Peach Pie

Yesterday was an important day! Following in the traditions of the women before me, on both sides of my family, I made my first fruit pie. I've enjoyed many a pie before, but yesterday, with Momma's supervision, I made one myself!

Dad returned this morning from Moz, and we saved the first piece for him! I might not win a pie competition like my grandmother, but it tasted pretty good! :)

Interview Day

In about three hours, I'll be going into my first interview for a teaching position.  This feels like a new world!  It has only been about a year since I started to think about teaching English as a profession.

I'm actually not too nervous.  I have a lot of energy though!  I started my morning with a wonderful spinach/grape/blackberry smoothie! :) I love my green smoothies.  (I balance the health benefits with a big cup of coffee and a generous dollop of creamer.)

My advisor wrote a wonderful reference letter for me to take to the interview.  Her words seem so generous.  I hope I can be the kind of teacher she sees in me.

I am so blessed.  I truly am.  I have friends in multiple countries praying for this interview.  I have a family that has helped me in so many ways through the last year, when I've been figuring my next steps.  Even after six months of joblessness, I have never gotten to the point where I've wondered what I will eat or where I will sleep.  My family has always supported me.  My friends cheer me on and advise me.

I'm continually amazed by the way God has guided my steps.  My first class in my M.Ed is almost finished.  My final project and paper are due on the 11th.  I've decided to make my final project useful.  I'm going to be writing a development plan for a TEFL course for the church my parents are working with in Mozambique.  I don't know if it is something they can implement or not, but I know the church really wants to have English classes.  Who knows? Perhaps I'll be able to take some vacation time and go to help set up a regular program in Beira.  Whatever happens, I'm so excited that my advisor is not only approves of this idea for my project but is encouraging it wholeheartedly.

We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.

Proverbs 16:9

Christmas

It's almost mid January and I'm just now posting Christmas pictures!  We had a special treat this year.  Our entire family was together for Christmas, something that hasn't happened for a few years.  And as can be expected, Christmas was mostly all for Anna!

Little girls in Mozambique often wear wigs with beads woven into them for special occasions.  Anna's Pap decided she needed one!  We just laughed and laughed.  She looks adorable and she thinks it is a hat!

Resettlement

Three weeks ago, I was enjoying 95 degree weather and the warmth of Mozambican culture.  I've traded palm trees for pine.  Pennsylvania has experienced its first snow and the weather outside, while not frightful, is definitely chilly.

I love airplanes and flying but I wonder if they have hindered our appreciation for the transition between one place to another.  I've never crossed the Atlantic by any means other than an airplane.

It is a bit surreal.  In January, I would have said, "I live in London."  On the last day of January, I boarded a plane and seven hours later, I was in the USA and I had officially moved.  The trip from Moz took a full day of travel.  The transition is more startling.  It only took a day to go from one place where clean water is scarce to another place where we are focused on buying excess material goods with our excess income.  

A longer journey would not change the differences between locales, but perhaps the time to reflect would change the traveler.   

Planes come equipped with a personalized entertainment system for each seat.  (As a child, I can remember having a TV screen for the entire cabin.  If you didn't like the movie, you listened to music or slept.)  You might watch movies for the duration of a 19 hour flight from South Africa to the USA.  An ocean liner today can cross the Atlantic in a week.  When Henry Hudson crossed from Amsterdam to New York (in 1609), the crossing took two months.  

Imagine a relocation journey taking two months.  Days of ocean and waves and no land in sight.  No entertainment system.  No wi-fi.  No seclusion except in thought.  As an introspective person, I love the idea of having days to just look at the waves and the clouds and simply ponder.  Time to consider where I've been and wonder where I am going.  Time to write in my journal until I run out of words or pages.  

I cannot explain my thankfulness that this past year has included time to consider my options.  Had I needed to go from my last job, which finished in May, to looking for another job immediately, I would have been incredibly frazzled.  Instead, through generosity and grace, I was able to take the time necessary to consider my next steps.  I've been back in Pennsylvania for three weeks.  In those three weeks, I've purchased a vehicle, gotten car insurance (for the first time on my own!), made decisions about where I will live, applied to academic programs, started job applications, took my computer to be fixed (which isn't possible but I am going to attempt some data recovery), and am considering my options in the areas of phones, computers, and more practical things like mattresses and winter coats.  While it is sometimes overwhelming to make all of these decisions, it is possible because I have had time to consider my options, needs, and my Provider.  

