Let me tell you a few things about buying a plane ticket to Africa.
First, they are expensive. We're taking $900 in taxes alone expensive.
Second, it helps if you are going over to do humanitarian aid, like me. Then the people at British Airways say, "hey, thanks for being all giving and such" and give you a big discount on your ticket. And make it possible to stay over in London for no extra charge for 3 days on the way back to the states. Then the people from South African Air also say, "yeah, thanks for helping out, we'll book you some $70 tickets to Mozambique that usually cost $300." It's nice to get a little help on the ticket situation, but even if I didn't get the discount, I'd still be going anyway.
So it's official. I will be in the air starting at 1:40 pm on the 25th of April, and won't touch down in balmy humid Mozambique until 3pm on the 27th of April. Yes, that is two days of straight up airplane food, in-flight movies, layovers, weird neck pillows filled with goodness knows what, covering your ears after you flush the vacuum-powered toilet (yes, I cover my ears okay. It's loud, and scary.) swollen feet, and gross alligator skin from the dry plane cabin.
And you know what? I love every minute of it. I love traveling, getting to a new place and stopping along the way. I also love Africa, Mozambique, and the Indian Ocean, and if it takes over 25,000 miles, 60 hours of flying, 8 separate flights, and 4 days round trip I'll be the first in line to get there. Why? Because I miss my friends there, I miss my little 5th graders, I miss my primary kids, and I miss the sunsets of Mozambique.
April 25th won't be here soon enough.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Honestly
I never thought I would post on this blog ever again. Not because I hate this blog, or because I hate Africa, or Rain, or the Rains down in Africa. I love all three of those things actually. I didn't think I would be clicking away at a new post at this site...
Because I never thought I would be back in Africa, hence no reason to blog on here. Well, I have been thinking about Mozambique and the time I spent there for months on and off, and came to the decision over break that I needed to go back. The hard part was I had no way or getting there. My scholarship for school only covers my main semesters, and I already took the classes that are offered in Mozambique. It didn't make sense to go back.
Well, today is my third day back at school. I went to my first class this morning which is taught by the professor that runs the program. He and I stepped outside a few minutes before the bell and he proceeded to tell me that he had been speaking to my boss at the Kennedy Center, you know my Italy and Mozambique boss, and they both decided that they wanted me on the trip this spring to Mozambique. So much in fact that they agreed to rustle up some funds for me to go for free. Tuition is paid, food, lodging in mozambique, safari, hotel while traveling, everything. I just have to buy the plane ticket. And I'll still be getting paid while I'm there.
How can you say no to two months in Africa, giving service alongside amazing people?
You can't, and I didn't.
So long story short, I already have classes taken care of that will prep me for my Brazil experience coming this July and count towards my graduation, and I will be flying off to Africa once more just four months from now. I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to go once again, and even more so to have it financially taken care of. I guess my the little voice whispering consistently these past few months was indeed right, I need to go back. Why? I don't have that answer, but that's okay. We seldom get all the pieces to the puzzle at once. So if you notice my other blog is looking abandoned, unloved, forgotten, or any other tragic adjetive you can think of at the end of April come look for me here!
Because I never thought I would be back in Africa, hence no reason to blog on here. Well, I have been thinking about Mozambique and the time I spent there for months on and off, and came to the decision over break that I needed to go back. The hard part was I had no way or getting there. My scholarship for school only covers my main semesters, and I already took the classes that are offered in Mozambique. It didn't make sense to go back.
Well, today is my third day back at school. I went to my first class this morning which is taught by the professor that runs the program. He and I stepped outside a few minutes before the bell and he proceeded to tell me that he had been speaking to my boss at the Kennedy Center, you know my Italy and Mozambique boss, and they both decided that they wanted me on the trip this spring to Mozambique. So much in fact that they agreed to rustle up some funds for me to go for free. Tuition is paid, food, lodging in mozambique, safari, hotel while traveling, everything. I just have to buy the plane ticket. And I'll still be getting paid while I'm there.
How can you say no to two months in Africa, giving service alongside amazing people?
You can't, and I didn't.
So long story short, I already have classes taken care of that will prep me for my Brazil experience coming this July and count towards my graduation, and I will be flying off to Africa once more just four months from now. I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to go once again, and even more so to have it financially taken care of. I guess my the little voice whispering consistently these past few months was indeed right, I need to go back. Why? I don't have that answer, but that's okay. We seldom get all the pieces to the puzzle at once. So if you notice my other blog is looking abandoned, unloved, forgotten, or any other tragic adjetive you can think of at the end of April come look for me here!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Last week Here...
This is my last week, well really it's less than that, because I leave here on Thursday to go back to the US. The internet has been down at the place that we live so here is a recap of last week's activities sans fotos, sorry folks!
