’ center each year.  She shared with me that she has come to love this group and is thoroughly impressed with them.  She even cried during the capulana service at church in the morning as she feels truly sad to see the group leave.  She felt better after I told her that fortunately for her, she had a week ahead with another equally wonderful group awaiting her.  The students have represented DC and their Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, with maturity, godliness, love, selfless service, and joy in an exceedingly exemplary manner.  Don and I join our heavenly Father in smiling as we say, “Well done, good and faithful servants!”

It's HOT, but so incredibly cool at the same time!

Where to begin?  The past two days have been so full.  The kids on Team 1 have been amazing in numerous ways.  All of them have worked selflessly in the hot sun to complete the foundation for the church.  No offense to Team 2 who will be here next week, but this is by far the most difficult part of the building process.  In fact just this morning, our caretaker, Alberto, suggested we bring over the team from Zimpeto to work today.  He felt Team 1 deserved a break and that Team 2 should have a taste of the enormous physical effort required in this phase of building.  Next week, Team 2 will construct the walls from large reeds called kanisso.  The work is intricate but not demanding.

After digging the 2 foot deep trench that outlined the foundation on Tuesday, they then proceeded to lay the cement blocks on Wednesday.  This meant mixing the cement for the mortar by hand by mixing water, sand, and cement together.  This then had to be shoveled into a wheelbarrow and wheeled over to the site.  Might I also add that the wheelbarrows here do not have the nice plump front tires that the ones in America have.  They are very difficult to push.  Building the base wall took the whole day.  The cement was then shoveled onto and in between the blocks to hold them fast.  During all of this, Mrs. Castelli is very attentive to everyone’s needs- filling water bottles and encouraging those who look a little red to apply more sunscreen.

It has been so impressive to see the patience the Mozambican men have for teaching the students how to do this work.  They were kindly asked to allow the students to do most of the work.  They truly must be using out of this world self-control to not step in and take over as they watch us putz along at a pace far slower than what they would be able to follow.  I watched as Ailon volunteered to be the first one to apply the cement that would hold the blocks together. 

She was helped by a man whom Scott has affectionately renamed Jim.  He could have done the job himself with little effort and much more quickly, yet he handed her the spade, watched her and corrected her, and coached her from the side until she had mastered it.  He then did this same thing with Katelyn and Grace who wanted to take a turn next.  Tools are limited so these girls figured out that they could also do this work by scooping out the cement by hand and pushing it down between the blocks with their fingers. This shows how motivated they are to be involved and working.

We left the site in the late afternoon and enjoyed burgers braiied (the African term for “grilled”) by Mr. Ryle.  We then went to a children’s prayer service at Iris Matola-Rio.  One has not fully worshipped until one has done so in an African church.  There are no instruments other than the voices of the people and a drum.  The singing is soulful and full of joy and it is accompanied by lots of energetic dancing. The children led us in an extraordinary time of praising the Father.  We then were led into a time of prayer by Nelia, a 14 year old girl who lives at the center.  She truly has a calling on her life! 

After prayer, the children were invited to come up and share what they are thankful for.  It touched us all to see these orphans come up thanking Father God for their life, joy, and even for school which will start soon.  Many thank Father God for the visitors who came and brought them much happiness.  After the service, we again had a very difficult time getting our team back into the van to come home.  They so love being there and are really connecting with the children.

Today we all were thanking God for the cloud cover that He graciously provided for us. It was still hot, but at least the sun was hidden- at least until lunch time.  Our team arrived at the site, a bit sore and weary from two already strenuous days to face what would be the most difficult day yet.  Today they filled in the gaps along the inside and outside of the wall they had built.  They then brought in wheelbarrows of dirt to raise and level the floor inside the foundation.  Then more cement was mixed and holes were dug for the wall supports.  The wall supports were cemented into the ground. 

