So as you guys have learned, we left for Mozambique two days ago. I am writing from our friends house in Maputo, Angie Whealer, who has taken all 47 of us into her home for the night while we rest for a long 24 hour bus ride to Dondo tomorrow.
Here are some highlights from our trip, or at least from my perspective:
-we were fed way, way too much food on the international flights from Washington to Dubai, as well as from Dubai to Johannesburg; some things included lamb and couscous, croissants, chocolate, orange juice, tea, coffee, tomato & basil sandwiches, fish (with bones in them)
-we were handed steamed wash cloths about 6 different times on the planes
-you lose count of what day it is, what time it is, & where we are in a matter of hours
-kankles seem to have become a common occurrence from sitting on a plane of bus for the last 72 hours
-the urge to look neat & nice was thrown out the window after the second plane ride; greasy hair & skin is the norm now =)
-it made my day when I learned my team leader (a man) rocks a fanny pack
-our team has some absolutely amazing singers, & we sang about every disney, 90's pop music, & 90's tv show song for a good hour on the bus ride! My most favorite time!
-the main language in Mozambique is Portuguese; we try to use a little spanish to translate, but we usually just get blank stares, & shaking of head for "yes" when they don't understand
-woman in particular, I noticed were extremely, extremely beautiful in this part of Africa; almost all had a bright, bold typical African designs on their clothing; I noticed tons of pregnant people, & many had tiny children
-our first meal in Mozambique was gas station food (guava roll ups, peanuts & raisins, what we thought was beef jerky, coffee, & some type of life water; it was so fun seeing all of the different brands of food (many similar to ours) and the gas station was extremely westernized
-women with babies carried their children on their back with towels tied around their waists
-it takes hours upon hours of standing, laughing, funny passport photos, & hacky sack games while trying to cross the border from South Africa to Mozambique (4 hours in total)
-the nap I took while in Maputo was probably the deepest I've slept in a long time; 6 or 7 hours of sleep in 48 hours took the best of me
-we have the best logistics leaders, Matt & Emily, who spend most of their time planning out our day, figuring out our money & how much to spend, & making us as comfortable as possible
-the best feeling was when my teammate Julian lent me his adaptor to finish the travel video for all of you to see! Praise Jesus!
-just found out we aren't leaving at 5:30 am anymore… no we are getting up at 3 am, leaving by 3:30-4:00 a.m. ha ha ITS DA WORLD RACCEEEE
Aside from all of this, the second we arrived in Mozambique, I began to look out the windows of our bus, & witness for my first time poverty & its essence amidst the most beautiful landscape of African countryside… I knew I was home. We began to wave at all of the men, women, & children who in turn raised their heads, & waved back with this sense of joy & excitement in their eyes I had never seen before. I knew that the love the Lord placed in my heart for Africa years ago was finally coming to a reality. This was where I was supposed to be. This is who I am coming to be: a woman of God yearning for everything in Him, learning everyday how to live for Him, & serving with my heart to its fullest, until I can give no more. We have Christ in us, & therefore have become Christ to this lost world, regardless of where we are.