Last monday-We left EARLY to get on our greyhound bus going to Johannesburg, South Africa. I once again was saved during the trip by my wonderous iPod. We got through Mozambican customs okay and also through South African customs just fine. On the South African side there were lots of Mozambican refugees who were trying to flee South Africa. For those who dont know, the people of South Africa (not all, but some groups) have been killing, beating up, raping, and robbing immigrants in South Africa trying to get them to leave. So we saw VW vans full of beds, clothes, food, matresses, dressers etc. and the people trying to get back into Mozambique. It was so sad to see, and it made me so sad for the mozambicans who are just trying to find a better life in SA.
Well, that same day we stopped in Neslpruit, SA and got two rental vans, also known as the "space ships" due to their sweet aerodynamics. Then we drove to Swaziland, which is a kingdom still and their king gets a new wife every year he is on the throne, he has six so far. We got to our hotel and it was amazing! It was so nice to have a hot shower after 2 months of cold ones, ahh...
Tuesday- We checked out of that hotel, went to an old cultural vilage where we got a tour, tasted traditional food, watched traditional dances, and then hiked to a beautiful waterfall and lagoon where we all jumped in. It was freezing!!!! Really, it was, it took my breath away! Then we got out and went back to the cars, changed, and went to a candle factory called Swazi Candles, they made some sweet stuff there, I just had to buy some :) Then it was off to a 1/4 mile of artesan crafts, and I bought some souveneirs for people and for me, and then we checked into our second hotel in Swaziland and ate a big dinner. It was a good day.
Wednesday- We left Swaziland early in the morning, went back through customs out of swazi and back into South Africa so we could go to Kruger National Park in SA. We got there around noon, had lunch and then drove through the gates into the park. That was amazing, it is your car, and the animals, no cages nothing. We saw crocodiles, a giraffe crossed the road right in front of our car, we had to wait for a family of baboons to cross the road, it was so amazing. It took two hours to get to our camp, which is located in the middle of the park and surrounded by electric fences to keep you safe. They close the gates at 5:30 pm sharp and if your not in the camp area, you have to sleep out side the gates in your car. We made it in seriously at 5:25....cutting it close huh?!
Thursday- 4 am, get up put on like 3 layers of clothes, hop in a huge safari truck and go! That was my morning. It was cold, soooo cold, but sooo worth it. We had two lions literally like 10 feet away from us, it was amazing. And soon after I spotted a leopard in the bushes, it was so close to us too. These animals are so amazing when you see them in the wild, it was an experince of a lifetime! We also saw hippos, giraffes, monkies, and LOTS of birds. I loved it. Then we went out on safari again in the evening and saw a family of elephants eating. The mom didn't like us being there too much so she started to charge the safari truck where I was sitting. I freaked and the only thing that came out of my mouth was "vixe maria" haha...we drove off before she really did anything. Then we got home and went to dinner at an old train station and I had some Ostrich meat, and some of a native dish that has a name that is like 20 letters long and way beyond my ability to pronounce. Then we walked back to the tents we were camping in (tents with cement floors, fans, real beds, and a refrigerator....not really a tent in my opinion) and found a hyena behind ours. The only thing that separated us from him was the fence, not soon after the guys came to tell us there were also elephants near by too. It was so cool, I found it interesting that the roles were switched here, we were the ones fenced in, and they were the ones on the outside. Crazy huh!
Friday-We ate breakfast and then headed out of the park, once again we saw lots of animals, Antelope, Waterbucks, Vultures, Zeebras, Impalas, Hippos, etc. We drove back to the bus staion hopped on our bus, and then drove back to Mozambique. Customs was not a problem and I felt happy to be home again in Maputo, funny how I can call it home....it feels like it now even though it hasn't been a long time for me. We were all dead tired, but glad to have had the oppertunitity to see these other countries and see all those amazing animals and get out in nature for a bit!
Saturday- That was SO much fun. We held a district activity for the young adults here in Maputo. Lana, Paul, Brandon, and I sang "come thou fount" in a quartet, it was so nice to sing for them, they really liked it. Then we each read our favorite mozambican poem, and two of us spoke on setting goals. After that I taught line dancing to everyone, it was about 100 people, and they loved it! Then they taught us a traditional dance the "marbenta" which is a dance to atract your lover....hahahaha, great dance to be teaching at a church activity, right? It wasn't too bad and it was fun! Then we went to the mall down town to have dinner at a resurant there to end our program. It was a long day with a lot of yelling instrucitons and eight-counts, but it was so nice to get out there and serve the church members.