By 1:30 they were all tuckered out and ready to go home when the truck carrying the stone for the foundation arrived.  Grace, Jordan , PJ, and Tyler jumped right up with shovels and hoes to pull it off without even being asked to do so.  The team then worked to fill wheelbarrow load after load with this stone, wheel it to the site, dump it, spread it, and then head back for another load.  Mr. Ryle was an effective encourager as he motivated them to not give up and to do the job and do it well. 

After putting in the longest and hardest day of all, we crawled into the van to head home. 

I should add that a highlight of each day has been playing with and getting to know the neighboring children who arrive at the site to watch these strange people work.  At first the children were quite shy.  Some had never seen white people before.  But they quickly warmed up to us.

The team has enjoyed playing soccer with the children, teaching them songs, feeding them cookies and pao (Mozambican bread), and holding them.  Mr. Ryle has impressed them with his skill of spinning a soccer ball on his pointer finger and balancing a rake on his forehead. The students also love taking the children’s pictures and then showing them to the children - many of whom have never seen their photo before.  Each day as we leave, they gather around the van and shout “Tchau” as we drive off.

After a shower and spaghetti dinner, we again headed to our favorite place - the Iris Matola Rio center.  Tonight the children treated us to numerous African dances and songs. 

As I looked at the students during the performance, I noticed that every one of them had children in their laps and snuggled up next to them on each side.  The director of the center, Corrie, shared with me that it is not common for a team to form such an instant and strong connection with the children as what has been formed this week.  There truly is a lot of love coming from both sides. 

After the performance, Mrs. Castelli was in her glory as she led the children in a song with motions.  The children were then invited to come up in small groups to choose a toy that had been brought by the team.  It was lots of fun to see them choose from the four suitcases full of books, Barbies, cars, balls, etc.  We then were treated to a Mozambican snack of samosas and dumplings and even Coke!  The women who work at the center planned, shopped, and cooked this treat for us with the older girls.  This generous outpouring is very rare and illustrated the impact this team is having on the children’s center.  As we finished our snack, we knew it was time to go judging by the yawning children, teenagers, and adults in the church.  We returned home, and again, everyone has bunked down for the night. 

Lord willing, they will sleep well. Tomorrow we finish the floor with a layer of cement- which again will require shoveling, mixing, hauling and spreading in the heat.  Please do pray for continued energy, strength, and supernatural muscle power!

Church Building, Skyping, Baby Hugging.....all in a day's work.

Today we spent the day out in the bush at the site where we will be building a church for the people living there to worship in.  We dug a 2 foot deep trench for the foundation of the building under the hot African sun in 100 degree temperatures. 

We went through a lot of water and sunscreen.  Everyone worked so very hard despite the heat and sun.  Amy was an amazing worker and we were all impressed with her efforts.  Tyler has now been nicknamed “The Mole” for his fast digging skills.  Jordan displayed his servant’s heart.  After digging all day, the truck carrying the stone for the work for tomorrow showed up.  The men were shoveling the heavy load off onto the ground.  Without being asked, Jordan hopped up onto the truck and assisted the 3 Mozambican men in this effort.  We all enjoyed a traditional Mozambican lunch of rice and beans under the shade of a tree. 

I think the best part of the kids was playing soccer with the neighborhood boys who were hanging out and watching us.  Once our work was done, we returned to our home to Skype with the elementary students at the 3-5 chapel.  We then went to the Iris Matola-Rio children’s center.  We figured we were already hot and dirty, so why not slip down for a quick introductory visit with the children before dinner.  The students thoroughly enjoyed the visit.  The children sang, danced, but mostly climbed and jumped all over us. Everyone was stretched when the children invited the team members to dance as well.  They all gave it a shot! The kids laughed heartily at us. Everyone was having such a good time that I literally could not get them to leave!  Even for the pizza and cold drinks that was waiting for them.  I finally had to get in the car, start it, and threaten to leave without them.  They got in only after I promised to bring them back tomorrow after their work is done.  Everyone is now soundly asleep in the guesthouse next door.  Sweet dreams to all!

