I can see clearly now

I don't know if anyone has noticed my penchant for relevant song lyrics in post titles--perhaps they are all too old or too obscure.

The above two pictures are of Raul, one of the men being taught in Quelimane.  He is a very good man we think--exuding a certain calm and wisdom that we like.  Debbie says that he is the only Mozambican man that he has ever seen kiss his wife.  The first picture was taken in their home--yes it is made of mud and sticks--but you will notice a light switch on the wall (electicity is prepaid here, so there is never an overdue bill).  He and his wife are a sweet couple and both have been attending our services for some time.  When they succeed in getting formally married, I'm sure they will join the church.  If you look at the 2nd picture above, you will note a protrusion on the top of his head, it looks a bit like the start of a horn.  We asked him about it (not culturally insensitive--"Elder Osborn, why are you so fat?") and he reported that he was a soldier in the civil war in the 90s and was hit by shrapnel (among other flying objects) which skimmed his skull and dug a furrow and pushed bone up into a little hill on his head--all very fascinating to you I am sure.

Central to the LDS teaching and conversion process is the need for individuals to ask God in prayer to know the truth, rather than simply relying on our word or allowing them to be convinced by human teaching and explanation.  It is generally easier to pray over something tangible rather than mere concepts.  For this reason we generally suggest that people read the Book of Mormon and pray to know if it is truth or fiction.  The inability to read, often gets in the way of both learning the gospel and ascertaining its veracity.

We were teaching Raul and his wife and asked him to read.  he confessed that his eyesight was too bad and he could not.  He needs glasses and they would cost an unreachable sum for him.  I let him use mine for a moment and he lit up--saying that they worked great for him.  After the lesson, I recalled that I had brought a pair of extra WalMart reading glasses with me as back-ups.  I said that i would give them to him when we next saw him.  He was beyond delighted and after some hemming and hawing asked if we could just take him with us right then and he would ride his bike back the 10 miles back to his home.  We did and the second picture is with his new magnifying reading glasses (+3) on the magnification scale I think).  He looks good in them I think.  I have lent these glasses to other Mozambicans at church before--and in truth I just told him that it was a loan, but I won't have the heart to take them back.  The lack of affordable vison correction is a serious impediment to learning here. 

I am not seeking to do some kind of major vision project, but I would love to have 15 or 20 pair of similar inexpensive magnifying reading glasses in my possession that I could give to people (who I will personally know) whose lives could be improved thereby.   If you are inclined to assist, send a pair or three (with cases) to our daughter Elizabeth who will forward them (and who will likely post her address as a comment below if she consents to this).  She alone has been successful in getting a postal package delivered safely and directly to Quelimane, Mozambique.