Sunday-I went with Jessica and Sam to T3, where I've been helping suzie, one of my friends from here who is the primary president, teach. Last week I taught Lehi's dream to the 8-10 year olds and "nephi's courage" the primary song, it was so fun. This one girl in particular latched onto me, her name is Isaura. She is 10, and she and her brother are orphans who live with relatives nearby. She is really poor and quiet, and Suize told me that she started coming one day a few years back and has come every week since then. The people she lives with are muslim or something similiar, and so she isn't allowed to go to church, but she tells them she is out walking around or playing and then walks with her little brother Jose to church. She can't read so I help her with the hymns and scriptures during class, and every week she takes my hand and sits with me at church the whole time. This was my last week and she asked me to take her home with me, she said she wanted to come live with me in the US at my house. It almost broke my heart, she said "please, just take me with you, take care of me there in the US". I had to say no, but I am so worried about the future that awaits her and her little brother.
Monday-I left with the other BYU kids early today to come out to One World University again, we are staying the night here and we taught english all day. The people here are motivated and want to learn it is so nice! I also had an AWESOME discussion with the director of the univeristy on the ride out here about the church and gave him a book of mormon. He had good insights, questions, and at the end of it he promised he would read it. He is a good man and I had talked to him previously about church, the bible, etc. and I know he would make a wonderful member of the church. I was so glad to have an hour and a half ride to talk to him about our beliefs, and to have been given such a wonderful missionary oppertunity. Tonight we are doing a fireside here and I will be teaching line dancing again and singing in the quartet...fun fun!
Tomorrow we teach again here at the university and then go back to Maputo, to take finals. Wednesday we are tying up loose ends in the city and buying last minute things, and then thursday Afternoon I start my long trip back to Provo. 4 pm I leave maputo, then I go to Johannesburg, SA then London, then Dallas/Ft. Worth then SLC finally.... phew, this is long. If you made it through congrats, I'll bake you a cookie when I get home :)
Last monday-We left EARLY to get on our greyhound bus going to Johannesburg, South Africa. I once again was saved during the trip by my wonderous iPod. We got through Mozambican customs okay and also through South African customs just fine. On the South African side there were lots of Mozambican refugees who were trying to flee South Africa. For those who dont know, the people of South Africa (not all, but some groups) have been killing, beating up, raping, and robbing immigrants in South Africa trying to get them to leave. So we saw VW vans full of beds, clothes, food, matresses, dressers etc. and the people trying to get back into Mozambique. It was so sad to see, and it made me so sad for the mozambicans who are just trying to find a better life in SA.
Well, that same day we stopped in Neslpruit, SA and got two rental vans, also known as the "space ships" due to their sweet aerodynamics. Then we drove to Swaziland, which is a kingdom still and their king gets a new wife every year he is on the throne, he has six so far. We got to our hotel and it was amazing! It was so nice to have a hot shower after 2 months of cold ones, ahh...
Tuesday- We checked out of that hotel, went to an old cultural vilage where we got a tour, tasted traditional food, watched traditional dances, and then hiked to a beautiful waterfall and lagoon where we all jumped in. It was freezing!!!! Really, it was, it took my breath away! Then we got out and went back to the cars, changed, and went to a candle factory called Swazi Candles, they made some sweet stuff there, I just had to buy some :) Then it was off to a 1/4 mile of artesan crafts, and I bought some souveneirs for people and for me, and then we checked into our second hotel in Swaziland and ate a big dinner. It was a good day.
Wednesday- We left Swaziland early in the morning, went back through customs out of swazi and back into South Africa so we could go to Kruger National Park in SA. We got there around noon, had lunch and then drove through the gates into the park. That was amazing, it is your car, and the animals, no cages nothing. We saw crocodiles, a giraffe crossed the road right in front of our car, we had to wait for a family of baboons to cross the road, it was so amazing. It took two hours to get to our camp, which is located in the middle of the park and surrounded by electric fences to keep you safe. They close the gates at 5:30 pm sharp and if your not in the camp area, you have to sleep out side the gates in your car. We made it in seriously at 5:25....cutting it close huh?!
Thursday- 4 am, get up put on like 3 layers of clothes, hop in a huge safari truck and go! That was my morning. It was cold, soooo cold, but sooo worth it. We had two lions literally like 10 feet away from us, it was amazing. And soon after I spotted a leopard in the bushes, it was so close to us too. These animals are so amazing when you see them in the wild, it was an experince of a lifetime! We also saw hippos, giraffes, monkies, and LOTS of birds. I loved it. Then we went out on safari again in the evening and saw a family of elephants eating. The mom didn't like us being there too much so she started to charge the safari truck where I was sitting. I freaked and the only thing that came out of my mouth was "vixe maria" haha...we drove off before she really did anything. Then we got home and went to dinner at an old train station and I had some Ostrich meat, and some of a native dish that has a name that is like 20 letters long and way beyond my ability to pronounce. Then we walked back to the tents we were camping in (tents with cement floors, fans, real beds, and a refrigerator....not really a tent in my opinion) and found a hyena behind ours. The only thing that separated us from him was the fence, not soon after the guys came to tell us there were also elephants near by too. It was so cool, I found it interesting that the roles were switched here, we were the ones fenced in, and they were the ones on the outside. Crazy huh!