DCCS Seniors have Arrived!

The J-term team arrived tonight at our home in Matola-Rio, Mozambique weary from their long hours of travel and grateful to finally have food, drink, and use a bathroom.  After a group photo outside our home, we came in to pray, enjoy a meal, and fellowship together.  For me, the evening was an emotionally overwhelming time. 

We have prayed and planned for this trip for some time now.  It was awesome to finally see these amazing young people in our home.  I cried when they arrived, I cried when we joined together in prayer to thank the Lord for this time, and most of all, I cried when I saw the multiple suitcases full of donations for the children at the centers here.  Many things have broken my heart here.  One of these things has been seeing these children lacking the items we Westerners take for granted that our children have- nice clothing, shoes, toys and balls, sunscreen, school supplies…  Thank you to all of you who donated items for these children.  And a special thank you to the DC third graders who gave up their class birthday gifts to buy, fill, and decorate pencil cases! Know that the children here will be blessed more than you can imagine when they receive these donations.  And to the parents of the young people here… Thank you for allowing us to host your children.  We know personally how difficult it is to let a child go, and we do not take your trust in our care for them lightly.  Our prayer is that they will return to you different than when they left- more in love with their Lord and possessing their Father’s heart for those in the world who are vulnerable and less fortunate.

An African Child's Ultimate Joy

In our first world nation, our children’s ultimate joy is usually connected to something electronic.  Ask my kids what would make them happy and you would get one of the following: a new I-phone, a new I-Touch, an I-pad (notice the things that begin with “I”?), a new video game, a new video system.  These items are probably on the top of most kids’ Christmas lists right now.  Yet for African children, these things are not a possibility in their world; it would never even occur to them to ask for one.  Most probably don’t even know they exist.  The one thing that we love here in Africa is the simplicity of life.  Things move more slowly here.  The things that are most valued do not have price tags on them- things like spending time with others, talking with friends. 

Today I got to see children who were experiencing ultimate joy that came at no cost.  As I drove Don to the airport for a flight to Cape Town, there was a powerful storm.  Lightning was striking everywhere, the wind was whipping, and the rain was pummeling the dry, thirsty land.  As we drove along, we noticed three young boys stripped down to their underwear dancing along the side of the road.  Their faces were turned up to the rainy sky, their arms outstretched and swinging wildly, their legs skipping along, their feet splashing the water up, and they were all grinning from ear to ear.  Don had to pull my attention back to my driving as I had meandered over into the opposing lane (Thank the Lord there was no oncoming traffic!).  It is at times like this when I would love to be able to stop and capture the image on film.  Yet Don had a plane to catch, the rain was really coming down hard,  lightning was striking right next to us, and if I had stopped and gotten out with a camera, my presence would have ruined the magic of the moment and the boys would have stopped and stared at me wondering why a white woman was standing in front of them with a camera in the pouring rain.  So we continued on.

After dropping Don off,  the storm passed, and Will and I headed for home.  As we traveled back the same road, we were amazed at how the road had now become a stream of water flowing along at a good pace.  There really is not draining system here.  The water just flows and collects in deeper areas.  We came upon a huge group of boys (in the traditional Mozambican swim wear of their undies) out on a dirt soccer field that had become a knee- deep lake.  They were kicking, splashing, and playing enthusiastically in the water.  We then passed another group of children who had found a swimming pool that was created where the rain water had drained into one area.  These children were all swimming and diving in the muddy water having the time of their lives.  It was fun to just watch them play and be happy.  

Today, we again found ourselves privileged to have a small glimpse into the lives of people who have nothing, yet have everything.  I am humbled again. 

