So then on Friday...

Since I arrived in Mozambique the government has changed their visa regulations. This came as a bit of a surprise, as I was all set to apply for another visa here in Mozambique, only to find out that I had to leave the country.

How convenient that Zimbabwe is only about an hour and a half away.

Here is Matthew. Matthew is the farm adminstrator, but on Friday he got the job of taking me to Zimbabwe and back. Matthew spend quite a bit of his childhood in Zimbabwe, so I think he was a little bit excited about the trip.

I only have one picture from the border crossing (as you are not allowed to take pictures) but going into Zimbabwe was quite the adventure. First we went through customs on the Mozambique side. The customs agents stamped about 52 papers, wanted all possible information about about van including the serial number on the engine (...uh?), charged Matthew a tax for leaving his own country, and off we went. But only for a few meters before we were stopped and sent back to the customs office to provide more information about the van.

Eventually, we were on our way and drove through the no man's land between the two borders. Then we had to go through Zimbabwe customs. Once again, 52 papers were stamped, an entire precious page of my passport became home to one giant visa (granting me one day in Zim at the low, low cost of $75 USD) and all possible information about our van was recorded. We were also charged a carbon tax of $25 USD.

So, up we drove to the gate into Zim, where we were informed by a border guard with a gleam in his eye that we would have to purchase special car insurance for our time in Zimbabwe. This insurance was $120 USD. I choked. Also, the insurance building was back where we had come from, but we couldn't turn around because the traffice was lined up behind us. So, the border guard told me to give him my passport and my car information, drive through the border, and then walk back to the insurance office. I handed him my passport and jumped out to follow him...only to be stopped by the border guards. I couldn't come through! I didn't have a passport! Crazy white girl. They let Matthew go back through. So...I roamed around passportless in Zimbabwe hoping that Matthew would re-emerge and trying not to think about that movie where that guy gets stuck in the airport for years

.

Anyways, Matthew did come back with everything in order and we carried on our merry way.

Truth be told, in spite of the expensive border crossing, I quite enjoyed Zimbabwe. The border town was very quaint and delightful in spots and Matthew and I did our Christmas shopping.

And the mountains around the town were really green and beautiful.

This is coming home, back into Mozambique. Like I said, you aren't supposed to take pictures at the border but I just took this one. This was kind of a ridiculous thing for me to do, but I let my annoyance get the best of me and this was my small, pathetic act of rebellion. (This is all very embarrassing). I'm pretty sure at this point we were being hassled for more car information or something or being charged for who knows what. And why does the visa have to be so big! In the new year I am going to start writing African heads of state to suggest the manufacturing of new, SMALLER visa stickers. A passport only has so many pages, y'know?

Here, Matthew and I are happy to be done with border crossings and back home in Friendly Mozambique.

Hopefully the visas will continue so that I can stay!

One week...

Last week was very eventful. I usually spend the greater part of every day at my computer writing parts of the health manual or school curriculum. But, goodness gracious, this last week there were a few other things on the roster.

Sunday: Sick cow gets a big needle. I think I already mentioned this.

(Evidence of my foray into vetrinary medicine.)

Monday: Christmas party for orphans and widows in our sponsorship program. My heart overflowed with goodwill and gladness. Fabulous. It was fabulous.

(Joao helps out one of the littlest participants in the gunney sack race)

Tuesday: I get a big needle.

Wednesday:...what happened on Wednesday? Anyone? I think I went to a meeting or something.

Thursday: Sick dog gets two big needles and, on an unrelated note, we make pizza.

Friday: I have to go to Zimbabwe and back. Quite expensive and passport consuming. And hot. Have I mentioned that it is hot here this time of year?

(My gigantic visa from Zimbabwe. Note my angst.)

Saturday: Made lots and lots of Christmas cookies with Mrs. Boss. Decorated tree belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Boss. Watched "A Christmas Carol" with the Boss clan and pesky fellow short-termers.

It was a good week, though. One of the best ever. Hopefully THIS week I will have time to tell you more about it.

A little sigh...

The General has been under the weather for a few weeks. It has been a bit of a bummer. Actually, I can't think about it. It's too sad.

Today I had to go into the clinic, though, so I decided to ride a bike.

Our driveway is a few kilometres long.

It is all uphill from the farm to the road.

One of the pedals fell off early in my journey.

I need to learn perserverance though, so I kept riding....really slowly.

I made it into town and there was quite the sensation. Kids started running out of houses and falling out of mango trees, all so that they could point at me and yell. I don't speak the local dialect, but I'm pretty sure they were saying, "WHITE GIRL ON A BICYCLE! WHITE GIRL ON A BICYCLE!"