Friday-We ate breakfast and then headed out of the park, once again we saw lots of animals, Antelope, Waterbucks, Vultures, Zeebras, Impalas, Hippos, etc. We drove back to the bus staion hopped on our bus, and then drove back to Mozambique. Customs was not a problem and I felt happy to be home again in Maputo, funny how I can call it home....it feels like it now even though it hasn't been a long time for me. We were all dead tired, but glad to have had the oppertunitity to see these other countries and see all those amazing animals and get out in nature for a bit!
Saturday- That was SO much fun. We held a district activity for the young adults here in Maputo. Lana, Paul, Brandon, and I sang "come thou fount" in a quartet, it was so nice to sing for them, they really liked it. Then we each read our favorite mozambican poem, and two of us spoke on setting goals. After that I taught line dancing to everyone, it was about 100 people, and they loved it! Then they taught us a traditional dance the "marbenta" which is a dance to atract your lover....hahahaha, great dance to be teaching at a church activity, right? It wasn't too bad and it was fun! Then we went to the mall down town to have dinner at a resurant there to end our program. It was a long day with a lot of yelling instrucitons and eight-counts, but it was so nice to get out there and serve the church members.
Sunday-I went with Jessica and Sam to T3, where I've been helping suzie, one of my friends from here who is the primary president, teach. Last week I taught Lehi's dream to the 8-10 year olds and "nephi's courage" the primary song, it was so fun. This one girl in particular latched onto me, her name is Isaura. She is 10, and she and her brother are orphans who live with relatives nearby. She is really poor and quiet, and Suize told me that she started coming one day a few years back and has come every week since then. The people she lives with are muslim or something similiar, and so she isn't allowed to go to church, but she tells them she is out walking around or playing and then walks with her little brother Jose to church. She can't read so I help her with the hymns and scriptures during class, and every week she takes my hand and sits with me at church the whole time. This was my last week and she asked me to take her home with me, she said she wanted to come live with me in the US at my house. It almost broke my heart, she said "please, just take me with you, take care of me there in the US". I had to say no, but I am so worried about the future that awaits her and her little brother.
Monday-I left with the other BYU kids early today to come out to One World University again, we are staying the night here and we taught english all day. The people here are motivated and want to learn it is so nice! I also had an AWESOME discussion with the director of the univeristy on the ride out here about the church and gave him a book of mormon. He had good insights, questions, and at the end of it he promised he would read it. He is a good man and I had talked to him previously about church, the bible, etc. and I know he would make a wonderful member of the church. I was so glad to have an hour and a half ride to talk to him about our beliefs, and to have been given such a wonderful missionary oppertunity. Tonight we are doing a fireside here and I will be teaching line dancing again and singing in the quartet...fun fun!
Tomorrow we teach again here at the university and then go back to Maputo, to take finals. Wednesday we are tying up loose ends in the city and buying last minute things, and then thursday Afternoon I start my long trip back to Provo. 4 pm I leave maputo, then I go to Johannesburg, SA then London, then Dallas/Ft. Worth then SLC finally.... phew, this is long. If you made it through congrats, I'll bake you a cookie when I get home :)
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Some more pics!
The good looking "Team America" as we Like to call ourselves, standing in the hut where Eduardo Mondlane, the founder of the political party that brought Mozambican independence was born. It was a humbling experince to be there.
Me and my "new best friend" as she called me last week at the orphanage. She was amazingly cute, and she lives with family members now because her parents passed away from AIDS, which is a common story here, sad but true.
The girls we teach from the 5th grade class each Friday, They are soo adorable!
Saturday, May 31, 2008
BUSY weeks make for BUSY days.
Okay here is the recap. The internet isn't super reliable but its working for now! Here it goes:
Monday- Went to the funeral of one of the women from the Maputo II branch that we had met at our line dancing activity. She died of an Asthma attack, and it was interesting to see how funerals are done here in Mozambique. Everyone there was very friendly and one of the men was nice enough to give us (the girls) a ride back to ADPP which is like a half hour out of his way, people are so nice here. Then for family home evening we were in charge of the treat and activity, so we made tin-foil desserts with fresh apples, pineapples, bananas, and coconut...they were amazing.