The title for this blog, The View from a Thousand Hills, comes from Psalm 50:10.  The Lord says, "For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills."  This verse reminds me that my future is in good hands, and those hands are not my own.  

On the Road

I think I've started a post about ten times and each time, I've just not finished it.  There are a number of reasons, lack of time, lack of means (I knocked my laptop to the the tile floor by accident while still in Mozambique and it is not turning on!) and a few other things, but either way, it's time to start writing again!

I can hardly believe that two weeks ago today, I was attending my last church service in Moz.  Various church people had presents for me and presented them to me in front of the entire congregation.  By the time they were finished, I had tears streaming down my face.  These are good people.  I have been blessed to get to know them. 

I left Moz on the following Monday.  The trip from Beira to Joburg to DC took a full 24 hours, plus a seven hour time change.  Normally, I have no problems sleeping on planes, but this 18 hour flight, sleep eluded me.  There was a surprisingly bad selection of films and a rather negative woman in the seat behind me (who didn't mind sharing her opinions rather loudly with her husband and those of us in a ten seat radius.)  Aside from that, the flight was uneventful.  I like adventures, but in terms of plane rides, uneventful is a good quality!  

It was wonderful to see family once back in PA.  I swapped my swim suits and sandals for sweaters and slippers, but the fall leaves are gorgeous and I love sitting by a fire on a chilly evening.  It doesn't hurt that there is usually a little Jack Russell Terrier who is happy to sit with me.

Farewell to the tropics

Today is my last full day in Mozambique.  I'm surprised by how sad I feel to say goodbye.  The church had a special place in the service to say goodbye to me.  I was given several really thoughtful gifts and during the process, I started crying.  I think that was actually a source of great entertainment for the church, although not in a malicious manner.

The community pool for my parent's little complex has been a source of much joy for me.  In the last few weeks, the pool's temperatures have soared to perfection.  It may not be an ideal pool by American standards (considering the water is very chlorinated and usually has a variety of palm fronds, ants, and occasionally a roach floating in its depths.  But I'll miss it.  I'll miss the little Bronze Mannikins who line up side by side on a branch of the almond tree to catch the last rays of the day.  I'll miss the pink blossoms of the frangipani.  I'll miss the bliss of warm water on a hot day.

 

My parent's house has been home for four months.  I keep snapping "just one more picture," wanting to capture people, places and memories in megapixels for preservation.  I have mementos taped into my journal to accompany my written notes and souvenirs packed into my suitcases.  But the best parts will still be here in Mozambique, waiting until I come back, whenever ever that may be.  In the meantime, I'm so thankful that I will be able to picture my folks at home and at work.  Mozambique and her people will have a special place in my heart.  

 

The next step of my journey will begin tomorrow.  I have a sneaking feeling that the East Coast of the USA will offer weather a teensy bit colder than I like.  Although goodbyes are making me sad today, with every goodbye there is another hello.  The hello at the end of this journey will be my US family :)  See you the other side of the Pond!

Butterflies on Bougainvillea

I have always loved bougainvillea.  We have three different colors blooming in our little corner of a garden: purple, a dark reddish pink, and a very beautiful orangey red.  As I sat on the veranda reading, I noticed two butterflies flitting around the blossoms.  

I think every African garden I've been in has a magical capability to slow time.  Maybe American yards have the same affect, but I suppose we don't sit in them long enough to feel the effect.  It takes me back to my childhood to sit on a camp chair in the shade, feel the hot breeze, and believe that this day will last forever.  

The stillness is a little deceptive, because it's only the larger creatures that stay in one place.  Butterflies fly from one flower to another and the wood borer bees disappear and reappear from their holes in the support beams.  Geckos and other lizards scurry around on the support beams, floor, and walls, and dash under the shade of ferns.  Doves, bronze manikins, bee-eaters, orioles,and the occasional coucal visit the birdbath in the corner and retreat to the shade of the bushes.