And it was really hot today.

Get well soon, General. Please, get well soon.

Some Sundays...

A typical Sunday in Three Hills:

Wake up.

Open one eye.

Stumble into kitchen.

Make coffee.

Drink coffee.

Open other eye.

Shower.

Brush teeth.

Begin the day.

This Sunday in Mozambique:

Wake up .

Open one eye.

Stumble into kitchen.

Start making coffee.

The boss drives up- one of the cows is sick, he says. It needs a shot.

Get into truck. Attempt to open other eye. Still wearing pajamas.

Get needle for cow. Quite dirty. Try to clean needle. Photos are taken.

Discussion ensues about where to inject cow.

Wonder where our copy of "Where There Is No Vetrinarian" might be.

Collectively decide to inject cow in the bum.

Go to cow pen.

Spy a smallish sort of cow lying near the fence. Relief.

No, says the boss. Not that cow. It's one of the larger males. Relief dissapates.

Let cows out of pen. Try and corral sick cow into another pen. I am not very helpful. I feel the cow is eyeing me.

Get sick cow into chute.

Attempt to inject. Needle breaks. Cow skin turns out to be rather different than human skin.

Attempt to inject again. Success. Cow doesn't even say "Moo." Photos are taken.

Back to camp. Go to house of boss.

Put water on to boil in order to sterilize needle.

Put water on to boil for coffee.

Have coffee with boss and Mrs. Boss.

Remember that I am still unwashed and in my PJ's.

Start heading home.

Stop to visit with other friends.

They are trying to kill a mouse with a broom handle.

I sit on the couch and watch.

The kill is a gruesome success. Photos are taken.

I go home.

Shower.

Brush teeth.

Begin the day.

Games children play...

I thought you might like to see some pictures from the Vacation Bible School that was held at our mission school during the first two weeks of November. I am going to have to break it up into several posts, as I am afraid of losing everything if I try and add too many pictures to one post.

So, here is the first collection of photos. These pictures were all taken during game time, by the very talented Heather Neufeld. I am photographically impaired, so I am grateful for her skills and her willingness to share.

I just like this picture so much. It is just a shot taken during a relay race, but the look on my face says a lot to me. Sometimes I find it hard to express just how I feel about being here, about Africa, but this picture captures a bit of it. This is my place.

This is little Tito. He is one of the kids enrolled in the orphan program. Tito doesn't want to go to school yet, but we shall provide him with wise counsel as to the importance of higher education. Surely he will come 'round.

We played one game where the kids raced wearing these huge hats with a beanbag balanced on top. The little ones were so cute, especially, practically blinded by hat.

Sometimes the grown-ups had to participate, too. In this shot I am just trying to figure out how to avoid participating in the part of the relay where we we're supposed to drink a cup of juice from a communal bucket. Every feeling revolts! I faked it and then made sure I lost the race in order to satisfy my guilty conscience.

And this may be one of my favorite photos of all time.

Above and beyond...

In response to your requests for pictures of my new little home, here is my humble offering:

Here is my tent. You can see The General parked in the carport. You can also see a few of the darling little flower boxes that Amadeo, one of the farm staff, made around my tent. I asked him to plant a few vines by some trees and came home at the end of the day to six flower bloxes all around my tent. I have planted them full of flowers and am so excited for them to bloom.

Thanks, Amadeo! I think I am spelling your name wrong...sorry.

Here is where the magic happens. Mr. and Mrs. Perry, a wonderful and lovely couple who attend my church, helped me out a ton when I was getting ready to come to Mozambique. Seriously, it was actually a ton worth of help. They gave me all these do-dads that connect to a car battery. Lights, fans, an electical outlet. The light is so great, and the fans are necessary to survival.

Thanks, Mr. and Mrs. Perry! You have blessed me immensely.

Here's a picture of my bed...and my tiny, life-giving fans...and my vintage motorcycle helmet...and the coverlet and throw cushion that I brought from Canada to make my tent feel cozy.

Here's the beginning of my shelving unit. Those bricks were seriously heavy, but I was seriously motivated to make a shelf, so it worked out great.



And here is my shelf in all it's glory! Gabriel, our carpenter, made me nice shelves out of lovely wood when all I asked for were a couple of planks.

Amadeo, the Perry's, Gabriel.

They really went above and beyond.

Thanks!

Hope you enjoyed the tour.

Yum...

The fruit in our lychee orchard is ripe and ready for harvest.

It is my first experience with fresh lychees.

They are a lovely color.

Their taste is delicious.

But if you eat them in bulk, they corode the inside of your mouth.

Worth it.

I'll be down in the orchard if you need me.