Tuesday-Went to teach in the morning and then in the afternoon went to go meet Mia Couto, a very famous writer within the lusophone literature community. He was so down to earth and had some great stories to tell us, he is an ecologist as a formal profession but is a writer on his free time...basically like superman, well kinda.
Wednesday-Taught during the morning again and then in the afternoon went out to go visit an orphanage where most of the kids parents had passed away due to AIDS. The kids were all so fun and taught us some dances and games that they like to play, which was awesome. Then we started taking pictures of them and they wanted to use the cameras, it was the funnest thing for them, so we have like 100 pictures of random things now, but it kept them entertained!
Thursday- Went and taught in the morning again, which went well although the kids have trouble really getting what I'm teaching and with 60 students and only 45 minutes that doesn't really add up to much progress, but they at least pay attention most of the time. In the afternoon we went and met a congress woman who works at ADPP and is from Portugal. She has a HUGE house down the street from ADPP is a poet and her late husband was a very famous painter here in Mozambique, and so she let us go hang out at her house and swim in her pool, which was almost surreal. I had gone by that house so many times wondering who it belonged to and now I know!
Friday-Dr. Williams asked me and two other students here to make a 1 and a half hour drive out to Shangalane, which is still in the Maputo Province to go teach for the afternoon at One World University, which is a 4 year institution giving bachelors degrees in Education. So I went and rode to this super rural but lovely brand new university in a 4x4 truck, taught college (weird, I know)for the afternoon, and rode back in the same truck this time out in the back of it. It was so fun because it looks so rural, just like you see on the movies, it was sunset, and absolutely beautiful.
Saturday-Got up ate breakfast and went down town for a day of shopping. We went to the artesanato fair, meaning it was a fair where people displayed the crafts they had made and got some sweet souveneirs for people. Then we walked up to the main street and went to Mimmo's to celebrate Kailey's birthday, she turned 18 today, yay! Then a man recognized us as the white people from ADPP and gave us a ride home in the back of his truck which saved us from having to catch a Chapa, the little VW busses that they cram 30 people into during rush hour, we are blessed!
Tomorrow-District Conference, which means we get to sleep in a bit! Yay, Okay and here are some more pics...
Me and Christina, a woman I met in the Province of Gaza, you take a 40 Km. dirt road out to her hut and she will be there. Doesn't speak portuguese but Shangana, the native dialect. She was so nice and kind, even though there was a language barrier there, I could tell she was a warm and loving person, som
Lana and I having lunch of Xima (a paste made from ground up corn) Hortela (pumpkin leaves mixed with peanut oil) Mandioc root, and chicken. It was really good, simple and good.
When we were leaving the community they gave us some Cashew fruit, which is what I am eating in the picture, and to tell you the truth, I hate the fruit as much as I hate the juice, big surprise there! But I smiled and ate it anyway....
When I say we ride around in the backs of trucks a lot, I'm not joking! It's actually a lot nicer for us because there are less people stepping on toes, pushing into you etc. I just try not to think about what would happen if we crashed!
A market, just wanted to picture what we see every day here while driving around.
Sunsets here are awesome, this was on the way back from Gaza, which was about 300 Km away from where we are living, it was an experince getting there!
Monday- Went to the funeral of one of the women from the Maputo II branch that we had met at our line dancing activity. She died of an Asthma attack, and it was interesting to see how funerals are done here in Mozambique. Everyone there was very friendly and one of the men was nice enough to give us (the girls) a ride back to ADPP which is like a half hour out of his way, people are so nice here. Then for family home evening we were in charge of the treat and activity, so we made tin-foil desserts with fresh apples, pineapples, bananas, and coconut...they were amazing.
Tuesday-Went to teach in the morning and then in the afternoon went to go meet Mia Couto, a very famous writer within the lusophone literature community. He was so down to earth and had some great stories to tell us, he is an ecologist as a formal profession but is a writer on his free time...basically like superman, well kinda.
Wednesday-Taught during the morning again and then in the afternoon went out to go visit an orphanage where most of the kids parents had passed away due to AIDS. The kids were all so fun and taught us some dances and games that they like to play, which was awesome. Then we started taking pictures of them and they wanted to use the cameras, it was the funnest thing for them, so we have like 100 pictures of random things now, but it kept them entertained!
Thursday- Went and taught in the morning again, which went well although the kids have trouble really getting what I'm teaching and with 60 students and only 45 minutes that doesn't really add up to much progress, but they at least pay attention most of the time. In the afternoon we went and met a congress woman who works at ADPP and is from Portugal. She has a HUGE house down the street from ADPP is a poet and her late husband was a very famous painter here in Mozambique, and so she let us go hang out at her house and swim in her pool, which was almost surreal. I had gone by that house so many times wondering who it belonged to and now I know!
