Blog: Mozambique Overview!
My first month on the race in Mozambique Africa has concluded. I am writing to you from a tiny, hot and bug filled Swaziland, and hope to take a bus to town tomorrow, so that I can upload this blog. For now, I thought it would be good to give everyone an overview of what my life looked like in Mozambique, and some misconceptions I had. Before I do that, I must make it clear that I am in no way complaining about my living conditions during month one. My host, Angie Wheeler, was nothing but hospitable, and made us as comfortable as she possibly could. Her staff and the boys she is raising were a complete blessing, and I miss them all dearly.
Before arriving in Africa, I had a lot of assumptions about what I would see. I assumed I would be stepping into the set of the Lion King, with dry land, and zero economy. I assumed the people wouldn’t be particularly thrilled that some wealthy Americans came into their village. I was mentally prepared for the heat, the small food portions and long work days in a small village. I expected those aspects before landing in Africa. If I have any advice for future racers, its to forget all your expectations.
Firstly, Maputo, Mozambique is a city. A big city in fact. It has all the things a big city might have. Buses, traffic, malls, people pooping in the street, pizza joints, big buildings. Ya know, normal stuff. Trash is thrown on the ground and is swept up in large quantities. Who needs trash cans?! Traffic is handled very systematically, in that whoever is braver gets to own the lane. Games of chicken were common and traffic signs are really just guidelines. Luckily there are a lot of police…I know this because I got pulled over three times. Being white tends to have that affect over here. Our traffic violations included having an arm out the window, bald tires, and not having a fire extinguisher in the car. The officer was able to discern this with his x-ray vision of course. In reality, if you’re white, they pull you over for whatever. But its all good, no tickets yet!
Maputo is also hot. AND HUMID! Have you ever had to towel yourself off in bed because you’re sweating so much? Note to future racers, that smell won’t come out of your towel, your sleeping pad, or your tent. Another thing about Africa in the rainy season is that it rains! You think I would have figured that part out, but my ignorance knows no bounds. When I say it rains, I mean RAINS! It rained so much, and so hard, that our entire compound flooded. And due to the flooding, our septic system became our front yard! Ever taken a bucket shower and then stepped in sewage backup before having dinner? I did for a month straight. Did I mention that my foot had an open wound? If there is one thing I know about wounds, its that sewage water is not an ideal treatment. But frogs love it! We had hundreds and hundreds of frogs. Found one in my shoe once. I told him he could stay as long as he ate the bugs around my tent.
Another thing about wet flooded areas is that it brings bugs. One kind of of bug in particular….the Mosquito. If I had to guess, I would say I had about 10 new bites a day. Over 20 days that amounts to about 200 bites over the course of the month. That number might be conservative. Eventually your body just gets used to the constant itching. But I am grateful that I didn’t get Malaria like some of my squad-mates.
The food was also a surprise. I would have two pieces of buttered french bread for breakfast. I usually had rice and beans or rice and cabbage for lunch. Portions were only a little smaller than home, and our host did a good job of making sure we were never too hungry. Dinners were always a surprise. We often ate a delicious coconut chicken gravy over rice, or spaghetti using Ketchup. On Fridays we would have an home-style meal which ranged from Mexican food to Chili. It was a great treat to have some taste of home.
Our schedule consisted of an optional Bible study at 6:00am, which I almost always attended. Our ministry for the month consisted of teaching and hanging out with 10 teenage boys. By the end of the month we loved these guys and I consider some of them to be family. We would plan our lessons for the day until lunch time and then after lunch we would teach. Classes consisted of Bible, English, Art and various other life skill classes. After classes, we would have church, or worship, and that often turned into playing soccer. The ministry wasn’t about making huge noticeable changes. It just can’t be done in a month. Instead, it was about showing these young men what they can achieve. In Africa, people don’t dream, they just survive. Our goal was to give these guys goals that they can set and realistically achieve. I think we left our mark on them.
Furthermore, my last blog focused around three boys in particular. One of which, I asked you to pray for. Well, I want to personally thank you for doing that. Over the course of the month, God opened up little avenues of communication between Bruno and I. It broke my heart to discover that his mother was a prostitute and had recently passed away. Through prayer, love, and a whole lot of time, Bruno opened up to me, and made a public declaration to accept Jesus into his heart. I had VERY little to do with this. Bruno had amazing people like Ms. Angie Wheeler that had been pouring into his life far before I got there. I was just blessed enough to see the fruits of their hard work. Bruno wasn’t the same kid after that. He smiled, danced, and spent more time with us. He told us that he knew God was in him, and that he was happy.
While I may have graphically described the realities of living in Africa, please know that I am not complaining. Never once did I think that my time in Mozambique was a waste, Never once did I think that the conditions were more than I could bare. These conditions are their constant reality. And through that, I found an immense amount of humility. God worked in my life in big ways. And I would do it all over again if I could. God is working there. He is moving in these boy’s hearts. He is instilling a hope in them that far surpasses the hope of survival. These boys want to be accountants, pastors, police officers. They aren’t satisfied with the status quo and are hungry for education. They are passionate, and inventive. They are the most amazing 10 young men I have ever had the privilege of knowing. I am so blessed to consider them family. I am so proud that I can call those guys my brothers.
Thank you for your donations. Thank you for your prayers. Every penny, every second, every sewage ridden step has been used to change these kids perception of their future. I am changed. I am humbled. I am so honored to be here. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
If you feel called to donate, so that I can continue this journey, I am currently $4500 away from being fully funded. You can go to Kevincrow.theworldrace,org Thank you so much!
