A lot can happen in a month...

It is only the beginning of February, but 2015 has already had its share of highs and lows. 

On January 1st we flew (ok, Dave flew) the 206 to South Africa for a new paint job.  January is an iffy month for flying because of the rainy season, so we weren’t sure we would make the long flight in one day, but after dodging some rain storms, we made it that afternoon.  When we arrived, Dave went to deal with the customs officials while I went to rent the car.  Almost three hours later, Dave still hadn’t come out and I was beginning to get worried.  The police decided to do a ramp check where they check all of the pilot’s and plane’s documents to make sure everything is up to date and in order.  Also, we had transported some personal items for a missionary that had left Mozambique and returned to South Africa, and the officials wanted to make sure everything was legitimate so they detained some of the items.  Fortunately, the next morning, the missionary was able to come by the airport with all the necessary paperwork and everything worked out.    

6CE getting prepped for its paint job

The last time we had gone to South Africa I had gone to a doctor about a problem with my ear and he recommended getting an MRI done to make sure there wasn’t a growth damaging the nerve.  Since Dave was coming back down to South Africa, it seemed like a good opportunity to have this done since waiting six months until we return to the U.S. was not recommended.  Fortunately, there is no tumor (and I now have some cool pictures of my brain), however, I am still uncertain what is causing the problem. 

Shortly after we got back, we had plans to show the JESUS film in our yard for our neighborhood and hand out stockings of goodies.  Friends and family had sent the stockings along with Portuguese New Testaments, toothbrushes, soap, candy canes, some small toys, and school supplies to stuff them with.  Unfortunately, there was a delay in the postal system and the boxes made it just after Christmas, so we had to wait until after we returned from our trip.  We picked out a night to show the film, however, the rains started and it rained for several days straight, so we got rained out.  With the rains came flooding to the south of us which knocked out several bridges on THE north/south road, and left the entire northern part of the country without power. 

Stuffing stockings

We have now been without power for over three weeks and we are so thankful to have a generator.  It has allowed us to keep our fridge cold, our water pump working, and given us the ability to cook fairly normally.  Twice it has broken down and we were without the proper parts to fix it, but Dave is amazing and has kept it going!  The generator has brought with it increased neighborhood interactions.  Each night when we have it running, we have about 10 phones from our neighbors plugged in.  We are still not sure when the power will come back.

Isac and Torino bringing neighborhood phones to be charged

 After heavy rains the termites (from the big dirt mounds) come out and they are attracted to light.  Because we were one of the few houses running security lights at night on our street, the termites arrived in droves.  Early the next morning, about 10 of our neighbors were knocking on the gate asking if they could collect the termites (a delicacy after the wings are removed and they are fried).  It was a win-win, because you could not take a step without stepping on termites.

Invasion of the termites

The white things on the ground are wings...

After the rains subsided, the generator also allowed us to show the JESUS film (in Makua, the local language).  After two weeks without power I think a movie night was pretty special.  Several kids had been asking us every day when we would show it since they knew were going to do it earlier.  About 20 people came into our yard and there was a small crowd that watched from the street.  Afterwards, we handed out the goodies and explained that even though it was late, we wanted to wish them a “Merry Christmas” (Feliz Natal).  The rest of the stockings will go to the kids in our church and the Bibles to the teens and adults who don’t have one.  Thanks to all who bought the items and helped ship them here... we know they were really appreciated!

Handing out stockings after the movie

Some of the biggest news came on the 30th of January...  After 7 months of being grounded (and a year and a half after officially starting the process) we have received our Air Operator’s Certificate.  With a lot of hard work from many folks and a lot of prayer and relationship building, this was a huge obstacle to overcome in getting fully operational in Mozambique again.  We still have many steps to go to become Ambassador Aviation (our business name in Mozambique), but without this certificate, the process was stalled. 

Dave was able to fly the first flight since being grounded, a flight for MozMed team to Gurue, although the circumstances were unfortunate.  A baby was brought to Nampula for surgery, however, the baby died from an infection and the mother wanted to return to her village for the funeral. 

In the midst of these challenges and victories in Mozambique, both Dave and I have experienced recent loss back in the United States as well and discovered how hard it is to be so far away from family during these times.  Dave’s grandmother passed away just before Christmas and my uncle died unexpectedly last week.  Our hearts ached to be with family and to share in the celebrations of their lives.  We are thankful our families are understanding and we send them our love from the other side of the world.

Common waxbill

We see chameleons quite often, but I still can't help but stop for a picture

If you come visit us we will take you to some cool places...