A garden is a grand place to wake up slowly.  I am savoring the days when I can crawl out of bed, make a cup of coffee, and sit in the quiet.  Oh, it is not entirely quiet, given the school children, air con, and traffic on the road in the distance.  But is a good place to think, observe, or just be still.  I saw a lizard drinking water laying in a puddle under our air conditioner.  I don't think I've seen a lizard lapping water before.

Summer is arriving in Mozambique.  The grass is getting a sun bleached look despite the best efforts to water it.  Temperatures are rising.  Last Saturday, we slowly baked in 36 (96 F) degree weather, with a heat index of 46 (115 F).  Most days are not quite that hot, but the typical temperature seems to be in the thirties.  Mosquitoes are becoming bothersome.  Deltaprim and mosquito nets are once again a part of my life.  I don't mind the mosquito nets though.  I think mosquito nets took the place of a canopy bed in my childhood fairy tale princess dreams.  

And now it is October.  I have thirty nine days more to savor the Southern Hemisphere.  

Goats

Goats can be found in the most unlikely places in Mozambique.

Momma and Baby both getting a drink 

Enjoying the shade at a gas station

Poor things!  I thought the humans were packed into the chapa, but the goats don't even get a seat!

Goats generally seem to end up as a meal.  While in the village last week, we frequently had matumba (goat intestines stuffed with goat meat) and rice for dinner.  Our first night in the village, there was a goat tied to a tree near the village.  The next day he was suspiciously absent.  

Unbeknownst to me, one of our translators told the cooks that I do not eat meat.  For our lunch and supper meals, they would provide beans or eggs for me.  I didn't ask for it, but I will admit to being very grateful.  In this setting, I could have simply not taken meat and no one would have been offended.  It would have been a long few days to only eat bread for breakfast, and rice, ncema, or millet for dinner.  The beans were very tasty and they cooked the eggs well also.  

The one night, Lazaro and Luis started asking me about my diet.  Lazaro could not believe that I would voluntarily eat only vegetables, fruit, rice, and bread.  (He didn't seem to mind having an extra portion of matumba!)  Lazaro said something in Portuguese to Luis with a little chuckle.  Luis translated into English for me, prefacing it with a little explanation.  "He wants to joke with you.  He's saying, 'Is she sure she's really African?'" We all had a good laugh over that comment!  I told Lazaro that he isn't the first to ask me, but I know two other Africans who are vegetarians.  We are certainly a rarity.  

Innocent's Barraca

For a treat and for our friend's Orville and Cheryl's last night in Beira, we went to Innocent's Barraca.  (A barraca is the general word for a tent, stall, or hut in Portuguese.)  Innocent makes seafood like no one else in town.  His establishment is tricky to find at first, but it's worth the search.

The decor is simple, mostly flags from football teams and countries.  The lampshades are baskets turned upside with seashells dangling from the rims.  This last visit, our waitress was a girl from Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe's flag

Innocent arranges the seafood beautifully.  I admire it even though I don't eat it.  My usual option is fish, but my time in Mozambique is testing my commitment to eating fish as well.  (I don't like it when my food looks back at me, and most of the time, fish is served with entire body still entact.)  However, it is impossible not to appreciate the color and visual appeal of Innocent's food.  

African women amaze me with their ability to carry items on their heads.  Most of these pictures aren't clear because I was taking them out the window of a fast moving vehicle (Dad was driving), but I love them nonetheless.

This is my favorite!

While out in a village, I saw a girl carrying her hoe in from the field, balancing it across her head!  Although I've grown up with images such as these, I continue to be impressed.  I think I'll have to stick with a suitcase with wheels.

Milpark

In our travels last week, we needed to spend a night in Chimoio.  We stayed at the Milpark.

Chimoio is 731m above sea level.  We welcomed the cool evening after a long hot drive.  The road from Beira to Chimoio cannot be described with words or pictures.  You have to feel it to know how bad it is.  Thankfully, improvements are being made.

As you can see, the hotel has a lovely location, complete with peacock, pea hens, ducks, chickens, and even a few turkeys wandering the ground.

The gardens are very pretty.  Mom and I couldn't identify this one tree, though.  If you have any guesses, feel free to leave me a comment!

