Two and a half weeks since I left America, and I haven’t written a blog update yet! Forgive me for my tardiness, but life has been crazy and internet has not been available very often.
After many many hours of flights and layovers, we finally arrived in Mozambique on January 14. I probably got a total of five hours of sleep over a three day period, so I was feeling rather delirious from exhaustion. Needless to say, we were so happy to have finally arrived at our first stopping point, eat some rice and beans, and finally collapse for a few hours (I think I maybe got three) of sleep. The next morning, my team and I broke off from the rest of the squad and drove four hours to Chokwé, Mozambique. Here, we have been staying with a local woman named Sybil. Sybil runs a school that is internally funded, so that orphaned children would have the same opportunities as those who can afford an education.
Our ministry this month has been to paint the preschool building. This sort of work was right in my element. I am comfortable getting dirty when working, so I figured that painting would be a cinch. Well, as it goes on the World Race, things tend not to ever go the way you expect them to. That first day we began prepping and priming the walls, the weather did not want to cooperate. In fact, it was downright against us. The heavens opened and the rain fell in droves. We watched as the whole entire school yard flooded with a foot of water in a matter of hours. It was raining sideways most of the time, making it impossible for us to continue our task. We ended up toting little preschoolers across the schoolyard to their buses since the water was far to deep for their little legs to carry them. That day was an adventure in itself, but it did present another problem. We had to wait for the rain to dry out before we could begin painting again. I am by no means an artistic person, but nevertheless, that was what our new project was. We set to work the rest of the week making birthday, alphabet, and weather charts for all the different classrooms. It was not at all what any of us expected, but it was what we were asked to do for the time being. Ministry may not always be what I expect it to be and that’s okay. Whether I’m painting a school, loving on kids, evangelizing, serving at a local church, or doing arts and crafts for the school, I have the opportunity to serve Jesus. I’m being constantly reminded that serving the Lord is my choice through my attitude, not necessarily based on the things that I’m doing.
The rest of the time has been filled with attending youth clubs, going to church, hosting a party for young people going away to college, a birthday party, team workout sessions, and lots of naps (the heat really takes it out of you!). We say our goodbyes in a few days and make our way to be reunited with the rest of our squad. All together, we will head to South Africa for a few days and then on to our next country, Swaziland!
This month has flown by and I am reminded to soak up each moment and really dig into what the Lord has. Month one is (basically) done, but there’s still ten more to go and to see Him work!
