It has been a very full week with the team from Zion here and we are just now catching our breath. We took them to the airport today. On the way got stopped by the police (again) only this time we actually got a ticket for having four people in the back seat instead of three. Never mind that chapas are crammed with people... Oh well, it will just be a hassle to go pay it but at least he ony fined us 200,000 instead of a million.
It was great being with people from the team and different than being with other teams since we actually knew them and they us. We had a good trip to S Africa, they loved the accomodations and Kruger Park was pretty good also. We saw lots of giraffes and elephants, some zebra off in the distance, a big hyena that walked across the road, rhinos, buffalo, a lion (when we had almost given up on him) and a warthog (right after I said "I haven't seen Pumba yet.") I was so excited to see him that I yelled and he ran away! But then he came back. They sure are ugly. We also saw some beautiful birds, and other sights that maybe Joanna will put on her web site soon: goodmiller.smugmug.com It's amazing what you pick up with a zoom lens like hers. Have you ever really looked at the spots on a giraffe?
Other highlights of the trip included a trip to the city dump with a man we met at Iris Ministries orphanage. He was discovered at the dump years ago by Tanneken. He is now a man of God and likes to take others to the dump to pray for and encourage people there that he knows. People actually live at the dump and earn some money by collecting things for recycling. It is really awful to see their living conditions. People came running from all around when they saw us to ask for prayer. It was really hard to be there but good at the same time if that makes sense.
Our first night in Chokwe we had a terrible rain/wind/lightning/hail storm. Our room was next to a tin roof so it make quite a racket. The hail broke some windows in some other rooms. I kept wondering how it would be to spend the night in a mud hut with a storm like that. Some lost walls because the mud got too soft, others had lots of leaks and water coming in, roof were blown away, etc. I heard some comments that they were thankful the storm was at night when people were inside. The next day people were busy cleaning up/repairing their houses so the kid's club we were going to visit was canceled. However, we talked with a Mozambican pastor/worker with Child Development and he gave us some very interesting insights into Mozambican culture, bride price, male/female roles, etc.
Mucatine was our next destination and I enjoyed seeing some of the women I met there last June. They remembered my name! (Sad to say, I couldn't remember all of theirs.) We saw a WR field of irrigated corn that almost looked like Illinois corn, intercropped with mango and papaya trees. By the time the mango get big the papaya will be done producing. The ladies went through the field and picked corn and gave some to us. They are so generous!
The team also presented two seminars (one in Maputo and one in Chokwe) on finances - Biblical perspectives, Excel tips, etc. It was well received and they want written notes so they can teach it to pastors and others. Much of the teaching in the churches here is very basic so when they get something with some more "meat" it is exciting to them.
There was a lot more that happened but I'll let you take a look at the team blog at jlmorningstar.com if you want to know more. You can also ask Joanna when she gets home in a couple of weeks. She will be with us one more week before heading to Norway to see Christine.
Tomorrow we plan to head up the coast 6 hrs. to Inhambane province and the city of Maxixe (Masheesh). We will enjoy some of the beautiful beaches there as well as a coconut press on Monday. South Africans are starting spring break so there will be plenty of them in town also. There is a possibility we will locate in this town in the fall if we decide to go through with coconuts so I am excited about seeing Maxixe.
Blessings, Rachel and Steve
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