As I recall these moments. I am reminded of a moment some years ago when our children were young.  We lived on Blue Mountain Parkway in Harrisburg.  A huge rain storm had ended and there was a steady stream of water rushing down our driveway.  At their request, we let them go outside and play in this stream of water.  I still can see their smiles and hear their laughter as they jumped, played and even lay down letting the water rush over their little bodies.  What a fun time for them.  This water was much cleaner than what the children today played in.  I must admit that as I watched my kids have fun, all I could think of was how dirty they would be and the mess I would have on my hands when they were done.  I also worried that maybe this water was unhealthy for them to play in.  As it turns out, none of them caught any dreaded disease, and after a bath they were all squeaky clean.  As for the water these children played in today, it was so dirty that we would not let our children even put their little toe in it!  Yet these kids too will catch no disease and will be squeaky clean after their baths.  My encouragement to you to end this blog… next time it storms, let your kids go out and find some water to jump and play in; even join them yourself.  You may find yourselves enjoying the memory of a life time!  And it won’t cost you a penny.

My Inaugural African "Snake" Experience

Well… I knew it would happen sooner or later.  I knew that at some point I would encounter my first snake here in Mozambique.  I was just hoping for two things.  First, that it would not be inside my house.  Secondly, that it would be later… much, much later! 

I am thankful and pleased to say that “No”, it did not happen inside my house.  Well, unless you count your garage as part of your home.  In this case, I guess it was technically in my house.  And unfortunately for me, it happened sooner rather than later.

On a recent Saturday, I headed out my kitchen door into the garage to put a load of wash into my washing machine. As my foot hit the cement floor, my attention was drawn to a 2 foot “snake” slithering about 3 feet in front of me in a direct line for me!  I turned back to the kitchen door and screamed first for Don, and next for Jack (our Jack Russell Terrier who you may recall killed the neighbor’s monkey when we first got here.  The caretaker of our home also tells us that he killed a cobra on the property.) I guess in my subconscious mind, I first called the long time, ever faithful male protector of our family. Then knowing we were in African territory, I called for the new male protector of our family who had experience in dealing with such creatures!  Both Don and Jack came running at the same time. 

By the way, I should insert that our other faithful terrier Rusty was there too.  He was first on the scene and had come out the door with me.  He was a bit tentative, sizing up the situation.  As Rusty contemplated what to do, Jack came … not sure what verb to use here to give you a good picture of this… ripping… no… screaming through the garage at full speed from my left.  Without hesitation, he snatched the “snake” up in his mouth at its midpoint,  swung his head from side to side so violently that the “snake” literally ripped in half!  Blood spewed everywhere- all over Jack, the floor, and the front of Don’s car.  Half of the carcass flew under Don’s car, and Jack ran off to the front yard with the other half as his prize.  Don, Will (who by now had joined us to see what the excitement was about), and I cheered and praised Jack for his quick moves. 

You may wonder why I keep putting the word “snake” in quotations.  This is because we are not sure what it was.  It was gray and scaly like a snake, but it did not have a defined head or eyes like a snake.  It almost resembled a gray worm with scales.  The scales and the size of it (at least as thick as a big man’s thumb and 2 feet long) made us think it was a snake.  Yet its head was nothing like a snake.   Just the night previous, our dog Jack had left a prize on our doormat for us.  It resembled a gray, shriveled up snake.  But we were not sure, because again it didn’t have a snake head.  But it did have scales.  We asked around and were told by locals that this creature is more of a worm thing than a snake…whatever that means.  This was confirmed for us when the next day Jack left us another present on our outside door mat.  When we opened the door, we found a dead snake left on the mat.  This was definitely a snake.  It had the triangular head and eyes of a snake.  So maybe the locals are right.  Maybe I should change the title of this blog from “My Inaugural African ‘Snake’ Experience” to “My Inaugural African Worm Experience”.  But then again, would that really capture anyone’s interest?  I have always taught my students to use a catchy title to grab their reader’s attention and make them want to read their story.  So I guess I should stick with the original title as is!