Friday-Dr. Williams asked me and two other students here to make a 1 and a half hour drive out to Shangalane, which is still in the Maputo Province to go teach for the afternoon at One World University, which is a 4 year institution giving bachelors degrees in Education. So I went and rode to this super rural but lovely brand new university in a 4x4 truck, taught college (weird, I know)for the afternoon, and rode back in the same truck this time out in the back of it. It was so fun because it looks so rural, just like you see on the movies, it was sunset, and absolutely beautiful.
Saturday-Got up ate breakfast and went down town for a day of shopping. We went to the artesanato fair, meaning it was a fair where people displayed the crafts they had made and got some sweet souveneirs for people. Then we walked up to the main street and went to Mimmo's to celebrate Kailey's birthday, she turned 18 today, yay! Then a man recognized us as the white people from ADPP and gave us a ride home in the back of his truck which saved us from having to catch a Chapa, the little VW busses that they cram 30 people into during rush hour, we are blessed!
Tomorrow-District Conference, which means we get to sleep in a bit! Yay, Okay and here are some more pics...
Me and Christina, a woman I met in the Province of Gaza, you take a 40 Km. dirt road out to her hut and she will be there. Doesn't speak portuguese but Shangana, the native dialect. She was so nice and kind, even though there was a language barrier there, I could tell she was a warm and loving person, som
Lana and I having lunch of Xima (a paste made from ground up corn) Hortela (pumpkin leaves mixed with peanut oil) Mandioc root, and chicken. It was really good, simple and good.
When we were leaving the community they gave us some Cashew fruit, which is what I am eating in the picture, and to tell you the truth, I hate the fruit as much as I hate the juice, big surprise there! But I smiled and ate it anyway....
When I say we ride around in the backs of trucks a lot, I'm not joking! It's actually a lot nicer for us because there are less people stepping on toes, pushing into you etc. I just try not to think about what would happen if we crashed!
A market, just wanted to picture what we see every day here while driving around.
Sunsets here are awesome, this was on the way back from Gaza, which was about 300 Km away from where we are living, it was an experince getting there!
Monday, May 26, 2008
PICTURES!!!
Here they are....well some, but I'll keep'em coming!
1. Half way through "gettin my hairs did" it took like 12 hours and hurt like a mo-fo.
3684437
2.The end result of the hair, the guys took to calling me mermaid for the time I had it in. I agree it does look pretty mermaid-ish. This is at the natural history museum of Mozambique.
3. Teaching Line dancing to the Maputo II branch, we will be teaching the entire distrct line dancing again on june 14th if anyone else wants to come you're invited:)
4. Going out to macaneta beach, in the Chapa, thats Kailey, Blake, and Paul. Love those kids!
5. We had to cross a river on that ferry boat, the river was filled with with floating lilly pads, and a local also explained that they get hippos and crocodiles sometimes through there, anyone wanna go for a swim?
6. Everyone, the Indian Ocean, Indian Ocean, this is everyone. I LOVED this beach, absolutely beautiful.
7. The cutest little boy, Junior that we met last Sunday while out on an afternoon walk, his mother was so nice and spoke amazing english, she sells vegetables she grows herself in her yard. I want to go visit them again soon.
I will post more soon, its lunch time but there are some for the meantime, love you all!
1. Half way through "gettin my hairs did" it took like 12 hours and hurt like a mo-fo.
3684437
2.The end result of the hair, the guys took to calling me mermaid for the time I had it in. I agree it does look pretty mermaid-ish. This is at the natural history museum of Mozambique.
3. Teaching Line dancing to the Maputo II branch, we will be teaching the entire distrct line dancing again on june 14th if anyone else wants to come you're invited:)
4. Going out to macaneta beach, in the Chapa, thats Kailey, Blake, and Paul. Love those kids!
5. We had to cross a river on that ferry boat, the river was filled with with floating lilly pads, and a local also explained that they get hippos and crocodiles sometimes through there, anyone wanna go for a swim?
6. Everyone, the Indian Ocean, Indian Ocean, this is everyone. I LOVED this beach, absolutely beautiful.
7. The cutest little boy, Junior that we met last Sunday while out on an afternoon walk, his mother was so nice and spoke amazing english, she sells vegetables she grows herself in her yard. I want to go visit them again soon.
I will post more soon, its lunch time but there are some for the meantime, love you all!
Friday, May 23, 2008
My time in the Hospital in Mozambique...
So This week was going just fine until tuesday aftenoon, but before I get into that big old story let me give you a wrap up of the weekends activities...