Mr Peacock wouldn't show off his tail feathers for us

Bird of Paradise

The restaurant had good food and friendly staff.  When we drove back through a few days later and stopped to collect some things left in their storage, they didn't charge us for a cup of coffee while we waited for the storage room key.  I thought that was very kind, especially considering they let us store some things there as a favor rather than a typical practice.  (My dear mother was very considerate.  She assumed that we weren't communicating clearly and left money to cover the coffee anyway.)  If you find yourself in Chimoio and need a place to say, I think this was a good choice.  I personally voted for a little place called the Pink Papaya, but the appeal was mostly in the name.

Cuddle Therapy

I love animals, except for some of the creepy crawly variety.  This past week, we spent two nights at a camp on our journey home from our village stay.  The best part of the camp was the welcoming committee...the four legged kind.  

When we arrived, no one seemed to be around.  Dad and Orville each started wandering off in search of assistance.    Our welcomers came dashing out, with tails wagging and yipping all around.  I wasted no time in climbing out of the car and starting to scratch ears and tummies.  With three dogs and only two hands, it was a complicated venture indeed.

A man who worked at the camp came over and started laughing when he saw me amid a pile of squirming puppies.  Between my fragments of Portuguese and his patience, we could at least greet each other and I could say where we were coming from and that sort of thing.  I also told him how much I adored the dogs.  He grinned, and called into the house for "Pumba."  He laughed and laughed at my face when a big old wart hog came wandering out of the house!  Soon I was trying to pet Pumba while being nipped at by three jealous pups.

The puppies followed us to our camp site and they stayed with us for both days.  Their owners were away and I think they were a little lonely.  The first morning, Mom came out and found them all asleep, two of them sleeping inside the cement fire pit, enjoying the warmth left by the ashes of the fire.  

Enjoying the residual warmth from the fire

Dad playing with Pumba

Pumba nibbling on my knees...it tickled!

My favorite picture

I was the first one out of bed on Friday morning.  The pups heard me up and started pouncing on my tent, clearly feeling playful.  I unzipped the flap and let them in just to keep them quiet, but they complicated the process of tying my shoes!  The one little monkey grabbed my deodorant and took off with it, while another one nudged the lid off of my trash basket and started pulling out tissues!  After getting a little bit of order restored, I took my journal out to write by the fire and watch the sunrise.  They had other plans.  First one, then two, then all three hopped up onto my lap!  I didn't mind in the least.  

Ferry across the Shire

Our journey of the past week required a river crossing.  The Shire River isn't very wide at the particular point we crossed, but it would be during the rainy season.  The surrounding area is gorgeous, as you can see from these pictures.

This picture above explains my comment in an earlier post about the Beira Hillbillies.  We packed every possible space, both in the car and tied to the roof rack!  We sat three people in the front, three in the second row, and two in the back along with luggage for all of us for five days, tents, sleeping bags, two 50kg bags of rice, teaching supplies, and an accordion. (On the way back, we didn't have the two bags of rice, but we gained two huge stalks of bananas and four (live) chickens.)

My parents!

The ferry can accommodate four vehicles at a time, with some careful parking.  The men use a hand-crank to move the ferry along the cables.  The river isn't wide, but the time to cross the river depends on the number of cars and the weight of the cargo. The ferry costs 80 meticais per vehicle (roughly $3).  

For smaller items and groups, a canoe presents a faster option.  Crossing the river in a dugout takes about five minutes.  As muzungus, we paid about $1 per person, but I doubt everyone else pays that rate! :)

I recently read a book about David Livingstone and suggested it to Mom.  She was reading it on this trip.  She brought a passage to my attention that mentioned Livingstone's crossing the "crocodile infested Shire River."  Our crossing didn't involve either crocodiles or hippos due to the activity in the area, but they still swim in the Shire.  On our return trip, I was offered a change to ride in one of the dugouts.  Of course I said yes!  

My Livingstone Moment

I felt the thrill of history in my brief canoe trip.  Livingstone probably had a few rides in the same kind of canoe in his day, on the very same river. 

Livingstone said, "“If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don't want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all.” He also once stated, "I will go anywhere, provided it be forward."  I think I would have liked him.