First week of March

After a week of meetings (22- feb) I spent two days getting ready to build in Manhica.  This is the sugar town about 1 hour north of Maputo where we are starting the next series of chicken houses.  When you drive through town, you see all sorts of old metal tanks sitting around on the ground or even hanging from the trees.  We thought they were just old water containers that had been used to haul water and store it over the years.  Pieter told us that this is where they ferment the molasses from the cane processing and make a local brew/beer. 

Since we were separated from our 1 ton Nissan truck while we were gone to the US, we had to find a different way to haul supplies.  WR has two trailers, but Pieter has them both in use building guest houses for Strategic Church partners who are relating to specific villages and branching out from there.  We had to wait in line to get the bigger one and then Wednesday I went to Chokwe, picked it up and started hauling materials.  Reginaldo (our builder) and I went to Xai-Xai and picked up poles and beams for the frames and got to Manhica after dark (not anyone’s favorite time to drive as people walk on the roads and sometimes drive without lights).  I got home at 9:30 ate supper and went to bed.

The next morning I took Rachel to the office at 7 and got out to the stone and cement place by 7:40.  The place was crazy and it took until 9:30 to get the cement because of all the logistical problems they were having.  The hassle was all the people waiting on me in Manhica to start work.  I dropped all the materials and was out on the road back to Maputo by 1 pm and returned with a second load of stone by 3:30.  I got home by 7:30 that night and left the next morning and took the sheet metal and lumber up to distribute.  It was an all day affair again with us getting rained on quite a bit, Reginaldo losing his borrowed phone and getting lost (not finding a location that we had only visited once). 

It was quite a week.  I think I spent about 50 million Mts. 

Rachel here:  I had an interesting conversation with a street vendor I’ve been getting to know.  He normally sits on the sidewalk and makes woven coin purses and larger bags.  He also sells candy and cookies.  I’d noticed that he had not been doing any weaving lately so I stopped to ask him about it.  When I asked how he was, he showed me his very swollen legs.  I never quite figured out what caused the swelling other than that he said he had been fighting.  I asked why he wasn’t weaving.  Well, he said, he didn’t have money to buy supplies because he had to spend all his money to have a consultation with a witchdoctor.  Doctors are too expensive and even the witchdoctor took all his profits so he was stuck.  I asked him if he knew Jesus.  He said he does but I’m pretty sure he knows him like he knows Mohammed and Gandhi.  I shared a bit with him and asked if I could pray for him.  He said yes, so I did.  Please pray for Tito Jose that God will touch his heart and his body.

I’ve been coordinating the next training that will start this Tues. in Matola, close to Maputo.  We have two trainers locally and were bringing one from Chokwe.  Only problem is that we found out yesterday she is sick so we had to make some quick adjustments and bring another trainer from Chokwe.  It should work out, it just won’t be as organized as before.  Tues a.m. we will be at the first day of training and then take off for Chokwe, Xai-Xai, Macia and Manhica until Thur. a.m. when we return and pick up Joanna.  Yeah!  We’re excited to have her here.

We’ve had a break in the heat wave and it feels like a cool fall day (around 70).  You should have seen the people bundled up this a.m.!