We have been back in Mozambique for almost two months after
enjoying a few months in the US visiting family, friends, and supporters (along with
some training in the mix). Now that the
dust has settled, I thought I would share some of the highlights (and
lowlights) of our recent nomadic lifestyle.
Furlough Top 5:
- Getting together with family and
friends. Getting to be present at birthday
parties, watch fireworks on the 4th of July, sharing a meal with
friends we hadn’t seen in years, and being in town for a funeral to celebrate
the life of someone who we care about, was so special. Really this could be the top 5 by itself!
- Dr. Pepper… enough said.
- BBQ and Mexican food.
- Hiking. Hitting the trails in Olympic National Park, the
Great Smokey Mountains, and even just the park down the road was so nice! We love enjoying African wildlife, but we
love American wild places too!
- A chance to hit the reset button.
Bottom 5:
- Living out of a suitcase. While we love being in the US and seeing
family, it is hard living out of a suitcase and in someone else’s space/routine
for so long.
- Furlough fat. See No. 2 and No. 3 above. Also, when you get back to Mozambique, people
are quick to delightfully tell you how gordo
(fat) you’ve gotten. While it is a compliment
to let you know how healthy you look, it is hard to hear when you’ve put on a
few Dr. Pepper pounds.
- Loss of friends. The missionary/expat community is a fluid
one, but it is family away from family.
It is hard when friends leave Mozambique and we had several friends move
away while we were in the US.
- While the people are away, the
rats will play. Seriously. When we got back it was hard to sleep the
first few nights due to the rats scampering in the ceiling.
- It is easy to get accustomed to
smooth roads and Home Depot in the US.
Coming back equals dealing with broken stuff and never ending maintenance
projects.
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| Something got fried... but Dave can fix it! |
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| Clearing a downed tree |
Top 5 since Returning to Mozambique:
- Being in our own house (see No. 1
above). There is something so nice about
being in your own place, your own bed, and getting back to a routine.
- Dave was able to fly a group of
pastors from Nampula back from a conference in Tete, a distance long enough
away that without the flight, they may not have been able to attend. One of the pastors was the pastor of the
small mission church we attend, Pastor Benedito.
- A team from Texas came to help
host our annual staff conference. It was
so awesome to have people we know come to Mozambique to see and do life with
us. We are so thankful that they came to serve us and our team!
- Mozambican winter. Leaving Texas in July (and missing the hot
month of August) meant getting back to Mozambique while it was still
winter. Yes, we still wear t-shirts and
flip flops but the 80s are better than 100 degrees.
- Community. Unlike the US, where pretty much everyone is
independent, we rely on friends and colleagues to do life here. With that means we have come back to our “family”
on this side of the ocean.
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| Welcome back gifts of deliciousness |
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| Came to rescue a friend stuck in the mud...and got stuck in the mud... |
And what is a blog without some nature pics... this time from the US and Mozambique!
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| Texas Horned Lizard |
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| Barred Owl visited us during a walk in the park |
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| Western Grebe |
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| Hammerkop nest near our house | | | | | | | |
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| Striped kingfisher hanging around our house |
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| Collared Sunbird checking out his reflection in our window |
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| Lunar eclipse in progress |
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| Full lunar eclipse and Mars |
