Friday, August 5th

Thursday, August 4th.

Well, here is my debut: it`s Susanne , sitting in my room in PJ`s at 9 pm trying to get some things written down before posting them tomorrow at the Internet cafe.

Since I have not read or written our blog yet, I only have a vague idea of what you`ve been told but bear with me for any repetition.  Have not been at the Internet cafe since arriving. Those of you who know me and my addiction to me blackberry well, you will know this is quite a drastic change for me :)

 Mozambioque has been incredible.  Our location at the beach means that every morning, when the bus arrives at 7:30pm to pick us up, we see crashing waves in the background and get a light breeze off the ocean. The weather has been great.  The first two days have been warm but a breeze here and there.  Today and yesterday have been hot, hot, hot.  Team members are getting tanned and burnt, sunscreen smell and bug repellent smell christen the work site every morning and we are becoming ``regulars`in our routines of doing the above, filling up water bottles, getting gloves on and marching off to the work sites.  A lot of fruit is served for break time, sandwiches for lunch (including cold cuts, peanut butter and nutella).  Backpacks are worn everywhere to the 3 worksites which have now been named ``Fast Track`(the one which was quite a bit ahead of the others` in the beginning), Scratch (as it started from scratch without any foundation, the others already had two layers of brick in), and Danger Zone for a bit of a mishap that happened a few days ago. All is good though, no worries :)

Since there are 20 of us with 3 sites, we keep rotating through to different ones and also switch up teams so that we have an opportunity to get to know all three families and work with different team members.

After two days of building the brick walls, we are now into the more intricate stuff.....well, I guess not all of it:  We had to shovel I am no sure how many wheel barrows of dirt inside the home to elevate the floors for a later time when cement can be poured into them.  Honorable mention by Kesley `Love what you`ve done with the place`.....nice greeting for Sam and Nada who had been smoothing out the umpteen wheelbarrows of sand dropped inside the door.  We also helped build the bathrooms which have cement floors, then  wooden beams bringing some support and then reed (not sure if i am spelling that right) which are placed all the way around as a privacy fence. Fun to do.  Today we helped move loads of small gravel which were delivered by the road, into the work site by the house and then proceeded  to make cement beams  which will hold another few rows of bricks and then the roof.

 Yesterday, we got a tour from Djassi of various Habitat homes which had been built in the community for needy families in earlier times.  Many have stories interwoven by tragedy including , HIV/Aids affliction, but sometimes it is hard to believe, because you see so many smiles and waves from complete strangers. We saw about 6 or 8 homes, and one of the latter ones was a woman who was disabled and could only crawl versus walk. After stopping and talking with her, we found out that she had 4 sets of twins (most kids here are born at home) and her husband died. Habitat ended up building her two homes side by side for all her kids and the church pitched in and gave her a well inside her yard due to her tough situation. Most other households have to walk a long ways to a single well which the whole community seems to use close to the main road.  It is simply amazing ..the stories you hear and the lifestyle these families have. Responsibilities at a very young age of siblings to look after their younger brothers and sisters...carrying them on their backs when they are still small themselves, feeding them and looking after them all day when their parents may be working on a farm or doing other chores. Most everyone`s clothing is torn and ripped, but smiles are plentiful!  The people of Mozambique are truly attractive, nice looking people with gorgeous features and great posture ...likely from carrying water, food and supplies on their heads wherever you look.  Straight as a broom....we will try to learn this while here!

 Today, we had some exra time in the afternoon and went to another site where we had an impromptu concert by about 20 kids. Sergio, one of the Haaitat staff, started singing and soon all the kids joined in. First a song in the native language, then an English Christian one...can`t even describe the moment. Amazing, all these little ones singing, and clapping and then a few even danced ``in the circle``. The rhythm and swinging hips.  wow, impressive.  There was some hopscotch going on, as well , and games of duck and goose.  Must have been the largest circle ever, at least 40 kids...it started with a few but then the word spreads and more and more come along.   All ages from babies coming in the little back bundles to teenagers.  Lots of laughs!

 Other honorable mentions:

·         finding out that the `bathrooms without holes` which we wondered about for days but have been using as bathroom facilities, were actually showers (straw/reed huts without anything in them indicating they were showers, by the way). whoops!

·         having our great supper at the hotel today and Michelle wanting to take the red sauce as she saw we had spaghetti noodles ...she was about to take some red sauce, and the owner of the hotel quickly said `no,no no...is very hot...ATOMIC`` . Great word choice,  of course we tried some and I think it`s Piri Piri cause.  We were warned!

·         arriving here on Monday at the worksite, there was a little one about  a year or so and after seeing me, she stuck her hand out and rubbed the top of  my hand. Likely trying to see if she could rub the light part off to maybe get to a darker skin underneath?  Yes, we certainly stand out here....

·         we are all wearing shorts and often, when you kneel down, you have dirt on your knees...happened e few times now when kids are around, they see your knees and then carefully brush the dirt off them

·         the kids here love holding hands, so you try to take them in a free hand but if kids run out of hands, they travel up your arm, so that  you have one you`re holding hands with and another couple `tacked on`

  Fast facts:

·         tons of chickens everywhere and most of the walkways and paths are all very sandy, so you have chicken scratches and foot marks everywhere. random! :)

·         kids here go to school until grade 6. then they have to pay. It`s $5 a year  and the government pays room and board in high school; as you have to stay here. Many kids can`t go as they are required to work the field and tend after their siblings

·         you can`t talk on the phone and drive. fine: 1000 meticals or $30

·         Pringles are $7 here

·         Heineken beer: 70 meticals or just over $2. Wine is quite a bit more expensive...so i had some adjusting to do :)  Local beer is good but quite dark, so us `Corona girls`were struggling a bit.

·         Most vehicles here are white...sun/heat related or because cheaper?  hmmmm.

·         The ants here bite...had ants in my pants...well, an ant in my pant and it bit 4 times. littler bugger....squished him....

·         very musical people, lots of singing, dancing

·         food is great.  steak super tender,almost like a great roast, salad consists of lettuce leaves, tomatoes, onions.  lots of veggies, rice, lots of seafood...fish.

·         no one seems to ever wear sunglasses here

·         African time = patience....will learn it one day :)