December 11, 2011

We have been very bad and not updated our blog for many months.  Sorry...The time just whizzes by and we keep saying we'll do this tomorrow.  So...here are a few things that we've been doing.

We were both invited to the American ambassador's home for a reception for the measles campaign for all of Mozambique.  We had worked with the program on our first mission in 2008 with great success for the children of Mozambique.  Now UNICEF, our Church Humanitarian Program, the International Red Cross, and several other worldwide agencies were again sponsoring this program, to eradicate the number 1 killer of children under 5 years old in Africa. Former Utah Senator Bob Bennett was appointed by the Senate as co-chairman to UNICEF from the United States.  We really enjoyed meeting with him that night and going out to dinner with him and representatives from several other organizations the next night at our favorite seafood restaurant right on the beach. The statistics released from these organizations state that 95% or children under 5 were immunized.  Our Church donated money for the vaccine and syringes.

On our drive to Johannesburg, South Africa to the temple there, we have to be VERY careful, as you can see from these warning signs along the road.....

Elder Taylor, one of our favorite missionaries from Vidalia, Georgia is preparing to leave Marromeu for Beira on transfer day. This is a typical way to travel the 8-9 hours through the jungle on dirt roads from Marromeu, in the back of a truck.  Of course, when they arrive at their destination, they are covered in red dust!  But he doesn't seem to mind.

On the national highway between Maputo and Beira, this is a typical little village of grass huts.

Also, you'll see many of these "cashew trees", with plastic bags of shelled and cooked cashews hanging for display.

Now, the 18 hour trip by car from Maputo to Beira (which we've had to do several times now because of our transfer in October to Beira and having to return to Maputo to buy more construction materials for the missionary/couple house that Paul is building in Marromeu) is pretty hairy....Terrible roads with gigantic potholes, no fastfood restaurants or bathrooms, and very few gas stations.   This is a typical "gas station" along the road.  We NEVER stop at these places if we can help it, because the gas is watered down and doesn't make for a safe trip.

In June, Paul was asked by Elder Mkhabela (then our area seventy in Johannesburg) to design (with some great help from our son Jason) and build a small house on the grounds of the Marromeu Chapel  that would house 4 missionaries.  Also included would be an efficiency apartment for a couple (or mission president and wife) to stay when visiting. So, we trained the new office couple, Elder and Sister Hall in September and moved to Beira in October to be only 7 hours from Marromeu, instead of 2 days away.  Here is one of the first pictures of the 4 missionaries there and 2 returned Mozambiquan missionaries preparing the foundation. Paul is really having to struggle with this project, as there is very little good materials to buy here and terrible transportation to get those materials to Marromeu, but he is determined to give it his best.

Summer in Maputo

This has been a busy summer.  The weather is in the 90's during the day and 70's at night.  It's hard to believe there is so much snow in the States, especially in SC.  We are really enjoying living again just a block or two from the Indian Ocean.  We were a block away in Beira in the little red house.  Now, we're a short distance up the hill from the port and drive along the beach highway every day to go to the Mission Office.  The palm trees sway in the breezes and the ocean is fascinating to watch, with lots of little fishing boats and even big freighters and cruise ships coming into the harbor. This is the view from above the beach road.  Also, in the second picture, as  you drive along the beach road, you can see downtown Maputo in the distance up on a huge hill.  It really reminds you of cities set up on the hills along the Mediterranean.

                                                                                                                                                                                                       

We were so pleased to have Elder Richard G. Scott return to Mozambique for District Conferences and Zone Conferences here in Maputo and also up in Beira.  He had dedicated Mozambique for the teaching of the gospel here in Maputo a few years ago.  Sister Spendlove had asked Jeanne to make some banana bread for him and the other guests, including Elder F. Michael Watson, first counselor in the Africa Southeast Area presidency, and Sister Watson (whom we knew well from having them for dinner in our home in Beira on our first mission) and Elder and Sister Erekson, the ASE area public affairs missionary couple.  Elder Scott rested in our apartment between meetings and even asked for a second piece of banana bread. We spent an enjoyable evening with all of the visitors at  a local seafood restaurant, along with all of the district presidency and their wives.  Elder Scott is a widower and talked alot about his wife and how she still gives him advice from beyond the veil.  He really has a great  sense of humor.  Of course, all of the members and missionaries were so excited to have a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles here with us. What a delightful man he is. The picture below was taken in "our back yard", behind the Maputo Chapel, where we live on the third floor.  You can read the church news article about Elder Scott's visit at the link below...

.http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/60457/Elder-Richard-G-Scott-A-return-visit-to-Mozambique.html

One morning, as we were leaving our apartment at the chapel, we smelled this horrible, acrid smell and saw this smoke billowing up from beyond the parking lot in the back.  We leaned over the back wall and saw below us this mother and daughter roasting cashews.  We had heard that the nuts had to be burned to get the acidic juice out of them and then cracked open one by one.  Such an arduous, time-consuming task.  They would later take them out to the streets, where they would sell them.  We often buy cashews on the street in little bags.  No wonder cashews are so expensisve.  By the way, this family lives on this hillside that is about to be washed away, in this corrugated tin house, no bathroom, no running water.  Very typical for squatters here.  And this is in town!