Saturday-We rented a big car, mom it was like the "30 seconds of sheer terror" Mercedes from last summer's europe trip and we all headed out to this beach that is literally in the middle of no where called Macaneta. We had some hired drivers take us and it was sucha beautiful beach, white sands, no other people there, just us. It was perfect.
Sunday-This week we went to yet another Branch this time in Matola. Also watched conference this weekend since the district here (they don't have a stake yet) hadn't seen the Sunday sessons yet. President and Sister Packard were there along with a member of the Area presidency. We went and said hello and introduced ourselves, and Janae the Packards say hello to you and your fam! They said it's so good to hear your are doing well:) Then in the afternoon we went walking with a boy here from the matola branch into some neighborhoods. He is 18 and getting ready to go on his mission and will be great, he already brings entire families to church with him. We met some super cute kids, took pictures of them which they thought was AMAZING digital cameras are a new thing to them and seeing the picture immediately always made them giggle. I also talked with a girl about my age who had a 4 month year old, and that baby was abosolutely adorable. They were all so kind and warm, and had us take some raw sugar cane home as a treat. We decided that we would go do that more often, it's a great way to start talking about the church because at some point they all ask "why are you here so far from home" and then "serve your fellow man" and all that comes into play...
Okay now for the crazy story...
So Tuesday I woke up fine, but by 11 am I was feeling queasy so I cut my tutoring session short, which by the way that girl is doing amazing, I honestly think she is the reason I came here. Anyway I felt sick so I went home and slept until I woke up with a fever, and then I started throwing up then I got a huge hedache that felt like someone had hit me in the head with a baseball bat. My body ached all over and I could barely get out of bed. I thought this was like maybe a 24 hour flu but it wasn't getting better only worse. I couldn't sleep all night because I either was running a fever or freezing cold.
Wednesday I woke us even worse with a bigger fever, and I hadn't been able to eat or drink anything and get it to stay in my system since tuesday morning, so our study abroad director took me to the Sommerfield Clinic which is basically the outpatient hospital that the embassaries and their families use here in Maputo. I guess I looked pretty bad when I got there because they took me straight to a bed and took my vitals. I was dehydrated and still throwing up with a fever, and a high pluse and other medical stuff that I guess was serious so they gave me an IV of saline and some medicine to stop me from throwing up. A few hours later they decided to send me home with some anti-biotics to take over night and see how I would do with those. Well, I promtly threw that up as soon as the medicine they gave me for nausea wore off and kept throwing everything up all night, I could feel myself becoming more and more dehydrated.
Thursday I woke up to the director telling me he had called a cab and they were taking me back to the hospital, since I was worse and couldn't take my medicine. My roomies later told me when they looked at me when they got up and looked at me sleeping in my bed that I was seriously yellow. Um, not normal. When I got to the hospital they said I would have to get my antibiotics interveinously since I was too sick to take them orally. They put me in a hospital bed, drew lots of blood, gave me my second IV line in 2 days, and for those of you who know how much I hate blood and needles know that this was not fun for me. Thank goodness I was too out of it to really care. My tests came back negative for malaria for the 2nd day in a row and also negative for Dengue and some other crazy deseases which was good news. They knew I had an infection but couldn't figure out what it was. So they kept me on an IV and told me they were going to admit me to a nearby hospital and keep me there for 48 hours while they figured things out and when I looked good enough I would be allowed to go home. I was sad because I am so far away from my family and friends and spending the night in a hospital alone didn't sound like a good time. At the same time I knew that if that's what needed to happen that that's what I would do.
So then I fell asleep...and when I woke up I felt SO much better, my roomie Kaylee who was with me said I looked better and all the nurses and doctors said the same...Anyway 9 hours later they said I was in good enough shape to go home since my vomiting had stopped and my fever had broken and my vitals were normal again! So after an IV bag of atibiotics and a few bags of saline I was back in my "home" in Machava at ADPP. My brazilian friends who I met here (love by the way that no matter where I am I seem to find brazilian friends:) gave me a welcome home present of a hot shower up at their house, those girls are wonderful!
Anyway long long story longer...I am feeling much better now, not 100% but for sure good enough to sit here and write all this up. My rapid recovery I atribute 100% to the blessing I was given when I got sick that promised me that I would be healed promptly, I am so thankful for priesthood blessings and for the power of prayer. I am finally eating again today, some soup and plain white toast which after 3 days without eating tasted amazingly good! I missed work and my students were asking for me, guess they like me after all:) I'll start again on monday hopefully.
BTW-ADPP got our group a computer and internet so I can upload some pics and stuff when I feel up to it. They will be here soon! Okay I Will write more soon, thanks mom and dad for your prayers and support, they help even when they are coming from thousands of miles away, I love you both!
Saturday-We rented a big car, mom it was like the "30 seconds of sheer terror" Mercedes from last summer's europe trip and we all headed out to this beach that is literally in the middle of no where called Macaneta. We had some hired drivers take us and it was sucha beautiful beach, white sands, no other people there, just us. It was perfect.
Sunday-This week we went to yet another Branch this time in Matola. Also watched conference this weekend since the district here (they don't have a stake yet) hadn't seen the Sunday sessons yet. President and Sister Packard were there along with a member of the Area presidency. We went and said hello and introduced ourselves, and Janae the Packards say hello to you and your fam! They said it's so good to hear your are doing well:) Then in the afternoon we went walking with a boy here from the matola branch into some neighborhoods. He is 18 and getting ready to go on his mission and will be great, he already brings entire families to church with him. We met some super cute kids, took pictures of them which they thought was AMAZING digital cameras are a new thing to them and seeing the picture immediately always made them giggle. I also talked with a girl about my age who had a 4 month year old, and that baby was abosolutely adorable. They were all so kind and warm, and had us take some raw sugar cane home as a treat. We decided that we would go do that more often, it's a great way to start talking about the church because at some point they all ask "why are you here so far from home" and then "serve your fellow man" and all that comes into play...
Okay now for the crazy story...
So Tuesday I woke up fine, but by 11 am I was feeling queasy so I cut my tutoring session short, which by the way that girl is doing amazing, I honestly think she is the reason I came here. Anyway I felt sick so I went home and slept until I woke up with a fever, and then I started throwing up then I got a huge hedache that felt like someone had hit me in the head with a baseball bat. My body ached all over and I could barely get out of bed. I thought this was like maybe a 24 hour flu but it wasn't getting better only worse. I couldn't sleep all night because I either was running a fever or freezing cold.
Wednesday I woke us even worse with a bigger fever, and I hadn't been able to eat or drink anything and get it to stay in my system since tuesday morning, so our study abroad director took me to the Sommerfield Clinic which is basically the outpatient hospital that the embassaries and their families use here in Maputo. I guess I looked pretty bad when I got there because they took me straight to a bed and took my vitals. I was dehydrated and still throwing up with a fever, and a high pluse and other medical stuff that I guess was serious so they gave me an IV of saline and some medicine to stop me from throwing up. A few hours later they decided to send me home with some anti-biotics to take over night and see how I would do with those. Well, I promtly threw that up as soon as the medicine they gave me for nausea wore off and kept throwing everything up all night, I could feel myself becoming more and more dehydrated.
Thursday I woke up to the director telling me he had called a cab and they were taking me back to the hospital, since I was worse and couldn't take my medicine. My roomies later told me when they looked at me when they got up and looked at me sleeping in my bed that I was seriously yellow. Um, not normal. When I got to the hospital they said I would have to get my antibiotics interveinously since I was too sick to take them orally. They put me in a hospital bed, drew lots of blood, gave me my second IV line in 2 days, and for those of you who know how much I hate blood and needles know that this was not fun for me. Thank goodness I was too out of it to really care. My tests came back negative for malaria for the 2nd day in a row and also negative for Dengue and some other crazy deseases which was good news. They knew I had an infection but couldn't figure out what it was. So they kept me on an IV and told me they were going to admit me to a nearby hospital and keep me there for 48 hours while they figured things out and when I looked good enough I would be allowed to go home. I was sad because I am so far away from my family and friends and spending the night in a hospital alone didn't sound like a good time. At the same time I knew that if that's what needed to happen that that's what I would do.
So then I fell asleep...and when I woke up I felt SO much better, my roomie Kaylee who was with me said I looked better and all the nurses and doctors said the same...Anyway 9 hours later they said I was in good enough shape to go home since my vomiting had stopped and my fever had broken and my vitals were normal again! So after an IV bag of atibiotics and a few bags of saline I was back in my "home" in Machava at ADPP. My brazilian friends who I met here (love by the way that no matter where I am I seem to find brazilian friends:) gave me a welcome home present of a hot shower up at their house, those girls are wonderful!
Anyway long long story longer...I am feeling much better now, not 100% but for sure good enough to sit here and write all this up. My rapid recovery I atribute 100% to the blessing I was given when I got sick that promised me that I would be healed promptly, I am so thankful for priesthood blessings and for the power of prayer. I am finally eating again today, some soup and plain white toast which after 3 days without eating tasted amazingly good! I missed work and my students were asking for me, guess they like me after all:) I'll start again on monday hopefully.
BTW-ADPP got our group a computer and internet so I can upload some pics and stuff when I feel up to it. They will be here soon! Okay I Will write more soon, thanks mom and dad for your prayers and support, they help even when they are coming from thousands of miles away, I love you both!
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